The Bible teaches that the human heart is wicked, and even after the Spirit comes to live in the believer, there is still a tendency to sin (Rom 7), so even though they still sin, over time, they do sin less thanks to the work of the Spirit of God. At least they should, but the idea that the human heart has any redeeming value of itself is destroyed by Jeremiah the Prophet who wrote a rhetorical statement: \u201cThe heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it\u201d<\/em> (Jer 17:9)? We might think we fully understand our own heart, but God says, \u201cI the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds\u201d<\/em> (Jer 17:10), but lusting is not so much a physical act as it is an act of the mind. In other words, we can sin by lusting in our minds. Jesus said \u201cthat everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart\u201d<\/em> (Matt 5:48), so sexual immorality is not just a physical act but can be committed in the mind. Of course, the physical act is worse as Paul said \u201cthat he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, \u201cThe two will become one flesh<\/em>\u201d (1 Cor 6:16), but we can just as easily lust<\/a> in our hearts if we don\u2019t flee temptation. Believers must realize that our \u201cbodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never\u201d<\/em> (2 Cor 6:15)! People don\u2019t have to search very far to find out God\u2019s will for their life. It\u2019s spelled out very clearly in Scripture. For example, the Apostle Paul says that \u201cthis is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor\u201d<\/em> (1 Thess 4:3-4). That\u2019s not a difficult theological issue to struggle over. It\u2019s very obvious. Paul says to Timothy (and to all), \u201cflee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart\u201d<\/em> (2 Tim 2:22), so it\u2019s God\u2019s will to flee passions of the flesh, \u201cFor all that is in the world\u2014the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions\u2014is not from the Father but is from the world\u201d<\/em> (1 John 2:16). Fleeing, or getting away from passions and sexual immorality takes an act of the will. The Spirit of God will tell us to flee, but we must be the ones to move our feet, therefore, Paul says, \u201cFlee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body\u201d<\/em> (1 Cor 6:18). This is all the more reason we must \u201cPut to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry\u201d<\/em> (Col 3:5).<\/p>\n Scripture teaches us that the Word of God is living and active (Heb 4:12-13), and the Word works in the hearts of believers, but also in those who do not yet believe, but will. The Spirit quickens us to new life in Christ (Eph 2:1-5), but the Spirit of God and the Word of God make a potent defense against temptation and sin. For example, many men and women who have battled pornography have learned that by memorizing Scripture, they can pull out a resource for when they\u2019re tempted to sin. Perhaps one of their favorites is Job\u2019s statement, \u201cI have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin\u201d<\/em> (Job 31:1)? King David understood that the Word of God can help us avoid sin. He wrote, \u201cI have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you\u201d<\/em> (Psalm 119:11). It\u2019s almost as if he\u2019s saying, \u201cI have stored up your word in my heart so<\/em> that I might not sin against you.\u201d The Apostle Peter reminds us \u201cas sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul\u201d<\/em> (1 Pet 2:11), so there\u2019s a war going on. It\u2019s a battle of the mind\u2026.a battle with the pulls of the world, the desires of the flesh, and demonic influence. Pulling Scriptures from memory can help, like Proverbs 6:25-26 where Solomon wisely wrote, \u201cDo not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life.\u201d<\/em> Millions of lives\u2026and millions of families have been irreparably damaged by sexual immorality. That\u2019s why the Bible teaches that it\u2019s so serious, and all the more reason we need to fight lust when we\u2019re tempted. And we\u2019re not alone in this battle because \u201ceach person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death\u201d<\/em> (James 1:14-15). This means we can\u2019t pass the buck and say my friends (or the Devil) made me do it. In the end, we\u2019re responsible for our own actions.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/348\/2018\/08\/reading-bible-300x157.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWill of God<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
The Word<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/a>If believers will hide or memorize God\u2019s Word in their heart, and flee temptation when it comes, they\u2019ll have a better chance of avoiding sexual immorality, but that\u2019s getting harder and harder to do in this day and age. The glut of media makes it nearly impossible to avoid sexually explicit images, but by memorizing Scripture, and yielding to the Spirit\u2019s voice, it can motivate our feet to run\u2026or, \u201cFlee from sexual immorality,\u201d<\/em> and that\u2019s the whole idea. We can commit adultery by lusting in our hearts\u2026but this may be a deadly precursor to the real thing\u2026sexual immorality, which we clearly know is not the will of God. In fact, Paul says that \u201corgies, and things like these\u201d <\/em>are done by those who \u201cwill not inherit the kingdom of God\u201d<\/em> (Gal 5:21).<\/p>\n