Pornographic

Created Date: 26-Mar-2018

Use and Addiction

Last updated: 24-Feb-2021

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Sections
 

1 Preface 2 Removes God's Full Gifts
3 Married & Invisible Links 4 Observation
5 Consequences 6 Specifics
7 Solutions To Eliminate Usage 8 Rewards with Victory over Usage

The use of Pornography is often a Secret Sin that can have consequences in our Earthly lives and Rewards in Heaven.

Preface

This may be one of the insidious weapons and tools used by the Satanic Forces in the world to destroy men, women and the family.  Some points to consider:

  1. There is most likely not a single person, who intentionally or unintentionally, has not seen very explicit sexual interactions in movies, print media and on the internet.    
  2. This author has met and knows of people who have lost their marriages, relationships to the addiction.
  3. This author visited a patient at an addiction recovery center, who was there for alcoholism, and was shocked to learn they also treat sexual addictions besides alcoholism and drug addiction, because there are commonalities with alcohol, drugs and sexual addictions.  What was very unexpected is the number of women addicted to sex being treated during the many visits which the female patient told me about.
  4. This author has been in men's Bible Study Groups where many men have testified:
    (a) They have wrestled with the addiction in the past but still feel an alluring feeling to view it,
    (b) Are still having problems in the area, or
    (c) Conquered the desire with no desires to go back. 

By no means is the information below exhaustive and the information should be a good resource for help, but there may be requirement for some people to get professional counseling.

Removes God's Full Gifts

The unknown consequence that Christians will most likely experience with the use of pornography is the limitation and possibly the full influence, protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It should be obvious when the we throttle and do not get the full benefit of the Holy Spirit in our lives then there are many negative consequences that include our cognitive abilities being impaired. 

There are acts and habits that all Christians will have to overcome in our lives.  I remember reading Joyce Meyer's book, "The Battlefield of the Mind" many years ago, and it is absolutely applicable to the thought of using pornography.  When we yield to sinful thoughts that either originate from ourselves or the Satanic Forces around us, then we are in affect telling the Holy Spirit, that we are going to do what we want to do and not what He is guiding us to do.

For many people, pornography usage:

  1. Starts off with curiosity that manipulates the sexual emotion with excitement of replacement visualization:
    (a) Of oneself with the person in the pornographic materials, or
    (b) In place of someone in the materials.
  2. Repeated use of pornography often leads to an obsession addiction for the emotional ecstasy derived from usage that can potentially eliminate the ability to be satisfied sexually in any other way without the use of pornography.
  3. The obsession can then end up being a Satanic Oppression and even a Possession for the non-Christian

Christians cannot be possessed by a Satanic entity, but oppression is possible which is yielding control of our mind to proclivities which will influence clarity in a negative way of our thought processes.  Three of the signs, when there is a influence or addiction to pornography of any kind, will manifest itself:

Permanently removing the usage of all sexual materials will absolutely return a mind to fully receive the Holy Spirit's influence, direction, blessings and intellectual potential.  The differences of liberation and returned influence with clarity are astounding!  Additionally, a marriage can then have a greater fulfillment and more satisfying sexual experience. 

There are many more benefits which are discussed more as you read this topic.

Caveat Note of Importance:

For many people, sexual fulfillment is a need that should and must be accomplished from an emotional and biological requirement.  The scriptures point out roles that are required in a Marriage, but sometimes the beneficial sexual role is not available from a spouse, which means it is absolutely okay to take care of one's desires in a self-fulfilling way but just do not use pornography.

Married & Invisible Links

If the user of pornography is married, then the use of pornography can damage and potentially destroy the Godly Link between you and your spouse.  The use of pornography is very similar to the problems with adultery / affairs

The use must be stopped and all pornographic materials must be deleted and destroyed.  This is just like ending an affair, where all memorable, souvenirs, gifts, photos, linked social media accounts, email / phone contact information from previous relationships must be eliminated.  In both scenarios, all of these items are ties which will cause a damaging spiritual and invisible linkage.

