Video summary
The speaker shares his personal journey with lust from adolescence into young adulthood, describing a period where he felt like a captive slave to these urges rather than finding freedom in them. He emphasizes that struggling against such temptations is actually a positive indicator of one's spiritual state because it reveals the ongoing war between the flesh and the spirit within a believer. When God's Spirit indwells a person upon coming to Christ, they transition from being ruled by their own desires to having a new master in Jesus, which inevitably creates internal conflict whenever temptation arises. The speaker warns against despairing or accepting defeat because doing so allows the enemy to numb one's resolve and convince them that escape is impossible; instead, believers are called to maintain this struggle as proof of life and vitality rather than viewing it as a sign of failure.
To navigate these battles effectively, the video outlines specific spiritual disciplines beyond mere willpower, primarily focusing on abiding in Christ like branches connected to the vine and making no provision for the flesh by avoiding triggers such as suggestive media or unguarded attention. The speaker argues that relying solely on self-sufficiency often leads to overconfidence and eventual relapse, whereas acknowledging one's weakness allows God's grace to be perfected in them. This humility is essential because it prevents giving false glory to oneself while inviting divine strength into areas of vulnerability. Furthermore, the struggle serves as a necessary mechanism for maintaining awareness and dependence on Christ, ensuring that believers do not fall into the trap of thinking they can stand alone without needing His continuous support or intervention.
Beyond individual reliance on God, the speaker highlights how struggling with lust forces individuals to reach out to others, breaking through isolation to find authentic community where burdens can be shared openly. He introduces a specific accountability tool called Relay as an example of resources that go beyond simple blocking software by fostering relational healing and providing daily check-ins for progress tracking. Vocalizing one's struggles to trusted friends or groups transforms private shame into public truth, reminding the individual that their identity is defined by Christ rather than their addictions. This communal support system helps dismantle the captor's lies about being trapped forever and provides a network of people who affirm that the struggle does not define the person but can be overcome together through shared faith and encouragement.
Finally, the speaker explains that this difficult process compels believers to dig up old emotional wounds and root causes, such as childhood exposure to inappropriate material or deep-seated needs for love and comfort that were unmet in healthy ways. By facing these underlying issues instead of giving in to despair, individuals can invite God into broken places to heal the heart's longings rather than using lustful coping mechanisms to fill them. The ultimate goal is not permanent struggle but progressive sanctification where one experiences increasing freedom over time through Christ's power and a willingness to engage with this process honestly. While battles against the flesh may always exist, consistent engagement in these spiritual practices leads to lasting victory and growth, offering hope that complete liberation from such struggles is attainable for those who refuse to give up on their faith journey.
Read the full video transcript
Here's the deal. I struggled with lust
throughout my entire teen life and into
my young adulthood. It was terrible. I
felt like I was captive. I was a slave
to it. I didn't know what to do. And
yet, I wish somebody would have come
alongside me and said, "Isaac, the fact
that you are struggling is a good sign."
Because I don't want you to despair. I
don't want you to give up. The fact that
you are struggling is a good thing. And
today's video, I'm going to share with
you four reasons why that's the case.
The first one is is that it shows the
war within and it shows your heart.
Jesus never said that the war against
the flesh was going to be an easy thing.
When you came to Christ, God's spirit
indwelt you and a war began. Before,
there was no war because you were
governed by the flesh. You were ruled by
the flesh. That was your master. But,
you have a new master now. And so, now
there's a battle within. So that every
time you have that urge and you have
that temptation and you're like, "No, I
don't want to give in to this." That is
a good thing. That is a good sign. I'm
always worried for people who have just
given in to despair because, you know
what? Our captor, the one who, you know,
like the evil one, he wants us to feel
like there's no escaping. Like there's
no exit route. So that we grow numb. So
that we grow discouraged and despair. So
that we just start giving in because we
feel like we'll never find freedom.
Galatians 5:17 says, "For the desires of
the flesh are against the spirit and the
desires of the spirit are against the
flesh, for those are opposed to each
other to keep you from doing things you
want to do." If there's no war, if
there's no struggle, that would concern
me. Don't fall into the trap of just
feeling like, "Okay, you know what? I'm
subject to this. This is just how my
life is. This is who I am." Don't take
that identity on. Keep the struggle up.
And this is what we're called to do.
"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ and
make no provision for the flesh to
gratify its desires. Notice the two
commands that were given here. The first
thing is to put on the Lord Jesus
Christ. It's not about your willpower.
It's not just having extra discipline.
It's not just like grunting and trying
to, you know, make the right decision.
It is first, put on the Lord Jesus
Christ, abide in him as it says in John
15. Abide in him because he is the vine
and only fruit is going to be produced
when you're abiding in that vine. And
the second thing is, make no provision
for the flesh. What are provisions?
