Battle Against Lust

By, Gary Yagel

Adam was created to exercise dominion over every sphere of his life for the Most
High God, including his sexual appetite. But when Adam rebelled against God’s
prohibition from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, in the
middle of the Garden of Eden, the moral disease of sin spread throughout his being,
corrupting his heart. Theologians call this total depravity, meaning not that man is as
evil as he can possibly be, but that the corrupting power of sin spread to every part of
his being thus making him inherently sinful and from Adam, it spread to Adam’s
descendants (all of mankind). Sin corrupted Adam’s mind and his heart and it
corrupted his sexual drive. Since then, men have had to fight their battles against
sexual sin. In Paul’s letter to the Galatian believers, he describes the fruit of the
corrosive power of sin. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry ... drunkenness, revellings
and such like:" (Galatians 5:19, KJV).

Serious Christian single men are extremely frustrated with a strong sex drive that
causes them to experience major struggles with lust. Married guys, surprisingly,
sometimes express the same frustration. For the man who is committed to Christ’s
mission for him in this fallen world, there is no alternative to fighting the battle for
sexual self-control. What Adam lost in the Garden, Christ came to reclaim and in Him
you can have control over your sex drive.

UNDERSTANDING THE MALE- SEX DRIVE:

* The Male Sex Drive Is Extremely Powerful And Is Easily Awakened By

Sight: Unlike women who are sexually attracted not to the body, but to the whole
person, men are sexually stimulated by sight alone. They are captivated by the naked
female body, with no relationship necessary. That is why the porn available
everywhere today is such a struggle.
Archibald Hart writes, ‘For many men the sex drive feels like a volcano.
Explosive and unpredictable, it continues to burn deep down in the groin, even
when there is no reason for it. It may be dormant for a while, only grumbling
occasionally. But it awakens sooner or later, and when it erupts it can lay waste
to everything in its path including honor, reputation, families, relationships,
virginity, fidelity, chastity, good intentions, life-long promises, and spiritual
commitments’. (The Sexual Man).

Because sight alone stimulates their sexual desires, men face unparalleled temptation
in the world of the 21st century screens. However, the same struggle was around
thousands of years ago. Job, to protect against lust said, “I made a covenant with mine
eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an
iniquity to be punished by the judges. For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction,
and would root out all mine increase.” (Job 31:1,11-12, KJV). Because of the creation
principle that men’s sex drive is awakened by sight, one of the best strategies to
prevent lust is following Job’s example. “The battle with lust is more easily won, the
further out, away from your heart that you fight the temptation”.
Arterburn and Stoker point out the strategic value of bouncing our eyes or glancing
away: “You can win this battle by training your eyes to “bounce” away from
sights of pretty women and sensual images. If you “bounce your eyes”…you
can win this war. The problem is that your eyes have always bounced towards
the sexual, and you’ve made no attempt to end this habit. To combat it, you
need to build a reflex action by training your eyes to IMMEDIATELY bounce
away from the sexual, like the jerk of your hand away from a hot stove”. (Every
Man’s Battle).

Since sexual DESIRE can be overpowering, sexual TEMPTATION can

be overpowering. This fact means that Christian men are going to lose many battles
with lust. Those defeats can enable Satan’s shaming tactics overpower you, driving
you into discouragement, isolation, and despair. You must counter the attacks of
Satan (whose name is The Accuser of the Brethren) by your heart
being overpowered by GOD’S GRACE—His endless forgiveness and unconditional
love.

* Our Sexuality Flows From Our Hearts: Jesus taught, “A good man out of the
good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of
the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of
the heart his mouth speaketh”. (Luke 6:45, KJV). Winning the battle for sexual purity
is not done through behavior modification, but only through heart
transformation. I cannot give you five steps to take next Thursday afternoon so that
you will be sexually pure forever. This battle is so hard, and so disheartening because
our sexuality flows from our hearts, which are corrupted by sin. Jeremiah tells
us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know
it?” Jeremiah 17:9, KJV. Making lasting progress in this battle only happens as Christ
transforms our hearts and empowers us to guard our hearts. Don’t let Satan, the
accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), discourage you by saying, “You call
yourself a Christian and you lusted again?” Even a lifetime is not long enough for
Jesus to completely transform our hearts; it won’t fully happen until He returns and
sets the universe totally free from sin.
* Our Sexual Desires Flow Out Of Our Deepest Yearnings For Intimacy And
Love: Sexual desire is intertwined with our thirst for intimacy, we want to know and
be known by others and we want to be loved, respected and accepted by people. Most
importantly, we want to be known and loved by God. We know this is the case
because of the advice Paul gave to the Corinthian Christians who struggled mightily
with sexual temptation. When Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 6:13, “Now the body is
not for fornication,”, I would have expected him to continue “because the body
was MEANT for RIGHTEOUS SEX”. But that is not what Paul says. Instead he
writes, the body is “FOR THE LORD; AND THE LORD FOR THE BODY”.
When Paul wrote to the Corinthians about their sexual immorality, he did not simply
say, STOP IT. He said, Don’t you know that you are made for God and God is the
answer to our deepest longings (1 Corinthians 6:13). Paul looks beneath the sexual
appetite that is driving the Corinthians to sexual immorality and sees the hunger for
intimacy. People may sometimes fulfill our need for emotional intimacy but often
times cannot fulfill our deepest longing to be loved unconditionally. That human
hunger, says Paul, is meant to be satisfied by God alone. That is why J. B. Phillips’
paraphrases of verse 13b is so good. ‘You cannot say that your physical body was
made for sexual immorality. It was made for God and God is the answer to our
deepest longings’. No amount of sex or porn can satisfy a man’s need for emotional
and spiritual intimacy.
Paul says the answer to the temptation to commit sexual sins is having a close
relationship with Christ our true Bridegroom. The common hunger beneath sexual sin
is the craving for love. A profound principle for battling our sexual cravings is
making sure our intimacy tank is fully met through enjoying our relationship with
Christ and with the people we love. A big part of overcoming lust is not so much
loving sexual pleasure less, but replacing that love with a greater love. In the words
of John Piper. ‘One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little
appeal. You were created to treasure Christ with all your heart—more than you
treasure sex or sugar. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will
triumph. Plead with God for the satisfaction you don’t have. Quote Psalm 90:14,
“O satisfy us early with Thy Mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
Then, look, look, LOOK at the most magnificent Person in the universe until
you see Him the way He is’. (Desiring God).
There are other deeper reasons for our sexuality. If there were no limitations on
sexual intercourse, then it would be logical to assume that the primary purpose of
intercourse is pleasure. But there are clear Biblical restrictions and limitations on
sexual intercourse (Leviticus 18). What happens when men misunderstand the sex
drive as only about sexual gratification and not about relational intimacy? They treat
people as commodities to be consumed for satisfaction rather than people to be
bonded with through a shared experience.
Masculinity should be understood as having a core to it that is the expression of
God’s Image in ways that male embodiment enables. Because we are created by God
with a sexual nature, our sexuality is a good thing. In truth, our sexual nature gives us
an incredible insight into the relational aspect of God. Our sexual nature is an aspect
of our created nature; it is a necessary part of us. It is a force that we must harness
and direct to aid in the process of becoming holy. Relational drives including the
sexual drive propel us toward each other and toward God. Our sexual nature is part
of our relational drive of being men and fulfilling the roles of men, being fathers,
husbands and brothers. The sexual longings that we feel are part of our need for
intimacy- to know and to be known. But true intimacy is found when there is an
emotional connection between persons. An intimacy-neglected man will grasp at any
available opportunity to know and to be known. Sexual intimacy is not like every
other biological function. It has significant consequences at every level of our
existence: neurological, psychological, social and spiritual. And given that each one of
us is a bio-psycho-social-spiritual entity, it is no surprise that our sexual nature and
how we express that nature has such wide-reaching implications.

