"You are going to be introduced to five real actions you can do to break the power of porn addiction."
Four days of fasting, isolated in a damp cabin and it finally came. I almost gave this up, John thought, broken and weeping. But the shame of facing his family with this demon still alive, kept him resolute to wait. The warmth of hope contrasted the cold drizzle outside his door. Only moments ago this old cabin was a death trap, a musty, dark door to inward places he simply did not have the strength to journey. The long hours of solitude dealt out every compromise John had made over the years, illustrated by the innocent confusion on his seven-year-old daughter’s face. Her sweet face exemplified all that had been lost. It was that image that drove him out here, away from home and ministry.
The necessity of this trip came four days ago. John had stayed up late Friday night as he often did, researching on the internet preparing for the Sunday morning message. In the quietness of his office, again came visiting that deep emptiness and sense of impotence from the dry mechanics of ministry. He experienced a profound indifference and disconnectedness, relief was one click away. As raw images flashed on the screen, he promised this would be the last time. Lost in wanton hunger, John failed to hear his young daughter enter the office. She had a bad dream and couldn’t sleep, looking for daddy’s soft words to comfort her back to slumber. Her wee voice penetrated his frenzied feast, “What are you doing daddy?” He turned in horror to find Samantha standing in full view of his secret sin. Later, a humiliating confession to his wife and long drive to this place, there could be only one resolution.
John watched the rain running down filthy windows of the old cabin. Thank God for the rain. He sat on the cot not wanting to move, afraid of breaking the spell of cleansing the Holy Spirit was executing. Thought about what awaited outside the door. John knew that the joy of this purging would wane. How could he remain free, untangled, not falling back into the same patterns of empty striving which led him to such repeated depravity?
"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. . . You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
1 Corinthians 6: 18-19
Where are you right now? Are you in a place where you will humbly do anything that it takes to be free from pornography addiction? If so, you have come to the right place. There is simply no way to win this battle unless we are as strategic as our enemy. God wants more than just weepy prayers. Yes He will forgive but if you are honest, you are looking for more than just forgiveness. If you have a righteous heart then you are longing for personal integrity, longing to build a legacy of uncompromising purity. You desire to be a man of God. The alternative is persistent shame and feeling like a fraud. Thank God for shame, it is a sign of a soft heart.
Real freedom is consistent obedience in the face of relentless temptation. You can have victory but it’s going to take hard actions on your part. If John is to be successful and not end up back in the cabin of despondency over and over, then he must put safeguards in place that will make it hard to fall.
There are two types of temptation, the kind we have no control over and the kind we can do something about. God gives us strength over temptation but grace is not given to overcome the temptation we seek out or allow in by laziness. We are to flee, not walk or loiter but run from temptation. Loitering around a temptation then desperately praying for more strength is ridiculous. God will not be mocked; He is not a crutch for inaction.
The word flee is a “take action” word. It is an action God can energize. Stop complaining about the things you have no control over, I cannot believe the way women dress today, movies are getting worse, even the commercials are sexual, and start focusing on the things you can do something about. Complaining is just an excuse for inaction. It makes no difference how bad the world has become, I can be a man of God and I expect nothing less from myself.
There are proactive things we can do to flee from the pull of pornography. For example, peak sales of pornographic movies at hotels are not during Satanist conventions but weekend pastor’s conferences. The answer is to put safeguards in place so our spiritual leaders are not alone when away from their wives. Two or three pastor’s or mature Christian men from each church sleep in the same room during weekend conferences. The television stays off. A simple action and a fleeing from evil. This is one very practical war strategy in our fight against pornography. In the positive, it is a war to protect your integrity and the reputation of the name of Christ. If a man loses his integrity what does he have left?
". . . the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life."
Proverbs 6:26
You are going to be introduced to five powerful actions you can do to protect your life and the ones you care about. I can tell you from personal experience that they work. They are God-forged actions. Each one will demand some time and cost, and in part, that is what makes them so effective. Take a look at history, commanding actions involved great cost. Let’s send a clear message to God and put Satan on notice that my integrity, family and ministry are worth fighting for and protecting.
Next Article: Action 1 - Make a Decision
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