I can clearly remember the first time my eyes saw a pornographic film. I was not yet ten years old. Innocently I was going through the channels looking for some cartoons and came across a sexual scene on one of the channels. In my absolute shock and amazement, I called my older sister and vehemently asked: ‘how could they be doing this?’
My parents explained as best as they could to my little mind how dangerous it was for me to surf through the channels and encouraged me stay on the channels they suggested. I obeyed faithfully for the next 7 years. In high school, however, a friend of mine introduced me to a pornographic station and that was the beginning of my struggle with pornography.
At the age of 18, I had recommitted my life to Jesus and had some great levels of victory over porn, but I had too many occasional failures. In my fight against sexual sin, I studied the Scriptures and began searching for real, applicable, life changing advice that could help me to say ‘NO’ to the temptation to watch porn. Over the years, I grew to have more and more victory and today, thanks to the Lord, I have experienced repeated victory for about ten years in the area of pornography.
My life, and the lives of thousands of others can testify that with the help of the Lord, one can truly be freed from the stronghold of Porn. Let me share with you 4 essential biblical principles that can help you in your journey in purity. (These four principles and much more can be found in the highly recommended devotional ‘21 Days To Sexual Purity’).
Principle #1 - Jesus understands the Temptation
When we are looking for a way out of porn, so often, we are blinded to the truth that Jesus wants us out of its stranglehold more than we do. We can be tempted to think that the Lord has simply commanded us to get out of the sin, but is not actively desiring to help us get out. Never forget who Jesus is in the midst of your struggle. He is our faithful high priest. In Hebrews 4:15 the Word of God declares:
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin.”
Jesus knows exactly what we go through when we are tempted to watch porn. He knows the struggle. He is very aware of our spiritual desire to say ‘no’, but at the same time our fleshly desire to say ‘yes’. He knows exactly what we go through when Satan is tempting us to do evil.
Just knowing that Jesus understands what we are going through during the temptation is very comforting. So never feel afraid to articulate your struggle to the Lord. He doesn’t just hear us, he totally understands what we are going through.
Principle #2 - The Lord ALWAYS provides a way for me to say ‘NO’
One of the verses that has always ministered to me is 1 Corinthians 10:13. It says:
“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.”
If you are serious about breaking the stronghold of pornography off your life memorize this verse. In every temptation, we have a choice. Never let the force of the temptation deceive you into thinking you have no choice. God’s Word tells us that in every temptation, God sees to it that the force of the temptation is not so strong that we have to give in. We do not have to say ‘yes’ to the tempter because God is faithful. He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. Thank you Lord! What is even more amazing is that the Lord goes further and provides a way for us to get out of the temptation. Imagine that! In every temptation we experience, we have a way out. This shows us that the Lord is actively helping us to say ‘NO’. Let us look for the way out of the temptation every time we are tempted to sin.
Principle #3 - Confess Your Struggle
We all need the help of others if we are going to get anywhere in life. As it relates to pornography, this same principle applies. We need others to help us out of its addictive grip. The way out demands our confession. Look at what James 5:16 says:
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
When we confess our struggle with the sin of pornography we are exposing our dark secret; we are humbling ourselves; and also, we are declaring our desperate need for help. “I am failing the Lord and I need help” is a necessary confession. The Bible tells us what will happen when we confess our sins. It says we will be prayed for and we will be healed.
The way out of the stronghold of porn demands confession. Today, make the decision to speak to a godly Christian about your struggle.
Principle #4 - I need God’s Word in my heart.
The Word of God is POWERFUL (Hebrews 4:12). Make no mistake about that! As believers, we must take full blown advantage of having a Bible. As it relates to the stronghold of porn and all strongholds for that matter, Gods Word can break every single one.
Psalm 119:9 says:
“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”
Look at what verse 11 of the same chapter says:
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
God’s Word in our hearts keeps us from having sin filled hearts. When we find that we are sinning against the Lord, it is always an indication that our hearts need to be filled with God’s Word. The more God’s Word fills our hearts the less we are attracted to sin. The more God’s Word fills our hearts, the more we hate sin. The more God’s Word fills us hearts, the more we will find ourselves not watching or wanting to look at porn.
Don’t just read the Bible. Memorize the scriptures. Start with those related to holiness and sexual purity. The book ‘21 Days To sexual Purity’ contains just about all the verses you need on the topic of sexual purity. Read it and learn the verses.
There are many more principles we could speak about, but these four are very important. The struggle against porn is a very real one but it is absolutely possible to live a porn free life through Christ Jesus. Thousands, if not millions all over the world have experienced God’s freedom and so can you.
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