Break Free from Sexual Addiction

Sexual fantasies, pornography, illicit affairs, masturbation, prostitution, and more can lure you into a world of sexual addiction, in which sex becomes a burden rather than the blessing God intends it to be.

Here are some ways you can break free from sexual addiction:

• Pursue relationships with people, not sex for its own sake. Realize that God never intended sex to be separated from relationships; in fact, He designed sex to foster greater intimacy between people.

• Ask God to show you how you got caught up in sexual addiction. Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal past events, decisions, and relationships with others that motivated you to pursue unhealthy sexuality. Then pray specifically about each one that the Holy Spirit shows you, asking for healing. Also seek God's help to forgive any people who sexually abused you.

• Have confidence that Christ is strong enough to help you change. Remember that He broke sin's hold over all people through His death and resurrection, and He offers you that great power to apply in your own life today.

• Confess each sexual sin in your life, then renounce each one before God, asking for the grace to turn away from it and pursue healthy sexuality instead.

• Decide to offer your body to God rather than to sin by using it only in ways that you know please God. Reserve the sexual use of your body for your spouse only. If you're single, ask God to show you healthy ways in which you can channel your energies, and to give you the grace you need to remain sexually pure.

• Be careful what you allow into your mind. Images of pornography, for instance, can burn into your mind for years to come, poisoning your mind, which God wants to be pure. Carefully choose your experiences and the thoughts you dwell on, making sure that they're positive and healthy, because your thoughts have great power to affect who you are as a person. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind.

• Enlist the support of others. A counselor, support group, or trusted friend can help you through your healing process. Be willing to be open and honest with those who can support you.

• Be patient. Know that change is a process that can take a while, but that God will be faithfully present with you each step of the way.

• Accept and embrace God's deep love for you. Sexual sins often make you feel especially unlovable. Know that God will forgive you and help you, no matter what you've done, as long as you sincerely want to change and trust Him to transform you.

• Commit yourself to daily prayer and Scripture reading to strengthen your intimacy with God.
  

Adapted from A Way of Escape: Freedom from Sexual Strongholds by Neil T. Anderson, copyright 1994 by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Or. Buy this book online by clicking on the link below or by visiting your local Christian bookstore.

Neil T. Anderson is the president of Freedom in Christ ministries, and speaks often on living free in Christ. He is the author of many books, including the bestselling The Bondage Breaker.

Do you now or have you ever struggled with sexual addiction? If so, what challenges do or did you face? If you've broken free, how did God help you? What encouragement would you like to offer others who are struggling with sexual addiction? Visit Crosswalk's forums to discuss this topic by clicking on the link below.