Tips for the Christian girl

Struggling With Sexual Sin

Struggling with sexual sin?

Sometimes we struggle with things like pornography, masturbation and sexual sin in general but there is always something that leads to it.

You need to ask yourself these questions.

Is what I'm watching contributing to sexual purity?
Is what I'm listening to contributing to sexual purity?
Is what I'm reading contributing to sexual purity?
Is who I'm spending time with and friends with contributing to sexual purity?

What we listen to, watch, read and hang out with can bring lust. For example, if you're listening to music that's constantly about love it can fuel lust in you for a relationship. If you're watching shows and movies that have sex scenes and acts then it will bring lust.

A woman of God I watch once said that before something becomes a stronghold, there was a build-up. A stronghold is anything that you feel has power over you. It's hard to break away and be free. It's like a chain, a hold and you want it to go but it's like its power over you is stronger.

She said that you can be watching pornography for the first time and at first it's not a stronghold but after doing it the second, third and fourth time it's like you're attracting these kinds of spirits (demonic forces). The enemy sees what he is building you. He is against purity and anything God honouring so when we entertain things and people that bring these thoughts and desires it attracts the kingdom of darkness to cling to us. That's why when you'll want to let go, there is resistance. It's like you'll be free for a week but then it pulls you down again.

As Christians, we have power over sin and the kingdom of darkness when we first resist. To Resist the devil you'll need to cast away whatever is not contributing to your resisting him. Whatever contributes to lustful thoughts or those feelings of lust. Whatever it is that brings that desire. If you don't know what, then you can ask the Holy Spirit to help you.

- Make sure you're saved.

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour? The Kingdom of darkness will always have power over you until you finally give your life to Christ and know genuinely in your heart that you've accepted Him. You should have confidence that if you died right now, you'll be heading towards heaven.

I would also suggest you fast. The power of fasting is that it weakens the flesh. What felt difficult to overcome becomes easier. What fasting does is that instead of feeding your flesh, instead of doing what your flesh (body) desires, needs and wills you rather focus on building yourself spiritually. So instead of watching movies or reading a book that isn't edifying you spiritually you now replace those same amounts of hours and time you would use in reading or watching those series with reading the word, prayer and worship. The same goes for food. The time you would find yourself eating a snack or enjoying your pancakes, you now use that same time to pray, read the word etc. You replace whatever pleases you physically for things that strengthen your relationship with God. So you replace a movie with a sermon. You replace reading or chatting with friends with listening to a podcast that helps your faith and brings you to Christ.

When you do this you're weakening your flesh and its desires. Fasting is difficult for the first few days (usually the first 3) because you're not doing what you normally do. You're not eating the hours you normally eat so that's why you'll feel little headaches here and there and tiredness. You're not watching or listening to what you usually do so you'll feel that desperate desire to watch them again but after those first 3 days fasting gets much easier. Those headaches normally go away, you'll barely feel hungry because physically your body has adjusted to the new times you eat and saying no to yourself becomes much easier.

A sermon I watched on fasting said how it helps us break strongholds. So those stubborn sins and habits that aren't leaving will soon leave. I'll love to encourage you to fast, even if you can't fast for food because of important reasons you can still do things that be a sacrifice to you. Fasting is a sacrifice so maybe you can challenge yourself to eat no chocolate for a month (Note that if you eat chocolate regularly, don't fast for something you barely eat anyway or something you don't like, it won't be a genuine fast because it's not a sacrifice).

You can fast from eating sweet things for two weeks. You can sacrifice eating something you love for something plain. The point is that you don't give what you normally wouldn't love.

While you're fasting. Flourish is here to try to guide you, help you and send you videos and things you can watch during that time.

Just pm us!

-etty