Destructive Desire
The wife woke up one morning and it was her day to take the kids to school. After finishing these tasks, she gets home only to receive a phone call that her husband's car was towed due to being parked at the flight departure station too long. The wife had no idea that he was going out of town and so she calls his cell phone only to hear it ringing at the house. She then checks the bank account to inquire where he went and to her horror, she sees that their account is nearly decimated. The next three months are devastating as she has to hire a private investigator to find out that he has been having an affair and he is now married with a different identity.
Animals vs Humans
This person is acting more like an animal than a human as they are controlled by unchecked passions. They no longer ask if they should gratify their desire, but only seek to quench their desires. They become enslaved to passions or dreams like an animal craving a meal without any self-restraint. It is no coincidence that the Bible characterizes the devil as one who “…prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). One of the keys differences between Saul and David is that Saul was a man controlled by his passions and David was a man who demonstrated self-restraint (even though he failed at times) to love God and others.
The Bible captures the severity of unchecked passions. “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). It is why one of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control and why Jesus calls us all to die to self (Gal. 5:23; Luke 9:23-24). If we are honest, all of us operate like animals in areas. Maybe it is exactly your over-desire for a good marriage that is destroying your marriage as your spouse must fulfill all your desires. Maybe it is your love for comfort that is causing you to not seek porn & sex addiction recovery or be vulnerable with your wife. Maybe it is your over-desire for glory in work that is causing you to use others, envy those ahead, and slander those who succeed because you want glory. Maybe it is your over desire for a wife that is resulting in you putting too much pressure on everyone you date. Thanks be to God for his love to convict us of over-desire and His willingness to love even the beast out of us.