We are sometimes tempted by our own lusts, but often we are tempted by satan just like Jesus was. But when we allow openings to satan, we allow temptation to dominate our lives. Consider writing down where your openings are. Often they are from risky TV shows/movies, going to the wrong place, being with the wrong people, or allowing bad thoughts to swirl in your mind. Next, realize that when you allow an opening it is basically inviting satan in. And once you invite him in, he has the right to work you over good. Let's say you decided to look at smut for a few hours. Now satan has the right to pound you all week. Ouch. Instead, allow no openings. Run from risky entertainment, run from the wrong places, run from the wrong people, and work ruthlessly on changing the way you think. Find clean entertainment, clean places to go to, Christian people be your new friends, and work ruthlessly on changing the way you think. Jesus allowed no openings in his life. So when satan came around, he tempted Jesus for a while, and then he left. That's the goal. When we allow no openings at some point satan leaves. Sure, he will come back and try again later. But... he hates failure. Failure will cause him to try less and less. Make him fail and fail by allowing no openings.
this is a really good post, so full of truth, thank you for posting, it is something I will keep at the front of my mind
One major problem with lustful thoughts is... we don't really want them to totally go away. We think they are too much fun. Just like how Adam and Eve in the garden thought the apple was too much to resist. A & E did not understand how much destruction the apple would cause them. We don't understand how much destruction lust will cause us. Consider praying: “Father, show me the destruction that this sin causes.” Biblical David did not know the destruction. There was a lot of it. One reason David fell into lust was that he was not doing what God wanted him to be doing. When we are busy thinking and praying about what God wants us doing we might have a better understanding of what joy is. Consider praying: “Father, show me what You want me to do.” What if David had prayed that prayer every hour? What if he had spent time seeking the Lord (In the year of his fall) as Joseph did? What if he had run from sin as Joseph did? Secondly, when TV features too much smut, sometimes we just need to turn it off and take a walk. I wrote a bunch of stories about “George” who was renewing his mind by working on increasing the fruits of the Spirit in his life. Why. Because, when we take that walk we have something better to do than stupid TV. We can work on increasing the fruits of the Spirit into our lives as George did. The Bible commands us to “Renew our minds.” If you look up enough old posts you can come up with 7 techniques to “Renew your mind.” Print them out, put them in your phone, memorize them... do whatever it takes. When our minds are filled with great thoughts, then dark thoughts start to be revealed as dark destructive thoughts. Notice “When our minds are filled.” David's mind was in neutral (at best). That vacuum allowed bad things in. A mind that is “completely” filled up, is a mind that is allowing no openings.
I think there is much we can do in terms of supporting a good mind. But bad company is the hardest to change, since most of us work or study in the world and are surrounded by non-believers. We are behind enemy lines most of our days. With this in mind it is easier to see the importance of spending time with God, since when you are in the world, there are lots of things Satan can do to you. But if your mind is set straight by seeking God in the morning, and hopefully throughout the day. Then I think you can be a light in the darkness. And that's what I have to try, since I live in an evil world.
We may be surrounded by the world, but we are each like little embassies of the Kingdom, untouchable sovereign territory that cannot be infiltrated. We bring the light into the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. The world is fallen, but we are redeeming it one heart and mind at a time, as the Lord works in and through us. The days are often difficult, but the hope we have is very bright indeed!
Agreed, well observed. I have found in my own walk the true problem was that I never truly wanted to give up. I abstained because that's what God wanted to do and tried to have "the best of both worlds" (which of course is a lie) by letting some lustful thoughts float around in my mind even if I had no intention of following through with PMO. When I was "giving up" I'd often reflect on the life I could have if God didn't ask sexual purity of me, and get off on those reflections because hey, they were better than nothing, right? How wrong I was. Not only were they still sinful, but would often lead to PMO anyway, even if it took a long time.
I wonder what would make a Christian stand out enough to be a light in contrast to the world. Most people are nice and polite, so that's clearly not enough. In Isaiah, I think 55 it tells us to lose your yokes, stop the pointing of the finger, stop speaking wickedness, reach out your soul to the hungry. And satisfy the afflicted soul. Then your light will dawn in the darkness (paraphrasing). The context is how to fast, if it can be stretched to those verses, I think the fast in question is the day of atonement. So is it enough to stop doing evil, and to help people in order to be a light? that seems to be what it's saying. Maybe it makes sense, since if you don't engage in slander and gossip you are one in a million.
John 13 seems instructive on this: 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The more we stand out in all of the fruits of the Spirit (especially love) the more space we will light up. Additional reasons for increasing the fruit of self-control.
