Overcome Porn
By Cary Monaco, editor
There are numerous surveys and countless shameful public examples which demonstrate that viewing pornography is a blight which is playing a major role in decimating mainline Christianity. However, could it also be true that partaking in porn is a prevalent problem amongst independent Baptist churches?
Tragically, it’s becoming more and more common to see damaged testimonies, devastated families and destroyed ministries within the ranks of independent Baptists due to brethren engaging in porn. And, just as the hidden sin of Achan resulted in the Israeli defeat at the hands of Ai, no doubt the secret sin of porn in the lives of independent Baptists is significantly contributing to spiritual failure by our churches as we war with the diabolical forces of the devil.
For awhile nobody knew about Achan’s sin of lusting after the forbidden silver and gold of conquered Jericho -- nobody, that is, except God. Such is the case with Christians as in terrible shame and guilt every precaution is taken to hide the lustful pursuit of porn. How miserable Achan must have been as he worried if the forbidden things he had buried under his tent would be discovered. Similarly, how tormented the souls of born-again believers trying to cover up their lust-driven liaisons with porn.
Let’s not mince words; dear reader, are you struggling with porn? If so, God is willing and wanting for you to be set free from this terrible trap that you’ve ensnared yourself in. It will be no more easy than it is for the deep drug addict to get the proverbial “monkey off his back,” but the God “Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able” has promised to “make a way to escape.” (I Corinthians 10:13)
The Scriptures convey the inspiring testimony of Daniel “who purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat.” Three separate times Jesus Himself identified Satan as the “prince of this world.” Well, pornography is the “prince’s meat.” The devil persistently permeates every element of society with immoral sexuality. He has done so from the ancient times and will continue to do so until his doom because sensuality is such a powerful weapon in the arsenal he utilizes to capture the hearts of men. It’s so powerful that Satan used sensuality to temporarily ensnare one of the most Godly people ever to live, King David, who ended up committing murder due to it.
Yes, the evil one knows very well of mankind’s immense propensity towards sexual lust. That’s why sensuality saturates advertising, books, magazines, television, movies, the internet and everything else from “A to Z.”. Even many of today’s children’s cartoons are filled with sensuality and sly sexual innuendos. Indeed, the statistics tell us that 90 percent of eight to 16 year olds have viewed internet porn at least one time. The slimy and sinister agents of Satan who peddle porn actually manipulate things so that internet search words used by children to find web sites for certain cartoon characters and action figures can lead to pornography pages.
With such an overwhelming bombardment of sensuality combined with society’s ever-growing acceptance and approval of even the most abominable sexual immorality, Christians can become desensitized to its wickedness, and seek to minimize and rationalize it. Yet, I John 2:16 tells us, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Certainly Daniel could have chosen to rationalize based on his circumstances why it would be okay to eat of the king’s meat. However, he chose instead not to partake of things forbidden by God’s Word knowing full-well he could be killed for it. This same “no-holds-barred” purpose of heart is essential if the Christian struggling with porn is to gain victory over it. Viewing porn must be fully acknowledged as being absolutely wicked, be truly confessed as sin to God, and be repented of never to look at again.
After being confronted with falling to the sin of sexual lustfulness and the evil actions it brought forth David exclaimed to God, “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgression: and my sin is ever before me.” (Psalm 51:2,3)
During his prayer in Psalm 51 David pleaded to God, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (verse 12) Rather than bringing happiness and fulfillment, David’s sexual sin brought him horrific misery and pain. Such is the case with the Christian caught up in porn. To view porn is to engage in self-sabotage. Eventually, as with Achan, “your sin will find you out” and terrible consequences will come forth. These consequences can include negatively impacting your marital relationship, your family, your Christian testimony, your job and more. Worst of all, even if you’re never caught by another person, there is the awful consequences of having a severely-damaged relationship with God and causing yourself and to some degree, your church, to be spiritually impotent. As with Achan and Israel, how can God bless if there is “sin in the camp?!”
The Holy Spirit will speak to your heart about what you must do. Just as with overcoming other deep addictions such as nicotine, alcohol and meth, it will require much withstanding temptation, consistently going to God’s Word and constant prayer. Yet, as one continues to resist such addictions their pull slowly dissipates week by week until it finally weakens into a distant bad memory.
May God’s people hold up their churches in prayer!
