Falling into Temptation vs. Running into Temptation

With pornography so easily accessible, and each of us with the option to walk this dark path, what’s to stop us from giving in the times we feel aroused or want to take our minds off of the current stress and difficulties we are facing in our lives?

The plethora of videos available and the natural human tendency to feel entitled to what we please whenever we desire can make it very difficult to say “No” to the lure of porn.

It’s evident that marriages are falling apart due to pornography’s harmful effects, along with our own dignity, self-worth, how we see others, the way we view ourselves, and the secret shame, regret, and haunting awareness of addiction and feelings of uncleanliness we experience every time we give in. It is odd and quite pathetic—the idol we have made of viewing porn. How long will we be pleased with watching other people have sex and engaging in masturbation as we view these images or videos?

What Steps Can We Take To Pursue Purity?

Walking in integrity is key to remaining morally sound. What does integrity entail exactly? It means being honest with ourselves. By this I mean, we all know our stumbling blocks and the thoughts that precede the action of viewing porn.

As some have wisely noted, “People don’t ‘fall’ into sin. They ‘slide’ into it.” Every choice we make leading up to our temptation will determine if we give in or if we will stand firm on the truths we know in God’s word. Galatians 5:24 states, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” And Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Integrity entails seeking counsel over the strongholds we clearly cannot overcome on our own. It entails pursuing godly mentors at a Bible-believing church who can offer support through the means of faithful prayer and genuine accountability. It entails putting an end to what paves the way for running back to our addictions. This could include:

• Throwing away all the pornographic materials you own (videos, magazines, and yes, even deleting those videos you saved on the external hard drive of your computer or in that hidden folder on the laptop that only you know about).
• Getting rid of cable TV or HBO.
• Using an Internet Accountability and Filtering service like Covenant Eyes on all your devices.
• Not making it easy to give in. (You can leave your bedroom or office door open day and night so it stops you from indulging in the false security of secrecy. Put the computer where you know other people can see it at all times which will help prevent your porn use from being done in secret.)
• It might even mean stopping our intake of music, movies, and books which contain sexual references or partial nudity.

…We are to be ruthless with our sin and take the necessary steps toward lasting repentance.

As Thomas Watson so wisely said, “There is a great deal of difference between falling into a temptation and running into a temptation. The falling into a temptation shall work for good (Romans 8: 28), not the running into it. He who falls into a river is fit for help and pity, but he who desperately runs into it is guilty of his own death.”

What is your game plan?