“EVIL DESIRES” — What Does the Bible Mean by This?
According to the Bible, an “evil desire” is any desire that stems from the flesh, which is the sinful nature. The “sinful nature” refers to the negative side of human nature. It’s our lower nature, which Freud described as the “id” (not that I’m a follower of Freud, of course).
The Bible details three basic categories of the sinful nature: The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Any sin you can name stems from one of these three categories, including the traditional “seven deadly sins” — lust, wrath, pride, envy, gluttony, greed and sloth. The works of the flesh are always obvious and in contrast to the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:19-23).
The problem with Western culture is that we’ve largely thrown out the notion of “evil desires” or “sin” and therefore have lost our moral compass. Instead of shunning evil desires, like hatred, murder, perversion, greed and inebriation — we are encouraged to celebrate and indulge them. The result is our hedonistic, sometimes lawless societies.
A prime example is sexual desire. Lefties in our educational and entertainment institutions teach that any sexual desire is good and should be fed, acting upon and enjoyed. They justify this reasoning on the grounds that the person was “born that way” and therefore it’s natural. But what if a 55 year-old man finds a shapely 15 year-old girl sexually desirable? Should he feed his desire for her and act upon it on the grounds that he was “born that way”? Obviously not.
Or consider something more mundane which most of us can relate to: Should I eat a gallon or two of ice cream every day just because I have the desire to do so? I could justify such dubious actions under the guise of being “born that way,” but then I’d have to suffer the eventual negative repercussions, i.e. being grossly overweight and the health issues that go with it.
Obviously just because you experience a desire, it doesn’t automatically mean it’s good and should be embraced with open arms and pursued.
Thankfully, the LORD has provided a Way to escape the negative desires of flesh. This is one of the many reasons the message of Christ is called the Good News! So, if you are struggling with a certain sin or negative desire that’s ruining your life, you can walk free! The Scriptures provide a simple three-point plan of action wherein you tackle the problem on three fronts — mental, physical and spiritual. See this article for details or the corresponding video:
Related Topics:
Human Nature — Spirit, Mind & Body
Drug Obsession (Idolatry) is of the Flesh
Homosexuality is a Sin, BUT there’s Freedom through Christ
What IS Marriage? (and Related Topics)
The Four Types of LOVE in the Bible
The Fall of Man (Humanity) and Slavery to Satan
REDEMPTION — God’s Plan of Liberation for Humanity & Creation
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