Overcoming sexual sins
How Can People Overcome Sexual Sins?
Human sexuality can be one of the
most beautiful aspects of God's plan for His children here on earth. But since
Adam and Eve's fall from grace, human sexual practices have drifted from God's
purposes.
In fact, if we are not careful to
look to our Heavenly Father and follow His teaching in this area, we live a
life which makes us slaves to sin and fails to bring glory to our Lord.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
If you are struggling with sexual
sin, you are not alone. Even King David -- a man after God's own heart --
wrestled with sexual sin. When he saw a beautiful woman named Bathsheba, he was
overcome by his own lust. He then went to great lengths to hide his sin. But
thanks to a faithful friend and a forgiving God, David found his way home (2
Samuel 11:12). And so can you.
FREEDOM IN THE TRUTH
Too often, we step onto the wrong
path in our sexuality because we fail to act upon God's truth. Jesus, in one
passage of the Bible, examines the freedom found in truth, and the enslaving power
of lies. In that passage, the Lord puts it plainly: the truth sets us free. We
either respond to the truth or to Satan's lies (John 8:31-47).
Recognizing the truth about sex can
be an important first step to achieving victory over sexual sins. First, God
wants His children to enjoy the beauty of appropriate sexual relationships. The
King of the universe has much to say in His Word about the joys to be found in
a marriage where both husband and wife know and love Christ (Gen. 2:24-25;
Prov. 5:19; Song of Solomon).
However, the devil, the accuser of
our souls, constantly tries to wreck God's plans. He lies to us, tempting us to
believe that we can grab hold of sexual pleasures apart from a marriage
commitment. He uses day-to-day pressures and our own sinful nature to
accomplish his purposes.
And what begins as merely a
"wandering thought" can quickly tempt us to act sinfully (James
1:14-15). These sins can involve pornography, fornication, adultery,
prostitution, homosexuality, and other ungodly sexual practices.
No matter what sins overcome us, we
must recognize that lust is at the root of our sin (1 John 2:16; Gal. 5:16-20).
Lust blinds us and leads us deeper into sexual sin (1 Tim. 4:1-2; Rom. 1:21-27;
Eph. 4:17-19). Each sin results in the same end (Rom. 6:23) and can carry
deadly consequences of disease, and worse:spiritual death.
BREAKING THE CHAINS
To break the bonds of sexual sins,
you must repent. That means a total change of direction, away from the sins and
temptations, and toward the forgiving grace of a loving God. If you have
allowed lust to control your life, yield to God as the Holy Spirit convicts you
of your sin. God will forgive and cleanse you physically, emotionally and
spiritually, if you humbly come to Him (1 John 1:8,9; Psalm 103:12; Romans
6:23).
If you do not know that Jesus is
your Savior, turn your life over to Him. Simply pray this prayer: "Jesus,
I know You died for me. Thank You for saving me from my sins. I ask You to be
Lord and Savior of my life."
Once you know Jesus as Savior take
comfort in knowing that He identifies with your struggles and He desires to set
you free (Heb. 4:14-16). He will enable you to gain the victory.
FIGHTING THE DAILY BATTLE
To overcome the temptations you will
continually face, follow God's simple plan:
- Stand firm against temptation (James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:6-9; 2 Tim. 2:22).
- Confess your sins to a brother or sister in Christ and pray to be healed (James 5:16).
- Hide God's Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11), trusting in its strength (Heb. 4:12).
- Minister to God with sacrifices of praise (Heb. 13:15) until you are filled with the peace and joy of the Lord (Isaiah 26:3).
Most of all, the change must come
from within (see Prov. 23:7). Fill your mind with God's thoughts, not worldly
thoughts. And remember, the Bible says that God can be trusted not to let you
be tempted too much, and He will show you how to escape from your temptations
(1 Cor. 10:13).
Finally, become part of an active
Spirit-filled church. Study the Bible daily. Pray constantly and befriend other
like-minded Christians. If you continue to give into temptations, you may need
the help of a minister, counselor and/or other prayer partners.
AS YOU PRAY
Are you currently struggling with
sexual sins? Despite the power these sins can have over us, you can have
victory through the cleansing blood of Jesus and His grace to live each day.
Pray right now: "Father,
forgive me and heal me from the sexual sins which have kept me separated from
Your love. Help me to recognize and accept the power Jesus offers to restore me
to wholeness. Help me to flee from all influences which cause me to sin, and
allow me the meekness and humbleness I need to confide in a brother or sister
in Christ and be healed. Encourage me and strengthen me with your holy and
powerful Word. Amen."
