Flee

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

1 Corinthians 6:18

What You Can Actively Do

  1. Get up and leave the room

    Put the phone down, walk out, and go outside if you can. Joseph did not argue with the temptation, he ran from it and left his cloak behind. ()

  2. Answer it with Scripture

    When Satan came to Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus did not debate with him against temptation. He answered with Scripture, and Satan left Him. Don't hold the argument in your head. Open the word (a paper book if you can), ask God to open your heart, and read. ()

  3. Look to Jesus, instead of at the sin

    Don't try to white-knuckle your way out on your own. You don't have to. Turn your attention to Him and invite Him into this moment. Fixing your eyes on Him does what fighting the urge alone cannot. ()

  4. Sing, praise, and worship God

    Out loud if you can. This is not about distracting yourself from the sin, it is about turning your whole attention toward God. He is near to everyone who calls on Him. ()

  5. Call someone

    Ring a friend, or anyone who knows what you are walking through. Say it out loud to another person. If no one is available, use the resources: ()

Resources To Call Upon

  • JesusCares

    Message a real person about faith, or about whatever you are carrying right now. Run by the ministry Groundwire. For ages 14 and over.

    Open chatAvailable 24/7

  • Crossroads Prayer Centre

    Call and a trained prayer partner will listen and pray with you. Free, and run by the Christian charity Crossroads, who have been answering calls for fifty years.

    1-866-273-4444Visit websiteAvailable 24/7

What It Costs

2×
Married adults who started using porn were about 2x as likely to divorce.Perry & Schleifer, Journal of Sex Research (2018)
13% → 35%
Among men aged 18 to 35, erectile dysfunction climbed from 13% in those with the least problematic porn use to 35% in those with the most.JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (2021)
3x
People carrying both depression and anxiety were nearly 3x as likely to view porn daily. Distress tends to drive the urge — this moment is not simply a failure of willpower.Singareddy et al., Archives of Sexual Behavior (2024)
Less grey matter
Men who used more porn had less grey matter in the brain's reward centre, and a weaker connection between it and the region governing self-control.Kühn & Gallinat, JAMA Psychiatry (2014)

Scripture For Encouragement

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

1 Corinthians 10:13

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.

James 1:13

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James 4:7-8

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.

Psalm 46:1

I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.

Jeremiah 17:10