Vampire films were the rage 20-30 years ago. In the classic version, you had to invite the dark one in. When you were in your sealed house you were safe unless you invited the dark one in. When we repent and have a plan for turning from lust we are sealed. But when we look and don't instantly turn from lust we have allowed the opening. Every day in every situation we need to focus on keeping our house sealed. We have 2 great reasons for keeping it sealed. #1 to avoid the destruction. #2 to continue to seek an increased blessing in our lives. Any sin weakens our seal. Sin... takes us away from God's joy and it forces us to chase fun and pleasure like some zombie in a classic film. Meditating on scripture strengthens the seal. I am currently up to 12 verses that I meditate on every day in the morning. Preparing for temptation with prayer strengthens the seal. I have worked so hard on learning the skill of praying, “Father, help me to turn from lust,” that now it is virtually automatic. A full commitment strengthens the seal. We spend time in Bible study and prayer because of that commitment. We commit to spending a block of time every day at this site because of a full commitment to Christ. Change always involves sacrifice. God always gives us more than we expect when we make that sacrifice permanently.
When we are busy, there are no openings for satan to get in. I have started to pray daily over each of the 9 fruits of the Spirit. In addition, today I am focusing on faithfulness. Wikipedia said: “Faithfulness is the concept of unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It may be exhibited by a husband or wife who does not engage in sexual relationships outside of the marriage.[1] It can also mean keeping one's promises no matter the prevailing circumstances. It is the state of being full of faith in the sense of steady devotion to a person, thing or concept.” In the past, I have been very bad at this. Consider praying: “Father, teach me about faithfulness.” Consider meditating on each of the fruits of the Spirit every day. Then spend a few extra minutes praying about one of them. This is a great way to renew your mind so that you can start to think about other things. Step one in having faithfulness is to make a firm commitment. Consider praying: “Father, I am fully commited to obeying Your Word, and doing Your will.” Step two is to have a great plan. Every day you can find ideas of what to do to change your thinking or actions. Faithfulness is turning ideas into “Consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances.” If I were a wife who was upset about my spouses porn habit, the first thing I would look for was evidence of the new plan for change. If I found a worn out list of “5 Reasons for not going back to P.” If I found a worn out list of prayers for quitting, verses for quitting, verses about learning to praise, verses about being filled with love. If I found these things I would realize the effort being made to be “faithful.” Is God also looking for evidence of a new plan for change? Today, start to practice faithfulness by wearing out some lists. Why? Because the Bible says: Proverbs 28:20 “A faithful man shall abound with blessings.” Get busy and allow satan no openings.
I sin and sometimes am too casual with how I repent. When I do that things like anger and other emotions get out of control. Yesterday I sinned, and decided that I needed to pray a lot more aggressively in that type of situation to turn from sin. I spent zero time mourning my sin, I went straight to planning how I would not do it again. Planning how I would not do it again was the right move, it was just at the wrong time. First I needed to say how sorry I was for it. Second it would have been wise to acknowledge that once again I was underestimating the seriouness of my actions. Then, it may have been a good time to plan how to avoid it again. Yesterday I had a troublesome day. I thought it was because of the people around me. But it was more how I was way too casual making things right with God. When we take time to mourn our sin, we allow God time to help us understand "why" the action was such a problem in the first place. Then we make progress.
Surely this is a key point. St. Paul spoke about correcting people, he even found it necessary to correct St. Peter on one occasion but Paul's letters are hallmarked by his love for the people he tried to help. He did not relish (2 Cor 7,8) having to correct his followers, most probably because he loved them and did not wish to make them unhappy. Yet Paul did not shy away from pointing out where his followers went astray but he did so with love and they loved him for it. Dear Lord, let me first love those around me before any thought of rebuke enters my mind or crosses my lips.
LOL, my words and thoughts about love lasted about 2.5 seconds into a spat with my wife yesterday. It was a silly thing, as usual, but I let it bother me all day. It wasn't until I mustered the strength to overcome my anger and ask the Holy Spirit to help me forget it, that I began to feel the anger abate. I am a very flawed person. Thank God, He hasn't give up on me though.
Today, my daily Bible reading was 1st John 3. This chapter features some of the hardest verses in the Bible. If you don't want harsh verses, stop here. 1st John 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” Rich Tidwell said, “Sins in this regard mean you just don't repent, and you keep on doing it. You don't ever dive into the Bible to learn how to get out of your addiction. You just say “sorry God” and keep on doing your addiction.” 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” In this verse, his “Seed” refers to the Bible. Why do I recommend 3 new verses for quitting every day in my 21-day program? So that “His Seed” will remain in you. If you get His Seed in you enough you can stop sinning. You can stop P. How much is enough? If you have a 29-year addiction you need to pound a lot of scripture in to pound that lust out. But as you pound that lust out you will see glimpses of joy. Rich Tidwell said, “I refuse to excuse my sin. I hate my sin. I repent of my sin.” Rich Tidwell has chosen a life that allows no openings. One that leads to joy. We can do that also.