With the use of pornography, it is as if the person is having an affair and the affair has not ended.  While the use of pornography never involves a physical aspect of touching another person, it involves a spiritual aspect that is an invisible Satanic Link which is tangible to our inner being whether we realize it or not. 

Biblical Scholars do not have an easy explanation for the link, other than partially 1 Corinthians 6:16, which is part of the spiritual facet of our existence

1 Corinthians 6:16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.”

As proof:

  1. We can have a friend who we have not seen in possibly many, many decades where when we see them after so much time has gone by, we can still recognize and feel a connection them even if we don't remember their name.
  2. We can go back to a childhood home that we have not lived in for many years, and then feel a flood of emotions with the sight of the place.
  3. We can see an old boyfriend or girlfriend that we have not seen for over 55 years, and instantly feel a flood of emotions and a connection.

This may seem like a farfetched assertion, but this author believes Eternity with God will be Perfect because of the new perception of connections we have with God and one another. 

When we have a Godly relationship in marriage and dating relationships, then links from the past and pornography should not be brought forward and not be included, or they have the potential to harm or even destroy this gift link that God gives in a covenant relationship.  The question can be asked if the spiritual links from the past that are good or bad can be removed, and the answer is yes with the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Take the time in prayer, study of the scriptures, friendships with other Christians and never going back to the usage.  More on this later in this topic.

Observation

As an observation, many Christians like to point to specific sins as more heinous or debaucherously than others. Furthermore, some Christians will then potentially point to some other problem such as stealing, drug or alcohol addiction are less condemning than pornography usage.  All sins have unique problems, causes and consequences.  Thank God for Mercy and Grace in all things! 

We need to always remember to hate sins and have compassion for the sinners where it also involves using wisdom when approaching to witness or not to witness on any problem.  It is often seen that someone new in Christianity will be quick to chastise someone they see in some specific sins and also appear to be hateful, judgmental, arrogant and hypocritical.

Matthew 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Romans 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another

Consequences

Some of the possible consequences, with casual use or an addiction to pornography, are very hazardous to the Christian's earthly life and eternal rewards.  Most Churches and Pastors will not discuss this subject because it has become a societal taboo area, where Pastors are afraid of offending the congregation which leads to possible loss of attendance, contributions and volunteering.  

Unfortunately, it is not always obvious that the use of pornographic materials may have the consequences of:

If the person knew that these were possibly the future consequences, then it might have been enough of a deterrent to not start viewing pornography.  This is why it is important for Churches to have an education program concerning any area that all of us can have potential temptations, unfamiliarity and additions with solutions along with support. 

Hopefully, the informed and knowledgeable Christian should already know that pornography is wrong but may rationalize it as a way to relieve stress or lack of intimacy in their life.  The use of it, by nature is a secret sin.  Many Biblical Authorities, in this area, have written that it can have additional negative consequences besides the ones already listed. 

The question for many Christians, is there a way to be healed from the desire when it is so readily available and God made us to desire sexual intimacy?  The answer is yes and it requires prayer, spending time getting closer in your Faith lead walk and a strong commitment.  More on this later in this topic.

Biblically Centered Therapists, in published articles, state that an additional two consequence of pornography, that can be reversed through prayer and time, are the potential at some point in the future where the user will be unable to enjoy the normal pleasures of sexual intimacy with these two problems:

We all need to know that we fight against unseen Satanic forces, besides our own carnal nature, so there is an unseen spiritual element to also take into consideration when looking for answers on stopping the use of pornography.  Christians can be oppressed but not possessed.  A Christian can attest to walking into a place sometimes and feeling something or some thought hitting them to do something they know they shouldn't.  Additionally, Christians can attest to having the distinct feeling and voice of the Holy Spirit telling them not to do something.  When using pornography, there is an opening created to be influenced by the unseen Satanic realm.  As an analogy, it is like a dam on a river where there is a hole that is letting the water penetrate, which must be repaired.

