Exodus 20.17

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Deuteronomy 5.21

“‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’”

Luke 12.13-21; Ephesians 5.5; Colossians 3.5; 1 Timothy 6.6-8

In Psalm 73 Asaph gives us a concise formula for dealing with covetousness and all temptation.

First, we must recognize that it is at work within us. We must realize that covetousness is seeking to divert our focus, destroy our peace, and lead us to greater sins (vv. 1-15).

Next, we must remember our duty to our neighbors, to love them purely and without self-interest (v. 15). At the same time, by thinking through the consequences of our falling to temptation, we may become sufficiently embittered in our souls against it to forestall coveting growing any further (vv. 18-21).

Then, seeking the Lord in prayer and in His Word, we must renew our focus on Him and our love for Him as the supreme Object of our desire (vv. 23-26). We will not be able to know fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore in the presence of God (Ps. 16.11) if we prefer to allow covetousness to have its way in our souls.

Let us keep a close watch, then, on all our desires, so that we may see and overcome covetousness before it captures and overthrows us.

At the root of all coveting is the desire for autonomy – what Augustine referred to as a “deadly corrosive.” We want to be our own god, to make up our own minds about what we should have and enjoy. We do not want to be restricted or constrained by God telling us what’s good for us. This was the strategy Satan employed to bring Adam and Eve to rebellion.

When we indulge coveting, we are seeking to throw off our creaturely status, rejecting contentment in the Lord and His will and seeking to arrogate power and authority unto ourselves. We want to be god!

Thus, coveting brings the Law full circle. Even the temptation to covet, therefore, can be used of God to reinforce obedience to Him. Guard against all coveting, and you will strengthen fear and love of God, know a greater desire to please Him, and discover that you walk more obediently in all His ways.

And this is the path of righteousness, of fullness of joy, life, and pleasure forevermore.

We are now accepting registrations for the course, Spiritual Maturity 1: Revival. This free, seven-session course by T. M. Moore allows you to study by yourself or with a mentor, and includes free resources from Patrick, Columbanus, Luther, and Edwards, among others. Visit The Ailbe Seminary for more information on this training opportunity.