Lust and love are complete opposites, and lust often replaces love. One of love’s definitions is “unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another” (Webster’s). Concerning love, The Bible says:
“love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NKJV).
Lust is the opposite of everything that Love is. Lust is not kind, lust envies, lust behaves rudely, lust seeks all for its own, lust thinks evil, lust rejoices in sin, lust perverts the truth, lust bears nothing outside of its own pursuit of fulfillment. Lust does not believe God or His word, and hopes only in its own gratification. Lust cares only for itself. It will hurt, deceive, destroy, lie and anything else it has to do to sustain itself.
Perhaps the most prominent difference between love and lust is that love is a selfless concern for another person, where lust is totally self-focused. Lust believes the lie Satan has crafted. The lie suggests, “If you do this thing, you will be satisfied deeply.” The truth is that doing so will only lead to dissatisfaction and desire for more. Lust keeps growing and choking the person who feeds it.
The battle between lust and love is not only a fleshly battle, but also a spiritual battle. The forces of evil promote sexual lust through the internet, cable TV, magazines, erotic literature, strip clubs, adult bookstores, phone sex, advertisements, and computer games. Since lust constantly seeks fulfillment, it is almost a guaranteed moneymaker to the company or individual without scruples. By serving greed, they become instruments of evil. It may seem like a losing battle for love. But, since God is love (1 John 4:8), we know that evil and all its programs will be ultimately destroyed.
God gave mankind the perfect example of love when He sent His son, Jesus, to be crucified for mankind (John 15:13, John 3:16). God’s awesome love fills your heart when you truly receive Jesus Christ as Lord. Amazing changes happen when His love hits your crusty heart, previously dead in sin. You receive the ability to show true love and to crucify the lusts that wage war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11).