There are 16 principles to follow to gain total and permanent victory over addiction to lust, porn and masturbation after being born again.
Note: Before going through these principles or following them, be sure you’ve been born again [it works only for those who have been born again], if you’re not sure whether you have been born-again or not, humbly rededicate your life to Jesus to be sure -say a short prayer inviting Jesus into your life, confessing your sins to God and forsaking them, accepting Jesus’ death for your sins on the cross and His payment for your redemption with His blood, confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior and ask Him to help you live for Him henceforth by filling you with the Holy Spirit.
The principles follows:
MAKE A DECISION: Decide that you’re going to fight and overcome these vices no matter what, and that you’ll never give up fighting until you’ve gained your desired freedom. Determine and commit to doing all it takes to live above lust, masturbation and porn.
CREATE BOUNDARIES: Create boundaries in your life that help keep you out of potentially compromising situations. That is, create barriers that will hinder or restrain you from doing or looking at certain things that will lure you into lusting, watching porn or masturbating. One of such barriers would be not to access porn sites or sexually immoral sites by installing web protection software on your PC or any device you are using, the software lets you block porn sites and search safely on the net; covenanteyes, x3watch, k9 web protection software are some of the softwares you can use to block your access to porn sites and all sites with sexual content from your phone, I-pad, notebook, laptop or PC, and after blocking your access, do not unblock no matter what. Get rid of or burn ALL sex toys, porn CDs, magazines, pictures you have in your possession, do not keep a single item. Delete all porn videos and images you have on your phone, laptop or any of your gadgets, and remove all sexually suggestive pictures or things you may have in your room.
STOP THE THINKING: Do not spend time thinking of ‘lust, masturbation/watching of porn’ whether it be you wanting to overcome it or you wanting to indulge in it; STOP THINKING OF THE ADDICTION. What we regularly think about and focus our attention on, we attract to our life.
FLEE: Do not go and/or stop going to places you know will stimulate the urge to indulge in this addition (s). When you mistakenly come across any sexually immoral image, video or picture, do not dwell on it, quickly move away from it or remove your eyes from it. 2 Timothy 2:22 says “FLEE from youthful lusts…” 1 Corinthians 6:18 says “FLEE sexual immorality…” So you must FLEE from everything that will incite you to lust, to masturbate or to watch porn. You are not to stay and watch it or try to fight it but to FLEE physically, to FLEE visually (moving your eyes away from lustful images) and to FLEE mentally (rejecting lustful thoughts).
AVOID LONENESS AND IDLENESS: Avoid staying alone for a long time especially in your room, lying on the bed, except you’re praying, fasting, studying the Bible or reading a Christian literature. Pray and be led by God to a Bible-believing church where the raw truth of God’s Word is preached, taught and practiced, and attend church services and mid-week church programs regularly. Get involved in church activities by joining a service unit (department) in church. Spend time with your family and God-fearing friends. Rather than being alone in your room, come out of your room and sit in the balcony reading an academic literature or a Christian literature, watching a Christian movie or playing Christian songs, engaging in a sport or interesting activities. Avoid being idle because when often idle, the devil comes with his temptations, so let your mind be always engaged, be busy with something and when you need to rest without necessarily sleeping, let your mind be engaged in something godly or free from sexual immorality, like listening or playing Christian worship songs, watching TV shows or videos free from sexual contents. In being busy, avoid spending time on social media chatting or engaging in sexual talks with the opposite sex, going through pages with sexual contents or going over pictures of the opposite sex that are sexually stimulating. Once you behold a seductive picture or read a sexually stimulating message, it goes into your subconscious mind and waits for your idle moment to stir up sexual desires. Unfriend/block friends and pages on your Facebook and other social accounts that often and only shares posts, pictures and videos that sexually stimulates.
WALK AWAY FROM AND WALK WITH: “Do not be misled, bad company corrupts good character." 1 Corinthians 15:33 declares. Separate yourself temporarily from friends you have that are involved in the watching of porn, masturbation, fornication, lust and other sexual immoral acts. If you still hang around them, hang out with them or spend time with them, you may never overcome the addiction(s); their company has the power to keep you bound to these vices. 2 Timothy 2:22 says “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” That Scripture says: RUN FROM lusts that capture youths, RUN TO righteousness, faith, love and peace (i.e run to God), and RUN WITH those calling on the Lord out of a pure heart, that is, get close to, hang around, hang out with, spend time with and walk with Christians who are genuinely serving God, and equally seek to live sexually pure and holy lives. So, make new God-fearing friends from church, but prayerfully do it. Proverbs 13:20 says “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”
GUARD YOURSELF: Be careful of what you watch, read and listen to because what you look at, listen to, read and talk about in abundance will eventually manifest in your life (Proverbs 4:23). You cannot continue to listen and watch most secular music videos, songs, movies, shows etc as most of them have sexual content, sexually stimulates, promotes premarital sex, or directs your mind to sex; you’re still vulnerable to sexual temptations, so avoid them. Embrace and stick to Christian movies if you're a fan of movies e.g (Mount Zion films, Flaming sword films, The Overcomers film productions, Ladtem films, Zionstones Media...) these are good because they are purely Christian movies acted mostly by those who have been born again, and are totally free from sexual content unlike 'secular Christian movies'. Watch Christian TV shows and programs, Christian songs and music videos, listen to sermons. Ensure that what you watch, read and listen to is free from sexual content and would not spur you to do or think anything sexually immoral.
