Frequently Asked Questions About How to Quit Porn as a Christian

Pornography is any image, text or sound designed to arouse a viewer, reader or listener sexually. What’s vital is not the format (video, photo, book, audio recording, other) but the intent. If the intent is to arouse sexually, it is pornographic.

The Bible doesn’t say anything about pornography explicitly, but does say a great deal about sexual immorality. Consuming pornography is a form of sexual immorality, or sexual sin. The Bible condemns sexual immorality from Genesis to Revelation. The key Bible passage that condemns pornography is the teaching of Jesus against looking at women to lust after them (Matthew 5:27-30). Jesus says that, when a man looks at a woman to lust after her, he commits adultery with that women in his heart.

The way to overcome pornography as a Christian is to do so biblically. Abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3), make no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14), pluck out your right eye and cast it away (Matthew 5:27-30), flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), and put lust to death (Colossians 3:5-7).

If your right eye causes you to sin sexually, pluck it out and throw it away (Matthew 5:27-30). Flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look at young, female virgins (Job 31:1). Set nothing wicked before your eyes (Psalm 101:3).

The secular answer is that pornography addiction is the chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive seeking after and using of pornography, despite adverse consequences. The world considers porn addiction a brain disorder because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control.

The Bible does not say anything about pornography addiction. The Bible sees habitual or compulsive use of pornography as sexual sin. Biblically speaking, pornography use is always sinful, always voluntary, and always avoidable. Christians always have power to resist pornography. In this sense, Christians are never addicted to porn.

Dopamine is a compound present in the human body that acts as a neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger between brain cells. High levels of dopamine create feelings of euphoria and bliss, and act as a reward system. Watching pornography releases unnaturally high levels of dopamine into the brain, making the activity pleasurable, and motivating the body to seek that pleasurable feeling again.

In the context of habitual use of pornography, sometimes called porn addiction, a trigger is anything internal or external that causes a person to crave pornography. Triggers can be people, places, thoughts, sounds and sights. For men, triggers are often things (or, more often, someone) that men see.

In the world of substance abuse and addiction, a relapse describes an episode in which an addict who is trying to stay clean and sober uses drugs again or takes a drink. In the sexual addiction recovery movement, a relapse describes an episode of returning to pornography or sexual immorality, of willfully returning to sexual sin.

Porn is hard for Christian men to quit because looking at porn is pleasurable. Consuming porn releases unnaturally high levels of dopamine into your brain, making the activity pleasurable, and motivating your body to seek that pleasurable feeling again. Porn is also hard to forsake as a Christian because you have a sinful heart that desires illicit sexual satisfaction (Matthew 15:19-20).

Yes, God will forgive your porn addiction if you forsake it. God says He is is willing to forgive anyone who comes to Him in repentance, confessing their sin of looking at porn, and asking Him to forgive them (1 John 1:9). But God’s forgiveness is conditional upon you seeking it, and forsaking your sin. No sexually immoral person will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

First, acknowledge that you are not addicted. No one forces you to look at pornography or masturbate. Second, quit God’s way. Get rid of all pornography in your life, and take drastic measures so that you don’t easily find it (install a porn blocker on all your electronic devices, for example, cancel your Netflix subscription, and downgrade to a flip phone). Then, anticipate porn to avoid it (Job 31:1), deny your lustful desires (Titus 2:11-12), and walk through life with a holy walk (Galatians 5:16). When tempted, flee (1 Corinthians 6:18), put lust to death (Colossians 3:5-6), and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Spend the first hour of every day alone with the Lord, reading His word (the Bible), and communing with Him in prayer. If you encounter sexual temptation, rely on the exit route provided by God, as promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13, which He unfailingly furnishes.

Fornication is an archaic word for premarital sex. Fornication in the Bible refers to any act that defies God’s commands about sexual relations. Fornication in modern Bible versions is commonly translated sexual immorality.

Sexual immorality is any act that defies God’s commands about sexual relations, as found in the Bible.

The New Testament Greek word most often translated “sexual immorality” is porneia, “to prostitute.” Porneia refers to a wide range of illicit sexual behavior, such as prostitution, premarital sex, extramarital sexual intercourse (adultery), pedophilia, sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, and bestiality.

