How can I get rid of lustful thoughts?

Answer

Lust is any strong desire; sinful lust is a desire for something that God has forbidden. Lustful thoughts lead to lustful actions, and acting upon lust always results in devastation. Eve desired the delicious fruit from the one tree that God had forbidden, the tree about which God had said, “You must not eat from it” (Genesis 2:16-17). Her decision to eat the fruit and share it with her husband allowed sin to enter God’s perfect world. David desired Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and when he acted on that desire, it led to murder and the death of his infant son as part of God’s judgment (2 Samuel 11:2-4, 14-15;12:13-14). Wicked actions stem from lustful thoughts, so it is crucial to eliminate such thoughts promptly.

To overcome lustful thoughts, we must first identify our areas of greatest temptation. Lust is not always related to sexuality. Greed is a desire for money or power. Envy is a desire for the popularity or position held by someone else. Coveting is a desire for anything we lack. Lust begins with a thought. While we cannot control every thought that enters our minds, we are accountable for how we handle those thoughts.

Second Samuel 13 tells the tragic tale of lustful thoughts evolving into wicked deeds. King David’s son Amnon became fixated on his half-sister Tamar. Because he did not dismiss his lustful thoughts, they consumed him until he committed the abhorrent act of raping her. Once his lust was satisfied, he no longer cared about Tamar’s well-being and discarded her like trash (verse 15). Lust is solely focused on fulfilling its desires; it disregards the harm it inflicts on others. It is essential to view a lustful thought as the adversary it is before it gains control over our lives.

When we cling to tTo a thought that displeases God, it can quickly become sinful lust. The desire grows until it creates dissatisfaction with our current situation. Lust imposes on us the belief that happiness and contentment are impossible unless we have what we want. James 1:13–15 describes the progression from a lustful thought to a lustful action: “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

We can eliminate lustful thoughts by replacing them with thoughts that are “true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” «Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. », (Philippians 4:8). We must “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” «casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; », (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must repent of entertaining lustful thoughts and ask the Lord’s help in redirecting our thoughts.

If the lustful thoughts we are trying to eliminate involve another person, we can defuse their power by turning those thoughts into prayers for the other person’s well-being. By bringing that person before the Lord, we weaken lust’s power to objectify him or her. We must recognize each person’s value.

God’s creation is a reminder that He has greater plans for each individual, plans that do not revolve around us. Aligning our will with God’s allows us to perceive others as He does, rather than through the lens of lust.

Overcoming lustful thoughts involves being mindful of the input we expose our minds to through our senses. Our thoughts often stem from what we see, hear, touch, and taste. By regulating our intake, we can significantly limit the material available for lust to feed on in our minds. If pornographic images have been imprinted in our minds due to sinful viewing, we can ask the Lord to gradually replace those images. Refraining from viewing triggering content, filtering out music or language that sparks lustful thoughts, and erasing lustful memories from our recollection can starve such thoughts of fuel.

Committing Scripture to memory and meditating on it is an effective strategy to combat lustful thoughts and transform our minds, as advised in Romans 12:1–2. Listening to worship music helps direct our thoughts towards what is good, pure, and beautiful. A Christian’s journey is one of continual surrender. By daily yielding to the authority of Christ, He assists in reshaping a mind prone to sinful thoughts into one that seeks Him. While lustful thoughts may intrude upon us occasionally, taking control over them, rejecting them promptly, and seeking God’s intervention can lead us to triumph.