When we are single, God calls us to live in sexual purity. In all of Scripture, the only
place where sexual relationships are sanctioned is within the marriage relationship
between a man and a woman. This puts the single person in an awkward position. But
Self-control is mandated in Scripture and is necessary in order for us to have healthy,
whole and fulfilling lives.

* Understand The Way Illicit Sexual Pleasure Functions as a Powerful Idol:

God traces sexual sin back to the root, heart-sin of idolatry. Paul wrote, “For this ye
know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an
idolater, hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5,
KJV). To Paul, mankind’s root problem is not merely an external, behavioral
problem—it is an internal problem of the heart. Paul believed that one of the primary
reasons human hearts are not more transformed is because, the affections of people’s
hearts have been captured by idols—false Gods who promise to satisfy what our
hearts really want.
The idolatry condemned by the First and Second Commandments is looking to a false
God to provide what only the True God can provide. We serve idols because of the
rewards they promise. Let’s think about this for a moment. Success can become an
idol because it feels very good to be respected. Power can be an idol because it
feels very good to be in charge. Fame can be an idol because it feels very good to
have everyone look up to you. Winning can become an idol because it feels so
good to win. Sexual pleasure can become an idol because it feels so good. Idols,
by definition promise us something that our hearts strongly crave—and nothing
feels good the way sexual pleasure does. What this means is that, it is when our
hearts feel negative emotions--discouragement, disappointment, rejection, loneliness,
boredom, etc. the idol of sexual pleasure comes along and says, “I can make you feel
much better.” Sexual sin is an idol, a false god that takes the place of the True God
and promises to make you feel better when only Christ can heal your heart of all the
negative emotions and make it whole. But once the fleeting pleasure of sexual sin is
past, it leaves behind guilt, shame, regret and destruction. Sexual impurity is a deep-
rooted idol that enslaves the heart, and buries it in shame. Many Christian approaches
to the battle with lust are more about behavior modification than heart
transformation. They may work for a while but the old surrender to lust soon comes
back. Breaking the slavery of lust is possible, but it will only happen through a
process of heart transformation.
Many men have found it useful to identify both the outer and inner conditions when
the enticement of illicit sexual pleasure strikes. Here are the two short lists. What
would you add to them?

OUTER Conditions When Lust Is Most Appealing:

 Something sexually stimulating crosses your path
 You are alone with the opportunity to pursue sexual pleasure
 You are far away from anyone who would know about your little private pleasure
excursion
 It is the middle of the night and you can’t sleep
 You are in a physical situation that has a past association with sexual pleasure

INNER Conditions When Lust Is Most Appealing: FEELING

 Lonely
 Bored
 Left out or rejected
 Self-pity
 Angry
 Discouraged
 Disheartened

When you are feeling bad, the idol- Illicit Sexual Pleasure, comes along and whispers
“Want to feel better—I mean A LOT BETTER?” And when the pleasure an idol
promises is physical, its enticements are especially difficult to resist, as Ed Welch
points out in his book, ‘Addictions: A Banquet in The Grave’: He writes: ‘Some
idols hook our bodily passions and desires. This group of addictions include
drugs (legal and illegal), alcohol, sexual sin and food. These idolatries can
provide physical pleasure, relieve physical tension, and soothe physical desires.
Such payoffs can be difficult to resist’.
Repentance over sexual sin, therefore, requires repenting over the idolatry of our
heart that led to such sin. We must repent of the sin beneath the sin. In other words,
victory over sexual sin cannot come without addressing the idols that lead to it.
Repentance means to: Remember, real failure is not losing a battle, it is staying
down! Joe Dallas says, ‘It isn’t the sinless man who makes it to the end; rather,
it’s the man who’s learned to pick himself up after he stumbles. If your
struggle seems relentless, remember this; when you commit yourself to sexual
integrity, you commit yourself to a DIRECTION, not to PERFECTION. You
may stumble along the way—that’s no justification for sin, just a realistic view
of life in this fallen world. What determines the success or failure of an
imperfect man is his willingness to pick himself up, confess his fault, and
continue in the direction he committed himself to. Remember Paul’s
approach: “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before,” (Philippians 3:13). Always let failure drive you
TOWARDS Christ, NOT AWAY FROM Christ’ - (Every Man’s Battle
Workshop).

