Darkness and Death

I watched a video of a preacher who had been a huge male porn star. In the video, he said that 30 of his friends were now dead because of drug overdoses and suicides. The Bible says that “The wages of sin is death.” This preacher talked for two hours about what died for him (just about everything) because of porn.

But often a person who goes back to his P has no idea what dies or starts to die. He does not realize that his ability to fight back against anger partially died, his ability to fight back against fear partially died, or his ability to enjoy a simple TV show or walk in the park partially died. But what they do know is that their ability to have the fullness of joy went down, down, down, and now they are left frantically searching for a way to find joy and purpose again.

When a heroin addict sees a pile of heroin they see something beautiful, exciting, and irresistible. That's what my brother's son-in-law saw in his last bag. He did not wake up.

I am starting to understand a lust addiction. When I am at the beach, or watching TV and someone starts to show too much... I instantly look away. I am starting to see what the heroin addict missed. He was looking at darkness and death, but he thought he saw something beautiful. He was wrong. Consider praying:

“Father, help me to remember that darkness and death enter my life when I delay turning away.”

Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

This week, consider setting an hourly alarm to remind yourself to instantly turn from lust. When the alarm sounds pray:

“Father, Remind me how to keep darkness and death out of my life. Help me to turn instantly from lust.”

Finally, satan wants you on the couch to fight porn while doing something close to nothing. When temptation starts pray, attack with key verses, and get out your list of activities as fast as you can move.

 

Bad emotions lead to depression. If you start to become angry, discontent, stressed, or any of a dozen negative emotions... Panic. Negative emotions lead to darkness and darkness leads to bad habits. Yesterday I noted that praising the Lord 100 times is a top 7 way to quit. Why? Because that praise is “fighting” negative emotions.

Second, exercise. Aerobic activity fights stress and fights negative emotions. Consider picking an exercise and then try to make it a habit.

Third, give thanks. It is a Bible command after all... “In everything give thanks.” Satan wants you mad at your wife/husband, job, and everything else. Instead, list what you are thankful for.

Fourth, attack your negative emotions with scripture. I just clicked “Verses frustration.” I scrolled down to the Open Bible list. Wow, it is great. Consider making it a habit to do this when your worst negative emotion flares up.

Fifth, realize you can do something. I have prob given 20 things “To do,” in my last dozen or so articles. Consider starting a notebook that has “To do,” written on its cover. Then, the next time your emotions attack, you will have something to do. Having something “To do” is a top 5 trick for fighting temptation.

Sixth, when you are fighting desperately against negative emotions, having something to do won't be as fun as a vacation in paradise. So always remember... You are doing this replacement activity as work. As fighting back. As a powerful technique to get you through to where life gets good again. Plus...when you make it safely, life will start to get better and better.