HAVE THIS DETERRENT: Put at the forefront of your mind the unrest, lack of peace of mind and the guilt you will feel after lusting, masturbating or watching porn, and the need to ask God for forgiveness after engaging in the immoral act, when you always have this at the front of your mind and temptation comes, you will not want to give in. Also always remind yourself that porn stars are actually enemies of God and are headed to hell-fire except they repent and accept Jesus before death; so you shouldn’t take pleasure in what they’re doing. By the way, watching porn is approving of others’ sin. Romans 1:32 says “Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also APPROVE of those who practice them.” So when God will judge porn stars who are sexually immoral, the viewers of porn who support and approve what they’re doing by viewing and enjoying what they’re doing will most likely receive the same judgment they receive as they're equally sexually immoral. 1 Timothy 5:22 warns "...Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure."
APPLY THE BLOOD: Constantly use the blood of Jesus to erase and wash off from your mind any sexual immoral image or video you mistakenly set your eyes on. Also use the blood of Jesus to rebuke sexual immoral thoughts when they come by boldly declaring audibly or silently “I rebuke you Satan with your sexual immoral thought by the blood of Jesus in the name of Jesus.” Revelations 12:11 says "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb…” James 4:7 says “resist the Devil, and he will flee from you”.
DO NOT ENTERTAIN IT: Avoid entertaining sexual immoral thoughts. When the devil brings the thought of lust, masturbation or porn do not receive it and begin to dwell on it, reject it immediately he’s bringing it by replacing the thought with a godly thought or any thought that is not sexual in nature. Philippians 4:8 tells us exactly what to think on “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Another thing to do to resist a sexual immoral thought immediately the devil brings it, and prevent it from entering your mind is SINGING to God. Start singing to God and continue worshipping God and you’ll see the immoral thought disappear on its own, you’ll receive more grace and strength to stand for righteousness. Once you receive and entertain the sexual immoral thought, you will most likely give in to sexual sin, so, beware!
DAILY DECLARATION: Always declare to yourself during your morning prayers: “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, sin has no power over me anymore. I live above sin. I am holy. I am righteous. I am an overcomer through Christ Jesus. Lust, masturbation and porn has no hold on me. I’ve overcome them by the grace of God.” After confessing and asking God for forgiveness immediately you fall into any of the vices, make this declaration above and ask the Lord for grace to continue living in holiness. Don’t ever begin to condemn yourself when you fall into any of the vices nor entertain the words of condemnation from the devil that you are bad, you’re a terrible sinner, you’re going to hell, God cannot forgive you, God hates you … PLEASE DON’T! Immediately you fall, rise and go on your knees and apologize to the Holy Spirit, then ask for more grace to live holy and make the above declaration verbally and loudly to yourself. Romans 8:1 says “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” So when you fall, rise, continue fighting and applying the principles; don’t ever quit and give up, don’t! As you keep fighting continuously, you’ll eventually overcome. Remember, this is a gradual process that must be followed patiently.
FEED ON GOD’S WORD: This is very important, you must spend a lot of time feeding your mind and spirit with God’s Word, and storing God’s Word in your heart (begin from the book of Romans if you’re a young Christian). Read at least one chapter of the Bible daily and take time to meditate on what you read. Before reading the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you God’s word and grant you deep understanding. As we fill our minds with what God says about sexual purity and holiness, we will be more likely to live out those principles.
PRAY: Pray daily (morning and night), and pray often (occasionally during the day). During prayers always ask the Holy Spirit to help you live sexually pure, commune with the Holy Spirit often by simply talking to and with Him when alone –telling Him how you love Him and want to please Him by living a holy life; indulging in sin grieves the Holy Spirit. Buy Christian messages and movies rather than secular movies, watch and listen to sermons on TV, and fast and pray at least once a week to grow as a Christian. 1 John 2:15 "Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you."
CONFESS SCRIPTURES: Take good time to read Scriptures that deal with sexual immorality e.g. 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20; read them as often as you can, and make it a priority to make a verbal confession of those scriptures whenever the urge/desire to lust, engage in watching porn or masturbation comes (START CONFESSING THOSE SCRIPTURES VERBALLY or in your heart if you’re in public). Meditate also on those scriptures until they are more real to you than what you are going through. When you begin to think, speak, eat, and breathe the Word of God, you will begin to live it.
LOVE GOD AND FEAR GOD: This is very crucial. Jesus in Matthew 22:37 says “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” 1 John 5:3 says “This is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.” You have to build great love for God by constantly considering His goodness, His love, His blessings, His faithfulness, grace and kindness to you; by constantly reminding yourself how great God loves you unconditionally that He sent His Son Jesus to die for your sins while you were His enemy, so you can simply accept Jesus’ payment for your sins, live honorably on earth and spend eternity with Him in Heaven, this is a great privilege you do not deserve, so, love HIM. When you love God, you would not want to sin against Him nor go contrary to His commands. You would not want to mock Him and take His mercy and grace given to you to live above sin for granted by indulging in sin. So you avoid sinning using His grace, so as not to keep sinning and repeatedly asking for forgiveness over a particular sin, thereby, disrespecting, displeasing and mocking God. Romans 6:1-2 “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” Let the fear of God also be in you by reading and obeying the teachings of the Bible. According to Proverbs 3:7, to fear God, is to shun evil (sin). When you fear God, you would respect Him and obey His commands. As a Christian you should know that your body became the temple of God the day you were born again, and that your body belongs to God according to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” Therefore, knowing that your body belongs to God, you cannot use it to do anything that will dishonor God neither do you have the right to do whatever you like with it.
BE WARY OF THE CONSEQUENCES: Whenever you are tempted to lust, masturbate or watch porn, remind yourself of its physical and spiritual consequences, also remind yourself that disobedience to God’s commands comes with a price. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. From your thoughts to your deeds, everything is a seed that will produce a harvest in your life. God wants to make sure that the harvest that grows in your life is good, so get in line with His way of thinking. Let the Holy Spirit direct you. He is faithful to always show you the way out of temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). He’s already given you the victory—begin to walk in it today!