Ways Sin Has Polluted Our Sexual Nature

A. Fallen man takes nakedness outside the confines of marriage: Only a
husband has any business looking at a woman’s naked body. A woman has no
business revealing her body in public. Our bodies are not dirty or shameful; they are
private. Biblically, public nakedness was a great shame: In Judgment upon God’s
people, He says to them, “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be
seen:” (Isaiah 47:3, KJV). The same Judgment is articulated in Nahum. “Behold, I Am
against thee, saith the LORD of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face,
and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame” (Nahum
3:5).
B. Fallen man takes sex outside the confines of marriage: The Greek word,
“porneia,” which is translated, “sexual immorality,” refers to sex with anyone other
than one’s spouse of the opposite sex. Some rationalize that kissing, intimate
touching, sex before marriage, and anything short of intercourse--is permissible. But
that is not God’s view. Sexual touching is part of the sexual intimacy reserved for
marriage alone. A key foundation for fighting sexual temptation when single is given
in Song of Solomon 2:7. “I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and
by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.”
Do not arouse or awaken love before its time. That principle is to stay out of
situations as much as possible that stimulate your sex drive until marriage.
C. Fallen men want sexual pleasure without the hard work of emotional
intimacy with a real woman: The sinful nature of both single and married men
easily defaults to wanting the benefits of femininity—sexual pleasure, but without
the risk and work of real involvement with a real woman. The Internet and cable
provide easy access to sexual pleasure without any emotional connection to a real
woman required. Wives are designed to be sexually responsive to a real man, who
takes the risk of pursuing and loving her, not just pursuing sex. The more a man uses
impersonal porn for sexual release the more he trains himself into impersonal sex—
the kind of sex that is unsatisfying but ungodly as well.

How Lust works: David as an example:

David, the man after God’s Own Heart, went through much heartache due to his
problem with lust. David had been sowing the seeds for this kind of defeat for years.
Back in 2 Samuel 5:13, we read, “And David took him more concubines and wives
out of Jerusalem, after he was come from Hebron: and there were yet sons and
daughters born to David”. God’ Command was not to have multiple wives. But
David had placed himself above God’s Law as an exception to God’s design of
marriage between one man and one woman. Ever since David took a second wife, he
had been violating Deuteronomy 17:15-17, “Thou shalt in any wise set him king over
thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt
thou set king over thee:…. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart
turn not away: ” Using Paul’s spiritual armor analogy (Ephesians 6), David was not
encircling himself with God’s Truth about the behavior of Israel’s kings, which would
have caused him to have the helmet of Salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the
shield of faith and the Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) in place regarding his
sexuality and to protect him from the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh.

We might think that if any man in Israel should be able to turn away from the
temptation to have sex with another man’s wife, it would be David. With multiple
wives and concubines his sex drive had to be sated, right? But that is not how lust
works. God seems to have designed sex so that satisfying our sexual desires
sinfully inflames our illicit sexual desire, making it harder to resist temptation
next time. The more we indulge our sexual appetite in the wrong way the
stronger that appetite becomes. Applying this principle to the use of porn, Jerry
Kirk writes, ‘At the University of California, Irvine, Dr. James L. McGaugh has
conducted research suggesting that memories of experiences that occurred at
times of sexual arousal are difficult to erase. Thus powerful, sexual memories
keep reappearing on his mind’s memory screen—stimulating and arousing
him. Every time he gives in to those sexual fantasies, he is like one of Pavlov’s
dogs, rewarded by this pleasure, which reinforces the memory’ (How
Pornography Harms). So, the first truth from David’s example is that losing the
battle with lust today strengthens lust for its next battle with me, tomorrow. The more
you give into sexual sin, the more it gains control and power over your heart and
mind.
When the temptation struck, David had no Jonathan in his life. Jonathan,
David’s best friend had been killed years before on Mt. Gilboa. David had no one in
his life watching his back; no one to guide him in the Way of God. He had no one sit
him down years before this incident with Bathsheba and say, “David your military
success is great, but what about Deuteronomy 17:16. What are you doing,
thinking about taking a second wife?” And when David sent Joab out to lead the
army in his place, no one said, “I know you are getting older, but when a king
sends warriors out to battle, they need their king leading the way.” When it
comes to battling lust in the twenty-first century, the stakes are too high, the battle too
fierce, the enemy too wily, the attacks too frequent, the cost of defeat too severe for
any Christian man to fight his spiritual battle alone. The second observation from
David’s example is that David had no one watching his back. Do you?
When temptation struck, David was not where he should have been. That fact is
certainly emphasized as this story begins, In the spring of the year, the time when
kings go out to battle, David stayed at home. David’s loyal soldiers lay on rocky
ground inside a tent; David was taking a nap in his luxurious palatial bedroom.
David’s men left the comforts of home for the hardship of war; David left the
hardship of the war he instigated to enjoy the pleasures of home including his harem.
David’s men fought till they had no energy left; David slept till he was bored. When
Jesus taught us to pray. “lead us not into temptation”, He was teaching us that it is
wise to think through the situations that bring us temptation. So, our third
observation is to be alert to situations where temptation might strike, so we can avoid
them or anticipate the temptations they could bring.
David notices naked Bathsheba and continues to feast his eyes on
her. Archibald Hart describes the male sex, drive, ‘Strong, urgent, forceful, and
impatient, the sex drive dominates the mind and body of every healthy male.
Strong sexual feelings are common to all normal men. They are determined
more by hormones than by evil desire’ (The Sexual Man).
The blunt truth is that because of David’s multiple wives and concubines, David had
been feasting his eyes on lots of naked women; this desensitization to lust caused him
to think that Bathsheba who was another man’s wife was no different. Unlike the
godlier Job, David did not bounce his eyes away from the scene of this exposed
woman. Job 31:1 tells us that Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully
at a woman. This discipline of bouncing our eyes away from half dressed women is
vital because continuing to gaze, as David did, opens the door to lust. The best
strategy for defeating lust is beating it when it is furthest from my heart—at the
beginning, when it just requires bouncing my eyes or glancing away, before my
sexual engine starts revving up. This of course, is what David did not do.
David’s continued look enabled Satan to fan the embers of God given sexual desires
into blazing run-away ungodly desire.

