The Silent War: Understanding Porn’s Devastating Grip
For centuries, bloodletting or bleeding was considered a primary treatment for various ailments, from fevers to headaches. They believed that the solution was to drain the “bad” blood so the body could be rebalanced and the person could heal.
Not only was this practice ineffective, but it also often caused more harm than good, and in the most extreme cases, it would lead to death. It took a long time for the medical community to abandon this approach in favor of more effective treatments.
Bloodletting turned out to be a wrong solution that didn’t actually address the problem and underlying sickness.
For decades now, people have been attempting to overcome their addiction to pornography by utilizing the wrong solutions.
We believe that in order to quit porn, it’s helpful to think about that journey as a discipleship issue.
The Discipleship Approach: How to Quit Porn and Deepen Faith
We believe our calling as Christians is to fulfill the Great Commission and make disciples of all nations. For a long time, we thought addressing the porn issue was a distraction from the real work of the ministry and making disciples.
However, when our team determined that the greatest obstacle to our ministry of making disciples was pornography, we realized we had to make freeing people from porn a part of our discipleship.
We realized if we make disciples but do not adequately address their porn habits, we set people up for long-term failure. The porn epidemic revealed a hole in our discipleship that undermined everything else we built into students’ lives: killing the patient while trying to heal them in bloodletting terms.
As we began addressing pornography head-on as a discipleship issue, we discovered how God can use the process of discipleship to plant His truth more deeply into the lives of His people. Deep commitment to Scripture and the embodiment of the truth of God allows a person to move from casual Christian to committed disciple.
Scripture is no longer something you read occasionally; it’s your lifeline to the God of the universe.
When new disciples found the freedom the gospel promised, they experienced “truth in their innermost being” (Psalm 51:6). Their excitement for the King and His Kingdom grew. Their desire to serve in church and be a spiritual leader increased. And over time, they proved to be faithful and fruitful. As disciples, they are committed to helping others outgrow their porn struggle as a part of their own discipleship that they are passing on to others.
Redefining Ministry: Equipping the Church to Tackle the Porn Epidemic
If a pastor or church lay leader is going to make disciples in today’s culture, they must get equipped to apply God’s truth to pornified hearts and minds.
When addressing porn is presented with an equipping issue, both the struggler and the non-struggler will show up. We can attest to churches that have done six-week equipping groups, and while they are educating people, these groups de-shame the topic. At the end of the equipping groups, these same churches then offer recovery groups. The equipping groups provide an intermediary step from the Sunday morning congregation to a recovery group.
However, you might feel inadequate to help others break free from a porn or sex addiction. This is a normal feeling. That’s why we are here; we believe discipleship and equipping the saints is where we can make a huge impact in the battle against pornography.
Since pursuing freedom leads to deeper discipleship, churches need to provide a path to get there. The churches with the most effective programs have de-shamed the topic of pornography addiction. Often, staff members participate in the program. Many times, they model authenticity and share their own porn story.
We are called to “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). This includes equipping leaders to address the current porn pandemic and preparing them for the coming tsunami. Doing thiswell will lead to an impact for Christ both inside and outside the church. Here are some key groups of people the Church must equip.
The Frontline Groups: Key Players in Helping Individuals Quit Porn
A men’s ministry is uniquely positioned to address the porn issue. There are typically small groups already in place, and most have dealt with the topic of porn, at least to a degree. Some pastors use a men’s retreat to address the topic and launch into small groups. Other pastors have used equipping groups to go through a 30-Day Challenge or a book discussion. After that, they transitioned into the Flagship FFgroups. Most men’s ministries already have the foundation in place to help their men overcome porn, even if they need to pursue freedom with more intentionality.
Older women who get equipped in this area can help younger women find freedom. So if you’re in that older generation of women, invite women to get equipped so they can help the younger generation. When the topic is de-shamed by equipping small groups (that’s why this book has discussion questions in the appendix), women who are struggling can continue in a recovery group afterward.
Today’s students must be taught that a porn habit adopted in junior high and high school will have dire consequences. If the Church doesn’t warn this generation of youth about the destructive nature of porn, who will? Students need to know the truth that the younger they start this habit, the more difficult it is to break free. It will never be easier for them to break a porn addiction than it is today. With each repetition of the porn pathway, they are deepening its grip on their life. They need to know that porn sows seeds that ruin their sex life, their marriage, and their walk with God.
Addressing the issue of pornography with students brings an opportunity to teach the next generation about spiritual warfare in a practical way. Addressing the porn issue with real, biblically-based solutions shows them the relevance of the Bible. They come to see that God’s Word has answers for today’s issues. If we do this well, we’ll equip the next generation of spiritual leaders to have maximum impact in a porn-saturated world.
Taking Action: The Urgent Call to Address Pornography in Today’s Church
Overcoming an addiction to pornography isn’t easy and it can’t be done alone. We can no longer go into the world and make disciples without addressing the pornography epidemic head-on. Pornography is a discipleship issue. Pornography is an equipping issue.
You can start by creating a free account or exploring our myriad of resources on the journey to sobriety.
FAQs:
- How does viewing discipleship as a solution help in the fight against porn addiction?
- Viewing discipleship as a solution emphasizes spiritual growth, connection with a community, and deep commitment to biblical truths as ways to counteract the pull of pornography.
- Why is equipping important when addressing the porn epidemic in churches?
- Equipping leaders and members helps in de-shaming the topic of porn, preparing them for the realities of the epidemic, and offering structured support to those struggling.
- What groups within the church can play pivotal roles in helping individuals quit porn?
- Men’s ministries, older women who mentor younger women, and youth/student ministries can have a profound impact when equipped correctly to address the issue.
- How can churches effectively tackle the topic of porn among the youth?
- Addressing the issue with biblically-based solutions, highlighting the long-term impacts of a porn habit, and teaching about spiritual warfare in practical terms can help in guiding the youth.
- Where can I start if I want to take active steps against porn addiction?
- Starting with a free account at resources like thefreedomfight.org, seeking community support, and committing to discipleship and equipping programs in churches can be effective initial steps.