In the beginning, the Christian who uses pornographic materials, will have the internal voice of the Holy Spirit letting the person know this wrong.  What is unfortunately common, is for mankind's ability to rationalize and be desensitized to the point of continuing in any sin without remorse, which is called a squelching of the Holy Spirit.  Additionally, some therapist's writings in this area state that the addiction is similar to alcoholism where the user feels a biological chemical and emotional urge that captivates the thoughts into using, which afterwards will initially result in guilty feelings after use for a Christian. 

Specifics

These are summary thoughts regarding the use and addiction of pornography, that were collected through research. 

Comment areas from Biblical Sources:

1 The addiction eventually causes the undesired affect for the user to have to have pornography as the only way/means to reach intimacy either alone or with their spouse. It also causes the desire to have escapades with other partners outside of a marriage because the person substitutes themselves as a person in the pornography which flames the wrong desires of lust in the mind. The images in the materials viewed, act out roles and thoughts in our minds that replace what our spouses were able to bring out before the addition.  Additionally, without the use or recalling of images, a person is unable to have full arousal and climax.

 

2 The pornographic materials focus around glorification of specific sexual organs where when watching they are substituted in the minds of the watcher as their own.  What potentially happens is the watcher will lust after the sexual organs of their own gender.

 

 

 

a) With very careful investigation to collaborate this statement, you simply can read some interviews on those who work/worked in the pornography industry, who eventually went into bisexuality and often talk about preferring their own gender in a sexual sense.

 b) Unrelated to pornography but worth mentioning is the strange side effect of very famous film stars, musicians and athletes who participate in sexual escapades with fans because they lust for the fan worship.  The star often become bisexual or homosexual.  The reader can probably think of names very easily in this area.

3 The addiction when used by both members of a marriage is very dangerous to the health of the marriage because any excitement and arousal caused by the use of it will often lead to invitation of others in group sexual experiences and adultery. The unseen spiritual, when using pornography, invites Satanic Forces into our lives, as oppression, which are going to maim and destroy all that they can. 

Some Scriptural reference information:

1 See Judges 3:7.   Strongs Concordance defines the Groves as No. 842 from Hebrew 833 ('ashar), and includes what is upright and erect.  The asherah were made of trees often with all branches cut off and the top rounded. From many other sources the "Groves" in many scripture references is where the grossest forms of sexual excesses and aberrations were practiced in honor of Baal.  Some Israelites would directly participate and other watched from a distance behind trees at the fringe. Pornography has always existed and in the earliest forms were drawing, carvings and stones chiseled.  Israelites went to the groves to either participate or watch from a distance.  The groves had trees that were carved into phallic symbols or of a woman's unclothed body.  Sometimes there was human sacrifice and sex done concurrently, which was part of the worship of Baal and other false gods.

 

2 Romans 1:26-28 God states that eventually they will be given over to their sins and will commit even more depraved sins.
3 Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13 Speaks about forbidden sexual relations with a person's own gender.

Judges 3:7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
Romans 1:26-28 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. 28 And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Solutions to Eliminate Usage

This author knows of men who have simply asked God to remove the desire to use pornography, and the desire was removed.  Others have had to take a route of doing a great deal more, but succeeded in the elimination, desire and freedom from it!

The best account of this transformation was a great friend Ken who spoke about finding a large empty field, which he walked in the middle of it to be alone.  Once he was there, he yelled out loud to God, "If You don't remove this desire to go to topless joints and look at pornography, then I am going to have an affair on my wife!"  Ken said it was the most exhilarating moment of liberation that he had ever felt and the desire was gone!  He said, he walked back to his car smiling, ear to ear, thinking why didn't I just ask a long time ago! 

