Lust is a problem that a majority of men have run up against. It’s a corruption that starts in the mind, then grows roots in the heart, slowly corroding every area of a man’s life—eating away at him from the inside out. That may sound a little dramatic, but if you consider the amount of carnage and brokenness left in lust’s wake, it probably doesn’t even begin to describe the crushing side effects of lust.
We don’t have the time or digital space to dive into all the damage lust packs in its punch. Libraries could be filled with books on the subject. Instead, we’ll take a brief look at two side effects that bloom from the seeds of lust that lead to our biggest undoing.
Isolation.
Society and our culture may try to normalize the sexually explicit (there’s a lot of money in pornography, “sex sells,” as they say), but our hearts know better. Deep down, we know looking at a woman with a lustful eye is an invasion—stepping into a place we weren’t invited and shouldn’t be. Every aspect feels like dwelling in the shadows, slinking away to the darkness to do dark deeds. A cloud of shame covers the whole experience.
And it’s this shame that leads us to make one of two choices. One, we turn to the LORD for help and forgiveness. We repent—turn away from that sin, step out of the darkness, and into the light of God’s truth. Two, shame causes us to withdraw. We retreat further into the darkness.
The isolation starts slowly at first. The undealt with shame turns to guilt, which the enemy pounces on. He whispers, “You are the only one that still struggles with this.” And we believe him. We begin to step away from others and close ourselves off. Then we subtly break away from the Christian community. This is the equivalent of getting separated from your squad on the battlefield. We are left to fight on our own. It’s hard to win any attack that way.
This sliding cycle can spiral us further and further down for years. Eventually, we reach a place of numbness. Lust, a sin we know to be wrong and would adamantly speak against publicly, no longer bothers us when we’re alone. That leads us to the next problem.
Hard-Heartedness.
The longer we continue down the same path of sin (any sin), the less remorse we feel committing that sin. Sooner or later, we don’t feel any regret at all. Our hearts become hardened to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and when it comes to the side effects of lust, we become comfortable committing that sin. Think of it as a callous on your heart.
One summer, I spent some quality time with a shovel in my hand. After the first day, my hands ached. There was ripped skin and blisters. I didn’t ever want to pick up that shovel again. In what felt like no time at all, hardened callouses formed along the palm of my hand to the point I didn’t really notice the shovel.
Undealt with sin works just like that shovel. After the first time or two, we can’t believe we messed up so bad. It hurts. We never again want to make the same mistake. But, in what feels like no time at all, we hardly even notice we’re doing it. The sin just feels…normal. When sin no longer bothers us, we’ve reached a perilous place. We can become deaf or numb to God’s calling and leading. And the consequences that cause us are immeasurable. Nothing is worth that price of admission.
Lust is an easy sin to fall into.
However, it doesn’t have to be an impossible hole to climb out of. Pray for a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Tell someone about your struggle (James 5:16) and allow him to call you out when needed. Take drastic measures (Matthew 18:9—desperate times and all that.) Lust may seem like no big deal because “I’m just looking,” but it will lead to some crushing side effects.