Sexual immorality (also called fornication) is any act that defies God’s commands about sexual relations. Sexual immorality includes sex outside of marriage, sex with prostitutes, sex with animals, sex with children, sex with close family members, sex with people of the same sex, viewing pornography, and masturbating.

Sexual immorality is not the same as adultery. Sexual immorality is any act that defies God’s commands about sexual relations. Adultery falls under this definition, so adultery is sexual immorality. But not all sexual immorality is adultery.

Sexual immorality is a sin because it defies God’s commands about sexual relations. Sexual immorality runs contrary to what God declares is acceptable sexual behavior.

The Bible has a great deal to say about sexual immorality. Jesus teaches that sexual immorality is a heart issue (Matthew 15:19-20), the early Church taught that sexual immorality is not permitted (Acts 15:28-29), Paul warns that the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), Paul teaches that the body is not for sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), and Paul commands you to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). See a comprehensive list of sexual immorality Bible verses.

Yes, sexual immorality can be forgiven. God is ready to forgive anyone who comes to Him in repentance, confessing their sexual immorality, and asking Him to forgive them (1 John 1:9).

Sexual immorality includes sex before marriage, sex with children, sex with animals, sex with close family members, adultery, looking at pornography, and masturbating.

Sexual sin against the body is any sexual activity that someone commits with someone other than their spouse. Paul mentions this sin in 1 Corinthians 6:18 when he says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”

The primary ways to overcome sexual immorality are prevention and action. You take preventive steps to avoid sexual temptation, and you act decisively when you are tempted. For example, to avoid sexual immorality, you anticipate it in order to avoid it (Job 31:1), deny your lustful desires (Titus 2:11-12), and walk through life with a holy walk (Galatians 5:16). To act decisively when tempted, you flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), put lust to death (Colossians 3:5-6), and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). In the event of facing sexual temptation, trust in the escape route that God has pledged in 1 Corinthians 10:13, which He consistently provides, without fail.

You avoid sexual immorality by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and by making no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14). You avoid the people, places and things that tempt you to sin sexually.

Sexual sin is any action that disobeys God’s revealed will about sexual relations.

Sexual immorality in marriage is any sexual act that contravenes God’s revealed will for marital relations between a man and a woman. This includes adultery, pornography, visiting strip clubs, hiring prostitutes, and masturbation on your own.

Jesus says the cause of sexual immorality is the human heart (Matthew 15:19-20). People commit sexual immorality because their hearts are wicked.

Samson visits a harlot (Judges 16:1), David commits adultery (2 Samuel 11:1-5), Jesus warns against committing adultery with the eyes (Matthew 5:27-30), Jesus teaches that sexual immorality is a heart issue (Matthew 15:19-20), the early Church forbids sexual immorality (Acts 15:28-29), Paul warns that the sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), Paul teaches that the body is not for sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), Paul commands you to flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). See a comprehensive list of sexual immorality Bible verses.

Sexual temptation is the desire, the urge, the compulsion, to commit sexual sin.

Sexual temptations can be people, places, objects, smells, memories, touches and other stimuli. Sexual temptation happens in your brain, so anything that passes through your brain (a sight, a memory, a sound, a sight), can elicit sexual temptation.

Sexual temptation is not sin. Acting upon the temptation is sin. Lingering over and enjoying the temptation is sin. But being tempted to sin is not the same as sinning.

King David was tempted sexually, and gave in (2 Samuel 11:1-5). He sinned. Joseph was tempted to sin sexually (Genesis 39:1-10), but he resisted, and prevailed. He didn’t sin.

Sexual temptation becomes sin when you give in to it, when you commit the sexual sin. Sexual temptation also becomes sin when you let it bounce around in your brain, when you enjoy the temptation, when you entertain it and and take please in it.

Yes, having sexual temptations is normal, whether you are in a relationship or not. Single people are tempted sexually. Married people are tempted sexually.

