Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Romans 8:7
Are you an enemy of God? Maybe. If you watch pornography habitually, compulsively, then your mind is “enmity against God.” Your mind is hostile to God, alienated from God, in opposition to God. That makes you His enemy. This is the clear teaching of scripture (Romans 8:7).
The carnal mind is the fleshly mind, the mind that is fallen and acts contrary to God’s law. The carnal mind is weak and still subject to the attack of sin, is opposed to the Spirit and wars against it, and becomes the instrument of sin. When you indulge in sexual immorality by indulging in pornography and masturbation, you indulge your carnal mind. You give it what it wants, and you refuse to subject yourself to the law of God, which speaks against sexual immorality from Genesis to Revelation.
Paul is not just talking about a sin here. He’s not talking about this sin or that sin that puts you out of fellowship with God. He’s talking about your mind, the seat of your thoughts, desires and actions. Your mind, says Paul, if it is carnal, makes you hostile to God. It sets you in direct opposition to your creator, law giver, judge, provider and savior. Not a good place to be, you’ll agree.
Another thing to note about the carnal mind is that it can’t be treated. It is not subject to the law of God, “nor indeed can be.” The remedy for watching pornography isn’t to tweak, or adjust or clean up your carnal mind so that it obeys God—because it can’t. What you need is a renewed mind. With a transformed mind, you prove what is that “good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
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