Dietrick Bonhoeffer writes: ‘In our members, there is a slumbering inclination

toward desire, which is both sudden, and fierce. With irresistible power, desire
seizes mastery of the flesh. All at once, a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The
flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire,
or ambition, or vanity, or revenge, or love of fame or power, or greed for
money’ (Temptation).
Back in James 1:15, we read, after lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin. When
the two elements of intensified desire and opportunity to step across the line of
the moral law come together , it gives birth to sin. Again, Bonhoeffer describes the
process, ‘At this moment, God is quite unreal to us…The devil doesn’t fill us
with hatred of God but with forgetfulness of God. The lust thus aroused
envelops the mind and the will of man in deepest darkness. The powers of
clear discrimination and decision are taken from us. It is here that everything
within me rises up against the Word of God’. (Temptation).

When the craving for sexual gratification is ignited and there is opportunity for sexual
sin, Scripture says FLEE it. Paul writes to the Corinthians, FLEE fornication (1
Corinthians 6:8), and to Timothy, FLEE youthful lusts. Joseph FLEES from the
seductions of Potiphar’s wife. But David doesn’t do that. His lust for Bathsheba is in
control. David must have her. And so, he does. And in doing so, he murders Uriah,
a righteous man, and thus brought God’s Judgment on his own family. One of the
deadliest parts of sin is that its destructive consequences almost never
happen immediately.

The primary lesson of the story of David and Bathsheba is that sin is too strong for
any human, even a man after God’s own heart. ONLY JESUS can defeat sin.
This is a liberating Truth, because it gives us the courage to bring our struggles with
lust into the open. God never intended any man to fight his spiritual battles alone. To
do so is TO LOSE THEM. Joe Dallas says,
‘Sexual sin thrives in the dark. If you’re caught up in any sexual vice, one thing
is certain; the secrecy surrounding your behavior is what strengthens its hold
on you. However ashamed you may feel about admitting your problem to
another person, the reality is this: YOU CAN’T OVERCOME THIS ON
YOUR OWN. IF YOU COULD, WOULDN’T YOU HAVE DONE SO BY
NOW?’ (Every Man’s Battle Workshop).
Temptation begins by stoking sexual desire into out-of-control lust. Our sex drive was
designed by God to be powerful. Therefore, like a smoldering volcano, when it erupts
it can lay waste to everything in its path including honor, reputation, families, virginity,
fidelity, chastity, good intentions, life-long promises, and spiritual commitments. That
is why we need to watch over our hearts with all diligence! We have
to PROTECT our hearts from the enticement of sexual sin.
The first step that a man can take to free himself from the prison of pornography or
any other sexual sin is to confess. Confession moves beyond denial, minimization,
normalization, justification and rationalization to a right understanding of one’s own
brokenness. It refuses to celebrate and revel in the sin, and is the first step toward
reestablishing communion with God and others. Because pornography has such an
isolating effect on men who are intent on hiding their problem, it is important that
this confession be more than between him and God. By confessing to another person,
the isolating effect that porn has on a man will be reduced. When sin is shared with
another person, a man is forced to expose his brokenness. How a man exposes this
brokenness, however is critical in the healing process. Only with a repentant heart that
is completely broken can a man begin the process of true recovery.
Confession is difficult for many men because it is an admission of failure. This is at
odds with their understanding of their masculinity. When men fail, they don’t like to
admit it because they consider it as weakness. As a result, it is important to confess to
someone who is able to be part of the healing process. Many men when confronted
with their pornography problem confess it to someone they are close to. Choosing
whom to disclose your problem with pornography is a delicate process; confessing to
the wrong person can be disastrous. The individual you choose to confess to should
be mature, supportive, wise, trustworthy, discrete, compassionate and emotionally
resilient. Regardless of who you choose, remember that the need for another human
being to hear your sin and speak the forgiveness of Christ to you is part of being
human and becoming sanctified.
We must let failure drive us towards Christ and not away from Him. After being
confronted by Nathan, and told that God forgave him, David took his failure to God
writing Psalm 51. Repentance is the key when we fail in our commitment to sexual
purity. Many men confess if they are caught, but may not be repentant. They may feel
guilty, but they may not be truly repentant. The measure by which a man can recover
from a pornography problem is equal to his willingness to do the things that evidence
repentance. If he tries to minimize, normalize, justify or rationalize his problem with
lust, true healing will be slow and unlikely. He must be completely broken, as king
David was when confronted by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12), in order to be
restored. The consequences may not disappear, but he must be prepared to live with
them and do what is necessary to make amends. It is essential that a man come to a
true place of brokenness on this path. If he does not acknowledge his need for God,
it is difficult for him to make any lasting progress in his recovery. The Accuser of the
Brethren wants to heap shame upon us because of our sin—especially sexual ones.
Don’t let him get away with that!

