Among the various things which prevent Christians from being filled with the Holy Spirit, viewing porn is near the top of the list. This beast has tentacles reaching into virtually every home in America, which makes this vice always just a click away.
Pornography delivers a much different spirit than the Holy Spirit. Porn fuels sexual lust, and sexual lust is highly addictive. Just ask anyone who finds himself or herself continually tapping into this visual cesspool for the soul.
One of the best ways to defeat porn is to fill our mind with things which are pure and holy. By meditating upon God's Word, we provide a cleansing agent for our soul. And a clean mind feels far better to a believer than a polluted heart.
Not only that, but whenever a heart is in the grip of porn, there is very little if any true prayer going on. There is simply no power or spiritual motivation to pray. Instead, believers find themselves feeling rushed, distracted, and easily angered. These are just a few of the many harmful side effects of porn. This dastardly habit completely prevents a Christian
And apart from a Spirit-filled life, a Christian cannot flow in the peace and power of God. Only the Holy Spirit can produce "the fruit of the Spirit" (see Gal. 5:22,23). And only the Holy Spirit can produce genuine prayer in the life of a believer. Praying "in the flesh" feels very different than praying "in the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18). One approach feels awkward, while the other flows supernaturally. As Jesus said, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing" (John 6:63).
Picture your soul containing a gallon of "spiritual water." A Spirit-filled Christian seeks to avoid impure thoughts and images. Such thinking produces contaminated water in the soul. And it doesn't belong in the heart of anyone who confesses Jesus as Savior and Lord. But the living water of the Holy Spirit is pure, satisfying, and refreshing. Our thought life largely determines the kind of spiritual water flowing within our soul at any given moment.
Believers are called to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). You see, unless we cast off sinful thoughts by the grace of God, those enemies of Christ tend to infiltrate much territory within our heart and mind.
The grace of God is an amazing thing. It not only "brings salvation" to a believer, (Titus 2:11) but it also "teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives" (Titus 2:12). None of us are capable of producing such godliness. But through Christ who lives in us, we can do all things, which includes controlling our viewing habits and our thought life.
This is why the Bible instructs us, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23). A Christian can never afford to leave his or her heart unguarded. And there are few threats more damaging to the heart than the smut of pornography. It has the power to completely corrupt a person's feelings, motives, desires, and daily objectives. Rather than enjoying life and loved ones, an addiction to porn produces mental and spiritual bondage. And it starts to take over your mind.
Thankfully, Jesus forgives sinners, and He also delivers people from bondage to sin. The Lord gives us a new heart and a new mind when we repent of our depravity and bring it to the cross. Christ suffered and died to deliver us from the eternal penalty of sin, and from the burden which sin brings into our lives. After all, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17).
And yet, any Christian who chooses to wallow in the filth of pornography certainly doesn't feel like a new creation. The love and joy of the Lord is absent from the heart if it is occupied with lewdness and sensuality. As D.L. Moody aptly said, "There must be an emptying before there can be a filling."
Would you like to be emptied of your lust so that you can be filled with the love of God instead? And would you like the spiritual water within your soul to be pure and refreshing, rather than dirty and depressing?
If so, why not offer these words to God right now: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). Imagine the benefits of praying that Psalm sincerely and often throughout the day. God's Word assures us, "You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is stayed on Thee" (Isaiah 26:3).
Here is an additional prayer which could help greatly in your healing and deliverance from an addiction to porn: "O Lord, please forgive my sin of lust, and cleanse my heart and mind of the images which I have allowed to consume my thought life. Deliver me Jesus from my addiction to porn. Heal my heart from the damage I have caused by choosing to seek satisfaction from porn. And grant me wisdom and strength to quickly call upon you whenever I am tempted. Help me say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions. Empty my heart of sin O Lord, and then fill me with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen."
If you feel trapped in the dungeon of porn, don't give up my friend. There is way out, and Jesus will help you. Simply call on Him, and then speak honestly to Him throughout the day. You can become like those who have already been delivered from an addiction to porn. There is hope because the power of Christ is greater than your addiction.
BY DAN DELZELL
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