Are monsters real?
When you think of a monster, what thoughts are conjured up in your mind? Is it an ugly beast with bad breath? Is it part human, part animal? Is it non-human and non-animal? Maybe it is its own species. Are they real or are they make-believe? Monsters have been part of the human psyche and the human race since the beginning of time. Movie makers have made millions as have writers. They tell us about them, scaring us with them and informing us all along the way that they are here, and they are here to stay.
If it’s not true that they are real and here to stay then we can say with confidence that they are made up. We can say that people will continue to make money entertaining us, even scaring us. We paid for it then, and we will continue to pay for it.
Recognizing a Real-Life Monster
But what if porn is the real monster?
Remember the monster under your bed and in your closet as a child? Was it real or make-believe? If it is true that monsters are real and that what we have seen in movies, read about, and are even experiencing now is true, we must act NOW.
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny. “
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
What then should we do? How do we cope, how do we function, and how do we live with monsters among us? Can they be defeated? Can they be destroyed?
If we recognize porn as a real-life monster, this is a game changer. I better pay attention. I better get educated. But how do I learn about them? Do I hire a monster hunter? Do I run and hide and hope they don’t find me?
The Battle With Monsters Begins in the Mind
God’s Word tells us just how to fight monsters like porn.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have a divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-6, NIV).
According to the Apostle Paul, the battle starts in the mind. The monsters that live in the dark first appear as a thought. Over time, the monsters emerge from the darkness and manifest in behaviors. These behaviors are sin and very quickly can become strongholds of addiction.
We sometimes face circumstances and situations we can’t control. We experience the consequences of other people’s choices. There are losses in life, there are changes in seasons, and there is death. These things beyond our control often become the openings where the monsters can first break into our thoughts.
It is likely that many times in life we are reduced to thinking, “I will just live with it. There really is nothing I can do anyway.” However, a monster like pornography is something we don’t have to live with.
Simple Steps to Defeat the Porn Monster
When the monster showed up in your room at night, what did Mom or Dad do? They came into your room and they turned the light on. That thing that you had created in your mind with a thought was real—so real it paralyzed you. When the light came on and Mom or Dad said, “See, no monster,” they used light and truth.
Likewise, there’s a simple way to deal with the porn monster:
- Do the right thing with the wrong thoughts.
- Name the monster PORN. Be specific. Don’t just call it sin or addiction. It has a
name. - Confront it. Expose it with the weapons God has given us: Light and Truth.
God’s word sheds light on the monsters that live in the dark. Shine the light on them, confront them, and expel them with truth. God’s word is truth. Admit your struggle with another person, and they can help keep you walking in light and truth. Find someone to tell as soon as the thought pops into your mind. Own up to your mistakes, and claim the power of God to set you free.
If you are struggling with a monster, it may currently be in the thought stage—the initial temptations to act out. Don’t wait; confront it now. Or maybe the porn monster has controlled you for decades.
You CAN do something about it. Act now.