Once you have confessed and have decided to follow the path of repentance, the next
step is to access what is at the root of the problem. This entails finding the reasons
that you act out. By reviewing patterns of pornography use and seeing how his
personality fits into the problem, a man is better able to see how his sin has affected
him and how his behaviors, thoughts and personality contribute to his problem. Also
wrong thinking can be corrected by acknowledging that his sexuality is for imaging
God’s exclusive Love. Wrong thinking is often at the core of many men’s problems
and creates unnecessary stress, anxiety and shame. By finding out the root of his
problem and by rethinking (aligning) his masculinity, sexuality and need for intimacy
according to God’s design, a man is better able to make sense of his condition.
Another important aspect is to identify the environmental, emotional, psychological
(mental) and autonomic triggers that drive the sexual addiction, compulsion or
impulse problem.
Here are 3 facets of the perspective you need to prevent DEFEAT from
keeping you down:
1. Realize that winning a war means fighting many battles some of which you
are going to lose. The war against lust is much more like the war against terrorism
than a conventional war. Our sinful nature extends to every part of our being. Since
sinful habit patterns are deeply entrenched, unable to be dislodged without a difficult
fight, you must bring determination to this fight or you will never succeed. You need
to recognize that you are in for a long, hard fight or you will get discouraged. Though
you will never be rid of your sinful nature in this life, you don’t have to be enslaved to
it. Grace does change our hearts.
2. Realize Satan wants to use your guilt and shame over sexual sin to drive you
away from Christ. DON’T LET HIM! Quote Romans 8:1 back to Satan, “There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit”. Use Jesus’ forgiveness, granted AGAIN, motivate
you to live out Jesus’ Words, He who is forgiven much, loves much. (Luke 7:47)
3. Reject a warped view of God that envisions His reactions only to your
failures but not to your successes. If on a given day you bounce your eyes, and say,
“no” to impure thoughts twelve times, but lose the battle and surrender to lust once,
why would you feel only God’s displeasure with your failure and not His pleasure with
the twelve times you pleased Him? Confess your sin, but also find joy in the twelve
times you pleased your Heavenly Father. He does!!
The key to sexual purity is not behavior modification, but sanctification, i.e. heart
transformation. Jesus taught us that behavior arises from the heart, “A good man out
of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man
out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the
abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh”. (Luke 6:45, KJV). Jesus came to set our
hearts free from slavery to sin i.e. to sanctify us. Theologian J.C. Ryle,
writes, “Justification is an act of God as Judge about a delinquent, absolving him
from a sentence of death. Sanctification is an act of God…as a physician, in curing
us of a mortal disease.” (Holiness). Justification is a one-time event; sanctification is
a life-long process that at death is still incomplete.

THE STRUGGLE FOR SEXUAL PURITY IS A TITANIC BATTLE FOR

MEN:
It is a myth that this fight gets easier when we get married. That is why becoming
sexually pure is not a simple three-step prescription you can take and be pure forever.
It is a tough, hard fight and we are going to lose many battles. Don’t let Satan keep
you down in shame when you lose one. The issue is not so much that we win every
battle as that we get back up and back into the fight. The most important truth
about managing our sex drive may be that because God’s Grace is rooted in God’s
very being, He loves you and wants you no matter how dirty you feel because
of your sexual sin.
The Apostle, Peter, assures us, “According as His (Christ’s) Divine Power hath given
unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him
that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:3-4). So why do so
many Christian men today have such a hard time breaking free from the power of
sexual lust? They try to do it in their own strength when only Christ can make them
free. Only through Christ can we be set free from the condemnation of sin
(Justification), and the power of sin (Sanctification). The Holy Spirit is the only One
Who can transform our sin-corrupted hearts and restore our sexual desires and
behavior to holiness.

Here are four life-changing ways to walk in the power of Christ’s redemption
of our sex drive for his glory:
A. Trust God to satisfy your sexual desires His Way and in His timing: Your
body and its sexual desires belong to God. You are not your own; you were bought at
a price and the Price paid was Jesus’ Life. Therefore, honor God with your bodies (1
Corinthians 6:19-20). God takes good care of what belongs to Him. He did not
give you a strong sexual appetite because He wants to starve you! A healthy sexual
drive is what empowers a man to perform his manly duties in every area of life. Jesus
taught us that the pathway to satisfy our desires is always the pathway of
rightness. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they
shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
If you are single, God’s Will is not for you to burn with unfulfilled sexual passion
because He says so in 1 Corinthians 7:9. If one cannot control his sexual desires, it is
good to marry than burn with lust. So take your desire to be married to God, and
remind Him of what He has said. If you are single and feeling sexual desire, ask God
to help you direct it into righteous channels. Single guys, remember that your craving
for sexual pleasure is often tied to other cravings in your heart, e.g. a release from
boredom or thirst for connection, being close and loved by someone, etc. The
thought that sexual release is the only way to quench these thirsts is a lie; God
can meet the root desire in another, righteous way that satisfies the deeper
truest hunger. Look for that way! Scripture assures us, God…will not let you be
tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of
escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

B. GUARD YOUR HEART by avoiding situations where your sexual desires

are aroused with no righteous way to satisfy them:
Paul writes to the Romans, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not
provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof”. (Romans 13:14). Jesus taught us to
pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” (Matthew 6:13). Be realistic and serious about
fighting lust. If you are on a diet, you don’t buy doughnuts. So, by far THE EASIEST
WAY TO WIN THE BATTLE for sexual integrity is to keep your sexual desires
from being inappropriately stimulated. Once desire is aroused, the chances of victory
dramatically decrease. Joe Dallas (Every Man’s Battle Seminar) writes, ‘I believe
there’s an eleventh commandment that says, “Thou shalt not kid thyself.” If
you’re serious about sexual integrity, you’ll distance yourself not only from the
particular sexual sin you are most prone to (fantasizing, pornography, affairs,
prostitution) but you’ll ALSO distance yourself from any person or thing that
entices you towards sin’.

Take precautions to avoid sexual temptations, such as, tell the hotel clerk to turn off
access to adult TV in your hotel room while traveling. If the Internet keeps lulling you
back to its porn, one of the best strategies for you to implement to protect your heart
may be to sign up for Covenant Eyes software. Covenant Eyes is a Christian
software company that will sell you its Internet accountability software, which will
track every site you visit on your phone or computer and notify your designated
spiritual leader, wife, or other accountability partner if you visit porn sites. Establish
clear emotional and physical boundaries with women who are not your wife. You
have a choice. Choose to look away from immodestly dressed women. Make a
covenant with your eyes like Job did that you will not look at sexually tempting things.

