WHAT LOCKS ONE UP

Mar 17
4 min read

Today, we’ll talk about three things the Bible mentioned in 1 John 2:16: the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life. Your decisions in life can lock you up; they can make you a prisoner when God has made you a king and a queen. They could slow you down! You need to take charge in what you do and who you want to become. Luke 17:1 says,“It is inevitable that temptations to sin will come…”. This means it will come, but you need to not become a slave to the things that tempt and distracts you.

I’m sure by now everyone knows my Uncle David, because I have spoken about him so many times here. If you don’t know, David was the man who killed Goliath, the man who became the king of Israel, and the man after God’s own heart. Yes, that David! I will be talking about 1 John 2:16, but to make it a bit practical, I will use the story of David and Bathsheba to explain this, so stay with me.

In 2 Samuel 11 we are introduced to Bathsheba, a fine-looking woman. The Bible says, “She was a woman of unusual beauty”. Imagine the most beautiful woman you ever saw, yes that was Bathsheba. One afternoon, King David was walking on the roof of his palace and he looked out over the city. Lo and behold, he saw this unusually beautiful woman taking a bath, so he sent someone to find out who she was. When they told him who she was, he sent for her. Now Bathsheba came to the palace, and my Uncle King David slept with her. Time went by, and Bathsheba realised she was pregnant, so she told David (2 Samuel‬ ‭11‬:‭2‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬). Let’s not forget that Bathsheba was married to Uriah, who was part of David’s army. So David sent word to bring Uriah back from war, hoping he would go home and sleep with the wife, so we could at least say “the baby is for the husband”. However, when Uriah came, he basically said “Home? No way. This castle is where I will stay”. So David was unsuccessful and decided to send him back with a letter to Captain Joab instructing him to make sure Uriah is killed. Joab carried out the plan and Uriah was killed. David then married Bathsheba. This is 2 Samuel 11 summarised.

Now let’s use this story to break things down. The first thing that happened was David seeing Bathsheba bathing, the Lust of the Eyes. The Bible makes us understand that “your eyes are windows into your body” (Matthew 6:22 MSG). Anything you watch with your eyes could affect what you do. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 5:29 that “If your eyes causes you to sin, pluck it out”. In this world, those who cannot see are the blind, but as long as you are not blind, you will definitely encounter something. It is your responsibility to turn away from the things you see. Seeing is one of the first things that causes you to fall. If you don’t dwell on the things you see, you don’t have an issue. Therefore, try to turn away from the temptations your eye perceives. If David had seen Bathsheba and turned away, that would have been the end of that. He saw, he watched, it sank into him. His appetite was fixed on what he was seeing and then ordered for her to be brought to the palace.

When Bathsheba appeared in the palace, that’s when the Lust of the Flesh manifested. I have seen, and now I want it so David went ahead and slept with her to satisfy his physical desires. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:18 that we should “Flee from sexual immoralities”. Bathsheba didn’t flee, David didn’t flee. We need to learn how to tame our physical desires. You might see something and want it, but you know you cannot have it. Learn to turn your back away from it. This isn’t only about sexual desires. It’s a general thing. You might see a bag daily, and you might want it but you know you cannot afford it. You then plan to steal from your parents to get it. Do not let the flesh win! Learn to run away. Learn to say no!

Okay. I have seen it, I have got it, now the Pride of Life shows up asking, “what about me?”. David slept with Bathsheba, she became pregnant, and now thought “what will people say about me? I am a king. I need to protect my throne and I cannot have this tarnish my name”, so it was either bring Uriah in or take him out. And at the end, Uriah died only so David could cover up for his selfish interests. David could have paused, ask for forgiveness and dealt with the consequences. This shows that one sin always leads to another. It usually starts small and harmless. By the time you realise, it has blown out of proportion.

Today’s blog is meant to make you think before you act. It’s just to help you realise that just a small action can cause a big distraction. David, of course, paid for this with the loss of his son. God was merciful to him. But what if you don’t get that same chance? What if it will be too late for you? Do not love the things of the world too much. Instead, focus on God and His plans. “For you are only a stranger in this earth”(Psalm 119:19), so therefore don’t abide by its strange ways. And I know if you allow yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit, you will stay on track. Temptations always come, but be the leader of your decisions. Don’t let the world lock you up. Don’t let your thoughts lock you up! Don’t let your eyes, nor your flesh, nor pride lock you up! God bless you.

Prayer: Father, all glory and praise be to Your name. God, help us not succumb to the temptations around us. May we focus on You and You alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.