Victory Over Pornography English
PART III: The Strategy That Works
Putting The Pieces Together
Over many years, I tried unsuccessfully to overcome an addiction to pornography. All my attempts to resist temptation using only my self-control failed. I tried and failed many times; each time I felt guilty and wanted to repent and I thought I repented. This repeated over and over in what seemed to be a never-ending cycle that I was hopeless to get out of myself. That was true, I could not escape the cycle relying on only my self-control. I tried and failed to stop the evil of viewing pornography so many times that I thought it was impossible to achieve a victory.
My personal victory over pornography happened as a result of living the exchanged life. The breakthrough came when I finally: 1) realized, admitted, and accepted that I could not do it on my own; 2) realized God the Holy Spirit gives His self-control to a born-again believer as part of the gift of the Holy Spirit; 3) truly realized salvation is monergistic -- wholly the work of God and in contrast, sanctification is synergistic -- more than one worker; and 4) took the specific step of asking in the authority of Jesus Christ, that God the Father give me the self-control of God the Spirit.
Success started to happen slowly, gradually over time. At first, only occasionally I was able to resist the temptation. Then I decided to start counting how many times I successfully explicitly chose to resist the devil’s temptation and submit to God by specifically relying on the Holy Spirit’s self-control as part of His fruit of the Spirit. Then I noticed I was able to resist the devil’s temptation more frequently. Fairly quickly, I had counted about 12 times I was successful in resisting the temptation to view pornography. After those 12 times the temptations themselves ceased. I believe I experienced the truth of God’s Word as explained in James 4:7
James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Well, I destroyed my pornography collection decades ago and I am no longer tempted to view pornography. It really is quite amazing. So, I really want you to know that it is possible for you to achieve a victory over pornography. If you are a true born-again Christian or become one now and you work with God the Holy Spirit by relying on His self-control then the victory is yours for the taking.
Romans 6:11–14 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 8:1–14 1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Temptation And Response
You can exercise your free will to choose to depend upon God the Holy Spirit’s self-control to resist the temptation to view pornography. God has provided everything you need for godliness.
2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Titus 2:11–12 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
Self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit. When you exercise your free will to be led by the Spirit you will see the fruit of the Spirit in your life. If you are a true born-again believer in Christ Jesus, then you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22–24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Please carefully study the following diagram which depicts the flow of Temptation and Response. Each time you face any temptation you have a real opportunity to exercise your free will to choose to depend upon God to resist the temptation.