C. Vigilantly Stand Guard Over Your Sexual Appetite: Guard your heart by
vigilantly watching for what might stimulate your sexual desires: God
commands us, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine
eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of
thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:
remove thy foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:23, KJV). God is saying, ‘Defend your hearts
like a castle, the seat of your strength that you do not want to give away’. As the
sentinel, high up in the guard tower gazes intently across the plains seeking to identify
any approaching threat to the castle, so, we are to identify any stimulus coming our
way that can awaken our sexual desires and therefore might lead us into sexual sin.
Picture the watch tower of a walled city and the sentinel gazing across the countryside
watching for what enemies might approach the city.
 Decide to have the dignity not to allow trash to stimulate YOUR sexual
desires. Have the self-respect to refuse to let YOUR sexual appetite be
manipulated. Don’t permit the creator of a trashy commercial or producer of
destructive porn play around with YOUR sex drive. YOUR sexual desires are
a treasure to be protected and shared only with your wife or future wife, and
it is a treasure that has to be submitted to God alone and not exploited by
advertisers and dragged into sewers. Have too much dignity to allow trashy
advertising and porn movies to stimulate your sexual desires. Man-up and
don’t let Satan MESS WITH YOUR SEXUAL DESIRES.
 Realize that defeating lust is easier when the thought first strikes and
gets harder to defeat, the longer it is entertained. In the book of James,
we read, Each one is tempted when, by his own lust he is dragged away and
enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin (James 1:14-15).
Keep in mind this Truth: the longer you entertain a temptation, the more
you increase its power to pull on your heart. In The Imitation of Christ,
Thomas a Kempis says, ‘Yet we must be watchful, especially in the
beginning of the temptation; for the enemy is then more easily
overcome, if he is not suffered to enter the door of our hearts, but is
resisted without the gate at the first knock’. For this reason, build the
habit of bouncing your eyes away from sexually enticing sights.
 Because God created males to be sexually aroused by sight alone, we
must develop the discipline of bouncing our eyes away from enticing
images that we stumble across, to prevent the image from penetrating
our hearts and awakening lust. Apparently, this was a tactic followed by
the godly, Old Testament saint, Job. Our sex drive is a very precious gift that
needs to be guarded, protected. The second way to protect our hearts from
the enticement of sexual sin is to stand guard over our sex drive, watching
what would approach my heart to awaken it. Job, who was a righteous man,
shares an insight into his battle with lust. "I made a covenant with mine eyes;
why then should I think upon a maid?" (Job 31:1). In other words, Job
 deliberately chose not to look at women or to turn away his eyes from women
who would arouse his sexual desires; he chose not to give a second glance.
It’s far easier to win the battle with lust this way!!!
 The first heart craving we need to steer is our hunger for intimacy and
connection. Since our sexual appetite is part of our yearning for
intimacy, the best antidote to lust is often to fill our soul with the
pleasure of walking intimately with Christ. Plead with God for the
satisfaction you don’t have. The Apostle Paul’s strategy for helping the
Corinthian Christians in their battle with lust was to say, “Make sure your
deeper level craving for intimacy is fully satisfied through intimacy with God
Himself.” He wrote to them, You cannot say that our physical body was
made for sexual promiscuity; it was made for God, and God is the
answer to our deepest longings. Be with people whom you love and who
love you to fulfill your longing for human love and connection. Just as Paul
recognized the hunger for intimacy beneath sexual sin, Dr. Harry
Schaumburg, in his book, ‘False Intimacy’, makes a compelling case that
viewing pornography is a form of false intimacy. He explains, ‘For someone
who fears rejection from others, fantasy seems to be much safer than
risking emotions in unpredictable relationships and suffering the pain
that real intimacy can cause…. In porn, acceptance is unconditional
and rejection is not possible. Sex is a conquest, imaginary or real and
abates the terrifying sense of not belonging’. Since sexuality grows out
of our overall hunger for intimacy, steering our heart to delight in the
Lord is a vital part of winning the battle with lust. But there is a second,
valuable application of this Biblical principle, especially for single men. Avoid
social isolation and make sure you are surrounded by God’s people. As
God said after creating Adam, “It is not good for man to be alone.” Though
the eventual way God wants to meet a man’s need for companionship is
normally through marriage, until then, men still have companionship needs.
Having good friendship and fellowship with God’s people and the people we
love is a vital part of filling our intimacy tanks, before marriage. It is when we
are feeling alone, isolated, and into ourselves that the temptation to lust strike.
Sexual temptation attacks at the level of our heart. So, as a vital strategy to
make our hearts more resistant to those attacks, satisfy your heart hunger for
intimacy with God and godly people (especially when single).

Some factors that contribute to pornography use in men are: Men who have
these personality traits or struggle with these issues seem to be easy prey for
pornography. When more than one of these factors is present, the predisposition
to porn use increases:
 1. Controlling: A need to manipulate their environment and others
around them in order to have a sense of security.
2. Highly introverted: Internally focused and having little
meaningful social interaction with others. They are predisposed to
being isolated.
3. Emotional isolation: Men were created to want to be felt loved
and respected by women and their fellow men. Emotional
isolation occurs when someone is unable or unwilling to share
their emotions with others. This emotional isolation drives them
to find solace in pornography.
4. Have High Anxiety: Easily stressed by family life, work, etc.
Men view pornography to escape the stress as well as boredom.
5. Have low self-esteem: Men who feel inadequate with women or
with other fellow men
6. Depression: Men view porn to cope with negative or depressing
feelings or situations.
7. Dissociative: Men who separate or suppress their emotions and
refuse to maintain an integrated, holistic view of themselves.

 Another way that we need to direct our heart, is into a channel called
hatred. We need to train our hearts to hate sexual sin. This command is given
by Paul in Romans 12:9, “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is
good”. Abhor means to hate, to loathe, to detest. Webster says, “abhor
implies a deep, often shuddering repugnance.” The reason to hate sin is
because sin destroys. Steering our heart to hate sexual sin is to think from
time to time about the price tag of sexual sin. Joe Dallas who led the Every
Man’s Battle workshop reminds us, ‘You should know by now that sexual
sin ravages everyone connected with it. If you’re entertaining lust,
you’re dancing on a cliff. Take concrete action now while you can.
Lust, when it is conceived, brings forth sin, and sin brings forth
death (James 1:15)’. Here is a short catalogue of the cost of sexual sin:
It brings guilt, which drives me away from God Who is the answer to our deepest
longings.
Sexual sin grieves the Holy Spirit and wounds the Heart of our Lord Who said, “If
ye love Me, keep My Commandments” John 14:15, KJV.
Sexual sin takes us down a path that often deeply hurts those we love most.
Surrendering to lust enflames our sexual desires, making it harder to resist next
time. The more we sinfully indulge our sexual appetite the stronger the appetite
becomes.
Studies universally show that couples having regular sex before marriage are more
likely to divorce than those who don’t.
The use of porn trains us to separate sexual pleasure from heart connection with a
real woman. It trains us to make sex with our wife or future wife
UNFULFILLING. Repeated exposure to pornographic images deadens the
heart. Like a computer virus that has the ability to hide its presence from the user
while it systematically destroys the hard drive, sexual sin dulls the conscience, while
it systematically ravages the heart. The blessing of the pure in heart, said Jesus is
their ability to see God. Similarly, the curse of sexual impurity is losing our
spiritual perception.
Every return to sexual sin takes us closer to sexual addiction. Over time, illicit sex
creates a craving that the body can’t do without; his brain is actually
reprogrammed to crave sexual pleasure. Once stimulation occurs, the body
DEMANDS sexual fulfillment. However, it takes ever more erotic images to get
the same result. A bloated sexual appetite demands more and more to be satiated.
The body is hooked. Slavery is in sight.

