Guarding Against Pornography | Pastor Well - Ep. 54

In the age of the internet, how can we protect ourselves against pornography? In this episode, Hershael York talks about individuals recovering from porn addiction and the dangers of allowing it to grow.
Hosted by pastor-scholar Hershael York, the Pastor Well Podcast offers a wellspring of wisdom from about the insights learned from a life of faithful ministry.
Watch more Pastor Well episodes here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCWzL...

[@icxcnika555]

“Hell can't be made attractive, so the Devil makes attractive the road that leads there. “ - St. Basil the Great

[@Shikuesi]

"Satan's first device to draw the soul into sin is, to present the bait and hide the hook; to present the golden cup, and hide the poison; to present the sweet, the pleasure, and the profit that may flow in upon the soul by yielding to sin, and by hiding from the soul the wrath and misery that will certainly follow the committing of sin." - Thomas Brooks

[@praveenUFO]

Jesus help me to resist the sinful desires of the flesh

[@SawyerOh]

Read Roman’s 8. Over and over and over and over again. It’s a beautiful chapter and has helped me

[@afriendindeed3660]

Psalm 91 my friend. This was the first large part of scripture I memorized a few years ago. God can and will deliver us through the might power of Jesus Christ

[@megansousa2659]

Scripture, then more and more scripture. Ephesians 6:17 And take up the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. It wasn't until I began to seek the Lord with my whole heart and read scripture daily that I even understood this scripture. The Bible is the word of God and the word of God is our spiritual sword, our spiritual weapon. And by reading it we renew our minds and no longer desire the things of the flesh.

[@davidfong1565]

You MUST occupy that flesh with spiritual exercises: Reading, memorizing, & meditating on The Word. Communion with God, prayer, singing to yourself scripture songs, worship songs, hymns. If you REALLY want to battle those sinful tendencies you WILL do these things to do battle. If you are of the Christian persuasion that believes that the gift of praying in the spirit(unknown language) is still valid in these days, that's one more weapon in the Arsenal but the ones mentioned before should be enough to frustrate the enemy into "departing from you until a more convenient season", or until he catches you off guard again. If you WON'T throw yourself into this activity when being tempted, you MAY NOT be serious about resisting. That downward pull can be difficult to resist and it manifests physically in your body if you've let it go on too far. No judgement here brother. I just know these things from personal experience. "Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh..." Gal. 5:16

[@robertw1719]

Here's my story as one who struggled with it . . . . Many years ago I was studying through Hebrews 12:4-11. It talks about how God disciplines (or chastises) those whom He loves. On a walk one day I prayed for about 20 minutes around this passage - and at the end of my prayer I told God that if it were best for me, I give Him permission to discipline me in love if there was something that was keeping me off the narrow path. I gave it little thought over the next week, but exactly 10 days later, in the middle of the night, after watching a video I should never have watched - and I apologize for being vague here - He gave me two signs in a row (unmistakable and crystal clear) which showed me that what I had done was an egregious sin. Not knowing what else to do, I went back to bed. I was woken up probably about 15 minutes later, and I have no better way to explain it other than I began dying. Slowly all my bodily functions began to simply quit. I grabbed my Bible, opened it to John 1 and tried reading out loud for as long as I could. A couple of minutes later I began blacking out. I shut my Bible and kept saying, "Father forgive me.", "Father don't let me die.", "Father I'll do whatever you want." I said these three phrases over and over and over. After another couple of minutes I stabilized. Then I started breathing normally - my cold hands warmed up - my cotton-mouth went away - I stopped shaking - and I could stand up. I grabbed my Bible, pulled it to my chest, and went back to bed that way. He (of course) let me wake up the next morning. There is MUCH, MUCH more that I cannot write here, but from that time on I was free from porn. That was many years ago and I have not watched or looked at a single porn video since - and NEVER will again. God was gracious, merciful, and forgave me. God is so good. Later I would read those verses in Hebrews again and read, "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." You may not believe me - many don't - but for those of you who do, I plead with you, do not think that watching porn is something God takes lightly. It is VERY serious and you MUST fight the urge to watch it. Thank you, "Southern Seminary" for making this video. It may be far more important than you realize. God bless.

[@teddyboy252]

Thank-you brother

[@tonyramos1204]

Wow powerful testimony my brother!

[@DerekFoddrill523]

Praise the Lord for sovereignly delivering you from that sin! That is great. But I have to say you need to be careful with that. We don’t give the Lord permission to do anything. He is sovereign and will do as He pleases all to the praise of maximum glory! Also, He only speaks in His word. We don’t need a sign and He doesn’t give signs anymore. We have been infallible inerrant Word of God

[@CarrotHawk]

Thank you Dr. York and God bless you! I hope some day you will do a video on the is subject on how to counsel our children who are struggling with this.

