1John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world (KJV).
When it comes to exposing the root, there is a place that each believer must come to: honesty. If we are to walk in holiness unto God, we have to be honest with God, and of course, with ourselves. There must be a willingness to see what we don’t want to see about ourselves. As long as a believer refuses to see what the Lord is trying to show him, he will walk in self-deception, and will fail to walk in his full potential. We must understand that we are indeed cleansed of our sins by the Blood of Jesus; however, there are those things that we may still be holding on to that we picked up while still living in the world. It’s those things that hinder our relationship with the Father, and hold us back from walking in the fullness of the faith. Therefore, we are going further in dealing with those things the Lord exposes that no one wants to claim -and nor should they be claimed, but expelled once and for all.
James 1:13-14 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed (KJV).
Though God may test us, He will not tempt us with evil. If we can be tempted, it means there is something we can be tempted with. Jesus was tempted of the devil while in the wilderness, but He never sinned. Why? Because He had nothing inside to be tempted with -the enemy couldn’t find a target in which to shoot his arrows. Satan attacked him in the same way he did with Eve, and still uses the same methods today: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. However, in James it is interesting that the devil isn’t even mentioned. Verse fourteen says, “Every man is tempted, when he drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” God will allow those circumstances in our lives to expose a lust. Not so that we will suppress it even more because we don’t want to see it, nor anyone else for that matter; rather, it is exposed so it can be expelled. He brings us to a crossroads where we must decide if we want to hold onto it, or let it go. If we decide to let it go, by His grace (the ability He gives us through faith) we are able to release the lust once and for all. It can be as simple as a prayer: “Father, I see the lust, and now I denounce it, and let it go in the Name of Jesus.” Once it is gone, it’s gone. The flesh may rise up to try to compel us to take it back. The enemy may try to send an illusion which says we still have it, but if we stand firm in the faith we are indeed free. Jesus said in John 8:31-32, “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Moreover, in verse 36 He said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
When we know the truth, we can make an informed decision, and a firm decision. The devil can make us do nothing; therefore, we cannot blame him for our shortcomings. We face them, and deal with them in a godly manner. Our victory is found in His power and in His might, not the pride of life. A person can resist the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes by the pride of life, and still be in bondage. People make religious statements all the time: ” I don’t do such and such, like so and so.” That’s pride, and it is displeasing before God. Just because a lust is suppressed, it does not mean it isn’t there. It is still hidden under the cloak of pride, and that is self-deception. If we try to overcome the flesh by our pride, we are trying to get the glory; but if we receive the victory God has given us through Jesus Christ, He gets the glory.
One of the reasons people have a hard time with admitting there’s a lust to contend with is because of the stigma attached to it. That stigma is often the result of a religious spirit that has crept into the church. Instead of being compassionate, people have been judgmental of others who of have had faults. People forget that is the Blood of the Lamb that cleanses us; otherwise, we would still be lost in our sins. Galatians 6:1-3 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself (emphasis added, KJV). Keep in mind that the moment one points the finger at another, he opens himself up to fall into the same fault. We are not called to be accusers of the brethren; we are called to restore our brothers and sisters with love and compassion.
