Good guy has something that the bad guy wants.
Bad guy can't get to the good guy to get it.
But bad guy can get to the good guy's kid.
Bad guy takes good guy's kid hostage for ransom.
Bad guy slanders good guy to the kid.
Good guy's kid begins to question whether his dad is a good guy.
Kid thinks if his dad is in fact bad, he must be bad too.
Good guy saves his kid from bad guy.
Bad guy doesn't get the ransom.
But bad guy still wins. Why?
Because for the rest of the kids life he wonders if what the bad guy said was true.
The good guys relationship with his son has been destroyed.
This is one of the things the devil accomplished in Eden. Man had something that the devil desired or coveted or lusted for. That was man's God given dominion. The devil knew he couldn't attack God directly so he attacked His image instead; man. At the infamous tree the devil slanders God by calling Him a liar. Man believes him and also slanders God by sinning. But the result of their sin does something else. It leaves man wondering about who he really is. The devil kills two birds with one stone. Man now doubts who God is and man doubts the image of God in him. Look at these three verses.
Genesis 2:25 "The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."
Genesis 3:7 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked;"
Genesis 3:10-11 "...I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. And he {God} said 'Who told you that you were naked?'"
There are several Hebrew words for naked. These verses use two of those words. In the first verse the word for naked is 'arowm simply meaning naked or without clothes. In the other two verses{post-fall} the Hebrew word for naked is 'eyrom. This word it quite different. 'Eyrom means empty, destitute or exposed to danger. So when God asks the question "Who told you you were naked?" what I believe he was saying is "Who told you you were something other than what you are?" It had nothing to do with actual nakedness. It had to do with how the devil had slandered the image of God in man. This puts a rift between God and man. It also causes man to in fear doubt his own identity. Man was left with a misrepresentation of who God was and who God had created him to be. Just what the devil wanted. Just like in the action movie.
The same thing happens with Cain a couple of chapters on. The devil desires something Cain has. Cain sins by destroying the image of God; his brother Abel. Then post sin he is doubting who he is and is afraid for his life. Who was Cain afraid of guys? What people were around at that time? Cain was afraid because when we sin we slander against the image of God in us and in others. This leaves us open for the devil's destruction. Cain was afraid just like his parents of the devil's destruction. So God steps in and places something on them to fortify in the Spirit that they are God's and not the devils. He covers Adam and Eve, and He places a mark on Cain. God didn't cover Adam and Eve because He was ashamed of their nakedness. God covered Adam and Eve so that they would not be ashamed of themselves.
Now how does the lust, slander and devaluing of the image of God in us play out in our own lives? Let's start with lust. Lust is sometimes just called desire or passion. Therefore people don't really think it is a big deal. God has put passions and desires in all of us right? Yes, He has. You will always recognize the passions and desires of God because they are fruitful and constructive. God's desires in your heart will always bring glory to His name. But to say that lust is just simply a strong desire is a gross understatement. Lust is NOT part of your human nature. Lust is a vehicle to destroy human nature as God intended. Lust carries a spirit of destruction that should never be undermined. It is slanderous, malicious and murder to the image of God in people. Yes, it is that serious.
Lust is more than passion and desire lust is number one--coveting. Remember the 10 commandments? "Do not covet your neighbor's wife or anything that belongs to him." To covet or lust is blameworthy desire. It is wanting something that does not belong to you. Another word for this is envy which is resentment aroused by jealousy or pride. That is why to covet or lust is always born out of jealous anger. Not kept in check it will always give birth to violence.
"They covet fields and take them by violence, also houses and seize them. So they oppress a man and his house, A man and his inheritance." Micah 2:2
The vehicle by which lust travels is slander. Just like in the garden. The devil had to lie and devalue both God and man to get what he wanted. When we lust after something that doesn't belong to us we give something that is priceless a price. It oppresses the persons identity. In turn we devalue the thing that we want. Every person is made in the image of God. They are priceless in that respect. When we lust after someone we slander and put a price on that identity that should have none.
"He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor..." Psalm 15:2-3
"How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?" Psalm 4:2
"...with his mouth one speaks peace to his neighbor, but inwardly he sets an ambush for him." Jeremiah 9:8
So lust is violence toward you neighbor. It is taking something that does not belong to you. It is devaluing the image of God in that person. It is using that person to gratify your own personal blameworthy desire. In lusting you have joined your mind with that of the enemy to destroy the value of a person. So what if the person of your lust is just a picture or a movie or a girl at the beach in her bikini. You may think to yourself "I haven't done anything to hurt them. I've never even talked to them. They don't even know I exist. Besides they are the ones posing in such a way. They are the ones who want to be naked! Not my problem!" Wrong, wrong, wrong. This is where we get the attitude that evil deserves evil. God created nakedness to be good. The enemy destroyed that. He slandered against that. So when you use something that God created as good for evil. You do the same that the devil did in the garden. You set shame upon God's creation.
"Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things." Philippians 3:19
Now could this verse be for the person who is lusting or the person posing to be lusted after? This is the heart the luster folks. When we look at someone as a piece of meat to be consumed we shame the image of God in that person. We disregard that that person is more than just flesh. If that person is posing naked knowing full well what it will be used for we know one thing for sure. That person is deeply wounded and afraid. That person is hiding naked in the garden not knowing who they are. That person's identity has been so destroyed and devalued that they are stopping at nothing to feel wanted and loved.
We have all heard the verse "If anyone looks at a woman in lust, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart." How can something that is in your heart effect the heart of another person? Committing adultery is a two person act right? It is the same with lust. When you lust, slander and take violently that person in your heart, you effect that person in the spirit. Your act of lusting contributes to the binding and oppression of the enemy over that person. That is where the violence comes in. It is a spiritual violence. You are destroying that persons spirit by lusting after them. This grieves the Holy Spirit. This is not loving your neighbor. This is not glorifying the image of God!
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God...get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, along with every form of malice." Ephesians 4:30
"They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's{woman's} shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's{woman's} faces." Matthew 28:4,13
"Love does no harm to it's neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:10
Start to think about how you effect people in the spirit. Start to think about people as more than flesh. Start to think about the enemies desire to destroy the image of God. Start to think of the girls in magazines as hurting wounded people. Start to think about how they got there. The sexual abuse, the rape by an uncle, the drug abuse, the total brokenness. Start to pray for that person. Stand in the Spirit for that person to be released from the enemy. Don't contribute to their oppression. Don't slander the image of God in that person. Start to think about your own image and whether it is rooted in truth. Are you naked and unashamed? Or have you been laid bare by the enemy? God can cover you and heal you. You need not be ashamed.
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