[@maxaplin4204]

It is true that gouging out our eye or cutting off our hand in Matt 5:29-30 is not meant to be taken literally. But the whole point of such shocking images is that there are times when we need to take drastic steps to stop ourselves sinning.

[@gideonndsachi2895]

Thanks for your podcast series, it's informational.

[@tomference4618]

..a well presented podcast of "truth" of the way its been, the way it is, and "sadly" the way we seem to like to be. We all need to pray, study, and even "fast" to break the grip of this tool our adversary so effectively keeps many harnessed to.

[@OseiK14]

Halleluyah this is a beautiful message. God bless you pastor

[@bryantotten2757]

This is the hot potatoe that no one wants to address.Those that do do a terrible job and those that don,t pretend it is not there or accuse people of being paranoid.

[@garycornwell2431]

Thank you my brother very good teaching may GOD'S peace be upon you this night.

[@spdinsbeer1]

Thank you for this sir.

[@robertthehutt]

Thank you for this word, so true

[@gracekim3897]

Great teaching!

[@josipdolic6391]

Thank you for this message

[@justinssleeyt]

Thank you for teaching so openly about a typically taboo topic!

[@teddyboy252]

Thank-you pastor

[@mchristr]

As one who hasn't been captured by pornography i nonetheless take precautions. My phone has search software and I've given a handful of men permission to ask anything about my life. But the overarching solution is to fill the emptiness with something else: prayer, fellowship, beneficial activities, Bible reading. In short, fill yourself with Christ.

[@nohandleeeeee]

i tried all that and it doesnt work and you know it, you know what did work? stopping believing it's a sin, (and stopping believing in sin altogether) and not caring about it anymore and guess what? it's power dissapeared and it's hold on me was gone, you gotta realise christianity isn't doing you any favours by constantly making you fight made up enemies

[@matiasdiezdemedina453]

@@nohandleeeeee Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV

[@RiaanPretorius]

Thank you for this

[@stephenforson6742]

Great message to transform this generation

[@chenj09]

Total commitment to Christ

[@billiemack64]

I was sexually abused as a child by a girl in my neighborhood. I was exposed to pornography at a young age as well - my dad had every single one of his porno mags in the back of his truck with my sister and I riding in the back seat. She and I both were exposed before we even knew what we were looking at. We were at his dads farm, where he claimed they weren’t his, and from what I remember, he got super mad when he came back to the truck to find us looking at them. The profound effect this has had on my ENTIRE life starts with the fact that it created my first addiction. Now I’m 27 and because of being unaware of the consequences, I am completely spiritually bankrupt, I have stressful situations in my life at this very moment that stem from sexual addiction. Not only that, but the mental health issues I suffer from because of the sexual abuse have led me to an inescapable cycle. My addiction to substances keeps me from maintaining a stable job for more than 6 months at a time - in such time I can never save money or get ahead because I have to spend my extra money on drugs. I use substances to cope with the negative feelings I’ve had since I was a child. I’ve been to secular programs because I didn’t feel like there could possibly be a God if he would allow me to suffer for basically existing. Everything I do is pleasure seeking for the most part. Nobody in my family knows what to do - I don’t have insurance, money, or resources for any kind of treatment now, and I’ve finally come to a place of desperation so I can actually accept the help. Please pray for me. I find no peace even while I rest. God bless you all.

[@williamtoney2599]

Look up and call Pure Life Ministries. They will help you. God bless you🙏

[@matiasdiezdemedina453]

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

[@StayHomeEatGreat]

This is sad to hear. These are bondages that must be broken. The anointing of God breaks every yoke of bondage. Find a church that will pray for your deliverance from this. Turn it all over and be set free once and for all. God wants you free more than you will ever know. Once you are free you must live in lockstep with Jesus, giving no room to the enemy for temptation in these areas.

[@Anthony-wp9wl]

