“They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:14
New English Translation
In Revelation 17, we read about the sexual immorality of the people. We learn that the kings and people alike gave into this sin. I think it’s interesting that in the same section that is talking about the sexual sin of the people, the people are referred to as “making war” with Jesus. It’s as if this type of immorality is a war against God. With that understanding I fully agree.
Sadly, the marital union between man and woman that is supposed to be a sacred gift from God has been distorted and twisted into things it was never meant to be. This is nothing new, pagan cultures of old included impure sexual actions as part of their idol worship. So, needless to say, it’s not hard to see how sexual sin could be considered a war against God.
With that in mind, we need to realize that part of our call as people of God is to rise above the lies and misuses of sexuality in this world and guard ourselves from falling into those practices. The verse above mentioned people who were with the Lamb (Jesus) as “the called, chosen, and faithful” (Rev. 17:14). Part of being faithful is being willing to put in the extra effort to be pure before God, even when culture says it’s not necessary or worth the effort.
Something important to remember is that purity begins in the heart and mind. Before actions ever come into the picture, the heart and mind are determining what we are comfortable doing. After all, Scripture states that from the heart flows all your deeds (Prov. 4:23, NIV). So, if you’re not guarding your mind, putting in good and right things, choosing to think rightly about the people around you and reject impure thoughts, then you’re already giving up on the fight for faithfulness.
It can be so easy to think that commitment to the ways God calls us to is all about actions; however, the road to actions starts long before we ever start speaking or moving. What does your thought life look like? Are you actively trying to honor the people around you by rejecting sexually impure thoughts and motives towards people? Even when we’re not fully acting on our impure thoughts, a person’s motives are hard to hide. Trust me, people can tell whether you’re thinking rightly about someone or not.
Thankfully, this battle is not one that you have to fight alone. First off, God’s always in your corner. He’s ready to help you win the battle of the mind, as Romans 12:2 says, He will renew your mind so that you’re no longer conformed to this world! Also, God has given us the gift of godly people. If this is an area that you struggle in, find someone you can trust to share your battle with and let them keep you accountable. However, you do have to remember, if you give someone permission to keep you accountable, you have to be ready for hard truth and blunt correction. Don’t expect an accountability partner to sugar coat the truth or turn a blind eye. God gave us each other so that we can help make one another stronger! Like Proverbs 27:17 says, iron sharpens iron… and for that to happen, friction is needed. So, an accountability partner will press in with you to help you become all God is calling you to be!
Here’s my question: What’s your mind like? Are you striving to honor God with your thought life or is this a battle that you’ve not really put much time into fighting? Be brutally honest with yourself. If you need to start fighting that battle, don’t hesitate to bring your struggles to God and find someone to walk with you in this. Remember, if you’re a man, find a trusted, godly man to walk with you. If you’re a woman, find a trusted, godly woman to fight with you. Use wisdom as you begin fighting with God to be pure and faithful in your heart and mind. There is no time like the present to give this area of your life fully to God.