What percentage of men have an issue with lust? It's often joked that it's 100%. I suspect the real number isn't quite that high--probably closer to 99.999999%. Why is lust such a prevalent sin among men? What can Godly men do about it?

Men have issues with lust for many reasons. Sure, original sin has a part to play, but less than you might think, I expect. It should be pretty obvious our culture is obsessed with sex--not just the healthy kind but most every kind of perversion. These temptations are meant to inflame men's lust. Women, even Christian women, also share some of the blame by intentionally dressing to entice the basest of desires in men.

How can a man withstand the constant onslaught and refrain from wandering from righteousness by his actions and his thoughts? There are several things a man can do to avoid the sin of lust, but each must be fully embraced and integrated into his being. Lip service won't succeed. (Those who have been delivered from alcoholism, depression, etc., know what it means to alter their worldview fundamentally.)

First and foremost, we must properly understand lust. Lust is not inherently sinful. On the contrary, the Song of Songs shows us lust is healthy when in the context of marriage. Men need not suppress their lustful desires at all; just direct them appropriately to the wife. Enjoy her. Desire her. And she, him. This has always been God's plan and gift to us.

Some of men's lust stems from fantasies of the morally forbidden. This is really nothing more than an expression of our rebellion to the Lord and His ways. Seen properly, it's really nothing more than the tantrum of a very spoiled brat. The Lord gives us an amazing gift in marital sex, and we whine and cry and demand consequence-free sex with anybody. Whines the four year old, "I don't want a Tonka truck. I want Jimmy's truck, and I want to play in the street, I want to stay out all night, and I want, I want, I want!" Tongue-in-cheek, but accurate enough: grow up already. Men, especially those claiming to be followers of ישוע (Jesus), need to accept their place as children of the living God. This means accepting His household rules, so to speak. He really doesn't ask much of us, and it's not terribly difficult to obey Him. Contrary to what we deserve, He gives us a wonderful gift in sexual intimacy. All He asks is that it be kept within the marriage. Ridding ourselves of our desire to rebel against our Father is an important step in ridding ourselves of unhealthy, misplaced lust.

Every woman is somebody's precious, little daughter. No matter how old my children are, they will always be my little children. I invest so much in their lives so they might grow into mature children of God. I protect them from what evil I can, including wandering, lustful eyes of scumbags. I would willingly take a life or lose my life to protect my children. Every woman in the world has at least one Father who feels similarly. All women have a heavenly Father who has already sacrificed His only begotten Son in order to protect His little girls. Each little girl, young and old, is infinitely valuable to her Father. When this realization sinks in--really sinks in--it becomes amazingly difficult to look at any other woman with lust. When a man becomes a father to his own little girl, he can then begin to empathize and, upon Godly meditation, cannot help but see every woman as God's little girl. The key is that Godly meditation. Men must take the time to allow their lives to be permanently altered by the Lord, so they may see women through His eyes.

When the temptation rears, don't just look away--look to your wife. (Again, those who have fought addiction know it's not enough to avoid the vice; a healthy replacement must be found.) Throw off childish rebellion to God's good ways and revel in being a child of God. Always be mindful that women are God's little girls, your Father's little girls (yes, your sisters, in effect). As pervasive as lust may be among men today, even among believers, it need not be so. Like all sin, it can be conquered by the Lord if we submit to Him.