The key to the removal of pornography from a person's life requires a 100% desire to be cured.  For some people, help is required.  The well know axiom, is the start of fixing any human addiction problem is to recognize that there is a problem.  After recognizing a problem, the most often recommendation for removing a bad habit or an addiction is to replace it with a good habit.  If there is a relapse, then stop again.  Those who have had relapses, have sometimes expressed that they recognized consequential problems starting occurring in their lives, which then went away immediately when they restarted the process of elimination of pornography. 

Here are some Christian ideas that have worked for many people according to research.  Note that Christian Counseling help may still be needed.  It is also noted in self-help literature, that when replacing any habit, it takes several weeks to replace a habit with a new habit, where the old habit does not have an influence.

1 Pray daily for God to help you in a daily victory over the desires.  Over time, if you persist then you will get a victory.  Every day is a victory and to be excited and thankful.
2 Find a daily, or nearly daily, Scriptural study that requires at least a hour or more of deep involvement that expands your knowledge of the whole Bible and also involves you taking notes.  The Biblical Study will have the following effects:
(a) It cleanses the mind by replacing negative thought processes with good ones.  The Word of God always will bless and expand our minds.
(b) Will help you to grow in admiration, respect, fear and love of God.   Fear is a respect and awe of God which pushes out our sinful desires, habits as God is in the process of conforming us to the likeness of Jesus Christ.  The conforming is a lifetime process that can be very fun and rewarding.  God wants the best for us!
(c) It will grow your Faith by seeing the rewards that are revealed in the Scriptures concerning people mentioned who have walked on this earth, facing many problems that were far more complex and difficult, which God helped them conquer and have victories.
3 Find a weekly group of people that meet to study the Bible.  Take an involvement in the weekly fellowship to share knowledge of Scriptures.  Sharing will strength your resolve to never go back to any bad habits or addictions.   (Note: you are not in the weekly study group to tell anyone that you are there for getting rid of an addiction.  This type of sharing should be with people of your gender and only if the Holy Spirit is involved in helping you to give guidance to help someone else who is struggling with the same sort of problem.)
4 Avoid watching movies that glorify sexual activities and show nudity.  If you are renting a movie, that unfortunately has nudity and sexual scenes, then simply fast forward through the nudity and sexual scenes.  If you are a movie theater, then simply close your eyes, where you can pretend you are rubbing them so that it doesn't draw attention to what you are doing.
5 Failure in stopping is a possibility, so never stop the "stopping". 
6 Add some time to listen to Christian ministries on the radio or on a MP3 player.  Most people can use drive time for listening to Christian Ministries and also Christian music.  Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
7 Spend time to walk, run or bicycle at least 30 minutes on almost a daily basis.  Exercise that involves cardiovascular time will help in motivational and positive affirmations in your life.  God has given each of us talents which are to be developed and used for His Glory and our own glory that reflects the love from God.  Our body, when exercising does many wonderful things to our health, emotional wellness and mental acuity.  Many Health Councilors and Doctors have said that the body produces more endorphins when exercising which gives the exerciser a positive outlook in life.

Rewards with Victory Over Usage

If you conquer the need for using then there are many, many rewards waiting for you such as:

  1. Your spouse or partner will become more attractive.
  2. Your intellectual acuity will be clearer and more powerful.
  3. Your daily walk with God will become more rewarding as increased clarity of thought will be available because your addiction thoughts are not negating the influence of the Holy Spirit Who indwells the Believer.
  4. Your day will become more productive.
  5. Others will potentially notice a subtle change of calmness in your life.
  6. God will reward you with additional blessings that were being held back or stopped because of the negative influence and/or addiction. 
  7. You will not lose rewards that are being held in eternity.  The Epistle to the Hebrews is a great book to learn about the promises of the over-comer.  A rewarding excerpt is:
    Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,"

What to read next?

The role of Sex.   What is Abuse of Power?  What is Salvation?  Is it possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there an Age of Accountability?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?