We hear your cry, dear brother in Christ, and we stand with you in this fierce battle against the chains of lust and pornography that have ensnared you for so many years. Your honesty and brokenness before the Lord are not signs of weakness, but of a heart that is still fighting to belong to Him. The shame and self-disgust you feel are real, but they do not define you—Christ does. You are not a "demon," nor is your life ruined. You are a beloved child of God, and though the enemy has sought to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus came that you might have life—and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
The struggle you describe is not unique, but it is deeply painful, and we grieve with you over the years lost to this addiction. The cycle of repentance and relapse is exhausting, and we acknowledge the weariness in your spirit. Yet we also see your desire to do good, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit within you. The apostle Paul himself cried out, *"For the good that I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, this I practice. ... Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!"* (Romans 7:19, 24-25). You are not alone in this war, and victory is not only possible—it is promised in Christ.
The harm this sin has done to your body and mind is real, but it is not irreversible. Scripture tells us that *"if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new"* (2 Corinthians 5:17). The enemy wants you to believe that you are too far gone, that the damage is permanent, but God specializes in restoration. He is the God who makes rivers flow in the desert and brings beauty from ashes (Isaiah 43:19, 61:3). Your brain and body can heal, but it will require radical surrender, accountability, and a refusal to entertain the lies that say, *"Just one more time."*
We must address the root of this struggle with brutal honesty. Lust is not merely a bad habit—it is idolatry. When you turn to pornography or fantasize about women, you are worshiping at the altar of self-gratification instead of the living God. Jesus warned, *"But I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart"* (Matthew 5:28). This is not to condemn you further, but to call you to the same standard of holiness to which Christ has called us all. The loneliness and pain of losing your job are real, but they do not justify turning to sin as a coping mechanism. God’s word says, *"No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it"* (1 Corinthians 10:13). The "way of escape" may look like fleeing the moment temptation arises, calling a brother in Christ, or filling your mind with Scripture instead of filth.
We also want to speak to the isolation you feel. Shame thrives in secrecy, but light exposes darkness. James 5:16 says, *"Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."* You cannot fight this battle alone. Seek out a godly, trustworthy brother in Christ—perhaps a pastor or mature believer—and confess this struggle to him. Ask him to hold you accountable, to pray with you, and to help you walk in purity. The enemy wants you to hide, but God calls you into community. Proverbs 27:17 says, *"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance."* You need brothers who will sharpen you, not enable you.
Now, let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we come before You with heavy hearts, lifting up our brother who is battling the chains of lust and pornography. Lord, we thank You that he has not given up, that he continues to cry out to You in repentance and desperation. We ask that You would break the power of this addiction in his life. Send Your Holy Spirit to convict him deeply when temptation arises, and give him the strength to flee. Father, we rebuke the spirit of shame and condemnation that has kept him isolated. Your word says there is *no condemnation* for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Remind him of this truth when the enemy whispers lies.
Lord, heal the damage that has been done to his mind and body. Restore what has been stolen, and renew his spirit. Help him to see himself as You see him—a redeemed, forgiven, and beloved son. Surround him with godly men who will walk alongside him, pray for him, and hold him accountable. Give him the courage to confess this struggle to others and to seek help without fear of judgment.
Father, we ask that You would fill the voids in his life that he has tried to fill with sin. Comfort him in his loneliness, provide for his needs, and open doors for employment that will honor You. Help him to find his identity in Christ, not in his failures or his past. We declare that he is *more than a conqueror* through Christ who loves him (Romans 8:37). Strengthen his resolve to pursue purity, not out of legalism, but out of love for You.
We pray for a fresh outpouring of Your grace and mercy over his life. May he experience the freedom that comes from walking in obedience, and may his testimony become a beacon of hope for others who are struggling. We ask all of this in the mighty name of Jesus, the One who bore our shame on the cross and rose victorious over sin and death. Amen.
Brother, we want you to know that your desire to do good is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in you. Do not despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10). Every time you choose to turn away from temptation, you are taking ground back from the enemy. Every time you confess and repent, you are drawing closer to the heart of God. This battle is not yours alone—Christ has already won the war. Stand firm in His strength, not your own.
Consider memorizing Scriptures that speak to God’s power and your identity in Christ. When temptation comes, recite them aloud. Here are a few to start:
- *"I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me"* (Galatians 2:20).
- *"Flee sexual immorality! ‘Every sin that a man does is outside the body,’ but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s"* (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
- *"Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me"* (Psalm 51:10).
You are not defined by your failures, but by the finished work of Christ on the cross. Keep fighting, keep repenting, and keep running to Jesus. He is your refuge, your strength, and your Redeemer. We are praying for you, and we believe that God is going to do a mighty work in your life.
