So you want to be free from pornography – is that right? You want to come out of this cycle of being tempted, falling and feeling guilty, over and over again?
When you are addicted to looking at pornography it can feel like a huge giant that won’t let you go. And this ”giant” of impurity stops you from going on the path of a Christian. But it is absolutely possible to not give in to these impure temptations and live a clean, happy, overcoming, Christian life.
God created marriage where a man and a woman can live together with His blessing, in a caring and good relationship. Giving in to your sexual desires any other way, including pornography, is sin. It is a very ugly sin that you need to see the way God sees it: very, very seriously!
Pornography damages your soul
If you give in to this “hidden” adultery, it will affect many more people than just you yourself. Don’t think that just because you’re doing it in secret, nobody else gets hurt. Not only do you damage your own soul through pictures that stay in your memory, it also becomes very difficult to stay faithful to your wife or husband, or your future wife or husband.
There are many people who maybe never physically cheat on their wife or husband, but giving in to adultery in the hidden is just as damaging. The results of this unfaithfulness can be seen all around us in the world today: broken homes, pain, bitterness and inner suffering.
The devil wants to steal, to kill and to destroy. (John 10:10.) One of the most damaging ways for him to do that is by getting people to give in to their sexual desires outside of marriage. Through something like pornography, Satan takes complete control of a person. The results are terrible.
But Satan knows how to hide the terrible results, and he makes it so attractive that you forget what it leads to. Then, while you are being deceived and “blinded”, he’ll cleverly paint a picture of something or someone, telling you that you have no other choice but to go along with his dirty game. And after you’ve given in, you’re left feeling unclean, defeated and ashamed, every single time.
How badly do you want to be free from pornography and sin?
The question is, how badly do you want to be free? Is living as a “slave” to your impure desires only bothering you a little bit or have you come to the point where you really want to come free? The key is to get a great and burning hatred and anger against this sin. You can pray that God opens your eyes to see the terrible results of pornography and to get a real hatred for this sin. How can you fight something that you don’t really hate or see as serious? How can you totally destroy something that is just bothering you a little bit?
You’ll set three different alarms and leave home 45 minutes earlier than necessary if you have an important appointment early in the morning, for example – but what are you prepared to do to avoid temptations to look at pornography? Perhaps you need to stop looking on the internet for a time. Wasn’t the result of all that pointless looking on the internet that you don’t have any will any more to say No to sin?
You might ask: “Aren’t there other practical things I can do to help me overcome?” Yes, of course there are!! But you yourself are the best person to answer that question. You know better than anyone else where and when you’ve fallen in the past. You know your own weaknesses, and the moment you admit where and when you are weak, you know exactly where and when you need to fight and where you need power to overcome.
Prayer in the time of need
Hebrews 4:16 (BBE) says, “Then let us come near to the seat of grace without fear, so that mercy may be given to us, and we may get grace for our help in time of need.” In other words, you need to pray. You’re sick of sin, you hate it, you’re trying to become free of looking at pornography but you feel powerless. Crying out to Jesus in your time of need – when you are being tempted – will result in an unbelievable power being given to you, the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit doesn’t make the temptations just disappear. But the next time you are tempted to look at pornography, you will discover that suddenly there is something inside you that is not willing to just give in like before. It’s the Spirit, and He is going against what your sinful human nature, which is also called “the flesh”, wants to look at – the filth which you now hate so much. As soon as the thought of it comes into your head, shout, “I’m not giving in to this! Jesus, help me overcome!” If this is really what you want, then Jesus is more than willing to come and help you.
The fight to keep your heart pure is not an easy fight. It’s a daily battle. But the Bible has wonderful promises for those who overcome: “Therefore since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from [stopped with] sin.” 1 Peter 4:1. Use this verse as a weapon in your own life.
The joy of victory!
If you keep saying No every time you are tempted to sin, you are giving no “food” to your sinful desires. Then the day will come where your impure desires will stop to plague you. That which was once a “giant” of impurity will be dead. You will have stopped with this sin.
And when you start overcoming those temptations to look at pornography, it’s like a whole new world opens up! You become really happy – you’re suddenly experiencing the joy of victory!
Fight to become pure! Fight to become someone God can use to carry out His will on earth, and don’t ever give up! As an overcoming Christian, you will never miss the cheap and temporary “pleasures” you had to leave behind.
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NLT).