The primary ways to overcome sexual temptation are prevention and flight. You take preventive steps to avoid sexual temptation, and you act decisively when you are tempted. For example, to avoid sexual immorality, you anticipate it in order to avoid it (Job 31:1), deny your lustful desires (Titus 2:11-12), and walk through life with a holy walk (Galatians 5:16). To act decisively when tempted, you flee sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18), put lust to death (Colossians 3:5-6), and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

You avoid sexual temptation by avoiding the people, places and things that you know tempt you. You avoid pornography, for example. You never climb into a hot tub with someone who isn’t your spouse. You install a porn filter on all of your electronic devices.

You defeat sexual temptation by putting lust to death (Colossians 3:5). To conquer impure thoughts and desires, redirect your attention to virtuous and uplifting subjects. When you notice a lustful thought arising, replace it with a holy and pure one. If a mental image of a pornographic actor appears, reject it and envision an individual who embodies modesty and integrity. Combat unclean thoughts and desires by reciting memorized Scriptures to eradicate them from your mind.

Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Set nothing wicked before your eyes (Psalm 101:3). When tempted to sin sexually, use God’s guaranteed way of escape, which He always supplies (1 Corinthians 10:13).

When you first experience sexual temptation, flee (1 Corinthians 6:18). When you start to lust, shun it. When you are tempted to sin sexually, run away. Don’t stay to fight. Don’t try to resist. Don’t pray about it. And don’t think you have to see a therapist, join a 12-step recovery program, join a forum, perform a multi-day porn detox, or keep looking in the Bible for an answer. You have your answer. You know all you need to know to conquer sexual immorality. Flee.

Yes, masturbating is a sin. Sex is only to occur between one woman and one man who are married to each other. Engaging in sex with anyone else, including yourself, is sin.

Yes, masturbating alone is forbidden when you are married. Sex is only to take place between you and your spouse. Masturbation is sex with someone other than your spouse.

Yes, masturbating is sin when you do it as a single person. Sex is reserved to take place between one man and one woman who are married to each other for life.

The Bible doesn’t mention or discuss masturbation or masturbating. But we can discern that masturbation is sin because the remedy for sexual urges is marriage (1 Corinthians 7:8-9), a man is to seek sexual satisfaction from his wife and no one else (1 Corinthians 7:3), you can’t pray and masturbate at the same time (Romans 1:28-29), you can’t pleasure yourself in faith, therefore it’s sin (Romans 14:23), it fails the discipleship test (Luke 9:23), and you can’t do it to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Admit that your masturbation is a sin. Forsake pornography. Resist the devil. Take every thought captive. Learn How to How to Stop Masturbation as a Christian.

Lust is very strong sexual desire.

Whether lust is sin depends largely upon the object being lusted after. When a husband lusts after his wife, that is not sin. But when that same husband lusts after his neighbor’s wife, that is sin. When a teen girl lusts after a teen boy, that is sin.

The Bible uses a number of words to describe lust. Concupiscence is strong sexual desire. Licentiousness is promiscuous and unprincipled sexual behavior. Lust of the flesh is inordinate desire from that part of the human condition that is weak and still subject to the attack of sin, that is opposed to the Spirit and wars against it, and that becomes the instrument of sin. Lasciviousness is wanton, lewd, lustful activity, typically sexual. Lewdness is promiscuous and unprincipled sexual behavior.

To stop lustful thoughts, redirect your attention towards a different activity. Since lustful thoughts originates in the mind, conquer them by diverting your thoughts. As soon as a sinful idea enters your mind, or the memory of a sexually immoral act surfaces, immediately shift your focus to something else. Prevent the thought from lingering and gaining strength. Some men succeed in this area by changing their physical location. For instance, if they are watching a show in the living room when an unwelcome thought arises, they stand up, go to the garage, and engage in car repairs. A prompt change in surroundings and activity can swiftly stop lustful thoughts. By moving to a new place or undertaking a different task, you alter your train of thought and replace the immoral idea with a healthier one, causing the lustful thoughts to dissipate.

Avoid the areas (online and offline ) where you know you will encounter women and lust after them. Make a covenant with your eyes (Job 31:1). Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). When tempted to lust, flee (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Resist lust by avoiding the people, places and things that tempt you sexually. Install a porn blocker on all of your electronic devices (desktop computer, laptop, tablet and phone). When tempted to lust, flee by literally moving somewhere else, or by changing the subject in your mind (1 Corinthians 6:18).