Fighting Sexual Sin

Sin is so ugly and devastating. Its consequences are often neglected as the temptation and the sin itself seem so inviting. Yet we must fight with everything we have and kill the sin that easily overcomes us. This is where we find ourselves as born-again believers in Christ, fighting our sin. Sin, of course, comes in various flavors, and yet its object is always the same, to destroy you. For those outside of a redeeming faith in Christ, it brings eternal damnation and separation from God. For those who are in Christ, it brings earthly heartache and discipline from the hand of God. Sin is so sneaky; it often grows out of control before we realize what is happening.

Such is the case with sexual sin. Pornography is not a fringe struggle; it is a pervasive sin pattern in many lives. Across the Church, men and women are silently battling the shame and secrecy of a deep-rooted sin pattern that has captured their hearts. The Church must respond with truth, admonition, accountability, and the hope of Christ. The road to sexual impurity has become a digital superhighway leading straight to physical, emotional, and ultimately, eternal destruction. How seriously are you taking this issue?

Solomon issues a warning to his son in Proverbs 7. He speaks to the danger of sexual sin and impurity. He warns of the seductive and destructive outcome that sexual sin will produce in his life. He ends that Proverb in verses 21 and 22 by saying, “With her many persuasions she entices him; with her flattering lips she seduces him. Suddenly, he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool.” He then concludes by saying in verse 27, “Her house is the way to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.”

Solomon describes a young man wandering through the part of town known for immorality; it is late at night, and the man is alone, vulnerable. He is either a fool or a man with his heart set on ill intent; his presence “near her corner” alone tells us the ending to the story. But do we see the same danger on our smartphones? In our children’s unsupervised internet access? In the R-rated, sexually charged movies we stream as families? This lesson isn’t about resisting temptation; it’s about avoiding it. The young man falls into destruction because he is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We are not victims of temptation. The devil may whisper, but it is our own evil desires that lead us astray. No one “makes” you open a pornographic website—this is a choice to gratify the flesh rather than honor God. We often foolishly create the very environment that brings forth our sin. The answer is not found in greater personal willpower; it is found in recognizing our weakness and shaping our lives with intentional guardrails that help us avoid temptation, with dependence on the Holy Spirit.

Jesus offers a better, though more uncomfortable, way to fight sin when he says: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away… and if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (Matthew 5:29–30). His point is unmistakable: be ruthless with sin. Remove whatever draws you toward temptation. Consider a surgeon operating on cancer who removes not only the tumor but also the surrounding tissue to ensure nothing harmful remains in the body. Do we treat sin with the same seriousness? If your phone leads you to stumble—get rid of it. If unrestricted internet access, late nights alone, or sexually charged TV shows have been the path to temptation, remove them fully from your life. Protect your heart from sin and remove obvious opportunities for it to take hold in your life. If this sounds harsh or extreme, it is far better to lose your smart phone than your whole body to sexual immorality.

Be ruthless with sin—not to earn God’s favor, but because you already have it. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Jesus’ call is to a Holy Spirit-initiated and radical life transformation. Purity is going to cost you something, but it is well worth the cost! “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26)

The battle against sexual sin is not won by rules; it is won by a heart captivated by Jesus. The following practical steps will fail unless they are rooted in a larger vision of our identity in Christ. As we abide in Him and His truth, we will see holiness and sexual purity as a path to freedom, not a restriction from the lie of “personal freedom.” The road is narrow, my friend, but it is a good road, and it leads to eternal life and true freedom in Jesus. Guard your heart, remove every foothold for sin to grow in your life, and run after Jesus!

Practical Steps to Fight Sexual Temptation

Serve others. 

Remove all social media and block all internet access on your phone.

Create shared social media and email accounts with your spouse.

Only access the internet in public or shared spaces, never in private. 

Do not take your phone anywhere alone (bedroom, bathroom, etc.).

Install accountability software (e.g., Accountable2You, Covenant Eyes).

Stop watching sexually charged movies and shows.

Consider where temptation has been greatest and then destroy the surrounding environment; leave no foothold for sin to exploit. 

Remove access to temptation immediately, not “eventually.”