What is sexual immorality?
It is participating in sexual activities outside of marriage or with someone you are not married to. It includes masturbation, fornication and adultery.
Why should you overcome lust/sexual immorality ?
You should strive to overcome sexual immorality the Bible commands it. It’s a sin against your body which is a temple of God (the Holy Spirit dwells in it) and it is therefore a sin against God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 ~ God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
1 Corinthians 6:18 ~ Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
How to overcome lust/sexual immorality
- Acknowledge and confront your sin: Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step towards fixing it. If you’re reading this, you’ve most likely passed this step. Many Christians don’t have a problem with sexual immorality, they see it as a part of “normal life” that they can’t escape from. After all, anyone “keeping themselves for marriage” or for God is classed as a prude or abnormal. They know deep down it’s a sin they shouldn’t be participating in, but they push the thought aside. Confronting this sin will help you over come it. After all, you can’t fix something you don’t think is broken.
- Acknowledge its negative impact in your life: Is it affecting your relationship with God? How you feel about yourself? How you view the opposite sex? Is it affecting your mental health? Having reasons as to why you want to overcome sexual immorality will help you in the long run. It’ll help you stay disciplined and overcome temptation.
- Have someone you’re accountable to: Being accountable to someone can also help with overcoming temptation. Knowing you have to tell someone if you achieved or failed your goal can discourage you from falling into temptation. Not only that, but having someone you can confide in during your moments of weakness will be helpful. Someone to motivate, encourage and build you up in your journey will increase your chances of being successful. Make sure you pick a non-judgmental person who will have time for you.
Proverbs 27:17 ~ Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 ~ Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
- Practice forgiveness and avoid condemnation: You are not your sin. You are a child of God and you are worthy, valued and loved. Your shortcomings do not define you. God does not love you less because you sinned. He is there for you always, his love for you is not conditional.
- Flee from temptation: Avoid triggers and anything that can entice you. If you struggle with masturbation, throw away your sex toys and if you struggle with fornication, surround yourself with more likeminded people and less worldly people. Stay away from relationships for the moment if you can’t be in one without participating in sexual activities.
- Pray: Prayer can help you overcome lust. Take God on your journey.
Matthew 26:41~ Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!
Zechariah 4:6 ~ So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.
Philippians 4:13 ~ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
