Flee sexual immorality.
1 Corinthians 6:18
Conquering pornography isn’t complicated. It’s not easy, I admit, but it isn’t complicated. And yet many people make it complicated. Go online and you will find all manner of psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counsellors, pastors, Bible teachers and others ready to tell you the many steps you must take to quit porn.
But the biblical answer is simple: “Flee sexual immorality.” That’s three simple words, and one step to victory. It worked in Paul’s day. It works today. Don’t follow the voices that say you must do something else but flee. The cure for pornography is a command you are to obey, and an action you are to take. Flee.
There are multiple helps, of course. You may find a 12-step program helpful. You may find porn-blocking software useful. You may find an accountability partner useful. But don’t let these aids replace the clear command in scripture to flee sexual immorality. Don’t look for answers and remedies and strategies and cures when God has already told you how to obtain sexual purity.
| To quit porn, they say do this: | To quit porn, the Bible says do this: |
|---|---|
| Attend a support group | Flee sexual immorality |
| Call yourself an addict | Flee sexual immorality |
| Take Naltrexone, Citalopram or another drug to control your porn cravings | Flee sexual immorality |
| Pray the Serenity Prayer daily | Flee sexual immorality |
| Admit that you are powerless over your sexual addiction | Flee sexual immorality |
| Work the 12 steps of Celebrate Recovery | Flee sexual immorality |
| Get an accountability partner | Flee sexual immorality |
| Install a porn blocker on your phone | Flee sexual immorality |
| Take a searching moral inventory of yourself | Flee sexual immorality |
| Confess your sexual sin to someone | Flee sexual immorality |
As I said, some of the things in the left column may help you. Porn-blocking software helps me stay pure online, for example. But none of the things in the left column are essential. None of them are a replacement for obeying God. Why not? Because God has spoken on the issue of sexual immorality. Sexual lust isn’t something you must control with a drug. Pornography isn’t something you must conquer with software. Sexual temptation isn’t something you can only overcome with a 12-step program. To win your battle with sexual immorality, you must flee. Helps along the way are optional. But fleeing is essential.
The beauty of this command, this remedy for habitual porn use, is that you can obey it on your own, free of charge. You don’t need to join a recovery group or get a sponsor. You don’t have to pay for multiple sessions with a psychiatrist at $200 a pop, or fork over $129 a month for a never-ending drug prescription. You can obey this command right now, on your own, wherever you are. You can abstain from porn today without spending a dime. Just flee.
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