The below Bible study on takes a close look at what the Bible says about pornography. Feel free to copy, print, or share them. These notes can be helpful for individual study of the Word or for small group Bible studies. We hope your understanding of God’s Word is deeper from them.
What does the Bible say about Pornography – The Battle for Purity – Part 2
See part 1 on the battle for purity in the area of masturbation.
Lust / Pornography
On July 20, 1993 Donald Wyman was clearing land. In the process, a tree fell on his shin causing a severe break and pinning him to the ground. He cried for help, but no one came. So finally, he concluded that the only way to save himself was to cut his leg off. He made a tourniquet with his shoe string, cut his leg off below the knee with his pocket knife, crawled 25 meters to a bulldozer, drove it 400 m to his truck and then drove 2.4 km to a farmhouse where he found someone to take him to a hospital. He survived. The point is that people will go to great extremes to save their life.
Matt 5:28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Often people think that what they do in private or what goes on in their mind has little moral significance. Jesus’ statement certainly demonstrated otherwise. Poverty, war, famine are tragic, but though they can only kill the body. Jesus said not to fear those who could only kill the body. Lust on the other hand is catastrophic and condemns the soul to hell. His imperative to “tear it out” was not proposing self mutilation, but rather was saying take whatever extreme measure is necessary to have victory over lust. BTW, tearing out the right eye would not solve the problem, because you could still look at it with your left eye!
Gal 5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. What does this mean? Is it saying that a believer can lose his salvation? Note the key word “practice”. Compare with 1 John 3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
Rom 8:12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Similarly, the one who lives, whose lifestyle is according to the flesh will die rather than live. This is not suggesting sinless perfection here on earth. A true believer is still a sinner, but he will not continue in it. When he falls, he will not remain in the sin but will repent. One who lives according to the flesh without repenting is merely a professor, not a true believer.
Romans 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Paul says here that it is not just the deeds but the thoughts that must be pure. If the thoughts are not pure, i.e. lustful, then the result is death. Lustful thoughts demonstrate hostility to God. Is this saying that these people cannot go to heaven? Note the key word “set”. 1 Thess 4:5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; Lustful passion is clear evidence that one does not know God.
Rom 13:13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. This is an excellent principle. As we noted earlier, Jesus demonstrated the seriousness of lust when he said to take drastic measures like to “tear your eye out” to gain victory over it. Following are some practical ways that have been successfully used by others to “make no provision for the flesh”. Yes, some of them seem quite drastic, but Jesus did recommend drastic action in order to have victory.
1. Take a different route on the way to work.
2. Subscribe to an internet filter service.
3. Remove the TV from the hotel room.
4. Give all your cash and access to cash to your spouse or trusted friend.
5. Destroy CD’s and magazines with pornographic pictures.
6. Change jobs
7. Move to a different city
8. Removed cable TV from home
9. Moved the computer from the “dungeon of privacy” to the open living room
10. Locked up the VCR and given the key to a family member
11. Refused to go out of town except with spouse
12. Cut off all internet access
13. Reformatted hard drives
14. Slept with curtains open in a bunkroom to avoid privacy
15. Cut off relationships that promoted sin
16. Changed stores to shop only where pornography was not available
17. Moved out of current residence where pornography was in use
18. Cut up video store rental cards
19. Slept with clothes on
20. Called accountability partner every time he had to go somewhere tempting and called again afterward
Whatever it Takes! That’s what we should do to win the war.
2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
“The faith that justifies is also the faith that sanctifies.” – Piper137
“Faith delivers from hell, and the faith that delivers from hell delivers from lust”. – Piper138
“This is the grace we live under – the sin-conquering, not just the sin-canceling grace, of God.” – Piper140
“The Word helps me to stop trusting in the potential of sin to make me happy. Instead, the Word entices me to trust in God’s promises.” – Piper
Our chief enemy is the lie that says sin will make our future happier. Our chief weapon is the Truth that says God will make our future happier. – Piper
Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the 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.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
How did Moses have victory over lust? The same way we do – by faith.
Have you ever stopped to think why people give in to lust? Is it not because they want maximum joy and pleasures? Lust offers only fleeting pleasures and counterfeit joy.
Ps 16:11 1 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Do you really want to experience full joy and pleasure? There is only one place to get it. God has a corner on the market. He’s the only place to get it. Jesus spoke of this in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Satan offers only lies and deception. His promises are empty and devoid of any lasting joy or peasure. He wants to steal our joy and destroy us with lustful passions in the meantime. But Jesus offers full and abundant life. He never disappoints, but will consistently exceed our expectation.
Job 31:1 “I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin?
Job wasn’t suggesting at all that he would never again see an attractive young woman. In the normal course of life, we cannot help but see women who are immodestly dressed. This is not what Job was referring to. He was speaking of the second look and looking upon her intently. These we can control. Job knew it was such a serious issue that he made a covenant with his eyes. We should keep our eyes off of wrong things; the “Bounce “ concept.
Luke 8:14 “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. Lust for the riches and pleasures of the world choke out life in one who professes Christ, but has proven to be unfruitful. Friend, if you love the things of this world, if you lust with your eyes and lust with your flesh, you neither know nor love God.
1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. Justifying faith is also sanctifying faith. Rom 8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Our sanctification is evidence of our justification. If our lives are not demonstrating sanctification, there was no justification. Justifying faith is also sanctifying faith!
2 Tim 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. It is a twofold approach to purity. First is to reject and get away from youthful lusts. Secondly, don’t merely try to stop doing what is wrong, but zealously pursue the positive.
How do you defeat lust? By believing the promise of God more than the promise of lust! That is accomplished by immersing yourself in the Word of God! We have a backward looking faith at the death of Christ and a forward looking faith at the promises of God.
Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
It is by God’s promises that I become like Him and escape the corruption of the world’s lust. 2 Peter 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
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