And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Luke 22:31
In this verse, Satan had evil desire towards Peter. He desired to own him, to possess him, to steal his life away from him, to destroy him. The desire to use someone for your own selfish pleasure is what lust is. God created an angel called Lucifer. He was a good angel, until the day that lust and sin and pride was found in his heart. He transformed himself into an evil spirit and became the father of all who would follow in his foolish footsteps.
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
John 8:44
Jesus could call the Jews of their father the devil, because they were walking in the same spirit as the devil. He is the spirit at work in the children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). He is the father of lust and evil desires. Notice that to walk in lust, one has to depart from the truth. One has to depart from the Word of God in order to lust.
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.
1 John 2:16
Lust is not of the Father. Lust is not of His Son Jesus Christ. It’s the doing of the devil. Through his evil influences and his demons, he persuades mankind to lust and to evil things. This is all that is in the world and the spirit of the world: lust and pride. If one follows the devil and his demons, then they will end up in the same place as they will, the lake of fire.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8
The opposite of lust is love. We were created by God in His image so that we could walk in his ways of love. We were created by God to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Love is pleasing in His sight! Instead of selfishly using others for our own wicked pleasure, we lay down our lives for others by following the pattern exemplified by Jesus Christ. God is such a lover of men that He sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ on the cross, so that we could be born again unto LOVE. We pass from death to life, from selfishness to servanthood. This is the change God wants to make in all people, everywhere!
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
Titus 2:11-12
Grace is a godly influence to mankind. It inspires us to love God and love other people. It teaches us to deny worldly lusts. We are made in the image of God. We have the power to say NO to bad influences and to say YES to good influences. We have the ability to rule our spirits. God expects us to choose righteousness every time, just like He always chooses what is right. Love is what is right. To walk in righteousness is to walk in love.
Love is used as a rather loose term in today’s society. The world considers love to be a mushy, gooey feeling of happiness. God considers love to be the sacrificial laying down of one’s own life for the good of others. Feelings don’t enter into it. We SHOULD feel good after we love someone and bless them. It should produce joy in our lives. Even if it doesn’t, we can rejoice, knowing we have done the Father’s will for our lives.
Don’t walk in the way of the devil. Don’t selfishly lust after people and things. Instead, follow the example of Christ and lay down your life, that others may profit. This is the way of eternal life: to love God and others before yourself, eternally. Multiply the works of God in the earth through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Multiply love! By doing so, you will find fulfillment and satisfaction beyond words. God bless you as you love. It’s a sign that you have been born again by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of love. Love without ceasing. Amen!