If you’re an avid reader of these blogs then you’ve seen it time and time again. It’s something to the effect of “I still remember the first pornographic images I ever saw” or “I’ve managed to quit but the countless images still remain locked in my brain.” These statements are no joke, and it’s baffling. For some reason, these images somehow become concrete, embedding themselves into our psyches for days, weeks, months and sometimes decades on end. Why is it that we can recall the first naked person we ever saw yet we can’t remember anniversaries or a simple shopping list?
Some people can better recall a pornographic image in greater detail than they can the sexy dress that their wife wore the night before. What kind of power do these images have to make such an impact on our brains?
I could get all scientific about it or I could simply say I believe that when you are indulging in sinful nature, you are lending the enemy power. It’s hard NOT to believe that the enemy has some sort of association with images that you are not meant to be looking at and enjoying. In fact, a charismatic, prophetic friend once told me (and be forewarned, this particular image has stuck with me for months and I believe will continue to do so for some time) that her vision of what it meant for a man to be looking at porn and masturbating translated to demons hovering above the subject, vomiting everywhere, enjoying every minute of your sin. Of course, this is extreme, but this is what she envisioned. That was enough to scare and gross me out for some time.
I do believe that your road to accountability and ridding yourself of these images doesn’t have to be as intense as all this. Clearly, finding a system that works for you so that you don’t indulge in pornography any further is the first step here. If you’ve already made those steps, then congratulations, you’ve done an amazing thing. If you’ve made these steps and are still struggling with guilt and the remaining images of what you saw, then let me say this; God redeems all. The sins of yesterday do not exist to him. You are made BRAND NEW through Him. The images still remain but I believe they can be replaced, pushed out, and ultimately forgotten. This is done through lots and lots of prayer for one, and secondly, by filling your headspace with something much more positive.
I cannot stress the importance of learning scripture enough. And I’ll be the first to say, I’m terrible at picking up my Bible. But I also know that when I do discipline myself to pick up the Word, that I am always filled, I am always encouraged and I always close the book looking forward to what is coming next in my personal growth. Once again, accountability comes into play. Join a house church, a Bible study or ask how you can get plugged in at your current church. Accountability to me, looks a lot like an overall lifestyle change. You NEED people around you to encourage you and listen to you. Even if you’re not talking about porn, these relationships all feed into the greater purpose of changing that lifestyle and helping you along your road to complete freedom from addiction, lust and those pesky remaining images.