Provision is like food, you know, you're
going on a hike, you need provisions,
you need sustenance, you need things
that are going to keep you nourished,
keep you fed, but you cannot feed the
flesh. So, put on the Lord Jesus Christ
and do not feed the flesh. I'm talking
sexually suggestive videos that are
going to trigger you or not bouncing
your eyes off a woman who's immodestly
dressed or giving yourself complete
access to things that you know are
tempting for you with no boundaries. The
second reason that your struggle is a
good thing is it keeps you aware and
dependent. Now, to be honest with you
guys, in my teen years, there were
seasons of life where I experienced a
lot of freedom. I felt like, man, I've
overcome this, I've conquered this, I
beat this thing. Okay, yes, I've won the
battle. But what what came with that,
unfortunately, was this overconfidence,
was this sense that, okay, you know, I
did it and I'm the one that that made
myself free, essentially, which
ultimately led me to falling back into
the exact same patterns I was in before.
But this is what 1 Corinthians says,
"Therefore, let anyone who thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall." I have
no capacity to stand on my own for the
long term. Sure, there might be seasons
of life where I can white-knuckle it and
find freedom, but ultimately, if I want
that perseverance, if I want that
ultimate freedom, I need to cling to
Christ because he's the only one who can
provide me that strength. This is what
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12, but he
said to me, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness. Therefore, I will boast all
the more gladly of my weaknesses, so
that the power of Christ may rest on
me." In the midst of our weakness, God
is showing himself to be so strong and
glorious. When we have this fake facade
that we can do it, that we're
self-sufficient, that doesn't give God
any glory. In James, it says, "God gives
his law to the proud, but his grace to
the humble." I'm going to get into the
other two reasons in a second, but yes,
your struggle with lust is a good sign,
but it shouldn't stop there. You should
take proactive steps in order to find
freedom. And one of the game changers
I've seen time and time again is people
finding real, authentic, vulnerable
community, so that they can share their
triggers, their urges, find
encouragement. And that's why I want to
introduce you guys to Relay. There's a
lot of accountability apps out there
that are just trying to prevent you from
seeing certain stuff, and certain of
those can be good, but the difference in
Relay is that it provides you a real
community where you're not just blocked
from seeing certain stuff, but you can
begin to take steps relationally, work
through those triggers together. And
Relay also provides you with tools when
you are tempted, when you experience
urges, a daily check-in where you can
keep track of your progress. It's very
comprehensive and holistic. People from
the channel have already begun to check
it out and have reported back to me and
said that they really been benefited
from it. So, I'm confident in
recommending it to you. If you want to
join Relay, click the link in my
description or scan the QR code on the
screen, and be sure to use the code
Isaac D to get 7 days free. The third
reason that your struggle with lust is a
good sign is it's forcing you to rely on
others. Now, maybe you're not there yet.
Maybe you're still in the isolation
stage, but eventually, hopefully, you're
going to be able to step out of the
darkness, step into the light, and find
real community and brotherhood or
womanhood with a group of people that
you can really be honest with. And this
is the amazing thing about when we
struggle, and I do believe this is why
God allows us to struggle, to not only
not rely on ourself and rely on him, but
not rely on ourself and rely on other
people, because God has given us this
community of people around us to bear
each other's burden. The act of
vocalizing your struggle to a person or
group of people can be a very healing
and freeing thing, because it's not just
all in your head anymore. You get it
out. It doesn't have to characterize
every thought, everything you're
thinking about, everything you're doing.
Okay, I put it out there. This is what
I'm struggling with. It doesn't rule me.
It doesn't control my identity. And
having some other people around you,
they can say, "Yeah, that's true. That's
not your identity. You are a Christian.
You are a follower of Christ. This does
not define you. We're with you." Man,
that's powerful. The fourth reason that
your struggle with lust is actually a
good thing is it's forcing you to dig up
old wounds and roots.
You know what? Like, I don't know when
you were exposed to lustful material
online. Maybe it's a pornography
addiction, and your friend pulled that
up when you were 8 years old, or 12
years old, or 14, or whatever. But that
creates sexual wounds within us that we
genuinely need to work through. Like,
that baggage doesn't just go away. And
so, needing to struggle through this
your relationship with this lust and
this addiction, that's a good thing. To
dig up those old wounds and those roots
to see, "Okay, what am I really longing
for here? What does this say about me?
You know, I'm desiring love and comfort.
This is how I'm dealing with negative
emotions, right? This is how I'm
coping." Beginning to dig into the old
all those things for you personally is
such a powerful thing, but it never
starts if you just give in. If you're
just in despair. If you've just
realized, "Okay, you know what? I've no
chance of breaking free. The captor, he
has me. He's not going to let me go."
That's not true. When you recognize
those roots, invite Jesus into it. God,
please heal this part of my heart. God,
please be the the true one who can fill
this aspect of my needs and my longings.
Inviting God into those broken places,
inviting God into this struggle is the
most powerful thing you can do. Now, as
much as your struggle is a good sign and
shows that you haven't given up, that
you're not apathetic or numb to it, that
you're still in the fight. God doesn't
want you to be in the pit forever. There
is a place for growth and sanctification
and one day that you won't need to
struggle as much as you do now. There
will always be a battle with the flesh,
but over time and through Christ's power
in your life, if you're willing to give
in this area of your life, you will see
progress. You will see long-lasting
freedom. And that's my prayer for each
one of you watching this video. Thanks
so much for watching. Thanks for
subscribing as always cuz I'm making
these new videos all the time and until
next time, God bless.