How Does Lust Survive Truth

PART A: HOW DOES LUST SURVIVE TRUTH?

James 1:14,15

But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and when sin is finished, bringeth forth death.

Lust - wantonness; a lawless desire to fulfill a craving for ministry, money, authority, reputation, retribution etc..

The soul will use the flesh to break the laws of God to fulfill its lust. The question we need to ask here is, “how can a ‘want’ become so powerful?” An in-depth look reveals the answer as follows:

I. An evil suggestion is either planted by the devil or conjured up by the workings of the soul thinking evil. If not dealt with, it is fueled by the memory of the pleasures of sin that were once experienced or that longed to be experienced.

II. The wantonness in you has to incorporate the aid of feelings and will power to survive. The mind under the influence of darkness creates feelings associated with the ‘want’ and intends to use the body to live out or express these desires. The enemy knows that you are motivated by your feelings, so he uses them as a weapon against you.

The ‘want’ is stored in the imagination, where it is protected by pride and nurtured by the lust of the heart.

A. In the imagination, the ‘want’ is protected from the influence of the Word. It is also protected from detection by others. Oftentimes, suppression is used to bury the ‘want’ so deep that only the Spirit of discernment can see or identify it.

James 4:2-3

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust.

B. This type of strong suppression can even deceive the victim. He may think that he is free simply because the right opportunity has not come for him to vent. He has a false sense of deliverance from such wantonness.

C. Strong denial may take place if the mindset is discerned by another. The Holy Ghost will then have to set up circumstances, situations, and/or relationships to reveal or expose the mindset in such a way that its existence cannot be denied.

III. An agreement is made between the imagination and pride, which states that the ‘want’ is worth protecting. Therefore, they must work together to ensure that no influence will cause them to give up the unlawful desire.

IV. The word is quick and powerful, having the ability to change desires and destroy evil imaginations. In most cases, this would be sufficient. However, when one views the changing of his emotions and desires as failure to accomplish a desired goal, protection of the goal then becomes the issue, rather than deliverance. If the Word was allowed to penetrate the heart, lying emotions and unlawful desires would deteriorate.

V. The iniquitous heart wants to have its way regardless of the pain or disappointment that is created by this evil mindset. Therefore, it becomes extremely jealous of the Word. It knows that it is no match for the power of the Word in the heart. Therefore, pride and will are enlisted to vigorously protect the ‘want’ from any outside influence.

VI. When the feelings become strong enough and the opportunity presents itself, the “will”, better known as will power, overrides the conscience to fulfill the desire.

Once a suggestion is planted through temptation, it is united with the memory of sin and/or the desired pleasure, to conceive lust. Therefore, the lust is your own. Your will comes to the aid of the lust, to draw you away from the Word of God.

It is important to note that the memory of sin is not always the things we have experienced. It is also the memory of pleasures we desire to experience.

Likewise, the pleasures of this world are not all sexual in nature. For many people pleasure is in being famous, wealthy or in authority. They may not have achieved these goals up to this point in their lives, therefore, there is that hidden desire [lust] that constantly survives the deliverance that the Word and the pleading of the Spirit are able to bring. It continues to live and is never allowed to die.

Recently the Holy Spirit revealed to me one of the operations that allows lust to survive confrontation with the truth. However, before I go into the working of this unique operation, let me remind you of some very important facts:

Suggestion: highlighted area speaks directly to BT, same can be removed

1. This lesson comes to us as a progression of influence. This influence has been handed down by faith over the years. We, in the ministry of Bible Teachers International (BTI) are being systematically trained by the Father in the mindset of Christ. We have consistently received truths directly from heaven; they have been powerful and life-changing.

2. Those of us that have faithfully sat under this Word are witnesses and the Spirit also bears witness with our spirit that it is indeed the Word of God; it is His truth.

3. Nevertheless, there are those of us that have allowed the wantonness of our heart to survive correction, purging, and the chastening of the Word. This is true even in light of powerful revelations and demonstrations of the power of God.

