Avoiding Pornography

[Wynona]

When pornography becomes an issue, it can be really frustrating.

The temptation chases you like a wolf on the hunt. If it smells weakness, it hounds you further.

The Bible says it is the will of God, even our sanctification, that we abstain from sexual immorality. (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Use as many strategies as you can. When fighting something like this, it's best to use a multi-layered combinations in your approach. You have to have a war-like mindset.

1. Be honest with someone about the problem.

Confession brings healing and having it out in the open decreases the power of the temptation, which thrives in secrecy. The person could be your spouse or a really good friend. You just don't want to try to deal with it by yourself.

2. Classical music.

There's something about classical music that switches off the part of your brain that wants to look at porn. If you don't believe me, give it a try.

3. Stay busy till bedtime.

Now, you can do relaxing activities but try to avoid just doing nothing, especially during the hours you normally get tempted.
It's time to blast your music and get some chores done, reorganize your pantry, knit, journal, call a friend, read your Bible, etc.

4. The Sword of the Spirit

Memorize a short key verse and say it out loud: "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11). The devil wants you to give in to your lust and to fall but this strategy has proven effective in redirecting my thoughts to what God would have me do. Repeat as many times as you need or go do something else.

5. Cut off your right hand.

Just kidding. But seriously, Jesus said if your right hand causes you to sin, to cut it out. Practically, this could look like taking more drastic measures to avoid pornography than you originally thought.

Do you have to have a smartphone by you while going to sleep?

Can you get your online stuff done in a public area where others can see you?

Do you need to go to the library instead of being by yourself?

Do you need special software on your phone that sends your history to an accountability partner?

6. Try to avoid feeding the flesh in general.

Certain types of music, tv, movies, novels, and stories are lustful in nature and lead down a spiral of consuming increasingly lustful media.

Steamy romance novels can lead to erotica, especially for women. Lustful music feeds the same part of you that desires to consume porn.

Not feeding the flesh won't gaurantee you won't be tempted at all. But feeding the flesh will increase the frequency and intensity of temptation. Again, you may need multiple strategies to kick the addiction completely.

7. Get an adequate amount of sleep and relaxation time.

Sleep deprivation and stress are triggers for temptation. Sometimes these things cannot be avoided but its good to remember for the purpose of breaking the habit of consuming porn.

8. Believe that you can overcome this. Desire to be whole.

No matter how many times you've failed before, realize that through Christ all things are possible. His Spirit lives in you and desires to obey the Lord. Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

What do you really want? Be honest with yourself. Do you really want to stay porn-free for life? Or do you want to just keep porn as an option for when things get rough?

It's really all or nothing when it comes to this. You must get to the place where iys never acceptable at any time in order to see victory. You must want to please God and stay in close relationship with Him above all else.

The shame of sin causes us to push God away. That's why sin is so bad.

On the other side of disciplining yourself is fulness of joy and a fulfilling life pursuing the Lord. Don't let porn hinder you from all that God has for you.

 

[amigo de christo]

There is this option .
What do we think JESUS would say to us . or paul , james , peter .
Always remember that GOD SEES and KNOWS EVERYTHING . And that sin can indeed harden a heart .

 

[marks]

No matter how many times you've failed before, realize that through Christ all things are possible. His Spirit lives in you and desires to obey the Lord. Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Very good information, from a previous addict.

And when the cravings for porn seem overwhelming, remember, it works like a drug addiction. The longer you stay away, the easier it gets. And at any moment, you can come to your senses, and recognize, I'm choosing this, and I can choose not, right now.

And if you get used to going to God for your needs to be met, then porn becomes such a small and bitter and poor substitute.

Much love!

 

[Nancy]

Good word Wynona. I want to send your post to one of my brothers who has struggled with this his whole life.
God has blessed me beyond measure where this is concerned, my weaknesses are elsewhere but, "sex" itself holds zero interest to me, never really did so, I praise God for that.
I think my one brother got my share of libido He is not online often anymore so as not to be tempted. He loves the Lord and has come a long way but, it is still that sin that "so besets him".
Good subject sister.
xo

 

[quietthinker]

When pornography becomes an issue, it can be really frustrating.

