Lust isn’t just a feeling—it’s a force. And it doesn’t come from God. It’s rooted in the kingdom of darkness and designed to rob you of purpose, peace, and purity. The Bible doesn’t play about this. Proverbs 27:20 (NLT) says, “Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.” Lust is greedy. It doesn’t give—it takes. It consumes. It demands. It promises satisfaction, but always leaves you emptier than before. That’s because lust fits perfectly into the enemy’s agenda—to kill, steal, and destroy.
Jesus laid it out in John 10:10 (NLT) when He said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” Lust is a setup. It’s designed to steal your peace, kill your purity, and destroy your purpose. So when we start to see lust rising up in us—whether it’s sexual, emotional, or even in the form of toxic neediness—God wants us to deal with it, not coddle it. We’re called to crucify it. Cut it off at the root, not just manage the symptoms.
Lust never stops at just one thought, one look, one choice. It pushes for more, then turns around and shames you for following it. It’s a taker, never a giver. And we see this clearly in 2 Samuel 11, in the record of David and his lust for Bathsheba. David already had access to everything he needed—he was king. But when he saw Bathsheba bathing, he didn’t turn away. He let lust take the lead. He took her, even though she belonged to someone else. And it didn’t stop there. That one moment of unchecked desire led to deception, abuse of power, and even murder. Lust didn’t just take from David—it took from everyone around him. It robbed Bathsheba of peace, took Uriah’s life, cost David and Bathsheba their first child, and shook the very nation David was supposed to lead with integrity.
That’s the thing about lust. It doesn’t just destroy the moment—it damages the legacy. But here’s the good news: God doesn’t leave us stuck in it. Through repentance and surrender, He offers healing, restoration, and a better way to live—led by the Spirit, not by the flesh.
This is the beauty and power of God’s love. It rescues us and doesn’t hold our sins against us when we repent. Love is the complete opposite of lust. Where lust is selfish, love is selfless. Love looks to serve, to give, to bless. 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (NLT) gives us one of the clearest, most powerful blueprints of what real love looks like: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” That’s not just relationship goals—that’s Kingdom standard.
It’s actually easy to tell if someone is in your life to take from you or to pour into you. Do they put you above themselves, or are they only around when they need something? Are they constantly trying to push boundaries and persuade you into something that goes against God—or do they challenge you to grow and draw closer to Jesus Christ? The answers to those questions will reveal the motive behind their presence. Is it lust or is it love? Is it sent by God or permitted by your own fleshly desires?
What a blessing it is that God doesn’t leave us guessing. He gave us His Word to expose the counterfeit and confirm what’s real. He gave us the Holy Spirit to convict, to guide, and to protect us from making choices that break us down instead of building us up. This is why, at the end of the day, we can’t blame God for what we allow. He’s given us everything we need to discern wisely. Love is from Him. Lust is not. And when we truly trust His process, we’ll stop settling for what takes—and start waiting on what serves. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Lust Takes, Love Serves”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.
