PORNOGRAPHY: WINNING THE PERSONAL WAR

Ridding Our Lives Of The Heavy Weight
Of Porn Can Be An Impossible Struggle
Without Help From The Holy Spirit.

A soldier radioed his commanding officer. "I have taken a prisoner." His proud commander instructed, "Bring him along with you." A long pause ensued. "He won't come." Perplexed, his commanding officer ordered, "Well, then come yourself." Another long pause followed. With resignation in his voice, the soldier answered, "I can't. He won't let me."

ENEMY OF THE SOUL

Pornography is an enemy of the soul, but it can be an enemy that we sleep with if we're not careful. Adult men and teenage youth especially can find themselves captive to its subtle enticements and then become completely addicted to its various lustful forms. And just like that hapless soldier, even if we want to escape with our lives, we find that pornography just isn't willing to let us go. Of course, pornography is an equal opportunity enemy. Women and teenage girls do battle with this enemy of the soul as well.

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIER

Each week on Monday or Tuesday I walk the cross downtown. I always park at the very same spot. And each week it never fails: an adult man walks across the street to where I'm parked and salutes while he sings, "Onward Christian soldier marching off to war / with the cross of Jesus going on before." That's his way of showing appreciation to this cross walker for praying downtown.

This mid-aged adult is a Christian. He is a very like-able individual and we talk for long minutes before I take off on the cross walk. But he has a chronic problem. Pornography has taken him captive, and as hard as he tries, he finds himself falling back into the same mindset. He puts filters on his computer and has tried just about everything to break completely away from this addiction.

GOD'S ARMOR AND WEAPONS CAN REALLY HELP

In the war on pornography and the personal campaign to be set free from this unrelenting, no-quarter given enemy of the soul, God has provided every believer with the spiritual and moral strategies, tactics, logistics, weapons and maneuvers to "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 4:7). The biblical Greek word for warfare is strategis, from which our English word strategy is derived.

These spiritual weapons of our warfare include:

* The Armor Of God.
God's truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, His Word, and Spirit-endued prayer (Ephesians 6:10-18).

* The Armor Of Light.
God's wisdom, understanding, prudence, insight, revelation and knowledge (Romans 13:12-14).

*The Armor Of Righteousness.
God's spirituality, morality, ethics, principles, virtues and values (2 Corinthians 6:6-7).

Just like in any war, first there is the skirmish, then the conflict, next the battle, and finally the war. And the war on pornography is a war that Christian men must win at all costs.

HOW TO WIN THE WAR

Only Jesus Can Set The
Porn Captive Free.

To win the war on pornography we must daily put on the armor of God. Then we must utilize eight spiritual strategies, weapons, maneuvers and logistics to keep ourselves free of pornography's strong attraction and pull. These eight antiaddiction tactics are:

1. PRAY. We must ask God to give us the desire and the grace to be set free from the power and influence of this fixation.

2. GOSPEL UP. We must often read and  fully understand what Romans 6-8 is telling us. These three chapters will show us how to die in Christ and, thus, how to die to this addiction.

3. SEEK HELP. The mid-aged adult I mentioned earlier isn't ashamed to seek out help. Little by little he is getting the victory over pornography.  Of course, it is wise to seek help from someone you fully trust, such as a pastor or mature Christian.

4. RESOLVE. Deal with your past by asking God to heal you of all physical, mental and emotional hurt and pain that set this fixation in motion. He will!

5. SOLDIER UP. Every day take up and put on the armor and armaments of God.

6. COVENANT.  Like Job, make a covenant with your eyes and heart to not look at a woman (or man) to lust (Job 31:1; 1 John 2:16-17).

7. DIE DAILY. Even the great apostle Paul had to die of self daily (1 Corinthians 15:31).  This goes along with reading Romans 6-8.

8. LIVE DAILY IN CHRIST. Romans 6-8 also shows believers how to live in Christ, as does 1 Corinthians 15, the "Resurrection Chapter."

For though we walk in the flesh [are human] we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [earthly, fleshly or soulical] but mighty in God for pulling down [mental] strongholds, casting down arguments [excuses] and every high thing  [rationalizations] that exalt itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every [sensual] thought into [spiritual] captivity to the obedience of Christ. --2 Corinthians 10:3-5