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The Vice of Lust
(Series 4, Part 7, Teaching #31)
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The Vice of Lust
The secret sin that corrodes the soul from within is lust.
The vice of lust is a disposition of immoderate or immoral sexual desire.
Lust takes what God designed as sacred and turns it into something selfish. It replaces the covenant of love with the craving of the flesh. But let us not be deceived: “Inordinate love of the flesh is cruelty, because under the appearance of pleasing the body we kill the soul” (St. Bernard of Clairvaux).
God’s design is clear. He created sexual intimacy to be a beautiful, joyful, and powerful union between husband and wife—rooted in mutual self-giving, dignity, and love. Within this context, pleasure is not a sin; it is a gift—meant to draw spouses together in love, union, and life. But lust tears that beauty away from its sacred place. It seeks pleasure without love, desires union without commitment, and perceives people as mere bodies rather than brothers and sisters in Christ. It is a counterfeit of love that leaves the heart hollow and the soul stained.
Lust begins where the eyes linger and the thoughts drift. It thrives in secrecy and convenience. It tempts you to click, to watch, to fantasize, to take without giving, to consume without covenant. But what seems like a moment of indulgence always costs more than it claims. Lust promises delight but delivers bondage. It numbs the conscience, cheapens intimacy, poisons relationships, and darkens the soul.
Scripture warns, “Abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). And indeed, it is war. Lust is not a harmless vice—it is a battle against the very sanctity of your soul. It makes you a slave to fleeting cravings and distances you from the God who calls you to holiness.
But you are not powerless. You have been given the armor of grace.
Stand against lust with the virtues of chastity, self-control, and foresight.
Be chaste. Let your heart, mind, and body honor God's design for sexuality. Save sexual pleasure for your spouse alone. Pursue a life of purity. It elevates love to its proper place and honors the sacredness of the other. “When you decide firmly to lead a clean life, chastity will not be a burden on you: it will be a crown of triumph” (St. Josemaria Escriva).
Practice self-control. Immediately bounce your eyes and mind away from lustful sights and thoughts. Do not to allow the temptation of lust to gain traction and lead to sin—not even for a second. The longer you linger, the weaker your will becomes. But the more you resist, the stronger your soul becomes. As it is written, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Use foresight. Know your weaknesses. The devil knows when you are vulnerable and will attack in those moments. Avoid situations where the grips of lust can more easily grab hold. Don’t let him catch you off guard. Build barriers before temptation arrives.
And above all, let your love for Christ exceed your love for lust. “To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving him enough to do His will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something as beautiful for Him” (St. Mother Teresa). Only a greater love can drive out lesser desires. When the temptation is strong, turn your heart to Jesus—crucified and risen. He knows your battle. He sees your struggle. And He offers mercy, not condemnation.
Lust is difficult to defeat, but by the virtues herein and the Spirit within, you can overcome it. If you fall, be sorrowful, but don’t lose hope, or the devil wins—repent and return to the path of purity. Let not shame keep you enslaved, for the one who rises again in Christ is stronger than the one who never fell. In time, the gaps between failures will grow wider, and the seasons of purity will run longer until only purity remains.
“Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed” (C. S. Lewis).
So fight lust. Not with shame, but with love. Not with fear, but with faith. Not in isolation, but in grace.
Let your eyes be pure. Let your mind be guarded. Let your heart be whole. And let your soul be free—made clean not by your perfection, but by your surrender.
This is the battle for purity. This is the road to freedom. This is the victory over lust.
Scroll down for the lesson plan and other related resources associated with this teaching.
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Resources
Visual Resource
An illustration that briefly describes the deadly vice of lust.
Free Lesson Plan
Perfect for small groups, families, classrooms, or personal reflection.
Lesson for Kids
Great for teaching kids in a fun and gentle way (for ages 12 and under).
