What is God's "App" for overcoming pornography? It is Jesus Christ and the Cross! That is why understanding what happened "to" you at the Cross is incredibly important. The gospel is more than Jesus died for you sins. It also means you were also crucified with Him! (Galatians 2:20 and Romans 6:6) The "you" whose bent was toward sinning, died and was buried in the grave. "You" no longer exist. When Jesus rose from the grave, He recreated "you" as an entirely different person. Do you understand what this means? Your new identity in Christ no longer allows your sins to define you! Your Abba ("Papa") defines you. So, the new "you" in Christ, is not a lustful person. "You" are a righteous child of God regardless of how many times you have lusted.
So, where do you start?
First, stop rationalizing it. Call it what it is. It is sin. And, if you are viewing it with any type of frequency, even once a month, you need to admit to yourself that you are addicted. Stop denying you have a problem. Stop deceiving youself by thinking, "I am not addicted. I can stop any time I want." That thinking is demonically inspired!
Next, go to your Heavenly Father and confess your sin of lust through pornography. The wonderful news is that you can run to Him with your sin because He loves you and is not mad. And, best of all, Jesus already died for those sins. God is not surprised by your sin of lust, but He wants you to live free from it. As you confess this to our Papa, you never have to wonder if God has forgiven you because of Jesus' death on the Cross. So, either ask Him to forgive you or thank Him for forgiving you. (Heb. 8:12)
When tempted to look at porn, tell yourself the gospel truth. "I am not a lustful person. I choose to agree with God, regardless of my feelings, that I am a righteous child of God!" Also, at the Cross, "you" died to the Law, meaning that the 10 Commandments nor any other "law" provides power to overcome any temptation. So, when tempted, take yourself out from under the Law in your mind by saying, "I am not under the Law about lusting. Because I am under grace, if I lust and look at pornography, God will still love and accept me." Isn't this true? And most of all, you have Jesus in you to live through you to meet the deepest needs of your heart and to conquer each temptation you face. Daily, and when tempted, ask Jesus to fill you with His love for you and to live His life through you. So, upon agreeing with God that you are not a lustful person, you may find that you also need to take authority over Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ, and tell the spirits of lust and pornography to leave you and to go where Jesus tells them to go.
Most of all, you need to prepare yourself for your next sexual temptation. Satan is no dummy. He is going to try to deceive you to reengaging with porn.
You may need to have someone else put a filter which prevents pornographic sites on your computer and phone. Only they will have the password.
Finally ask the Holy Spirit to heal your soul. Pornography warps our perception of people and God's gift of married sex.
How do I know that Jesus is sufficient to overcome the temptation of sexual lust? It is because about 20 years ago when He gave me understanding about the entire gospel, I was freed from my own sin of habitual lust. I know He is sufficient for you too!
Need More Help?
If you would like for someone to help you or someone you know with your pornography, our Christian counselors are excellent in helping you overcome this sin. If you do not live in our area, we may be able to counsel you over the phone or by Skype. Call us at 704-522-9026 or visit our web site for more info on our counseling www.gracelifeinternational.com.
Recommended Reading Winning the Battle Within: Realistic Steps to Overcoming Sexual Strongholds by Neil T. Anderson
Until next time, remember He loves us!
You may pass this content on to anyone or make copies to use for yourself or others. However, it may not be published in any form without the written permission of the author.
All Content Copyright © 2012 Mark Maulding
So, where do you start?
First, stop rationalizing it. Call it what it is. It is sin. And, if you are viewing it with any type of frequency, even once a month, you need to admit to yourself that you are addicted. Stop denying you have a problem. Stop deceiving youself by thinking, "I am not addicted. I can stop any time I want." That thinking is demonically inspired!
Next, go to your Heavenly Father and confess your sin of lust through pornography. The wonderful news is that you can run to Him with your sin because He loves you and is not mad. And, best of all, Jesus already died for those sins. God is not surprised by your sin of lust, but He wants you to live free from it. As you confess this to our Papa, you never have to wonder if God has forgiven you because of Jesus' death on the Cross. So, either ask Him to forgive you or thank Him for forgiving you. (Heb. 8:12)
When tempted to look at porn, tell yourself the gospel truth. "I am not a lustful person. I choose to agree with God, regardless of my feelings, that I am a righteous child of God!" Also, at the Cross, "you" died to the Law, meaning that the 10 Commandments nor any other "law" provides power to overcome any temptation. So, when tempted, take yourself out from under the Law in your mind by saying, "I am not under the Law about lusting. Because I am under grace, if I lust and look at pornography, God will still love and accept me." Isn't this true? And most of all, you have Jesus in you to live through you to meet the deepest needs of your heart and to conquer each temptation you face. Daily, and when tempted, ask Jesus to fill you with His love for you and to live His life through you. So, upon agreeing with God that you are not a lustful person, you may find that you also need to take authority over Satan, in the name of Jesus Christ, and tell the spirits of lust and pornography to leave you and to go where Jesus tells them to go.
Most of all, you need to prepare yourself for your next sexual temptation. Satan is no dummy. He is going to try to deceive you to reengaging with porn.
You may need to have someone else put a filter which prevents pornographic sites on your computer and phone. Only they will have the password.
Finally ask the Holy Spirit to heal your soul. Pornography warps our perception of people and God's gift of married sex.
How do I know that Jesus is sufficient to overcome the temptation of sexual lust? It is because about 20 years ago when He gave me understanding about the entire gospel, I was freed from my own sin of habitual lust. I know He is sufficient for you too!
Need More Help?
If you would like for someone to help you or someone you know with your pornography, our Christian counselors are excellent in helping you overcome this sin. If you do not live in our area, we may be able to counsel you over the phone or by Skype. Call us at 704-522-9026 or visit our web site for more info on our counseling www.gracelifeinternational.com.
Recommended Reading Winning the Battle Within: Realistic Steps to Overcoming Sexual Strongholds by Neil T. Anderson
Until next time, remember He loves us!
You may pass this content on to anyone or make copies to use for yourself or others. However, it may not be published in any form without the written permission of the author.
All Content Copyright © 2012 Mark Maulding
