Porn is a battleground with many casualties, including broken lives and relationships. It disconnects us from reality and negatively affects our expectations about sex and love. It triggers changes in our body that become addictive and harmful. It may lead to other sin and, worst of all, it moves us away from God’s love. God wants to help set you free from the pattern of lust, guilt, and broken promises.
Need Him Global Ministries
Day 1
Scriptures: Galatians 5:1, 2 Corinthians 3:17, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 John 1:9
FREEDOM by recognizing the problem and confessing
Pornography is everywhere and it can start innocently or even by accident. However, once it becomes part of our lives, it sinks deeper and deeper into the dark places of our soul. In the end, pornography objectifies sex and makes it small and meaningless. It poisons relationships and how we view and treat others.
Based on hundreds of conversations with men seeking to get out of the trap of porn, my guess is you are not here to find out whether porn is a problem. You are here to get help to get rid of the problem. Once we acknowledge the problem, we must see it for what it is and admit our sins. But admitting our sins is the first step and not the last.
Repentance is an often-misunderstood concept. For many, repentance means admitting sin and saying we are sorry. However, there is much more to it than that. In Greek, the word means to turn away from sin. However, the Bible actually goes much deeper and talks about a change of mind that results in a change of action.
Changing our actions means no longer pretending we can exercise more self-control and manage the temptations. It means we don’t believe the lies that we can handle this or it will go away when we get married. Now is the time to stop kidding yourself that you will pray more, read the Bible more, or go to church more to win this battle. Repent from your sin and keep reading to learn how to win the battle and become free.
Father God, please give me the strength to trust you. Give me the courage to admit my sin and seek a change of mind that results in a change of action. Help me discover the power that comes from putting you first in my life and deliver me into freedom from this sin. Amen.
Day 2
Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 3:16, Romans 8:11, Romans 8:26-27, Romans 15:13, Galatians 5:16-23, Ephesians 3:16
FREEDOM through the Holy Spirit
Change starts with admitting a problem and repenting, but we need God on our side to defeat Satan. Without a relationship with Jesus, freedom from addiction is practically impossible. When you become a true follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit takes root inside of you and gives you the power to become who God created you to be. This is the power we need to break free from addiction.
The Holy Spirit connects us to God in the most intimate and powerful ways possible:
The Holy Spirit dwells within us at all times.
The Holy Spirit gives us hope and peace during difficult times.
The Holy Spirit provides power over temptation and gives us strength and endurance during trials.
The Holy Spirit plants in us the desires of God and grows within us the fruit of the Spirit including self-control.
In other words, the Holy Spirit is our lifeline to freedom. I know that freedom is hard, but you are not fighting alone. As a believer, you have the Spirit of God inside of you to give you the power to change.
You might say that you are a Christian but still struggle. We all do and that process of change takes time, but the power is in you. If you mess up again and you feel like a failure, do not give up. You may feel like hiding from God, not going to church, or putting the Bible away for a while, but those are all things the enemy desires.
I want to encourage you – freedom is possible and it can be lasting. If you mess up, don’t give up. Keep on pursuing Jesus as He will not give up on you.
FREEDOM can be lasting because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Father God, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. May your Spirit guide me and draw me closer to you. I give you control of my thoughts and ask you to change my desires. Amen.
Day 3
Scriptures: Romans 12:1, Galatians 5:16, Ephesians 4:22-24, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Freedom through changing our thinking
You have confessed your sin and trusted in Jesus to help you change. Now let’s be clear about how change starts happening.
Romans 12:2 says you need to let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. The key to learning a new way to handle anything is in changing the way you think. If you want to change the way you act, you don’t focus on feelings. You start by changing the way you think. When you change your thought process, it’s going to change the way you feel and that is eventually going to change your behavior.
This is how you can be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” That’s what God does for you. He helps you change the destructive thought patterns in your mind and transforms you into a new person.
There is a battle raging for our minds. The flesh wants to draw us away to lust and unhealthy thinking, but the Spirit of God wants us to walk in victory. Do not be deceived by the lies of no one gets hurt or everyone does it. Reject these thoughts and focus on things of the Spirit. Tomorrow we discuss how to stand tall against temptation.