The temptation chases you like a wolf on the hunt. If it smells weakness, it hounds you further.

The Bible says it is the will of God, even our sanctification, that we abstain from sexual immorality. (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Use as many strategies as you can. When fighting something like this, it's best to use a multi-layered combinations in your approach. You have to have a war-like mindset.

1. Be honest with someone about the problem.

Confession brings healing and having it out in the open decreases the power of the temptation, which thrives in secrecy. The person could be your spouse or a really good friend. You just don't want to try to deal with it by yourself.

2. Classical music.

There's something about classical music that switches off the part of your brain that wants to look at porn. If you don't believe me, give it a try.

3. Stay busy till bedtime.

Now, you can do relaxing activities but try to avoid just doing nothing, especially during the hours you normally get tempted.
It's time to blast your music and get some chores done, reorganize your pantry, knit, journal, call a friend, read your Bible, etc.

4. The Sword of the Spirit

Memorize a short key verse and say it out loud: "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11). The devil wants you to give in to your lust and to fall but this strategy has proven effective in redirecting my thoughts to what God would have me do. Repeat as many times as you need or go do something else.

5. Cut off your right hand.

Just kidding. But seriously, Jesus said if your right hand causes you to sin, to cut it out. Practically, this could look like taking more drastic measures to avoid pornography than you originally thought.

Do you have to have a smartphone by you while going to sleep?

Can you get your online stuff done in a public area where others can see you?

Do you need to go to the library instead of being by yourself?

Do you need special software on your phone that sends your history to an accountability partner?

6. Try to avoid feeding the flesh in general.

Certain types of music, tv, movies, novels, and stories are lustful in nature and lead down a spiral of consuming increasingly lustful media.

Steamy romance novels can lead to erotica, especially for women. Lustful music feeds the same part of you that desires to consume porn.

Not feeding the flesh won't gaurantee you won't be tempted at all. But feeding the flesh will increase the frequency and intensity of temptation. Again, you may need multiple strategies to kick the addiction completely.

7. Get an adequate amount of sleep and relaxation time.

Sleep deprivation and stress are triggers for temptation. Sometimes these things cannot be avoided but its good to remember for the purpose of breaking the habit of consuming porn.

8. Believe that you can overcome this. Desire to be whole.

No matter how many times you've failed before, realize that through Christ all things are possible. His Spirit lives in you and desires to obey the Lord. Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

What do you really want? Be honest with yourself. Do you really want to stay porn-free for life? Or do you want to just keep porn as an option for when things get rough?

It's really all or nothing when it comes to this. You must get to the place where iys never acceptable at any time in order to see victory. You must want to please God and stay in close relationship with Him above all else.

The shame of sin causes us to push God away. That's why sin is so bad.

On the other side of disciplining yourself is fulness of joy and a fulfilling life pursuing the Lord. Don't let porn hinder you from all that God has for you.

Thanks for your confession Wynona!

 

[Nancy]

Thanks for your confession Wynona!

Take that back!!!

 

[quietthinker]

Take that back!!!

It's one thing for a man to admit to getting stuck with porn, it's quiet another for a woman.

 

[Nancy]

It's one thing for a man to admit to getting stuck with porn, it's quiet another for a woman.

Don't see as our sister claimed to have this issue! It could be someone Wynona knows perhaps? One of my brothers (Christian) has had this battle all his life. He no longer goes on social media and has blocked any and all porn related stuff on his computer...
:) But yeah, you're right, it is much more a mans issue...just sayin!
Love ya bro!!

 

[quietthinker]

Don't see as our sister claimed to have this issue! It could be someone Wynona knows perhaps? One of my brothers (Christian) has had this battle all his life. He no longer goes on social media and has blocked any and all porn related stuff on his computer...
:) But yeah, you're right, it is much more a mans issue...just sayin!
Love ya bro!!

