September 16th
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV
3 For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 KJV
Porn’s impact on our “thought life” can be profound. The thoughts of a typical porn addict are seasoned with the images and fantasies they’ve feasted their eyes on. Jesus explained that the eye is the lamp of the body in Luke 11:34. We can fill ourselves with light or darkness simply by what we look at. Since porn offers a smorgasbord of sexual perversion, our thoughts will reflect that perversion if we’re regularly looking at porn.
If we’ve decided to seek God’s help in breaking an addiction to porn, we can start by making a habit of daily Bible study. The Quiet Time may be the best place to implement this. God’s word is a purifying agent. It helps break down the lies of sin and reprogram our thoughts according to the truth. We can supplement this regular diet with teaching tapes and Sunday sermons as well.
Next, we’ll need to train our minds into Godly thought patterns. This could be the biggest challenge we will face on the road to freedom. It requires discipline and tenacity. Thankfully this is an area where the Holy Spirit will help us. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). As we heed the promptings and convictions of the Spirit, our ability to control our thoughts and actions will increase.
There are several actions we can take when we realize we’re being tempted. Here are some examples:
Turn your eyes somewhere else
Take the thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Ask God to give you something else to think on or look at and/or provide a way out of the temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Plead the blood of Jesus over your thoughts (ex. “the Blood of Jesus Christ covers me and my thoughts”) (Hebrews 9:14)
Set your mind on something Godly, like a Bible verse or a worship song (Philippians 4:8, Colossians 3:1-2, Hebrews 12:1-2)
As we practice such responses when we’re tempted, our skill in overcoming the temptations will improve. As we continue to fill our minds with the word through our quiet times, the porn residue from the past will erode. No matter how much crud we may have allowed into our minds, with God’s help we have hope for complete recovery. With God nothing is impossible!
Questions for further thought:
What process will the Holy Spirit guide us through in regards to our thinking? (Romans 12:2, Titus 3:5)
What does it mean to cast sinful imaginations down? (2 Corinthians 10:5)
What are some examples of “noble” and “pure” things that you can shift your thoughts to when you are being tempted?
Prayer:
“Dear Father in Heaven, Thank you for the renewing work of the Holy Spirit in my mind. I repent from any sinful fantasies that I’ve entertained in my thoughts. I submit myself to you and ask for your help in bringing my eyes and thoughts into obedience to you. Thank you that you are with me and will never leave me nor forsake me. I praise you in Jesus’ name, Amen.”