GOD'S WORD ON SEXUAL SIN
"Don't you know that your
bodies are part of the body of Christ? Is it right for me to join part of the
body of Christ to an immoral woman? No, it isn't! ... Surely you know that your
body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a
gift from God. You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So
use your body to honor God." (1 Cor. 6:15, 19-20).
SCRIPTURES FOR STUDY
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 -- God's will
concerning sex
Proverbs 2:12-22; 6:20-35 -- The
need for God's Word and wisdom
Psalm 51:7 -- Assurance of cleansing
James 1:12 -- Rewards for resisting
sexual sin
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you to
know Him and experience an amazing
change in your own life. Discover how you
can find peace with God. You can also send us your prayer requests.
Sex is interesting and wonderful,
when done with the right person; but until then, it is necessary to keep our
desires in check. In order to control your urge for sex, these are some of the
things you can do:
1. ACCEPT THAT IT IS PRETTY NORMAL
TO HAVE SEXUAL URGES
To control your sexual urges, you
must first accept that there is nothing wrong in wanting sex or thinking about
it. It is a pretty normal phase everyone goes through, unlike what we have been
made to believe by some societal factors like religion that sex is evil and
having sexual urges is a complete taboo. You have to know and accept that your
sexual desires are just one of those basic physical needs that seeks to be
fulfilled one way or the other and that we are wired to think about sex. Once
you have accepted this fact and you strongly wish to put it in check, you can
control it.
#2. KNOW WHAT TRIGGERS THOSE
FEELINGS
In order to control your sexual
desires, you must know what it is that actually sets it off. For someone who is
sexually starved, it is easier to be drawn by sexual innuendoes and signs,
making it tough to control your urges but once you have identified those things
that these feelings, you mind will be alert enough to steer clear of them.
Avoid reading books with x-rated contents or watch pornographic movies or any
form of object that can stimulate your sexual urges.
#3. TRANSLATE YOUR SEXUAL URGES INTO
CREATIVE OUTPUTS
To curb your sexual desires, you
have to do more to think less. Channel all those feelings into something
that will keep your mind off sex and then, get busy. You can read books, go
out with friends, watch movies, learn new things etc. Transfer your urges
into something you have always wanted to do. At the end of the day, you would
have successfully managed not to think about sex and you will also be satisfied
at the things you did. If one of those hobbies trigger a sexual response in you
and you are feeling aroused, do not masturbate. Think of non-sexual images or
take a long walk..
#4. TRANSFER YOUR ENERGY INTO
EXERCISE
Engage your body in exercise that
will keep you busy and keep you from feeling frustrated from not having sex.
You can jog in the morning, swim or hit the gym. You can also try yoga and
other exercise that will help stimulate both mind and body.
#5. STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
Only few can drink heavily or do
drugs without losing control of themselves. Stay away from alcohol and drugs if
they will cause you to do something you will regret when you are sober. If you
must drink, drink with friends you can trust and you know will watch over you.
#6. PURSUE NON-SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS
In order to control your sexual
urge, you should enter into a relationship with no sex. If you wonder what you
both will do without the sex, there are countless things couples can do to bond
like going on a field trip together, taking up a joint hobby, learning new
things together. Far from what most people think, you can have a very
satisfying relationship without sex.
#7. TALK TO SOMEONE
If you feel like you can’t control
it all by yourself, you can talk to your doctor, pastor, parents, close
relative or friends. Sometimes, having someone to talk to about how you feel
helps better than trying to curb it all by yourself. Who knows, the person you
want to meet may have had difficulty curbing his own desires too. What then is
better than learning from someone’s experience. Don’t be shy or scared of being
judged.
#8. GET SPIRITUAL HELP
In getting spiritual help, it’s
important to note that if you are being taught that sex is bad and it wrong,
you won’t have much comfort there and it will only push you deeper into your
urges. Get spiritual help that engages your mind in spiritual activities that
are far from sex. Being around people pursuing the same goal as you, especially
in chastity can also be a strong supportive measure. That way you have someone
holding your hands all the way.
As you would handle the viruses on
your system, so should you handle the thoughts of sex, especially when you are
trying so hard to be chaste. Tackle your thoughts before it translates into an
action you may regret later.
Overcoming sexual sins
Reviewed by Imafidon Samuel Jr.
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