How to Gain Freedom from Porn and Lust

“For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Barna Research calls sexting “Porn 2.0.” Roxanne Stone, Barna’s editor-in-chief writes:

“Porn 2.0 offers much of the same promise as traditional pornography: a disembodied, visual experience without the attachments or intimacy of sex. And, there is variety here as well, because the truth is – sexting often happens well before a relationship begins. In those early “get to know you stages” and it’s not at all unlikely that a person is sexting with multiple potential partners at any one time. If he’s asking you for pictures, he’s probably asking someone else for pictures too. Fully 62 percent of teens and young adults say they have received a nude image—generally from a boyfriend or girlfriend. Forty percent have sent a nude image—again, usually to a boyfriend or girlfriend.”

These are mind-blowing statistics. The reality is that many Christian men fall prey to pornography and more and more teens are sexting. Easy access to technology increases temptation and sexual sin.

Circling back to Galatians 5:1. God sets us free from the slavery and power of sin. The problem is we want to go back to spiritual slavery. Porn is one of the worst slave masters we face in our generation. How do we overcome it?

By going to our Father in Heaven and listening to His wisdom and direction.

²⁰ But that is not the way you learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:20-24

How do we put off the old self and defeat deceitful desires? How do we renew our minds? How do we put on the new self? The answer is to take action. We won’t gain victory by being passive. We need to actively put guardrails in our lives that protect us from temptation and direct us along the path of righteousness.

In my own life, the guardrail I have put on all of Bethany’s and my electronic devices (PC, phones, tablet) is Covenant Eyes. It’s an internet accountability system that runs in the background of our operating devices. It snaps screenshots of our browsing and sends reports accountability partners. It costs a few bucks a month (especially if you share an account w/ an accountability partner), but how much is purity worth to you? Can you put a price tag on protecting your mind and your marriage from pornography and being consumed by lust? Putting on the new self takes effort. There’s a cost to it, but it’s an investment in your spiritual growth. It’s a commitment to becoming the new creation God is calling you to be, and He will bless your obedience.