I have been thinking about this since I first noticed the post, and have wanted to give a careful and deliberate response. Pornography has exploded into the American culture- the whole world culture really, with the Internet. It used to be that an effort needed to be made to get porn, you had to buy magazines, or to get the hardcore stuff you had to deal with unsavory people. Not any more. Two or three clicks in the sweet privacy of you and your computer and you are there. And much of it is free, in a money sense.
As a result, millions of men who are born again and attend church are held in the grip of pornography’s delicious seduction. For many, only they and God have knowledge of their habit. The corresponding guilt sends their minds into overactive rationalizing, and cuts off the true intimacy that the Father longs for. Pornography is a dark alley with no good end, no fulfillment, and no peace. In many ways it is like any other addiction, weaving chains of bondage that are anchored in Hell.
I wish I had a good and easy answer for this one. As has been mentioned men in the grip of this sin will often repent, be so remorseful, will vow to quit, and shock themselves with how quickly they are back into it. I have as much respect for this one as I have for cocaine, heroine, gambling, and the occult. These are the quick ones, capturing their victims with unanticipated speed. And they have dark spiritual accelerants.
It is a common counseling technique to get the person to speak to their issue with a plan of attack once they recognize the problem. One guy I know who admits the problem had an agreement with his wife to only use the computer when she is there to keep an eye on him. He was working other things as well, attempting to control it from the outside. But once he quit coming to our men’s fellowship, I don’t know what happened. I expect it didn’t go well. The problem is not solved by controlling external circumstances.
I am going to suggest this. The problem is internal, and it can be defeated the same way a man gets saved by Jesus Christ. From Romans 10:9-10 where we combine a believing of the heart, and the speaking forth of the mouth, the same is true in confronting habitual sin practices.
“God I want to be your man, to be filled with your goodness, your righteousness, taking pleasure in the things that are your pleasure! I repent and rebuke this wickedness that has stolen my heart, and I am returning to you by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ!”
Well said. But there’s more.
“In Jesus’ name I rebuke you demon, demon of pornography that hates me, that hates God, hates the women also stolen from the protection of a loving God. Get out of my head, out of my heart, out of my covenant with my God. The blood of Jesus that has saved my soul is against you, and every time you come to me with this temptation, you are going to hear from my mouth the blood of Jesus standing against you!”
We forget (someone wants us to forget) just how powerful spoken words like this can be in repelling demonic temptation. Let me close with a little story.
When I came home from the Viet Nam war where I’d been an infantry medic, I became a Registered Nurse and worked in a psych ward in a hospital. Technically forbidden to present my faith to the patients, I worked around that as best as I could. One day one of my patients was a woman named Helen. In and out of the hospital many times, she had had many shock treatments and courses of drugs to no real avail. She heard voices constantly. What was unique about her circumstance was that she was well educated and had been a Roman Catholic nun. With her mental troubles she had been released from her vocation.
It was late in the day near the end of my shift, and I was with her in her room and I asked her what she thought the voices were.
“Is it the devil?” she asked.
“I don’t think so,” I responded. “I think it’s just his helpers, demons.” Then I said to her, “Do you know Jesus?”
A warm smile came to her face and she said, “I love Jesus.”
“Helen,” I said to her, “If you love Jesus, you don’t have to listen to those voices.”
I reached behind myself and pushed the door closed. Going into non-medical territory here. I put my hand on her forehead and rebuked the demons in the name of Jesus. “This woman belongs to Jesus, get away from her!”
“So what happened?” I asked.
“Ooh, they were real close- but now they’re further away!”
She was so surprised and happy. I told her that I didn’t have any more power than she had as a child of God, that in the name of Jesus she could drive them away herself.
“Really?” She was incredulous. No one had ever told her that.
The following day when I came into work she was beside herself with joy. “It works, it works!” she proclaimed. Shortly after that she was discharged, and for the next couple years I worked there she never came back. She had learned to use her mouth to affirm the saving power of Jesus.
I hope this helps- as for me I declare with my mouth that I hate the desolating power of pornography!
