This is my first post. I'm amazed that this topic is just what I was thinking about before I logged on this morning.
It must be gods timing.
I don't have anything to add, but please know that I'm praying for all of you.

Sarah

wow!
i'm not the only on that is battleling with the actual addiction of daily viewing pron.
it's the flashbacks and thoughts.
i am also tired, last night i gave my heart to Jesus.
after reading some messages of others, i finally opened up to Jesus and e heard me.
i had been having this huge headache and i know that i could have had it for such a shorter period of time if only have i given my burdens earlier.
i'm so glad i finally joined shelley!
i highlighted all the scriptures mentioned above and i feel blessed!
thank you guys!!!!!

Hang in there. You can get through this. You don't have to do this all on your own and I am soo glad that your here. Remember that we will always have sin in our lives, but the more that we live for God, we will sin less and less. And sometimes other sins take time to be delivered from. Having an addiction to pornography is no simple sin to just get over with. Pornography hurts the soul, and yourself and other around you and your walk with God and your mind. The good thing, is that you long to overcome this and you will, but you have to continue to give it to God daily and know that the battle belongs to the Lord. Philippians 4:13 tells us, "I can do all things through Christ whom strengthens me." We cannot fight this battle without God's strength and He knows when we will fall short before it even happens. God is here with you and you can do this! I do believe in you and I know that God believes in you also. You are not alone. Keep seeking God and know that He still loves you and He wants to deliver you from this sins. Lovin Christ, GodsGurl

I found this under the men's sexual addiction and felt this was a really good teaching, very helpful for me. I still struggle to understand how to overcome my struggles with sexual fantasies/dream world, anger, fears, eating disorders...etc. I feel like all my life I have struggled with these things and have read many books and gone to church all my life...in vain to overcome. I am praying with scriptures that I have posted literally on my kitchen and bathroom walls to help me visually remind myself to speak the scriptures to help me transform my mind, first of all...I pray God will just help me persevere, like you, Shelley--knowing that you persevered for eight years to get free...Wow! I think that was part of my problem...I never persevered, I always gave up, discouraged. This time I am determined not to quit, knowing that "though righteous man falls seven times, he gets up (rises) again" (Prov.24:16). And "the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from his sinful nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please his Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for if we do not give up, we will reap a harvest in due time." (Gal. 6:8-9)
Tonya

Message from Men's sexual addiction forum:
11 I beg you as…pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul… (1 Pet. 2:11)

We are in a spiritual conflict that has two battle fronts which includes both a war inside our heart (our personal battle with sinful desires for pleasure) and a war outside our heart (seeking the release of God’s justice: in righteousness in government, winning the lost, etc.).

22 I delight in the law (Word) of God…23 But I see another law (principle) in my members, warring against…my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin … (Rom. 7:22-23)

1 Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? (Jas. 4:1)

Our war with lust is a paradox in that it is both easy and difficult.

Although the war is difficult in that we battle against temptation and the evil desire raging in us, it is the only way to enter the narrow gate (experience “life in the Spirit�� ). Without this paradigm, we become easily offended at God when our life is difficult.

14 Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way…to life, and there are few who find it. (Mt. 7:14)

Our yoke of intimacy with Jesus is easy in that God freely us with provides what we could never earn or produce. He gives us forgiveness, strength to live and rewards now and in the age-to-come that far outweigh what we deserve (2 Cor. 4:17-18). We receive His favor forever. God treats us with gentleness and does not give us what we deserve. We receive far more from God than we give Him. We are far ahead of where we should be.

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Mt. 11:30)

Nevertheless, we can receive God’s empowering grace in vain by not cooperating with it to overcome lust.

1 We as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Cor 6:1)

God REQUIRES us to work together with Him (cooperate with His grace) as an expression of His desire for partnership with us. God will not do our part and we cannot do His part.

God’s part is to release supernatural influence on our heart (power, wisdom, desires), body (healing), circumstances (provision), relationships (favor), and ministry.

