Fighting Against Sexual Immorality

​I want to warn you about a blind spot and it could get a little uncomfortable. What blind spot are we talking about? Sexual impurity. Sexual impurity is any sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage. It also includes pornography and lusting after other people for the purposes of fulfilling some sexual desire or fantasy. According to the statistics, this is a big issue.   
 
72% of men and 28% of women view internet pornography on a monthly basis.
30% of men are considered to have an addiction to pornography.
47% of families in the United States reported that pornography is a problem in their home.
(https://fightthenewdrug.org/10-porn-stats-that-will-blow-your-mind/, accessed 19 June 2018)
 
God created people sexual beings and in the right context sex is wonderful and meant to be enjoyed. God created men and women to want to have sexual relations and join together in marriage, but just like every other gift that God gives us he wants us to steward it.
 
This is how you can avoid sexual impurity. First, impurity begins in the eye. Jesus says: “28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 Make the decision to not to look at women lustfully before you are tempted to look. Job writes: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” Job 31:1. Job made a covenant with his eyes (himself) to not look lustfully. 
 
Second, think about how impurity affects your family. If you struggle with porn and are a married man you’re probably deceiving your wife to cover it up because you feel ashamed of it. It also affects your ability to give and receive real love because porn isn’t based on love, it’s based on lust. Fifty percent of men who struggle with porn also struggle with sexual intimacy with their spouse. If this is an area of struggle for you it will impact your family in more ways than you can possibly comprehend.
 
Third, think about how impurity affects your faith. God doesn’t overlook sin. He doesn’t turn a blind eye. The reality is that once you cross the line and commit sexual immorality it gets easier and easier until you may not even feel much conviction. But God still sees it and it does impact your prayers and God’s direction in your life.      
 
Fourth, think about how impurity affects your future. It takes strong character to fulfill the plans and purpose that God has for you. If this is a character weakness for you, you will never be able to fulfill your full destiny until you deal with it. Isaiah writes: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
 
We serve a gracious and loving God and when we turn 180 degrees and go a different direction, God can restore us. This is called repentance, actually repenting of our sins. Ask God to help you because without the power of the Holy Spirit in your life you are going to lose this battle over and over. So if you want to win the fight against sexual immorality, here is where to start:
 

1. Pray daily for strength in this area. Ask God to help you control your eyes and your thoughts. If you do have lustful thoughts, confess them to God. Satan likes to work in the darkness so if you keep this area of your life hidden from God it’s where Satan can really do some damage.
2. Get an accountability partner. You need to connect with someone who is not impressed with you and isn’t afraid to ask you hard questions. Then be honest with them. You might even want to come to one of our support groups, or participate in Celebrate Recovery. A Christian counselor who specializes in sex addiction may even be necessary. There is help and there is hope for you.
3. Keep your house clean. Get rid of the stuff that causes sin. And in reality, you might even have to clean up a few relationships. If your spouse is addicted to porn, get good counseling from a Christian counselor.  

 
Keep trying no matter what. You might slip a few times, but don’t quit. Give this area over to God and become a good steward of your sexuality so that it doesn’t become an anchor in your life tying you to the wrong thing. No matter how bad your past is or how many times you have messed up, because you are not dead, God is not done with you.