The following is an excerpt from, “Throw off Pornography”, the 4th book in the “Lord of My Life” series. You can download the complete book for free through Amazon Kindle, Apple Books or Barnes & Noble. You can also order the paperback version through the Amazon bookstore. Find direct links for all of these at ktfproductions.com under the store tab. Visit every week and receive weekly excerpts January through April of 2024.
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
By now, I’m sure you have reflected on many of the ways you are vulnerable to the schemes of the devil and the tools he has used to tempt you to sin with pornography and masturbation. Though human beings are similar in that, “no temptation has overtaken [us] except what is common to mankind,” as mentioned earlier, each one of us are more susceptible to some schemes than others. Likewise, there are other cultural, societal, and external factors at play as well, some that are more effective in influencing some of us than others. There are subtle, and not so subtle, attacks inside and outside of the church that have skewed the moral compass of many believers and have added fuel to our ongoing battle with pornography among other sins. These attacks have weakened our resolve and have confused the once solid foundation of many.
I once heard that if you place a frog in a pot of boiling water it will jump out immediately because of the intense heat. However, if you place a frog in a pot of water and slowly bring it to a boil, the frog will not jump out, but will stay in the pot and eventually die due to the heat. Similarly, if some of the schemes the devil is currently employing were sprung on us decades ago, we would have immediately identified them for what they were and would have actively and assertively taken action to combat them. However, Satan has introduced subtle attacks that over time have seared our consciences and skewed our belief in biblical authority. It is vitally important that we wake up to the schemes of the devil in this area if we want to view pornography and masturbation the way God does. We need to make ourselves aware of how Satan has pulled the wool over our eyes and have subtly pushed many believers just slightly off course in a way that over time we find ourselves completely off the mark. Here are a few of his more successful tactics.
THE NORMALIZATION OF SIN
One of the greatest victories Satan has achieved over time in American society is the continual cultural shift towards the normalization of sin. It is one thing to convince unbelievers to accept and even celebrate sin, but it is quite a feat to sway the minds and hearts of those who follow Christ. The Bible warns us in James chapter 1, verses 21-25:
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Is the word planted in you? Do you read the Bible but choose not to follow what it says? Many of us have forgotten what the Bible says. Some of us know what it says but have chosen not to agree with it. We have become “selective” followers of his word and have allowed society to redefine what we have been taught. The word of God has not changed. It is the same as it was when it was first penned. The heart of God has not changed, his holiness has not changed, and his commands have not changed. Jesus reminded us in Matthew, chapter 5, verse 18 and 19:
For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Through Satan, society has diluted the words and the intent of the scriptures. As a result, many of us no longer view sin the way God does. In fact, many of us have redefined or have normalized sin. I challenge you to honestly assess how you view the following sins which society has normalized.
Homosexuality (Romans 1:26-27)
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
Divorce (Matthew 19:9)
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Fornication (Galatians 5:19-21 KJV):
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Adultery (Exodus 20:14)
You shall not commit adultery.
Coveting (Exodus 20:17)
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
Pornography (Matthew 5:28)
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
These sins and more have become normal and accepted behavior in American society. Do you agree with the Bible that homosexuality, divorce, fornication, adultery, coveting and pornography are sin, or did you drink the cool aide Satan has offered that have caused many to believe these behaviors are okay? How often are these verses preached from the pulpit? How many believers have joined with the changing culture to affirm these activities are not sinful? How many television programs or movies have you seen where these sins are common… normal… accepted… celebrated? Have you fallen into the trap of accepting that viewing pornography is normal behavior? Is it as if you’ve looked at yourself in the mirror and when you’ve turned away have forgotten what you look like? To effectively battle pornography, we need to remember how God views it. We need to remember that it is sin, and as such, it is as bad as any other sin we can commit. James, chapter 2, verses 10 and 11 reminds us:
For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
Do not fall into the trap of normalizing pornography. If we do not view it the way God does, we will have deceived ourselves and may not feel the need to find freedom from it.