Our part includes making quality decisions to deny ourselves (saying no to sin), to feed our spirit on the Word, to ask for God’s help through prayer with fasting, use our authority in Christ against Satan and to embrace godly activities (serving) and relationships (fellowshipping, confessing our weaknesses).

Nothing can substitute for continually renewing our commitment to make righteous choices. THINGS DO NOT JUST WORK OUT in the grace of God if we do not continually make righteous choices. False teaching on grace minimizes the necessity to make righteous decisions.

Certain men have crept in unnoticed…who turn the grace of our God into lewdness. (Jude 4)

12 Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 and do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin (Rom. 6:12-13)

We must refuse to present the members of our body to sin by aggressively avoiding situations that inflame sin. We must not go to places, buy items, look at or talk about that which stirs up lust.

It is vital that we make quality decsions to deny and war against the lust that fights against us. We must observe and undeerstand how temptation affects our personality by knowing what specific situations make us vulnerable to specific sinful desires. We understand how our fatigue, moods, music, movies, locations (lonely park, private room, sports bar, party, etc), alcohol, disappointing circumstances, various stresses all work together in our personality to trigger us into great temptation.

We must avoid all circumstances that stirs up lust. We must refuse to be in relationships or places which inflame lust in us. We must avoid looking at or listening to that which inflames lust. Many too easily put themselves in seemingly “innocent or harmless�� situations that surprise them when they sin. Many are naïve and/or deceived about their propensity for lustful activity.

In familiar relationships, we must be honest in identifying the difference between “illegal touching�� (often called “innocent touching�� ) and godly affection.

1 It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (1 Cor. 7:1)

Jesus taught us to make hard decisions to break off relationships or refuse to go to places or to interact with things that result in sin being stirred up in our lives. Jesus taught that regardless how costly it is to give up that treasured person, place or thing that causes us to sin, it is a much lower price than losing out in our relationship with God or in aspects of our eternal inheritance. The cost of non-discipleship is far higher than the cost of discipleship.

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. (Mt. 5:29-30)

A common question many ask concerns how far one can go in lust before God considers it immorality. In other words, where is the line? This question is proof that darkness still has a strong hold in the mind of those asking this sincere question. This is like asking the question, how much cancer can I inject or how much poison can I drink before it is dangerous. All traces or expressions of the spirit of immorality will injure our heart and minimize our ability to enjoy God’s presence.

Jesus defines what loving Him consists of. We cannot come to Him on our terms but only on His terms. Denying our lustful desires is one of the primary ways God chose for us to express our love to Him. Each of us has a different struggle according to our personality and circumstances. Thus, we each have a different “assignment�� from which we offer our gift of love to God. Saying, “no�� provides us an opportunity to express love to God. He takes it personaly when we resist sin because we love Him.

21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me…23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word… (Jn. 14:21-23)

Our obedience begins once we set our heart to obey, not just after we gain full victory in an area. We enter into significant (though not complete victory) as we make sincere commitment to fight for purity. It is important that we believe that God delights in us in each step of our growth unto full victory. This begins with setting our heart on obeying Him and confidently receiving His affectionate mercy. However, we must never be content with only setting our heart to obey. We want full victory in our behavior.

The devil wants us condemned so that we give up and give in to a life of sin with hopeless and despair. God wants us confident in His mercy through the process of growing unto full victory.

God will significantly reward some on the Last Day for by declaring that they were consistently faithful to obey Him under the pressure of temptation.

12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (Jas 1:12)

Those with the crown of righteousness are champions in righteousness in this life. The “crown of life" is the reward we receive for enduring (persevering) in our obedience in our war with lust.

8 There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and…also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Tim. 4:8)

The positive side of our struggle is that saying, “no" provides an opportunity to express love to Jesus and receive His reward for making righteous decisions in the midst of temptation. There is great reward in warring against lust. We will only see or encounter God with purity.

