By faith Moses . . . [left] the fleeting pleasures of sin . . . for he was looking to the reward. ( Hebrews 11:24 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; –26)

Faith is not content with “fleeting pleasures.” It is ravenous for joy. And the Word of God says, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” ( Psalms 16:11 11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 17 A Prayer of David. ). So faith will not be sidetracked into sin. It will not give up so easily in its quest for maximum joy.

The role of God’s Word is to feed faith’s appetite for God. And, in doing this, it weans my heart away from the deceptive taste of lust.

At first, lust begins to trick me into feeling that I would really miss out on some great satisfaction if I followed the path of purity. But then I take up the sword of the Spirit and begin to fight.

• I read that it is better to gouge out my eye than to lust ( Matthew 5:29 29 And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. ).
• I read that if I think about things that are pure and lovely and excellent, the peace of God will be with me ( Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, 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. –9).
• I read that setting the mind on the flesh brings death, but setting the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace ( Romans 8:6 6 For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: ).
• I read that lust wages war against my soul ( 1 Peter 2:11 11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul; ), and that the pleasures of this life choke out the life of the Spirit ( Luke 8:14 14 And that which fell among the thorns, these are they that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of `this' life, and bring no fruit to perfection. ).
• But best of all, I read that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly ( Psalms 84:11 11 For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield: Jehovah will give grace and glory; No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. ), and that the pure in heart will see God ( Matthew 5:8 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ).

As I pray for my faith to be satisfied with God’s life and peace, the sword of the Spirit carves the sugar coating off the poison of lust. I see it for what it is. And by the grace of God, its alluring power is broken.