Transparency is an active challenge for those whose hearts desire truth in the inward man. Our default position is hiding....it is to present who we are in a light that generates no reproach.

 

[Truman]

When pornography becomes an issue, it can be really frustrating.

The temptation chases you like a wolf on the hunt. If it smells weakness, it hounds you further.

The Bible says it is the will of God, even our sanctification, that we abstain from sexual immorality. (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Use as many strategies as you can. When fighting something like this, it's best to use a multi-layered combinations in your approach. You have to have a war-like mindset.

1. Be honest with someone about the problem.

Confession brings healing and having it out in the open decreases the power of the temptation, which thrives in secrecy. The person could be your spouse or a really good friend. You just don't want to try to deal with it by yourself.

2. Classical music.

There's something about classical music that switches off the part of your brain that wants to look at porn. If you don't believe me, give it a try.

3. Stay busy till bedtime.

Now, you can do relaxing activities but try to avoid just doing nothing, especially during the hours you normally get tempted.
It's time to blast your music and get some chores done, reorganize your pantry, knit, journal, call a friend, read your Bible, etc.

4. The Sword of the Spirit

Memorize a short key verse and say it out loud: "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11). The devil wants you to give in to your lust and to fall but this strategy has proven effective in redirecting my thoughts to what God would have me do. Repeat as many times as you need or go do something else.

5. Cut off your right hand.

Just kidding. But seriously, Jesus said if your right hand causes you to sin, to cut it out. Practically, this could look like taking more drastic measures to avoid pornography than you originally thought.

Do you have to have a smartphone by you while going to sleep?

Can you get your online stuff done in a public area where others can see you?

Do you need to go to the library instead of being by yourself?

Do you need special software on your phone that sends your history to an accountability partner?

6. Try to avoid feeding the flesh in general.

Certain types of music, tv, movies, novels, and stories are lustful in nature and lead down a spiral of consuming increasingly lustful media.

Steamy romance novels can lead to erotica, especially for women. Lustful music feeds the same part of you that desires to consume porn.

Not feeding the flesh won't gaurantee you won't be tempted at all. But feeding the flesh will increase the frequency and intensity of temptation. Again, you may need multiple strategies to kick the addiction completely.

7. Get an adequate amount of sleep and relaxation time.

Sleep deprivation and stress are triggers for temptation. Sometimes these things cannot be avoided but its good to remember for the purpose of breaking the habit of consuming porn.

8. Believe that you can overcome this. Desire to be whole.

No matter how many times you've failed before, realize that through Christ all things are possible. His Spirit lives in you and desires to obey the Lord. Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

What do you really want? Be honest with yourself. Do you really want to stay porn-free for life? Or do you want to just keep porn as an option for when things get rough?

It's really all or nothing when it comes to this. You must get to the place where iys never acceptable at any time in order to see victory. You must want to please God and stay in close relationship with Him above all else.

The shame of sin causes us to push God away. That's why sin is so bad.

On the other side of disciplining yourself is fulness of joy and a fulfilling life pursuing the Lord. Don't let porn hinder you from all that God has for you.

After 20 years of walking out Luke 9:23 (my personal daily sacrifice), on July 30, 2020, I died to this. The next day, He led me here to Christianity Board.
After 52 years of bondage...I'm free! During September, 2020, Jesus resurrected, with me, in my heart!
He then gave me a third given name, "Victory!"

I died, He lives, and dwells inside of me
I am finally assured of eternity
He never left my side, not even when I died
He was with me in the dark...right by my side! tc

"Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you!" Hallelujah!

 

[Lambano]

Thanks for your confession Wynona!

Regardless of whether you understood Ms. Winona correctly, I would hope we could have an environment in which our brothers and sisters felt safe confessing their sins. (But I ain’t confessing here to anything more serious than using profanity while playing golf.)

But yeah, you're right, it is much more a mans issue...just sayin!