Last edited by Theophilus (Yesterday 08:00:16)

Thank you so much for your encouraging posts. It has truly blessed me.

This website is one of my "ways of escape" provided by the Lord to help in reminding me of the truth about porn. I appreciate this ministry more than you will ever know.

Hi BklynGirlInAlabama,
Thank you for sharing your story with us. We're behind you 100%. You're precious!

The battlefield is in the mind and that is the first place the devil attacks us. He will put thoughts in our minds and tempt us, bring back images, accuse us, whatever he can do to cause us to stumble or fall. Then he will come back and tell us how horrible we are and make us feel like the worst sinners in the world, even when we're saved. Our sin is not in having the thoughts or being tempted, but in what we do with the thoughts and temptations if we choose to give in.

Jesus understands exactly what you're going through because He was tempted in every way that we are, yet He was without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) He loves you and does not condemn you.

Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness and the Bible even says he left for a more opportune time. (Please read Luke 4: 1-13) Jesus responded to the devil by speaking scripture. Jesus did spiritual warfare against the devil by speaking truth because we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the evil powers in the spiritual world. (Ephesians 6:12) (Notice the devil used scripture, HE USED THE BIBLE !, as a method to tempt Jesus, but used it OUT OF CONTEXT).

No matter what you're going through God loves you and has promised to provide you a way of escape.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (Amplified Bible):

13 For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

In spiritual warfare, it's vital to cast down any thoughts that are not of God . . .

2 Corinthians 10:5 (Amp.):
5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)

. . . and daily renew our minds and our nature.

Ephesians 4:22-24

22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

It is important to immerse yourself in God's Word and replace the lies and ungodly thoughts with His truth. The Bible is FULL of the MANY good things that God has to say about you. Do not believe the lies of the devil any longer. God is NOT mad at you and He is NOT out to get you. He ABSOLUTELY LOVES and ADORES you and wants you to feel free to come to Him uninhibited and unashamed.

Cry out to Jesus. He is waiting with open arms.

Never forget you are a Champion in Christ!

New Here! First post, Hurray! ^__^

Hey friend, BklynGirlInAlabama. Just wanted to let you know, I feel the EXACT same way and I'm still struggling ... still trying to cope with this problem.

For me (also) the battle is truly at the mind. Everything for me seems to start at that point. Ever since I was young, I believed I had a great gift of imagination and creativity. I feel as though I'm abusing the gift that God has given me, because I can imagine up the worst lewd scenes possible.

I'm also in a place where I need healing and I haven't openly told anyone about my problems, because it's such a great "taboo," especially within an Asian community.

I realize the greatest struggle is coming before God and to openly display our shame before Him. Going to prayer and the throne of grace is like harder than going through the driest desert with rocks on our legs sometimes...but the answers are always there.

We just have to keep going to God. No matter how ashamed we are, we are called "accepted," and his "children." And yes, though we are God's servants, we are also God's FRIEND. Jesus calls us his friends. So no matter how far we stray, we have to hold onto Jesus.

Let's hold onto him together, for not only dear life, but also through this struggle. :)

Hey sweetie,
I wrote an article on how to beat porn which really can be applied to any addictions and you can download it at: [url]http://www.shelleylubben.com/articles/howtobeatpornaddiction.pdf[/url]

I pray it blesses you and empowers you to be all God intended you to be!

Much love,
Shelley

Ya know I feel that way to. But as Shelley says you have to push the bad out. Fill yourself with so much God even if you are still struggling that the bad gets weaker and weaker.

I remember falling recently (Ok let me just do away with that i SINNED) and went into a prayer meeting seeking God, not running from Him)
He began moving on me, I could feel Him touching me and my mind immediantly went right back to my sin that had been recently committed and I said God why? Why are you moving on me when I just did something so bad?

You want to know His answer? Basically a "Silly, because I love you and I know your heart"!

Kool huh? So pick yourself up and keep on keeping on!

Love you!
Angel