Father God, transform my thinking. Renew and wash my mind by the mighty power of your Word. Help me to see the areas in my own life where I am entertaining bad thinking. Give me the strength this day to walk in victory over this addiction. Amen.
Day 4
Scriptures: Ephesians 6:10-13, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, 1 Corinthians 12:1-10, Matthew 4:3, James 1:13-15
Freedom to stand tall against temptation
You have felt what it is like to give in to temptation. It does not take long to regret that decision and you start becoming desperate for a way to win that battle. The reality is the battle starts long before you are tempted. Before the moment of temptation, we must decide to refuse to sin. We all have temptation triggers and we encourage you to be honest about what those are in your life.
If it’s a person who tempts you, then don’t spend time alone with them. If it’s sexual scenes in movies or TV shows, then don’t watch them. If it’s your computer or phone, then put accountability software on them that prevents you from going there. When faced with temptation, we should be reminded that our old self was crucified with Jesus so that we are no longer ruled by sin but are set free.
Be aware of these things and talk with God about removing these things from your life. However, recognize in advance that, despite those efforts, temptation will find a way to get in front of you. Know there is nothing sinful with encountering temptation. What truly matters is what you do with that temptation. Sometimes being a man means running from those things that drag us into sin. Be prepared for the next time you are tempted and do whatever you can to run from the situation and experience the freedom that God provides.
Father God, I know the things that affect my desires for porn. Help me be honest about what they are and remove all I can from my life. When they knock at the door to my mind and heart, I ask you to give me the strength and courage to run to you. Amen.
Day 5
Scriptures: Proverbs 27:17, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Hebrews 10:24-25, Galatians 6:1-2
Freedom through accountability
You might be saying that you have done all this and are still failing. Many we talk with that say this have one thing lacking in their efforts. They are trying to do it alone.
When pornography is in control, we live in chains. Slaves to our desires and our secrets. And the last thing we want to do is tell others about our sin. If you think you can do this all alone, then you are probably kidding yourself and not serious about changing.
The Bible tells us that as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. The idea is that there is strength in numbers. The concept of “No Man Left Behind” has been around since the early days of military battle. It is about protecting and honoring the brotherhood. We need to surround ourselves with brothers in Christ who will stand with us in this battle and who will sharpen us.
Find a trusted friend that is not battling porn. Admit your struggle and seek their encouragement and accountability. Being accountable to someone means we are giving them permission to ask hard questions and hold us accountable for our words, our actions, and our decisions. We allow them access to inquire as to our motives and to challenge our actions. With accountability comes strength and support. If necessary, also add technological accountability that can block porn from your phone and computer.
Father, please show me someone that cares enough to hold me accountable. Provide a brotherhood of support that will stand with me in this battle. Allow me to be accountable to them and willing to be vulnerable so they can strengthen me. Amen.
Day 6
Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 3:16, Psalms 119:9-11, Romans 6:6-7
Freedom through memorizing scripture
I would be lying if I said that memorizing scripture comes easy or I am always excited about it. I also want to avoid giving the impression that memorizing a few verses is like having a magic spell that keeps away temptation. The Bible is a guide to finding Jesus and living in a way God has told us is best for us. It should help transform us into becoming disciples of Christ.
With those disclaimers and explanations on the table, let us not ever underestimate the power of God’s Word. Knowing it is fundamental to our spiritual formation. It becomes how we fill our minds with what God desires.
Chuck Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture…No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.”
Memorizing scripture allows us to conform more like Christ while defeating sin and triumphing over Satan. This is a key component in fighting the battle. The Bible tells us that we are no longer to be slaves of sin, for as Believers we have been freed from its grip. Jesus frequently quoted scripture. Not sure there is any other reason needed than that.
Father God, help me to keep your Word in my heart and mind at all times. May it remind me of your love and strength to defeat temptation and push porn out of my life. Help me trust Jesus, find strength through the Holy Spirit, and receive freedom through relying on your Word. Amen.