Sexual immorality appears to be the 800-pound gorilla in our culture today that few, if any, can slay. The statistics are staggering. According to a 2024 survey, more than half of practicing Christians (defined as those who identify with a Christian denomination, have attended a worship service within the last month, and say their faith is very important) view pornography at least occasionally. Nearly a quarter (22 percent) view porn daily or weekly.
The monster is so immense that many in the church are changing the definition of success. Most Christians (62 percent) said a person can regularly view pornography and live a sexually healthy life, despite the obvious command in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 that God wills us to abstain from sexual immorality. That’s only slightly less than the 66 percent of all Americans who say the same.
So many Christians struggle in this area. Is it possible to get victory over porn that lasts many years? The answer lies in our understanding of God and what we’ve been given in Christ.
Find the Source
The ground that produces sexual temptation is dangerously fertile. First, sexual sin is a physically and often emotionally enjoyable activity, and due to the fall, our sinful nature is prone to it. Like Adam and Eve, we reject God’s commands because we think we see a better path outside his will.
In addition, we live in a culture of performance and achievement that cuts across many domains—work, relationships, family, athletics, and academics. Failure and rejection in any area breeds shame, and pornography use often grows alongside it. The dopamine high it produces can, at least temporarily, assuage the intense feelings of shame.
Past trauma can also create fertile ground. Sexual abuse, betrayal, or other significant emotional and relational wounds can lead us to feel like consuming illicit content will temporarily ease the intensity of our pain.
Awareness of these conditions is key to winning the battle in the long term. Even though we can have a few weeks of victory, eventually the soil, if not treated correctly, will cause us to default to what we know, seeking a way out through the dopamine hit temptation provides.
Do Heart Work
If you struggle with pornography, this is the best question to ask: What am I really seeking here? Whether it’s excitement or comfort, you won’t find it on the screen. In Psalm 87:7, the psalmist says to God, “All my fountains are in you” (NIV).
If you struggle with pornography, this is the best question to ask: What am I really seeking here?
We need to bathe ourselves in the facts of the gospel and the assurance of our salvation. Ephesians 2:4–5 says it’s because of his mercy that God made us alive in Christ. The word for “made us alive” is in the aorist tense in Greek, meaning it’s a completed action.
If our faith is in Christ, we’re already justified. It’s Christ’s work that saves us, not the strength of our faith or the number of days since we last logged onto a website or slept with someone we shouldn’t have. If our salvation were based on our ability to stay pure, we’d all be hopelessly lost.
When we understand that Christ’s atoning work has already been accomplished, that he’ll turn all brokenness into glory, and that permanent treasures await those who trust in him, our perspective on God—and by extension, our susceptibility to temptation—will shift.
Our identity is in him, not in any performance-based metric this world presents us. This allows us, when tempted, to say, “I’m no longer a slave to this behavior because of what Christ has already done in me.” He won’t let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13) but will provide a way out. This gives us a boost of strength when the temptation hits. We learn that, though the Enemy can fire thousands of temptations at us, through Christ’s strength we don’t have to give in.
We won’t eliminate the desire to sin in this life. But we can aim to become so consumed with God and his goodness that we’re no longer consumed by the urge to sin sexually. The more we learn about God and how good he is to those who seek him, the more we’ll starve the ground where temptation grows. A heart completely surrendered to Christ is the most important key to long-term victory over pornography.
Build Community
To maintain this perspective, we need the reinforcement of others. If you’re married or engaged, your significant other must know the depth of your problem, no matter how painful it’ll be to come clean.
A group of people of the same gender is also vital, as they can provide ongoing accountability. This community should meet consistently and should have a vested interest in each other’s victory. Accountability groups aren’t babysitters, which is a common mistake many make in fighting this battle. Their goal isn’t to police behavior but to help shape our thinking and remind us to seek our identity and fulfillment in God alone.
Set Boundaries
Internet filters, accountability software, and tracking devices are important tools to reinforce right living. It also helps to avoid commercials, scrolling when we’re alone, or watching TV when we’re tired.
A heart completely surrendered to Christ is the most important key to long-term victory over pornography.
Those measures limit and slow down the exposure to temptation, which can provide more time to process the temptation on a deeper level and wrestle with the root issues. While boundaries can help, they don’t provide victory in and of themselves. Long-term success comes from a deep knowledge and assurance of what God has done for us and asks of us.
Those who do hard work in this area will gain momentum, but those who do heart work will gain victory.
The Gospel Coalition