The road to recovery from porn addiction is not easy, but it is also not impossible. These three steps to being porn free are the beginning of a journey that will at times seem insurmountable but will also be liberating the further down the road you get. The journey may even have setbacks and detours but I promise you this: God wants you to complete this path and, if you let Him, He will provide the strength you need to make it. Because if you try to do this on your own, you will fail. God must be in control.
Step One: Pray from a Broken Heart.
You must come to terms with the damage you have caused yourself and others. You need a model of what true repentance looks like, so I strongly recommend EVERY DAY you pray out loud Psalm 51 – David’s prayer to God for his own sins he committed.
Step Two: Destroy your Idols
In 2 Kings 23:4-20, King Josiah took bold steps to remove the idols that had ensnared Judah under Kings Manasseh and Amon. He didn’t just remove the idols—he destroyed them. So must you. It isn’t just about boxing up the magazines, videos, and hard drives and putting them out in the garage. It’s about destroying them. You must let go of access to this evil completely. If your outlet includes the internet and social media, then you must also take steps to delete the apps, block your access, and get an accountability partner. Until you can do that, you are not truly at a place where genuine repentance exists.
Step Three: Turn toward God
The darkness of your habit now needs to be replaced by the Light of Christ. The time you spent fueling your porn habit now belongs to God. Devote yourself to complete surrender to His will and begin earnestly studying God’s Word daily to gain a better understanding of who you are and who He is.
These three steps are just the beginning and are by no means a complete list for recovery. But before any true healing can begin, it must take place. The idols must be destroyed. This will be one of the hardest steps you take because of the physiological bond these items have entrenched in your brain. But trust me, once they are gone and you realize your house is truly clean, you will be on your way to true freedom.
Please see my Faithful Men page for more resources and help. Join my accountability group for those wanting to overcome pornography addiction.