The Devil’s Bait: How Lust Takes You Captive

Secret Desires Grow Into Chains

Jun 07, 2025

Welcome friend,

I’m Mark, and this space is for the wanderers, the worn out, and the ones still wrestling with God at 2 a.m. I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does—and I’m learning to trust Him more.

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“Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin…” — James 1:14–15

The Bait in the Trap

Lust doesn’t come in abruptly or all of a sudden. It tiptoes in like a whisper, dressed in charm and promise. It disguises itself as harmless curiosity or innocent attraction. The devil doesn’t need chains when a screen will do.

Satan knows that once lust gets into your mind, it builds a nest. It makes itself at home in your imagination, where it replays like a highlight reel. Before you even act on it, you’re already ensnared. He’s been using the same bait since Eve in the garden—“Did God really say?” But now it sounds more like: “It’s not that bad,” or “Everyone struggles with this.”

And just like that, you're hooked.

Lust Doesn’t Stay Small

Lust starts like a spark in dry brush. But sparks grow.

What begins as a private temptation often turns into a secret sin. And secrets grow mold in the dark. Lust is never satisfied—it’s a leech with a excessive appetite. What excited you yesterday now bores you. So it escalates and strongholds form. Relationships strain. Your prayer life dries up. Conviction starts to feel like shame.

That’s exactly where Satan wants you.

He doesn’t just want you to sin. He wants you to feel so ashamed that you stop running to Jesus.

The Real War Is in Your Mind

The enemy knows this very well.

Paul wrote, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). But what happens when the thoughts take you captive instead?

You end up worshiping images on a screen instead of the One who made you.

You stop seeing people as souls and start seeing them as bodies.

You begin to believe the lie that your lust defines you.

But hear this: You are not your sin. You are not your past. And you are not too far gone.

Freedom Is Found in the Light

The devil traffics in secrecy. God works in the light.

The moment you confess your sin, without excuse—is the moment you punch a hole in the devil’s web. Freedom isn’t found in willpower. It’s found in surrender.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…” (1 John 1:9). Lust loses power when it's dragged into the light. That means opening your Bible when you'd rather open a private browser. That means asking someone to pray with you. That means crying out to Jesus when your flesh screams otherwise.

Jesus didn’t die to make you a slave to sin. He died to set you free.

The Narrow Way Forward

Freedom from lust isn’t a one-time prayer. It’s a daily war and dying to self.

The narrow path isn’t always easy, but it leads to life (Matthew 7:14). And you’re not called to walk it unarmed.

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). This battle isn’t just physical—it’s spiritual. You’re not just fighting desire; you’re fighting darkness. You need the helmet of salvation to guard your mind, the breastplate of righteousness to protect your heart, and the belt of truth to hold you steady. You need the shield of faith to quench the enemy’s lies, the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God—to strike back, and the shoes of peace to keep walking when everything screams to stop.

Suit up. Every day.

You might stumble, but don’t stay down. Lust is a liar. The Spirit is stronger. You don’t have to live in shame. You don’t have to live in secret.

You can live free.

Conclusion

Lust is Satan’s trap, but Jesus breaks chains. Don’t settle for bondage. There is joy on the other side of repentance and there is grace for the broken. Let today be the day you run back into the arms of your Savior.

Call to Repentance:
If you’ve been trying to earn your way into heaven, it’s time to stop striving and start surrendering. Today can be the day everything changes. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Don’t wait for a better moment. Turn from your sin, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and receive the gift of eternal life. He is calling—respond to Him today.