How can these facts be true? How can any of us remain in negative mindsets that are just as strong today as they were ten years ago? This is the question I presented to the Lord. The rest of this lesson is His answer.

PART B: A LYING SPIRIT: AN ENEMY TO THE PURPOSE OF GOD

We have taken a lot of pride in having broken the bondage of church tradition. We are now walking in the revelation of God’s Word. However, it is obvious that many of the traditional mindsets that opposed God’s purpose have been brought over into our revelation of the Word. The sad thing is that they have survived in the midst of much revelation. Why?

Galatians 5:16-17 KJVS

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

[17] For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

As long as the battle is raging between those walking after the flesh (in iniquity) and those members walking in the Spirit (the righteousness of God), the household of faith cannot fulfill the purpose of God for our lives. Note that Paul proclaims, “...ye cannot do the things that ye would”(Gal. 5:17). The battle itself is a distraction. The work of the ministry ceases as those walking after the flesh having evil in their heart oppose they that are spiritual. Therefore we cannot achieve what a unified body of believers is capable of achieving. That is what happens when a body of members with opposing emotions and desires try to work together. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand, is how Jesus articulated it. Sometimes this happens as a son of God opposes his own divine nature by pursuing desires contrary to the mind of Christ.

You must win the battle once and for all moving from carnality to Spirituality. The sin issue must be dealt with. You must triumph over the lying emotions generated from past hurts and disappointments. The wantonness for the things of this world must be destroyed. The lusts of the flesh and the pride of life must be extracted from your heart if you are to serve the Lord.

Just suppose the battle is never won. Suppose our desire to use the flesh to pursue worldly pleasures remains alive and intact? What sort of being would we be?

The soul is the “spirit” of the mind. It is the part of the man that wishes to express itself. It employs the fleshy mind (brain) and the body which are under its control to display what it wishes to express. In the case of the above situation, the soul would express its mental assent to the good Word of God, but likewise it would need to express its thirst for the things of this world.

Your part in the work of the ministry ceases to be while you wrestle with the forbidden desires or emotions you created within your own heart. These feelings may be suppressed for a season or you may be waiting on the perfect conditions to demonstrate them using the body.

However, remember it is not in the traditional church where lust and wantonness are open standards of the church. When these desires exist in a Word-oriented, truth confronting environment, the soul must adapt to its new environment. It must find a way to fit in and protect its hiddens desires without being detected as an enemy to the purpose of God.

Thus, it must change its mode of operation. The iniquitous mind is an expert at adapting to its environment when it is not ready to change. It must sound and seem to be holy and in agreement with the Word of God. This adaptation is deception; it is a lie. Therefore it’s exhalation is that of a lying spirit. The wantonness must become more subtle, while the disposition "seems" to be more spiritual. It is cunning and crafty. It is the presentation of a false reality. It is a lie.

This is the attribute of Satan. He influences a heart polluted by worldly lusts to operate in this manner. It is easy and automatic to one that is not ready to accept the need to change.

A lying spirit survives by the same method as it’s father, Satan. Let us examine the following scriptures carefully:

2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

2 Corinthians. 7:1

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

I. The character of the lying spirit is unequally yoked with the true nature of the child of God when he allows such lies to reside in his heart.

The new creature is the son of God, that has so much liberty that the soul can choose to contradict or oppose his very nature that is divine. No blame can be placed on the body as it is just the vehicle that simply expresses the soul. There is no captivity and one can become stable in the truth if he keeps his eyes only on God.

II. The lying spirit seeks to bring into fellowship righteousness and unrighteousness.

It seeks to make them one. Thus it produces its own laws, standards and purpose. This is called self-righteousness.

III. The lying spirit is willingly blind to the truth about itself.

This means that the spirit of pride will not allow the light of the truth to influence the mind and heart. This also means that the individual knows the Word of God and may even enjoy the acquisition of the knowledge of the truth. However, such a one will draw the line and not wholeheartedly participate in the reality of the truth.

