10 Myths About Lust Most People Believe

Lust is a destructive force that distorts God's design for love and purity. Yet, in a world saturated with lies about lust, many Christians fall into its trap, justifying their sin with half-truths and excuses. If you embrace these 10 myths about lust, you will find no remedy for it. Instead, you’ll spiral further into the “black hole” of sin. To walk in holiness, you must reject these lies and embrace the truth.

1. “I lust because I’m human.” No, you lust because you’re a sinner. Humans did not lust prior to the Fall and will not lust in the new creation, and as such being lustful is not inherent to our humanity.

2. “I lust because others dress immodestly.” No, you lust because your wicked heart enjoys the immodesty of others. Their immodesty may trigger that wickedness, but you are still responsible for your own sinful response. 

3. “I lust because I’m not married.” No, you lust because you love sex more than God. Married men can also lust, and untamed desire is not solved by marriage vows.

4. “I lust because I desire marriage.” No, you lust because you desire sexual immorality. Desiring sexual immorality is the opposite of desiring marriage. A desire for marriage is a desire for sexual morality within marriage.

5. “I lust because I cannot help it.” No, you lust because you willfully choose sin over holiness. You’ve developed a lustful habit. Repent and turn to Christ habitually. Live out the holiness He requires until new holy habits are formed.

6. “I lust because my spouse is not as interested in sex as I am.” No, you lust because you desire sex more than you desire God. Whilst sexual appetites should be a place of compromise within marriage, receiving less sex than you desire is not license to engage in lust.

7. “I lust because my spouse does not appreciate me.” No, you lust because you believe God is too small to meet your needs abundantly. See above.

8. “I lust because I believe God’s image-bearers are beautiful.” No, you lust because you reject God’s creation (Gen. 1:26-27). Those who lust objectify God’s image bearers, reducing His divine image to a mere object of immoral non-consensual one-sided sexual gratification.

9. “I lust because sexuality is pervasive in my godless culture.” No, you lust because you want to be like your godless culture. See point 2 for further details.

10. “If I fulfill my lusts, they will go away.” No, the remedy for lustful desires is for you to deny yourself (starve your lust), pick up your cross, and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). You are responsible for your desires, thoughts, and actions, from root to fruit. Turn from your lust at the root and turn to pursuing your spouse or pursuing a potential spouse for marriage.

The Only Remedy for Lust

Lust cannot be tamed by human effort alone—it must be uprooted through constant repentance and faith in Christ. God’s beauty and worth far surpass the fleeting pleasure of sin. The more we meditate on His goodness, the more lust will appear ugly and detestable in comparison.

Reject the myths. Let go of lust at its root. Pursue the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). True freedom is found not in indulging lust but in beholding and treasuring God, whose beauty satisfies the deepest longings of the heart. Choose Christ—and discover that He is infinitely more satisfying than sin could ever promise.

Check out Jared’s book, ‘The Lust of the Flesh: Thinking Biblically About "Sexual Orientation," Attraction, and Temptation’ here.