I saw a study that showed that women are using pornography in much higher numbers now and are being specifically targeted by the content providers. This surprises me because it was generally understood (this was when I took a Psych class back in the ‘80s) that women’s arousal was not affected by visual stimuli like men are. Have women actually changed over the last forty years?

So, it’s not just a man’s problem any more.

 

[Enoch111]

When pornography becomes an issue...

For a Christian it should be a non-issue. All one has to do is label it "Filth and garbage". So what does one do with filth and garbage? It all goes to the dump.

 

[Wynona]

For a Christian it should be a non-issue. All one has to do is label it "Filth and garbage". So what does one do with filth and garbage? It all goes to the dump.

It's very possible for genuine believers and even Pastors to struggle with lust and pornography.

No one is condoning the sin. The purpose of this thread is to give people practical strategies for avoiding this sin. Saying it should be a non-issue is true in an ideal sense, but does nothing for those in bondage desiring to get out.

 

[Nancy]

It's very possible for genuine believers and even Pastors to struggle with lust and pornography.

No one is condoning the sin. The purpose of this thread is to give people practical strategies for avoiding this sin. Saying it should be a non-issue is true in an ideal sense, but does nothing for those in bondage desiring to get out.

Yeah, what you said!!!

 

[Truman]

Porn, and other addictions, are the result of the carnal nature. These issues are like weeds. Cut them off and they'll grow back. They must be uprooted. It's worked for me. But I don't know everything.

 

[marks]

Porn, and other addictions, are the result of the carnal nature. These issues are like weeds. Cut them off and they'll grow back. They must be uprooted. It's worked for me. But I don't know everything.

I think the person who dismisses this as something easily dealt with doesn't understand it.

There are factors inside people that the may not even relate consciously to porn that are driving them to ingest.

Much love!

 

[marks]

It's very possible for genuine believers and even Pastors to struggle with lust and pornography.

No one is condoning the sin. The purpose of this thread is to give people practical strategies for avoiding this sin. Saying it should be a non-issue is true in an ideal sense, but does nothing for those in bondage desiring to get out.

What's that part about restoring someone with meekness, considering yourself that this could be you?

And not saying anyone is being described here, but there's also that thing called Reaction Formation, where the person who secretly struggles with lust is the loudest critic of those who struggle with lust.

I've been a porn addict, I've got, I think, a reasonable idea of what made that so, and "there but for the grace of God go I". I'm off it now. But it would be foolishness for me to drop my guard and miss the triggers, the undercurrents that want to pull me back.

I've learned a lot of bad behavior gets written into the brain, and there IS NO undoing it, only denying what it wants.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Regardless of whether you understood Ms. Winona correctly, I would hope we could have an environment in which our brothers and sisters felt safe confessing their sins. (But I ain’t confessing here to anything more serious than using profanity while playing golf.)

I saw a study that showed that women are using pornography in much higher numbers now and are being specifically targeted by the content providers. This surprises me because it was generally understood (this was when I took a Psych class back in the ‘80s) that women’s arousal was not affected by visual stimuli like men are. Have women actually changed over the last forty years?

So, it’s not just a man’s problem any more.

The brain can be trained, and people changed. We're watching a culture being removed from the values of it's parents to be given the desired values by the oligarchy through indoctination in schools. And being trained to respond to different kinds of stimuli.

Much love!

 

[MatthewG]

When pornography becomes an issue, it can be really frustrating.

The temptation chases you like a wolf on the hunt. If it smells weakness, it hounds you further.

The Bible says it is the will of God, even our sanctification, that we abstain from sexual immorality. (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Use as many strategies as you can. When fighting something like this, it's best to use a multi-layered combinations in your approach. You have to have a war-like mindset.

1. Be honest with someone about the problem.

Confession brings healing and having it out in the open decreases the power of the temptation, which thrives in secrecy. The person could be your spouse or a really good friend. You just don't want to try to deal with it by yourself.

2. Classical music.

There's something about classical music that switches off the part of your brain that wants to look at porn. If you don't believe me, give it a try.