Remember, demons believe and tremble, but they have no fellowship with light. Therefore the unfortunate but willing victim of this satanic device can never completely become the righteousness of God in the flesh. Such a person will never reach the mark of perfection and is soon to become a relic in the gospel.

This individual received the Spirit of enlightenment that illuminated the mind with the knowledge of the Word of God. However, that light was not allowed to shine in the dark corners of the heart and the imagination. Therefore, the hidden desires of the heart remain safe and secure from change.

IV. A lying spirit is the deceptive exhalation or the expression of the desires of the soul void of Godly influence. It is deceptive in that it utilizes all the devices of the enemy to hide itself.

Revelation 12:10

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

V. The lying spirit is an ‘accuser’ of the saints.

This is its justification for its own unrighteousness. As I stated above, this spirit knows the Word of God. Therefore it knows when it is outside of the mind of Christ. However, when threatened or even confronted, it will immediately look to and focus on the weaknesses of others. Since each of us have failed God, this is easy to do. Therefore, the past or present sins of those who confront or threaten unrighteousness, provide the individual with a right to refuse counsel or influence of any righteousness.

Self-righteousness sets its own standards. However, it incorporates scripture to strengthen its position. The mindset is, “get the beam out of your own eye, before you try to get the one out of mine.” In other words, anyone that is less than perfect, has no right to challenge a negative mindset in this individual.

On the other hand, the same results are true when one walks in false humility. One may submit to receiving counsel, give mental assent to that counsel, and even go as far as to see the operation in their life, but when the counsel is over they never move to walk in it. This is sad, because it reveals the heart that is not ready to change. Were this not so, such a one would love the truth enough to accept it from anyone regardless of their spiritual location.

The lying spirit has the character of Satan, it will continue to accuse the brethren, the saints of God, day and night. It will meditate on the evils that it is aware of, in the lives of those who challenge it. Therefore, the heart is fixed and the mind is made up, not to receive from them.

VI. The accusing nature of the lying spirit refuses to focus on the God in the lives of those who challenge it. It will reject anything that seems to be God. You see, to acknowledge the presence and workings of the Holy Spirit would compel such a one to submit to the truth. Therefore, the spirit of pride guarantees that this will not happen. Once again the focus is on the failures of others, instead of what God is trying to do in the life of us all. Everyone of us will have our day of revelation. When it comes, or how it comes, or whom it comes through, is of no consequence.

The Lord used a prostitute to save the two spies. He used another one to inform and instruct his disciples as to what to do after He rose. Her past sins were of no consequence to the Lord. He used a jackass to talk to his prophet. Likewise, He reserves the right to speak to you through whomever He chooses.

Beloved, stop fighting. End the war with God and His people. Listen for His voice. Don’t allow your mind to be an accuser of the brethren. Harken to the voice of God regardless of the vessel He uses. Humble yourself. You can do it. Refusal to do so is haughtiness and we know that haughtiness precedes a fall.

You don’t have to fall. You can beat the devil at his own game. I guarantee that if you are in any way guilty of any of the attributes of a lying spirit, the Lord has positioned people in your life that love you. There is someone that is able to help you walk through your deliverance. Open your heart. The Lord is trying to reach you.

Ninety-nine percent of deliverance is identification. Once God has identified your true spiritual location, through whatever means He has provided, don’t turn away from the truth, take a real look at yourself. The other one percent is submission. Therefore beloved, submit.

Don’t let the devil cheat you out of everything God has provided for you. He is a thief. He came to destroy us. Together we can win against him. Let us come together in the unity of the faith; loving, respecting, washing and cleansing one another from the filthiness of the flesh and the spirit.

May the Lord increase His grace in our lives, that we might be delivered from such captivity.

I love you so much,

Mary Banks, Handmaiden of the Lord.