We watched the first Thor movie the other day. There’s a mild romance that develops between Thor, the demigod, and Jane, the scientist. As he heads off to fight the enemy that’s destroying the town, Jane declares her feelings for Thor with a kiss. After that, it’s not so easy for him to walk away. He needs to go save the world, but his desire to stay with Jane is strong. This is what we think of when we talk about desire.
When our desire is for things of this world, it can lead us to do all kinds of shameful things. “All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature” (Ephesians 2:3). “These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death” (James 1:15). Evil action, sin, doesn’t necessarily lead to a quick physical death. It’s a poisoned arrow. It’s the serpent’s venom. At the first strike, death enters our veins (1 Corinthians 15:56). Our hearts are poisoned by our own longing for evil things. What is temptation but the enticement of desire?
The Bible records the details of two temptations, Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-6), and Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). Eve was in a place of abundance, fullness, and life. Jesus was hungry in an empty, barren wasteland. The apple looked good to Eve. I’m sure bread sounded good to Jesus. So much hinges on what happened next. Eve plucked the fruit and severed her lifeline to God. Death came into the world as a result of her desire. Jesus chose hunger. He said there’s something even better than bread. He wanted the things of God more than the things of the world. He reclaimed desire.
God knows that desire is powerful. He knows we orient our lives, our hearts, towards the object of our desires. That’s why when God rescues us, He says “I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:25).
God is after our hearts, the source and essence of life. To live in covenant relationship with Him, we need different motivations, a new orientation, a new direction. We need new and right desires. Paul writes, “God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13). Desire leads to power.
We need new desires so evil temptations are no temptation at all. So that what we want is only the good fruit of a Spirit-filled life, of a transformed heart. Passionate devoted affection for God is the seed that produces the fruits of obedience, worship, honor, and reverence. When our desire is for God, it leads us to Him – “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you!” (Psalm 63:1)
We don’t need to get rid of desire. We just need to want the right things. Our desires were held captive by sin. When Christ broke the chains of our bondage to sin, He freed us from death. He set free our desire. We are free to choose Him as the orientation and direction – the desire – of our hearts. We reclaim desire so that we can experience longing and passion and intimacy with the Lover of our souls.