Related Scripture
“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul.” — 1 Peter 2:11 (NRSVue)
“Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” — James 4:7 (NABRE)
“But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” — Matthew 5:28 (NRSVue)
“For all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world.” — 1 John 2:16 (NRSVue)
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!” — Romans 1:24-25 (NRSVue)
“But your lust for women was your downfall.” — Sirach 47:19 (GNT)
“Don't be tempted by their beauty; don't be trapped by their flirting eyes.” — Proverbs 6:25 (GNT)
“I am afraid that the next time I come my God will humiliate me in your presence, and I shall weep over many who sinned in the past and have not repented of the immoral things they have done—their lust and their sexual sins.” — 2 Corinthians 12:21 (GNT)
“...the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment—especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority.” — 2 Peter 2:9-10 (NRSVue)
“Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.” — 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NRSVue)
“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” — Romans 8:6 (NRSVue)
“Sin must no longer rule in your mortal bodies, so that you obey the desires of your natural self.” — Romans 6:12 (GNT)
“You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts.” — Ephesians 4:22 (NRSVue)
“Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).” — Colossians 3:5 (NRSVue)
“Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” — 2 Timothy 2:22 (NRSVue)
“Don't be controlled by your lust; keep your passions in check.” — Sirach 18:30 (GNT)
“Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself.” — 1 Corinthians 6:18 (NRSVue)
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you know how to control your own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (NRSVue)
“Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.” — Hebrews 13:4 (NRSVue)
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” — Exodus 20:17 (NRSVue)
“You shall not commit adultery.” — Exodus 20:14 (NRSVue)
“Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” — Romans 13:14 (NRSVue)
“Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature.” — 2 Peter 1:4 (NRSVue)
“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” — 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NRSVue)
“You have the fringe so that, when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes.” — Numbers 15:39 (NRSVue)
“But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” — James 1:14-15 (GNT)
“Let neither gluttony nor lust overcome me, and do not give me over to shameless passion.” — Sirach 23:6 (NRSVue)
“Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16 (NRSVue)
“I have made a solemn promise never to look with lust at a woman.” — Job 31:1 (GNT)
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness!” — Matthew 6:22-23 (NRSVue)
Related Quotes
“Inordinate love of the flesh is cruelty, because under the appearance of pleasing the body we kill the soul.” — St. Bernard of Clairvaux
“When you decide firmly to lead a clean life, chastity will not be a burden on you: it will be a crown of triumph.” — St. Josemaria Escriva
“To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something as beautiful for him.” — St. Mother Teresa
“Lust is a poor, weak, whimpering, whispering thing compared with that richness and energy of desire which will arise when lust has been killed.” — C. S. Lewis
“Seeing women when you go out is not forbidden, but it is sinful to desire them or to wish them to desire you, for it is not by tough or passionate feeling alone but by one’s gaze also that lustful desires mutually arise. And do not say that your hearts are pure if there is immodesty of the eye, because the unchaste eye carries the message of an impure heart. And when such hearts disclose their unchaste desires in a mutual gaze, even without saying a word, then it is that chastity suddenly goes out of their life, even though their bodies remain unsullied by unchaste acts.” — St. Augustine
“Imagination is a God-given gift; but if it is fed dirt by the eye, it will be dirty. All sin, not least sexual sin, begins with the imagination. Therefore what feeds the imagination is of maximum importance in the pursuit of kingdom righteousness.” — D.A. Carson
“Imagination is the hotbed where this sin is too often hatched. Guard your thoughts, and there will be little fear about your actions.” — J.C. Ryle
“When you have indulged a lust, your wing drops off; you become lame, abandoned by a fantasy…People fancy they are enjoying themselves, but they are really tearing out their wings for the sake of an illusion.” — Rumi
“No one is immune to temptation. Not even a hero. Not even a nobody. Not even people like you and me. Lust is never very far away. And just when you least expect it, there it is again.” — Charles R. Swindoll
“The desire of love is to give. The desire of lust is to get.” — Unknown
“In temptations against chastity, the spiritual masters advise us, not so much to contend with the bad thought, as to turn the mind to some spiritual, or, at least, indifferent object. It is useful to combat other bad thoughts face to face, but not thoughts of impurity.” — St. Alphonsus Liguori
“When you have sought the company of a sensual satisfaction, what loneliness afterward!” — St. Josemaria Escriva
“Deep within yourself, listen to your conscience, which calls you to be pure…a home is not warmed by the fire of pleasure, which burns quickly like a pile of withered grass. Passing encounters are only a caricature of love; they injure hearts and mock God’s plan.” — St. John Paul II
“No conflict is so severe as his who labors to subdue himself.” — St. Thomas a Kempis
“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” — Aristotle
“Only the chaste man and the chaste woman are capable of true love.” — St. John Paul II
“Lust is the devil's counterfeit for love. There is nothing more beautiful on earth than a pure love and there is nothing so blighting as lust.” — Dwight L. Moody
“The good Lord is more eager to pardon a repentant sinner than a mother [is] to rescue her child from the fire.” — St. John Vianney
“A clean heart is a free heart. A free heart can love Christ with an undivided love in chastity, convinced that nothing and nobody will separate it from his love. Purity, chastity, and virginity created a special beauty in Mary that attracted God's attention. He showed his great love for the world by giving Jesus to her.” — St. Mother Teresa
“Chastity, or cleanness of heart, holds a glorious and distinguished place among the virtues, because she, alone, enables man to see God; hence Truth itself said, 'Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.'” — St. Augustine
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