The price tag of sexual sin is so high; how can we NOT hate it because it
destroys? It is important to note that hating our sin is NOT the same thing as
letting Satan, The Accuser of the Brethren, heap shame on our shoulders
over PAST sin. To the contrary hating sin is cooperating with the Holy Spirit to
recognize the cost of yielding to FUTURE sin. So, BEATING LUST requires
steering our hearts into valid intimacy connections and into a hatred of sexual sin.

 One of the most frequent responses of a conscience seared by repeated

pornography is “to turn against itself and plunge into the despair of
self-loathing and unhealthy shame.” (Dr, William Struthers, Wired For
Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain) Such self-loathing
shame translates into feeling way too dirty for a Holy God to want anything
to do with. There are many Biblical principles for battling lust that we need
to teach our men—the way pornography use robs them of their ability to be
intimate with a real woman, the discipline of bouncing our eyes, the power
of accountability. But the single, most important goal of any sexual purity
approach must be overcoming the self-loathing shame that convinces a man
he is too dirty for God to like. The entire approach must be grace-centered,
and grace driven or its result will be only temporary. “Grace is the only
antidote strong enough to overcome men’s toxic shame over their
sexual lust. It is the only motivation compelling enough to pick fallen
men up, when lust has bloodied them, and send them back into the
arena to fight again. It is the only force potent enough to change the
heart desires that lead us into sexual sin.” (Grace Transformed Sexuality
Men’s Bible Study).
 Your sex drive can become a constant reminder of how much Jesus
loves you! The prophet, Isaiah, foresaw the day of consummation and the
longing of Jesus for His bride. He wrote, “as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over
the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee” (Isaiah 62:5). If we could be
consumed by the pleasure of being, enjoyed, delighted in, wanted, cherished
by God—as a groom does his bride—that pleasure would so fill our hearts
that the promise of illicit sexual pleasure would lose its power.
 Another pathway into which we need to direct our heart is the path of
heart trust in God to be the One to make sure our sexual appetite is
satisfied. Paul devoted the first eleven chapters in Romans to explaining
God’s gracious, merciful plan of redemption. Then, chapter 12 begins by
saying, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service” Romans 12:1, KJV. To offer your body as a living
sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of
worship. Our God is worthy of our trust. We want to satisfy our sexual
desires when and how WE want, regardless of the promptings of God’s Spirit
in our conscience. But trusting OURSELVES, like worshipping any idol, is
stupid. God wants our happiness and pleasure far more than we do. His path
leads to life; ours leads to death. Psalm 34:8-10 urges us to trust God. “O
taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
O fear the LORD, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear
Him.The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the
LORD shall not want any good thing”. We need to take our desire for sexual
fulfillment to God. God is neither a prude, nor a cruel Father Who wants to
torture men with sexual cravings they can’t righteously satisfy. Build a heart
trust in God to be the One to satisfy the sexual desires He put in you. If you
are single and feeling sexual desire, ask God to help you direct it into
righteous channels. The thought that sexual release is the only way to quench
that thirst, when there is no righteous way to quench it is a lie. Remember
that your craving for sexual pleasure is often tied to other cravings in your
heart. God can meet the root desire in another, righteous way that satisfies
the true hunger. Trust Him to do that. In summary, whether married or
single, ask God to be the One to see that your sexual/intimacy needs are met
in His Way. He is worthy of your trust.
Self-Loathing Shame From Porn:

What is it about pornography that makes it so appealing to so many men? Why

does a naked female body or a movie of a woman having sex seem to hijack a man’s
brain, hypnotizing him and rendering him incapable of making good decisions? Why
might a man who is married to a lovely wife risk that relationship for a ten-second
porn video clip? What is it about being male that makes it so difficult for men to look
away? Men seem to be wired in such a way that pornography hijacks the proper
functioning of their brains and has a long-lasting effect on their thoughts and lives.

Hordes of college-aged men to visit me during my office hours. There they confided
that they felt trapped by their inability to stop consuming pornography. The weight of
the guilt they carried was heartbreaking. It became apparent that many of them were
dealing with significant emotional and spiritual wounds that had resulted from their
experience with pornography. Pornography is a physical matter, rooted in the
biological intricacies of our sexual design. In my opinion, nowhere is the complexity
of our sexual nature seen more than in the wiring of the brain. Pornography taps into
many men’s wrong thinking about themselves, in places where their brains are most
vulnerable to exploitation. But as we appreciate the reality of our sexuality and place it
within the Biblical narrative, we see hope for redemption. As we more clearly see our
need for redemption and the path of sanctification, we will be better equipped to heal
from the wounds of pornography and allow our sexuality to be a necessary part of the
process by which we are conformed to the Image of Christ.

