Overcome Porn: The 40 Day Challenge Sample

Day 22: Don’t be a practical atheist

As Christians, one of our most cherished beliefs is that God is always present—always with us. The problem is we often don’t act like it. His nearness should be both an enormous deterrent from sinning and an enormous delight, but often we live as practical atheists.

If we are going to have lasting victory over lust and pornography, God’s presence must become something we experience by faith on a regular basis.

Every time a Christian intentionally views porn, they are defiling God’s house, whether they’re in a church or not, because we are God’s temples.

Paul gets at this in 1 Corinthians 6:13b-20. Paul knew how God’s glory had filled the Tabernacle throughout Israel’s wilderness journeys (Exodus 40:34-38). He knew how the innermost chamber of the tabernacle was considered the place where God lived (Exodus 25:22), a place so holy no one but the high priest could enter but once a year, and even then with trepidation. And yet, if you belong to Christ, your body is now the temple of the Spirit.

Because of this, we must honor God with the members of our bodies, with what we see, hear, say, how we think, and where we go. Each time we sit at a computer and feel the urge to click on something we shouldn’t see, these are the thoughts that need to flood our minds.

If we are going to avoid the temptation to watch pornography, we need to cultivate a holy sense of God’s presence.

• Read (daily) the promises of God’s company. Remember, Jesus is our Immanuel—God with us. He has promised to be with us and never forsake us.
• Train your mind to turn anxiety into prayer, knowing God is near to listen.
• In each moment of joy, train your mind to thank God both in your mind and verbally to others.
• Whether it's rising in the morning, driving to work, or moving from one activity to the next, let each transition in your day be a reminder that God is waiting for you in the next moment.

Reflection

How has seeing yourself as God’s temple changed the way you behave? How does practicing God’s presence help you to find lasting joy when life gets hard?