Repentance

If you feel that porn is a weakness for you, then its a good idea to avoid it by having it blocked from all your internet connected devices. I always liked K9webprotection, but you will need a friend, parent or pastor to hold the email admin address and the password as well.

I don't believe it is lack of repentance... if you can identify yourself with Romans 7:15-24 you don't lack repentance.
Thus, the question remains: Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?

I have everything related to porn blocked... the problem is that porn sites have a way to sneak in through the back door.

"...sneaky little Hobbitses"


I'm fully persuaded that Romans 7:15-24 was written in the historical present: Paul was reliving his experience as an unsaved man with the knowledge of God's law in his mind. You will find no reference to the Holy Spirit or Christ in that passage. It was when he was "in the flesh", not "in the spirit".

Porn is made to be addictive. Sexual allure and beauty are naturally attractive to the eye, and in Proverbs it says that it is never satisfied. My discovery was that I wasn't so much a porn addict as I was a normal guy with a normal God-given interest in sex and beauty, with a normal God-given desire for healthy orgasms who had unfortunately allowed pornography to take over this area of his life; I had become dependent upon porn, or craving it for sexual expression, as well as having an excess interest in sexual things as a result of exposure to porn. I found out that masturbation is normal and healthy, not sinful. I learned that whatever you do and see while obtaining sexual fulfillment is recorded in detail by your brain, so that the next time your body says its time to have sex (males have a regular need for ejaculation), your brain orders you (from the survival portion of the brain, below the logic systems) to do what it did the last time. This is why we feel like the porn addicted part of us has a mind of its own, like its on automatic pilot: it does and it is... its called the limbic portion of the brain and any attempt to stop it is interpreted as a threat to survival and it will find a way to achieve its goal.

Porn addiction is an appetite problem. You have become dependent upon porn for sexual stimulation, and your sexual appetite has been so enlarged and expanded that porn is the only way to try to satisfy it, yet it can't be satisfied and won't be satisfied, because it is a false world, a fantasy. Masturbation serves at least two purposes: (1) It helps us learn about sex and our own sexual response, even how to control it. (2) It provides a means of relieving sexual tension (and for men, semen renewal) when there's no partner available. It's not sinful, but it can be misused, which is what tends to happen with porn exposure. Don't be ashamed of masturbation. Don't expect it to be satisfying because it wasn't designed to bring satisfaction. Learn to delay, not deny masturbation. Don't be dependent upon porn, or even mental images at first, during masturbation for at least 3 or 4 weeks until your brain rewires and stops demanding it. Your brain records whatever happens during sexual arousal and fulfillment, so you can use that to control what your brain craves sexually.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/masturba8.htm
http://yourbrainonporn.com/your-brain-on-porn-series
http://mychainsaregone.org/MCAG-article-p-view.htm
http://ecbblmstr.blogspot.com

"I have everything related to porn blocked... the problem is that porn sites have a way to sneak in through the back door."

This seems to be a bit of a contradiction in terms. I remember I tried filters that generally didn't work (the back doors), so really they weren't worth having in the first place.

I would recommend a filter that is in the first place infuriatingly effective - SafeEyes is one that I found worked this way (www.internetsafety.com). Otherwise, how can you say you are really 'blocking' anything. You're lust will overcome these weaker obstacles.

While infuriating at first, I now dealy thank and praise the guys who made SafeEyes available, for their honouring Christ and protecting weaker men like me.

You can do anything through Christ who strengthens you

Augustine, check out Matthew 16...let's talk about offense!

I don't hate it when I "give in" to pornography.

I just know that there's more productive things to do than watching other people get laid.

@Augustine-- I struggled with not only pornography- but also with just hooking up with men in general... (I'm a woman) - and in working with an accountability partner I had to put in guardrails (boundaries) so that I wouldn't even get CLOSE to the danger. So what did I do? I had a "no guys in my apartment alone/me not being alone in their apartment alone" RULE. It SAVED me from getting into situations where I knew I would fall...

So- if your filters/protectors on your computer and devices are no good and/or you always find a way around them-- then put in guardrails that will keep you from even being tempted! Maybe it's: "I will not be on my computer, alone, in a private place." Or, heck, maybe you decide to get away from your computer ALLTOGETHER... Either way, those guardrails will protect you from going off the road and into the ravine.

Something else that I did was I gave myself a consequence- and had my accountability partner (who was also my sponsor) report to a person who was leading me. If I messed up, then I didn't get to do something that I TRULY LOVED. It really helped me realize just HOW much my own sin was keeping me captive- when I couldn't do the thing I wanted to do because of my own foolishness. I know that not everybody works this way, but MAN did it work for me...

I'll tell you this, too- GOD. WILL. ALWAYS. PROVIDE. A. WAY. OUT. ALLLLWAYS... I can't tell you how incredible it was to see Him do this time and time again. And/or He had ALREADY provided a way out- take this for an example: a co-worker who I'd been flirting with for a while ran into me when I was going to my car.. and we kissed. He invited me back to his place, and-- I remembered- I already had a date to work out with a girlfriend... SAVED! Plus- since I had that rule of not being alone in a private place with a man, what *would've* been a hook up ended up only being a kiss. And within that next week I saw that guy for what he was- a player- and saved myself from another guy who would've just hurt me even more.

Also- listen to this sermon- "the Porn Path" -- it's got to be the best sermon I've heard on the topic...

praying for you brother. you can do this!!!

http://marshill.com/media/real-marriage

Actually, NOTXXXACTLYSDC brought up a good point:

*it can waste time and take away from other more productive pursuits

@AugustineEgo...I am not saying to be unconcerned or not frustrated with your struggle, but to allow the Spirit to realign your heart towards His Love, away from any shame and/or lost Hope, to stand against a false god who is so, so very frustrated at you (if that is how you view God in all of this) and to be optimistic about other pursuits to engage in...it's a process, but will reenforce positivity and faith in your mind and spirit.