Pete had been a Christian nearly all his life, but since his teen years he had been losing
the battle with pornography. Desperately he fought his lust, but every new solution
was temporary. Praying harder didn’t work. Feeling worse afterwards didn’t work.
Getting married didn’t even work. Feeling alone and ashamed, Pete struggled for
years; but his bondage only increased. One weekend, he attended a seminar on sexual
purity with his friend. On the way home Pete was even more overwhelmed with
feelings of condemnation, and hypocrisy. He knew he had to bring his sin into the
light to get help; but the thought of his wife and kids finding out about his secret life
was too humiliating to consider. Pete’s friend listened compassionately. But it was the
last conversation he would have with Pete. The next weekend, Pete committed
suicide.
One of the most frequent responses of a conscience seared by repeated pornography
is “to turn against itself and plunge into the despair of self-loathing and
unhealthy shame” (Dr, William Struthers, Wired For Intimacy: How Pornography
Hijacks the Male Brain). Such self-loathing shame translates into feeling way too dirty
for a Holy God to want anything to do with. It also creates the feeling of being
repulsive towards other people and thus rejected by them, that people may think of us
as dirty and may not love us. Shame is the biggest weapon in Satan’s arsenal to keep
men enslaved by sexual lust. Shame convinces us that God may tolerate us, and even
forgive us because of Christ. But he really doesn’t like us that much. If I believe that
God’s basic attitude towards me is disgust—I will never want to draw near to Him to
have my deepest need for love and intimacy met. The shame that overpowers them
drives them into isolation, fearing being found out, yet knowing at another level that
THEY NEED HELP. The Gospel of God’s Grace is the only antidote strong
enough to overcome men’s toxic shame over their sexual lust. It is the only
motivation compelling enough to pick fallen men up, when lust has bloodied them,
and send them back into the arena to fight again. It is the only force potent enough to
change the heart desires that lead us into sexual sin. As Tim Keller (Prodigal God)
points out, “We can only change permanently as we take the Gospel more
deeply into our hearts.”

There are many Biblical principles for battling lust that we need to teach our men—
the way pornography use robs them of their ability to be close with a real woman, the
discipline of bouncing our eyes, the power of accountability. But the single, most
important goal of any sexual purity approach must be overcoming the self-loathing
shame that convinces a man he is too dirty for God to like. The entire approach must
be Grace-centered, and Grace driven or its result will be only temporary. “Grace is
the only antidote strong enough to overcome men’s toxic shame over their
sexual lust. It is the only motivation compelling enough to pick fallen men up,
when lust has bloodied them, and send them back into the arena to fight
again. It is the only force potent enough to change the heart desires that lead
us into sexual sin.” (Grace Transformed Sexuality Men’s Bible Study)
Tim Keller writes, "We can only change permanently as we take the Gospel
more deeply into our understanding and hearts." (Prodigal God). This is
especially true when it comes to the battle with lust. Only the message of Grace—that
we are far dirtier than our most recent surrender to lust proves and yet at the same
time, more loved by God than we can imagine--has the power to restore the
masculine soul to wholeness. Self-loathing shame makes me feel repulsive to people
and to God—and why would I want to be near someone who finds me repulsive?
Imagine that you are a 5 year old who believes your grandfather does not like you. He
tolerates you; after all you are his grand-child. But he’s always correcting you and you
are convinced that he just doesn’t like you. He loathes you. You are repulsive to him.
Will you want to go visit him this Thanksgiving?
But what if you knew that you were the apple of your grandpa’s eye—that he loved it
when you came to visit, that your grandpa couldn’t get enough of you? When you
arrived on Thanksgiving Day at grandpa and grandma’s, you would jump out of the
car, burst into their house, run to your grandpa, and jump into his arms.
That is a picture of the relationship with Him that God created us for—that He sent
Christ to restore! That’s the way God loves you. You were clothed in the radiant
Glory of the Righteousness of Christ Himself when you accepted Him as your Lord!!
There is no disgust, revulsion, or condemnation left for us. God spent it all on Christ!
Jesus Christ knows the worst about you. Nonetheless, He is the One Who loves you
the most. Remember, He foresaw your every fall, your every backsliding and every sin.
He saw your wickedness and all your uncleanness within. He knows your every
thought and all that's in your heart. Yet, He fixed His Heart upon you. Instead of
cringing away from your uncleanness and sin, He contends to clean your heart and to
make His Dwelling in you. Our Saviour kneels down and gazes upon the darkest acts
of your life. But rather than recoil in horror, He reaches out in kindness and says, ‘I
can clean that if you want.’ And from the basin of His Grace, He scoops a Palm full
of Mercy and washes your sin. We have a Loving God Who willingly pursues us and
cleans our hearts and minds.

We are made for God. He is the answer to our deepest intimacy needs. Even though
men know in their heads that they are forgiven and loved, the lie that their sexual sin
makes them repulsive to God and people makes them shrink back from Him and His
people, sending them into isolation, which only creates a greater thirst for the false
intimacy of illicit sexual sin.
As you read this, thousands of Christian men will be viewing pornography, which, like
a computer virus, is systematically destroying their soul and capacity for true intimacy
with a real woman. This fact is not just old news. It is today’s reality. Many of them
have slid down the slippery slope of pornography addiction, because they were never
equipped by their church with a grace-centered, heart-transforming approach to the
battle with lust.
All of us are sinful and have fallen short of the Kingdom of God (Romans 3:23). No
one gets it right all the time. Holiness is not a place that you get to and then remain
there permanently. My hope is that each man would embrace the sacredness of his
sexuality. Regardless of each man’s place in life, whether married or single, the story
of the Gospel is about Redemption. Allow that story to play itself out into your life in
this area of sexuality. With each failure, we confess and repent, then receive God’s
Mercy and Grace. Do not let shame imprison you – you are a child of the Most High
God. Regardless of our sexual history, we must always remember that there is no sin
that the Blood of Jesus Christ is unable to cleanse. There are consequences to sin and
forgiveness in Christ does not absolve us of sin’s physical and natural consequences
but we can still be counted as righteous. Many have failed sexually, but this failure is
never final and does not hold ultimate power over us. Many experience particular
shame because of the nature of sexual sin. Only in the Power of the Holy Spirit can
we find freedom from shame. The solution is found in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ
as Lord and Saviour Who gives us victory over sin. Christ is the One Who makes
captive free and He will make you free. God’s Grace is sufficient for you.

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to
preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are
bound;" Isaiah 61:1, KJV.
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”. John 8:36, KJV.
"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the
revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to
buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord
thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My Grace is sufficient
for thee: for My Strength is made Perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will
I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore
I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses
for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:7-10,
KJV.