25+ Bible Verses About Lust

1 - Matthew 5:28
"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Explanation: Jesus emphasizes that lust begins in the heart, urging us to keep our thoughts pure.

2 - 1 Corinthians 6:18
"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body."

Explanation: We are called to avoid sexual immorality because it impacts our whole self, both body and spirit.

3 - 2 Timothy 2:22
"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

Explanation: Instead of giving in to lust, we should seek righteousness and surround ourselves with people who encourage purity.

4 - 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God."

Explanation: God desires us to live in purity, controlling our desires and treating our bodies with respect.

5 - Galatians 5:16
"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

Explanation: By following the Holy Spirit, we can overcome lustful temptations and live a life that pleases God.

6 - Romans 13:14
"Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."

Explanation: We are encouraged to focus on Christ, letting Him guide our thoughts away from lustful desires.

7 - Job 31:1
"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman."

Explanation: Job’s commitment to avoiding lust serves as a powerful example of guarding our thoughts and actions.

8 - James 1:14-15
"But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

Explanation: James warns that unchecked desire leads to sin and ultimately to spiritual harm, encouraging us to control our impulses.

9 - Colossians 3:5
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."

Explanation: We are called to put aside lust and any earthly desires that pull us away from God’s holiness.

10 - 1 Peter 2:11
"Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul."

Explanation: Lust and sinful desires can damage our souls, so we are encouraged to abstain and live in purity.

11 - Proverbs 6:25
"Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes."

Explanation: This verse cautions against being led astray by appearances and urges us to keep our hearts pure.

12 - Ephesians 5:3
"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people."

Explanation: God’s people are called to a high standard of purity, avoiding even a trace of lustful thoughts or actions.

13 - Psalm 119:37
"Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word."

Explanation: This verse asks God to help us focus on what is good and meaningful, steering us away from empty desires.

14 - Matthew 6:22-23
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness."

Explanation: Jesus teaches that what we focus on affects our entire being, encouraging us to look at things that bring light and life.

15 - 1 Corinthians 10:13
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

Explanation: God promises to help us resist temptation, providing a way out in times of struggle with lust.

16 - Proverbs 4:23
"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."

Explanation: Protecting our hearts from lustful thoughts keeps us aligned with God’s will and purpose.

17 - Hebrews 13:4
"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral."

Explanation: Maintaining purity honors God and strengthens relationships, especially within marriage.

18 - 2 Corinthians 10:5
"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."

Explanation: We are called to control our thoughts, making sure they align with Christ’s teaching and rejecting anything that opposes God.

19 - Titus 2:11-12
"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."

Explanation: God’s grace empowers us to reject worldly passions, including lust, and live in self-control.

20 - Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Explanation: This prayer seeks God’s help in keeping a pure heart, free from lustful desires.

21 - Galatians 5:24
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

Explanation: Following Christ involves putting aside our fleshly desires, including lust, to live a Spirit-led life.

22 - Romans 6:12
"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires."

Explanation: We are called to reject sinful desires and not let them control our actions.

23 - Proverbs 5:18-19
"May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love."

Explanation: God encourages marital love and intimacy, contrasting it with sinful lust outside marriage.

24 - James 4:7
"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Explanation: Resisting temptation, including lust, begins with submitting to God and seeking His strength.

25 - 1 John 2:16
"For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world."

Explanation: Lust is a worldly temptation, and we are encouraged to seek what is of God instead.

26 - 1 Corinthians 7:2
"But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband."

Explanation: God’s design for intimacy is within marriage, providing a context for love without lustful sin.

27 - Romans 8:6
"The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."

Explanation: Focusing on the Spirit, rather than fleshly desires, leads to a life of peace and fulfillment in God.

28 - Ephesians 4:22-24
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

Explanation: Renewing our minds and living in righteousness helps us put aside lust and other sinful desires.

29 - 1 Thessalonians 5:23
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Explanation: God’s desire is for us to be pure in body, soul, and spirit, free from the corruption of lust.

30 - Psalm 101:3
"I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it."

Explanation: Keeping our focus away from anything that promotes lust helps us live a faithful and pure life.