How To Overcome Pornography

How Do I Break My Addiction To Porn?

According to the statistics, we are in serious trouble. A survey study of men and women between the ages of 18 to 30 was done by the Barna Group on the subject of pornography. The results it revealed were staggering, making these suggestions:

• 79% of men and 63% of women watch pornography every month.
• 93% of boys and 62% of girls have been exposed to pornography before the age of 18.

According to another study done by Tru Research, over 70% of teens have done something to hide their online behavior from their parents.

Sadly, the list goes on and on.

There is one good thing about these statistics: They can only record what has happened in the past; they do not have to determine where we go from here. Now it’s up to us to change what they will record in the future.

Here are four proven steps to overcome pornography:

Step 1: Quit Pretending

The first step to winning this war is admitting that you are in a battle. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Fake it until you make it?” That motto has one major flaw: People who fake it never make it.

There is one primary reason we try to pretend that everything is okay publicly—you know, putting our best act on, when in actuality, we are on the brink of collapse. That reason?

Shame.

We fear what others would think of us if they knew our failures. Innately, we are all aware that sexual promiscuity is unacceptable. Thus, shame and guilt always show up when we have crossed the line.

When you mess up, you only have two choices: You can either try to hide your mistake, which only makes matters worse; or you can come clean, which is the only real solution.

Here’s our advice: Whether you are flirting with the idea of pornography or you find yourself in an all-out war, the only way you can win the battle you are fighting in the dark is by bringing it into the light. Quit fighting this alone. Be bold, be courageous, and get help!

Step 2: Commit To Daily Devotion

Everyone faces temptation—and when we say everyone, we mean everyone, with no exceptions. You are not dirty or weird because you have been tempted to do something you know you shouldn’t.

Now, listen. We are not here to justify temptation; we want you to know how to handle it. How do you respond when the tempter comes? Temptation is not the issue; how you respond to temptation is the issue. Should you just try to think good thoughts until the bad thoughts go away? Maybe put yourself in solitary confinement without any Internet access?

We’ve got a better idea—or, actually, the Word does:

“How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word.”
Psalms 119:9 (NKJV)

The Bible is the most essential ingredient to a life of purity. You must embrace devotion as a daily ritual. Get in the Word! Meditate on what you’re reading. Memorize scripture that you can say out loud whenever you are confronted with temptation.

When Jesus was tempted, He didn’t fight the tempter with positive thoughts or even signs and wonders; He fought with the Word: “. . . It is written . . .” Your Bible is your ticket to victory. You can do this! Get in the Word!

Step 3: Set Up Internet Filters

Setting up an Internet filter is a good practice for every person with access to the Web. The sad reality in our day is that you do not have to look for pornography to see it.

According to a study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 70% of teens between the ages of 15 and 17 have stumbled upon pornography online without even looking for it. What does this mean? It means there are people hooked on pornography today just because they were exposed to it without actively looking for it.

Struggling or not, an Internet filter is an excellent safety precaution. Look at it as being the guardrails of cyberspace with the porn industry driving all over the Internet. With someone like that behind the wheel, an accident is inevitable. However, you do not have to be detoured by someone else’s bad decision. There are Internet filters that will block pornography from popping up while you’re browsing the Web, which can help keep you out of a ditch. While the ultimate goal is for you to overcome temptation, with or without a filter, why risk putting yourself in harm’s way? Set up some guardrails; get an Internet filter.

Step 4: Find An Accountability Partner

You need someone who will, on a regular basis, ask you pointed questions that no one else will. For example, my pastor asks me regularly, “Caleb, how are you doing with purity?” We have accountability partners in our lives because we have learned that whatever we do not address, we ultimately excuse.

Whatever we do not address, we ultimately excuse. Share on X

Say you’re home alone, scrolling through your smart-phone and come across a provocative image. It’s enticing and you’re weak, so you give in. Once you’ve come to your senses, what are you going to do? Will you own up to your mistake and establish a credible game plan to avoid repeating the same scenario? Probably not.

What typically happens is, you feel bad about your decisions and then take some time assuring yourself that you will never go there again—and that’s about the extent of how most people address their personal weaknesses. They think about it for a moment until they start to feel better. Then, from then on, they do their best to keep their mistakes out of sight and out of mind.

Humans avoid addressing personal weaknesses at all cost. There is a major problem with this reality. Every time you fail to really address the areas that you’ve fallen short in, you make it that much easier to excuse your moment of weakness in the future.

This is why an accountability partner is invaluable. We all need someone who will confront the problems in our lives that we try to avoid. This is especially true when it comes to pornography. Accountability is an essential part of a life of purity.

You Can Overcome!

We cannot stress these principles enough. Whether you’ve had a daily struggle with this issue or you have never struggled with it a day in your life, these steps are a proven game plan that will help you achieve a life of integrity and purity. You cannot avoid temptation, but you can overcome it!

This blog is an excerpt from The Rules Of Romance Before Marriage

Source: http://www.covenanteyes.com/resources/download-your-copy-of-the-pornography- statistics-pack/