The Bible clearly tells us what we should and shouldn’t do. It tells us that watching pornography is a sin and something Christians should strive to avoid. But what if you are addicted to pornography? Suppose no matter how many times you resist and flee from temptation, its grip is too strong on you. Eventually, either after a lengthy struggle or after only a few moments, you give in.
If that’s you, what’s the answer? For many Christians, it feels like there’s no winning the battle. Struggles with pornography become an endless cycle of shame and eventual defeat.
Even though the word doesn’t appear in the Bible, it has a lot to say about pornography and its destructive effects. Not only that, but Scripture gives Christians a straightforward battle plan for engaging with this temptation and ultimately overcoming it. If you’re a follower of Jesus, you don’t have to keep living in guilty discouragement. His Word tells us what to do.
There are two parts to his plan The first involves getting porn out of your life, and the second is replacing it with the things of God. Let’s see what this looks like.
Two Parts to Overcoming Porn Addiction
Growing up in the Church, I often noticed Sunday sermons were full of warnings of things to avoid:
- You shall not kill, steal, or covet (Exodus 20:13, 15, 17).
- Do not look with lust (Matthew 5:27-28)
But God’s Word tells us much more than just “stop.” It gives practical guidance on how to avoid falling into sin. That includes how to avoid pornography, despite its prevalence in today’s culture.
Part 1: Battling Temptation
Pray that God would keep temptation away.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught his disciples to ask God to “lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 5:16). That means avoiding sin begins with earnest prayers to God that he would keep us away from things that are tempting.
Believers should never have a prideful attitude about sin. Even the strongest Christians can fall into temptation, so we should always pray that God would protect us.
“If you think you can’t fall into sexual sin, then you’re godlier than David, stronger than Samson, and wiser than Solomon.” – Bill Perkins
Deny yourself and follow Jesus.
Matthew 16:24 says that following Jesus means not following your own desires. Avoiding temptation means saying “no” to the wrong things you want to do. This means changing your thinking because our culture tells us we should follow our desires.
This doesn’t just mean saying “no” to watching porn, it means saying no even to situations that might lead to watching porn.
Flee from sin.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 tells Christians to flee from sexual temptation. When you face the temptation to watch porn, what should you do? Run! If you’re home alone, you might need to step out for a walk. Shut off the TV or put away your phone. Don’t wait around for temptation to leave, you need to get out while the getting is good.
We have the beautiful promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that temptation won’t be greater than what we can bear through the power of the Holy Spirit. There’s always a way to escape temptation—but we must be looking for it!
Resist the enemy.
When we feel backed into a corner, we’re told to “resist the devil and he will flee” (James 4:7). The follower of Jesus has tremendous power at their command! When you resist the enemy’s temptations, you actually put him on the run.
When it comes to pornography, these four steps work together as the most powerful content filter imaginable. But what if it’s not enough? What if you your willpower gives out, and you give in to temptation? This is why we can’t forget the second part of overcoming porn addiction.
Part 2: Being Filled
Recognize your desire for God.
Many times, Christians will attempt these first four steps, resist for a time, but then fall flat on their faces. This happens when we only focus on the negative—“Thou shalt not”—and ignore the positive commands that God has for us as well. Our faith isn’t just about denying ourselves—it’s about being filled up with the goodness of God!
Porn addiction comes from a deep sense of emptiness and longing for more. (See The Root Cause of Porn Addiction). But Jesus says that all our longings will be fulfilled in him. In Ephesians 3:19, Paul prays with confidence that believers will be “filled with the all the fullness of God.”
Jesus said: “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:37-38).
We need to understand that porn cannot fulfill the desires of our hearts. While it promises momentary pleasure and escape from our emptiness, we can only be filled by God himself.
Live in Christian fellowship.
We are called away from isolation to seek wise counsel, the body of Christ, and community. The Bible tells us to encourage each other every day so we don’t fall into temptation (Hebrews 3:13).
We all need like-minded people in our corner, cheering us on and reminding us of the truth when we start to forget. More than that, fellowship with other believers is one of the main ways that God has provided for us to experience his fullness.
Seek out accountability.
For someone struggling with addiction, this means regular, ongoing accountability. James 5:16 says to confess your sins to one another and pray for one another to be healed. Healing from pornography addiction won’t happen without humbling yourself, confessing your sin, and asking for help to stay on track.
Learn more about biblical accountability.
