October 19
“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14)
“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”(2 Corinthians 10:5)
There is an aspect of overcoming immoral lusts of the flesh and mind, including viewing pornography, that I think warrants special focus. Perhaps one could say that this final exhortation in this area may be one of the most important and probably one of the most challenging things of all to do. This challenge is to bring every thought captive to Christ, to purge lust and immorality out of every thought in our minds.
What I am talking about is that we must develop the discipline to immediately confront, oppose, expose, rebuke, and reject every thought of lust and immorality that comes into our minds. Doing all the Bible study and praying and reviewing in the world will not enable us to conquer immoral lusts if we then turn around and open the door of our minds and entertain lustful fantasies. We cannot reserve a “secret stash” of filth in our minds. When we see a woman (or man) and are tempted to lust for them, what we do with those thoughts in the secrecy of our hearts, which of course is not secret from God, is the test of how well we are doing in overcoming temptation.
These thoughts and temptations that come into our heads, sometimes out of nowhere, sometimes stimulated by some image that we see or some words that we hear, have to be dealt with immediately and decisively. We must develop the discipline to say “no” and refuse every lustful thought. We have to make it a habit, a reflex, to just say, “Get behind me Satan, that is evil, and I will not sin against my God in this way” whenever these sins crop into our minds. If we are tempted to fantasize about some adulterous relationship, we should develop the habit of praying for the spiritual welfare of that person and ask God to keep them from any kind of immoral relationship.
When Paul says, “but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live,” I believe included in that, and perhaps the first step in that, is to put to death immediately and decisively, by the power of the Spirit – cry out to Him for the will and ability to do this each and every time you are tempted – every immoral thought that comes to mind. We have to. The way our thoughts go, our bodies go. The first most crucial step is the habit of gaining victory over every lustful thought the second it enters our minds. If you make this a habit, you will not commit sins of immorality. If you don’t develop this habit, you may be successful conquering some external habits, but you won’t enjoy full and complete victory and a completely clear conscience. Don’t stop short. Don’t be satisfied with eliminating external immoral behaviors. Develop the habit of cleaning out the heart and mind and keeping them clean, down to the very last thought!
This is the seventieth and final day we will specifically be discussing strategies for overcoming immoral thoughts and behaviors. I hope you have benefited from this focused discussion. I know I certainly have, as my thoughts and recommendations in this area have been crystallized by writing these things down. Thank you! May the Lord bless you as you diligently apply yourself to these things and gain the victory that is yours already in Christ Jesus!