Keep Fighting Porn (2)
a battle plan- part 2
[A couple days ago I posted the first interaction with a friend dealing with digital immorality… If you haven’t read that post and interacted with those questions–it’d be helpful to start there.]
Friend,
Thank you for working through these answers. These answers will help us form a Plan for Obedience.
Sin can appear instinctive when the patterns of the flesh are practiced into habit. Have you ever driven to a wrong but familiar destination without realizing it until you arrived? You performed an incredible list of complex tasks without consciously constructing them. This is part of what you’re up against when you’ve been walking in the flesh instead of learning the habits of walking with Spirit.
Slowing down is important. Becoming aware what you’re doing, when you’re doing it, and what your circumstances reveal about what your heart is seeking during it all.
You said the main access to pornographic material is through your computer and usually you have these temptations on Friday evenings and Saturdays. You’re usually facing temptation toward immorality when you are discouraged, lonely, or bored.
We need to set up some personal guidelines that address your circumstances of greatest struggle. We want to slow down the habitual flesh. This is going to take work–you and I have diligently practiced sin.
When thinking of personal guidelines– recognize the gift of dependence and weakness. You cannot create your own righteousness. You cannot kill sin in your own strength. Only the Spirit of God can do these things.
When you create a personal guideline, it would be helpful consciously remind yourself of the Spirit’s power, not the guidelines power… “I need the Spirit more than I need a guideline but right now I need help slowing down to hear the Spirit. Holy Spirit, will you bless this act of desperate dependence?”
Jesus said that we should gouge out our eyes or cut off our limbs if doing so helps us avoid sin (Matt 5:27–30). Obviously, Jesus is not telling us to hurt ourselves, but He is indicating that we need to take significant steps to stop our addictions.
Personal Guidelines:
Are there simple ways for you to limit tempting sources and circumstances?
What three simple guidelines you can establish that would make the largest impact on your access to immoral content?
What would slow you down and allow you to listen to the Spirit rather than the flesh-habit-loop?
Here are some options to consider–
· No computer or smartphone
· No device on the weekend.
· No social media or videos alone.
· No Friday nights alone.
We need to form a plan of action for when you’re facing temptation… a plan to flee immorality. That’ll have to come after you let me know some guidelines you’d like to use to slow down and listen to the Spirit.
We will continue our conversation with our friend in the next several posts. We’ll move from fleeing temptation to building habits of grace and understanding how desires drive our choices. I’m looking forward to it!
Before you go–especially if you’re a parent– would you check out Protect Young Eyes.
Lock the phones as seriously as you’d lock the guns with kids in the house. Porn Kills.