A house swept clean will be attacked by even more wicked spirits

I feel that I need a new metric. When a runner runs a marathon, he or she measures their accomplishment by the miles run and the time required. However, measuring success against temptation in a similar way, that is by focusing on the number of chaste days, can be a trap for me. Days free from PMO is a good metric but in my case, I feel it is dangerous to confuse this metric with my real goal.

I once thought that I could retrain my brain to not be tempted by porn if I achieved a certain number of days of no PMO. However, I have come to realize the devil will use this as an opportunity. If I focus on achieving a year free from PMO, what happens when I celebrate on the morning of day 366? As I take pride in my accomplishment, my defenses will be weak and the devil will be there waiting for me.

Whereas I am no less committed to refrain from PMO, I believe my real goal must be draw myself closer to God and thereby build ever stronger defenses against the devil's temptations. There is nothing wrong with monitoring PMO days free but perhaps a more important metric for me is to measure the number of days that I set aside time for heartfelt and sincere prayer with Our Lord. I need to give this some attention.

 

I would like to thank everyone who commented on this post! With the help of your guidance and prayers, I am feeling more confident in my battle. My confidence is tempered with wariness, however. In some past efforts, success has led to relaxation of my guard and rationalization of sin during times of weakness. I know the devil doesn't rest but, daily, sincere, heartfelt prayer with God is bringing palpable feelings of joy and strength. So it is with a sincere heart that I ask God to bless each of you today!