3. Stay busy till bedtime.

Now, you can do relaxing activities but try to avoid just doing nothing, especially during the hours you normally get tempted.
It's time to blast your music and get some chores done, reorganize your pantry, knit, journal, call a friend, read your Bible, etc.

4. The Sword of the Spirit

Memorize a short key verse and say it out loud: "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11). The devil wants you to give in to your lust and to fall but this strategy has proven effective in redirecting my thoughts to what God would have me do. Repeat as many times as you need or go do something else.

5. Cut off your right hand.

Just kidding. But seriously, Jesus said if your right hand causes you to sin, to cut it out. Practically, this could look like taking more drastic measures to avoid pornography than you originally thought.

Do you have to have a smartphone by you while going to sleep?

Can you get your online stuff done in a public area where others can see you?

Do you need to go to the library instead of being by yourself?

Do you need special software on your phone that sends your history to an accountability partner?

6. Try to avoid feeding the flesh in general.

Certain types of music, tv, movies, novels, and stories are lustful in nature and lead down a spiral of consuming increasingly lustful media.

Steamy romance novels can lead to erotica, especially for women. Lustful music feeds the same part of you that desires to consume porn.

Not feeding the flesh won't gaurantee you won't be tempted at all. But feeding the flesh will increase the frequency and intensity of temptation. Again, you may need multiple strategies to kick the addiction completely.

7. Get an adequate amount of sleep and relaxation time.

Sleep deprivation and stress are triggers for temptation. Sometimes these things cannot be avoided but its good to remember for the purpose of breaking the habit of consuming porn.

8. Believe that you can overcome this. Desire to be whole.

No matter how many times you've failed before, realize that through Christ all things are possible. His Spirit lives in you and desires to obey the Lord. Walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

What do you really want? Be honest with yourself. Do you really want to stay porn-free for life? Or do you want to just keep porn as an option for when things get rough?

It's really all or nothing when it comes to this. You must get to the place where iys never acceptable at any time in order to see victory. You must want to please God and stay in close relationship with Him above all else.

The shame of sin causes us to push God away. That's why sin is so bad.

On the other side of disciplining yourself is fulness of joy and a fulfilling life pursuing the Lord. Don't let porn hinder you from all that God has for you.

This is a category am well familiar with. It started around that age of 15 or 16ish. When a friend had gave me a collection of magazines. A life long period of chasing this type of thing was instated in my brain set. Though even having relationship it plagued me even so and if anything ruined my Brain in itself just alone. But so did just simply playing video games and computer games growing up as a young adult.

Though I can get weak and desire it sometimes it has been a moment since partaking. I believe that Paul states that sexual sin when it is done can upset the whole body… there are also people who put out there on YouTube what happens to your brain every time you go to look at it.

Over in all to me it is unhealthy… it would be better to find a woman to be your wife. Or a man to be your husband.

To keep your heart Holy set on the Lord and not on the world. No one is perfect but however if you desire to have God help you too, and it’s for the right reasons he can deliver a person from this type of lifestyle.

God bless to all,
Great and helpful tips to encourage others in this too @Wynona

 

[Lifelong_sinner]

Powerful topic, but shame prevents us from really discussing this issue. As i have mentioned before, i am a false convert because of porn and other sexual sin. But i also believe i could very well be beyond saving now as Hebrews warns. Long story short, about 2 yrs ago, i seriously repented for all my sins, especially the sexual ones. I went 5 weeks without any lustful thoughts or actions, the 2nd longest ever for me. Then one day, it called, i fought, and failed. But the worst part was, when i looked at porn again, i felt disgusted at it for like half a second, and then that feeling left me. Now, its like i was before i repented, it doesnt bother me in the least.

And i often tell people, take my failure to heart. I know im not saved, i know my repentance wasnt genuine, and that im going to hell. Dont follow what i did. And this is how i know im not of the elect, and that i was never saved, and my repentance wasnt genuine. And i dont think i could repent now no matter what i do.