5 Steps to Breaking Free from Porn _Joe Dallas (2)

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pleasurable violation that delivers high impact, certainly, but a violationnonetheless.And here’s the rub. If you’ve developed the habit of entertaining thatviolation through porn, then you’ve trained your body—your brain, yourpleasure receptors, your genitals—to expect that high-impact. That expectationbecame a physical craving, and your ability to resist it was weakened eachtime you gave in. It was weakened to the point that as long as the stuff isavailable, you’ll use it despite your best intentions and most fervent promisesto God, to your wife, to yourself. That is the power of the familiar—a poweryou’ve no doubt experienced time and again.Jesus, spot on and as wise as ever, didn’t say, “If your hand offends you,try to reform it. Or pray for it. Or send it to therapy to see why it offends you.”Rather, He plainly advised, “Cut it off.” He’s saying whatever sin you’vegotten accustomed to, you should have no confidence in your ability to just sayno. Instead, distance yourself from it as much as possible and remove yourability to indulge in it.If you can access porn, then most likely you will. If you’re serious aboutstopping porn use, you’ve got to distance yourself as much as possible from theporn itself. If you’re not ready to do that, you’re not ready to stop.Principle 2: What the heart rejects, the brain records.When you’re serious about overcoming porn, you can get into a prettyferocious wrestling match with your brain. That’s because it recordssignificant experiences and files them for future reference. When it determinesyou may need their benefit, it brings them to mind, reminding you of theexperience. That’s part of your brain’s function. Sometimes this function isgreat. When you discover that a particular type of aspirin helps you get over aheadache, your brain records the brand name of the aspirin for future reference.Next time a headache comes on, your brain reminds you what worked torelieve it in the past so you’ll use it again.But here’s where it gets dicey. Your brain also records less legitimateactions and experiences that helped you forget, feel soothed, feel great, even ifthe actions clash with your moral values. So when you discovered how pornhelped you temporarily forget, helped soothe you, and caused excitement andpleasure, your brain recorded all of those benefits just as surely and clearly asit recorded the brand name of the aspirin that worked. So the next time you feel
boredom, stress, or discomfort, the option of porn barges into your head like anunwelcomed pop-up on your computer. It reminds you, based on pastexperience, that the stuff worked and provided relief. You may be convincedporn is wrong. You may be determined with all your heart to never use pornagain and, through repentance, reject it. But what the heart rejects, the brain hasalready recorded, making the option of porn an undesirable but lifelongaddition to your brain’s filing system for coping strategies.Principle 3: Temptation doesn’t change; resistance capacity does.Many approaches to overcoming sexual sin offer results, including healingand transformation, and to a point I fully agree and celebrate that. Life deals allof us some pretty treacherous blows, leaving us wounded and downrightbroken in a number of ways. When we come to Christ,• He restores our souls (Psalm 23:3).• He heals our broken hearts (Luke 4:18).• He transforms our minds (Romans 12:2).• He changes us from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).These are indisputable realities of Christian living. But these changesoccur in our souls and spirits, not in our flesh. Our flesh is that fallen, oldnature of ours inherited from Adam. Our flesh has some truly ugly qualities, asdescribed by the apostle Paul:• It never gets better (“For I know that in me [that is, in my flesh] nothing gooddwells,” Romans 7:18).• It hosts a population of horrendous impulses (“Now the works of the flesh areevident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness…” Galatians5:19).• It’s locked in a constant battle with the Holy Spirit (“The flesh lusts againstthe Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to oneanother, so that you do not do the things that you wish,” Galatians 5:17).Ultimately, a struggle with porn is a struggle with the flesh. And the flesh isa part of us that, in this life, will never be healed. It is what it is, and immune
Page 3 and 4: HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERSEUGENE, ORE
Page 5 and 6: A WORD FROM JOEThis book is written
Page 7 and 8: INTRODUCTIONHe said to me, “Son o
Page 9 and 10: brain reminds him of the positive i
Page 11 and 12: essential. You are the manager of a
Page 13 and 14: started.
Page 15: masturbation, the combination of me
Page 19 and 20: not only monitors your online use,
Page 21 and 22: STEP 2: ACCOUNTABILITYNo Man Overco
Page 23 and 24: inevitable.I cannot say this plainl
Page 25 and 26: life and you’ll see He set aside
Page 27 and 28: PrayerLord, however deeply I love Y
Page 29 and 30: when young men look at photos of be
Page 31 and 32: After all, he feels entitled to sat
Page 33 and 34: and mercy as I realize none of thes
Page 35 and 36: I’m sure David was well aware tha
Page 37 and 38: affected by what you do. Paul said
Page 39 and 40: By Your grace, I’m ready to face
Page 41 and 42: you need to avoid. You’ve also st
Page 43 and 44: have set you as a light to the Gent
Page 45 and 46: APPENDIX AWhat About Masturbation?R
Page 47 and 48: APPENDIX BKnowing GodPornography is
Page 49 and 50: NOTESStep 2: Accountability1. Dr. W
Page 51 and 52: MORE GREAT AND INFORMATIVE BOOKSJoe
Page 53: ABOUT THE PUBLISHERTo learn more ab

5 Steps to Breaking Free from Porn _Joe Dallas (2)

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