Lust

HI all,

Just wondering if any men have experienced a complete turn around from struggling with lust to not lusting at all?

Does every man have to guard his eyes from women dressed provocatively in order to defend himself from lusting after her?

Is it possible for a man not to be affected by a provocative woman at all?

From my experience, every man seems to struggle with this at some point in his life. I'm just wondering if there is a minority that doesn't? Or are the majority having to fight lust on a regular basis? Please help me understand the males in my life better!!

It becomes reduced as self control is practiced, but because male attraction to females is physical to some degree and same with sexual drive as opposed to emotional, its basically very very hard (you would have to fast lots and deny yourself of things that make your testosterone levels high).

I was for a while free of lust, it messed up my attraction to girls so now on one side of my brain don't feel much if anything when I see a girl. My left side is still "normal"...

Thanks for your honesty Fubario. So when you say 'feelings', what do you mean exactly? Are they emotional or purely physical? Is it hard to differentiate?

I used to be a man without Jesus, and early on in my walk with Him I asked him to help me with my mind. I asked Him in to every dirty part of my mind I could think of but it didn't seem to help. I was concerned about me relationship with him and could not get my head round what was happening.
At church one Sunday the pastor said something that struck a cord, "God made us as we are". on my way home I didn't fight about the thoughts going through my head, it was a very hot and sunny day and the girls walking on the street were wearing next to nothing, I thanked God for his handiwork, and then thanked God for making such beautiful women, and from that point on I have not had a problem. about two years later He enabled me to find one for myself and I now have two wonderful little boys.
Thank you Jesus for helping me overcome my former self, in you lord I am a new creation, bless you Jesus.

Thanks bikerchaz! So I guess what you're saying is that you can now appreciate the beauty of a woman without lusting after her? Is that correct?

Yes it is, God made me a man with the feelings, He made us all the same way. Things that happen from birth until we meet and accept him make us who we are. He uses this to His own will if we let him. I do try to avert my eyes when passing an attractive young lady but It still rings true as I say "Thank you Jesus for making such a beautiful woman" in this way I am able to really appreciate what God has done and to thank him for providing for me.
My language in the car used to be choice to put it mildly, but as with pretty girls, I said "Thank you Jesus". On one occasion I called some one from hill to burn after they pulled out in front of me, After thanking Jesus for his righteousness as a covering for my sin and I immediately felt the Spirit rejoice within me as my gratefulness of Jesus sacrifice was able to cleanse me from myself. I still get annoyed with other road users but if I falter I say "thank you Jesus" and His life lives in
me.
We all sin, we are all human, there is only one that did not sin and that was Jesus. but don't get hung up on things when our true human nature shows through, if it didn't we would be with Him and not of this world, but we are still here and have to live in a corrupt world. It is our reaction to the circumstances that we find ourselves in that enables Jesus to live in us, when we start to fall He is always there to catch us and set us on our feet again, if it was down to us we would not stand a chance.
Bless you Jesus for your sacrifice on the cross, and I thank you that just by accepting the fact that you died for my sin I am whole before the God and Father of all, A men.

I think generally men in modern society will struggle just because we're visual based by nature and everywhere we turn is something to push this on men. Whether it's the way many women dress, billboards, movies, tv shows, commercials, advertisements, magazines and covers... You'd have to never leave your house, cancel TV and internet and limit what you allow into your house. Not to say that eventually a man can't get to a point where he isn't lusting constantly. Or even saying that it's constant. But when it's everywhere you look, even when you aren't looking for it, it's a 24/7 battle. That becomes very wearing on a person to spend most of their waking hours having to be ready, at any second, to defend yourself against something.
Not to mention that men naturally have a higher sex drive on the average to begin with.
But even in spite of all this we are still called to resist. I'm not so much make excuses as providing you with insight. Men still need to fight this. Just because we are prone to something doesn't mean we're off the hook and don't need to still try.

I was convicted about the flippant way I said "Yes it is " to my last post, I wasn't sure what to put but 'UGLY' put it for me.
God bless.

I would just like to point out that guys aren't the only one's who lust. Also, while we can choose to not give into lust and to avoid lustful situations, I've never heard of anyone being entirely free of lustful feelings. I did read an article about this though.

There was a man who struggled so much with lustful thoughts, that he cried out to God to remove all of his sexual feelings towards women. God told the man this: He warned him that He (God) could take away the man's sexual feelings altogether and that he would no longer struggle, but did the man really want to go through with that? The man realised God had made him a sexual being. God helped him to work through his struggles with lust and he became stronger in Christ, as a result.

In this life, I don't think you'll find a Christian man who's free entirely of lustful thoughts and feelings, but you will find Christian men who actively struggle against lust and give their struggles to God and who walk with Christ, daily.

If someone is struggling with lust, they are doing nothing more than God's will. After all, they were, from the beginning, predestined to do so. Do not blame that person, for they have no choice in the matter.

I have experienced a turn around from struggling with lust after receiving Christ as my Savior but I would not say a "complete" turn around in which I NEVER struggle with lust at all. I would be skeptical of any man who claims that he NEVER struggles with lust at all.

Men are visually driven.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, yes. I have my victories and at times I have my weak moments.

I would say that the majority of men have to fight lust on a regular basis. A poll conducted by "one of the world's most visited Christian website" indicates a surprising number of Christians are addicted to pornography.

"The poll results indicate that 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography.

The group defines "addicted" as applied to pornography as use on an ongoing basis.

"We are seeing an escalation to the problem in both men and women who regularly attend church," said Bill Cooper, President of ChristiaNet.com.

"No one is immunized against the vice-grip clutches of sexual addictive behaviors," reads a release issued by the site. "The people who struggle with the repeated pursuit of sexual gratification include church members, deacons, staff, and yes, even clergy."

How many Christians (especially) men can honestly say, "whenever I am tempted to lust, I NEVER give in." I have 100% conquered that sin. No problem?

If David, who was “a man after God’s own heart,” and many other strong men and women of faith yielded to sexual temptation, it could happen to any of us. Pornography may be the new addiction of this new century. Researchers are finding that when people indulge in porn, they release powerful chemicals in their brain and body. Mark Kastleman, author of The Drug of the New Millennium, said, "There are a growing number of therapists and psychologists who are saying that this is as addictive as cocaine," or alcohol, or even heroin. He explained that, when people view porn, "It causes the brain to release what we call endogenous drugs or endogenous chemicals. 'Endogenous' meaning 'produced from within.' So where cocaine or alcohol seek to mimic the brain's natural chemicals, pornography releases the real deal. And so we have things like adrenaline, epinephrine, ACTH."