The following post was written by Jacob Way.
Here are five practical strategies you can implement today to help win the war against pornography.
- Get a dumb phone.
If you find that you access porn through the internet or watch stored files on your smartphone, get rid of the phone. You can easily get a standard phone that has no internet access. Yes, you will lose lots of great apps and other abilities. Yes, you better believe everyone will ask you about it. But what an opportunity to share the dangers of porn and the courage to combat it. You may even get guff from Christian friends who accuse you of “taking it too seriously” or, my favorite, “legalism.” That’s okay. They can think what they want. You are on a mission to please God and obey Him in all things. You are trying to win the war by building a healthier and holier life. Be smart and get a dumb phone.
- Be honest with God.
Get in the habit of being honest. Remember that God knows everything you have done and everything you think. Get in the habit of praying in all circumstances. While sitting down at the computer, tell God that you are struggling, and call out for help. When you are in the middle of sin, just be honest and cry out for mercy and the power to stop. In recovery, be honest that you are doubting His love and ask Him to show you His love in a new way. Don’t try to pretend that God doesn’t already know your thoughts and inner motivations. The only person you are deceiving is yourself. Open up to God more frequently, and you will find it easier to do over time. This will help you build spiritual stamina and deepen your relationship with God.
- Do not joke about sin.
One important reminder about addiction and recovery is that it affects every area of your life. It is not confined to when you are alone or tempted but is shaped by your other habits. This means that thoughts, images, and even what you hear can affect you later. This is why detoxing from all types of sexual content is so important. This includes, of course, pictures, movies, videos, and so on. But it also entails crude jokes or humor. Whether you are the one listening to or telling sexual jokes, those images are getting put into your mind. You are training yourself to think sexually. This will only backfire for you later on and will create more work for you as you detox.
- Treat self-control like a muscle.
Self-control is evidence of the Holy Spirit in us, so all Christians, by definition, are given the power of self-control. Just like any muscle, you need to exercise it in order to move something really heavy, like pornography addiction. If you want to increase your self-control for pornography, increase your self-control in other ways. Maybe you could work on your diet. Grow in self-control by limiting sodas to only Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If sweets are out of control in your life, restrict them to just the weekend. Maybe only watch TV every other day or video games only on Friday and Saturday. Perhaps you want to start to exercise. Do ten push-ups a day. It’s not about building strength but self-control. Pretty soon, you will find that you are more disciplined with these new habits and self-control will get easier.
- Create visual reminders.
In the middle of temptation or a season of doubt, seeing God’s Word can cut through the darkness, right to the heart. Suddenly, a single verse brings clarity, hope, and strength. You “snap out of it” and can think fight again. I found that putting specific verses somewhere easy to see can determine victory or failure. I put several verses encouraging me to fight on sticky notes on my computer screen. That way, when I am losing the battle, I can’t help but see the Word of God. The Holy Spirit does incredible things through His Word. Sometimes, a small reminder is all you need.
If you’re looking for a book to help in the battle against pornography, check out Hope to Win the War, by Jacob Way.
Check out part two of this post here … 10 Ways to Win the War Against Porn (Part 2).
Regular Pastor 