Finally coming to a place of desperation is awful to endure, but for clarity of mind it has advantages. Sounds like you're sick of the lie, and sick of the poisons. Aware enough of what it's doing to you to cry out, but feeling helpless to overcome it. I started pursuing Christ and freedom from a place of desperation, and there was sincerity in my cry. I knew only God could order my life. "Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." He's ordered my life and continues to lead me further and further out of the yokes of sin. He can for you too. Pray sincerely knowing He hears, confess it all and repent. If you haven't ask Jesus to be your savior. Then, you need to start reading God's word. This is the primary way God reveals himself to us and so you can't neglect it. You're going to become more free the more you know Christ. Understanding what He did for you, and quite literally changing the contents of your heart. From one like you said, bent on pleasure seeking, to one full of peace, forgiveness, humility, love, and an enduring desire to be righteous before a perfect God. It's mostly accomplished through grace (God's influence on your heart and mind). You are also going to want to find a church. Hearing the truth preached to you is an important part of a healthy spiritual diet, and you're spiritually starving. Pray about this, finding the right church is important. God led me to one while I hardly had a clue where to start. He can do the same for you. In the mean time look for sermons online, personally I love Pastor Zac Poonen, but there is so much out there and God can lead you about it. Pray about it all, and I will pray that God leads you through all this, reveals the truth to you, so you can be free. Know God loves you, and that His peace is pure, it's not like the drugs that steal from your soul while the sate your flesh. It's not like the poison of sexual lust which just deepens, and twists up your soul. Keep pursing Him and you'll find that he truly is good and just and loves you. Desperation is an awful state, but from it you can launch into this promise, "Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

[@godwinmanuel6963]

My heart breaks for you. God cares about you! Please seek out a loving Bible based church where the leadership cares about your struggles and will help you. You may need to visit a few churches before you find the one that truly helps you. God often works through His people in the church to bring hope and healing.

[@jonthorson5176]

Thank You

[@maxaplin4204]

Very helpful teaching. I especially liked the point about the $10,000. A large part of the issue is what Christians want more. We must pray that we want to please and honour the Lord more than anything else.

[@robertbush8671]

This topic/addiction needs to be addressed more often from the pulpit. Thank you!

[@edcaouette8749]

Since believers are Justified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, we should, must, wage war again sin, especially sexual sins.

[@friendly.fire.]

Yes, we wage war against sin and are victorious through Christ. But sexual sin is the only kind of sin which the Bible tells us to flee from (as Joseph did from Potiphar's wife who had designs on him). Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. - 1 Corinthians 6:18‭-20 ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. - Galatians 5:16‭-‬26 ESV Hold every thought accountable to Christ. Surround yourself with mature believers. Study your Bible every day and pray. God bless you 🕊 ✝️

[@robbkiker6861]

Hello. I am not a pastor but watch your videos and find them very informative. Need some help. As a man, I fight to stay away from pornography but my wife watches the Rom-Com "chick flicks" which often have "love scenes" and occasional gratuitous nudity. She says the love making and even the nudity are part of the storyline and that I am overreacting about it being a type of pornography. She also reads these "historical" romance novels which often include some sex scenes. The novels are not the traditional hardcore sex novels..... again, she believes I am overreacting. I don't want to be unreasonable with her. Her viewing of these movies and books pass the disclosure standard set forth in your video. She says I am free to read her novels and view the movies with her. Really need your thoughts. Thank you.

[@testimoniesontheroad5895]

Pray for your wife,do spiritual battle bound these spirits. She is not willing to give up a tv show for the kingdom, she is def strugling with her faith. 2 years free from porn here. GOD BLESS YOU AND HELP YOU.

[@robbkiker6861]

@@testimoniesontheroad5895 Thank you for the response. However, the issue is not so clear cut. Textbook porn is easy to categorize and thus avoid. However, she is not hiding anything...... So I am not overreacting to the images and text of these common mainstream sources? But how far do you pull back? Obviously, full frontal nudity followed by explicit sex is porn..... Kissing on screen? Passionate making out? implied sex without nudity? Where do I draw the line? Not trying to be obstinate; just need direction on the proper position and argument. Thanks

[@testimoniesontheroad5895]

Nothing is clear cut because we are no longer under the law but under the Spirit . The Spirit of Holiness is speaking to you. You cannot force her on this , but if she had the love that comes through faith she would renounce herself. We need to dominate our minds and bodies, they dont dominate us. Fx i have no social media only chats, me and my wife skip over any sex scene, we avoid terror films or extremely violent films etc . I want to live a Holy Life and so does she, so she volunteerly submits and if she was strugling with something I would stop even though I have freedom not to. The border is whatever makes another fall in sin.

[@friendly.fire.]

Hi, Robb, let me begin with Scripture. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me-practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. - Philippians 4:4‭-‬9 ESV Communication is key. Between you and the Lord and you and your wife. Pray for her and the timing to discuss your concerns and lovingly correct her. Bring her to these verses, study them together. Especially take her through 1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬8 ESV: Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends... Open up dialogue about the type of love you want to show her. Biblical love in your marriage, not a wordly, twisted love which rejoices at wrongdoing or insists on its own way (which is opposed to God's way which commands us to flee from sexual immorality, lusts, and passions). Open up to her about your struggles and constant obedience to God by fleeing from these triggers. You want to enjoy time with her that builds you up, brings you closer, and isn't offending God. She must make the choice ultimately if she wants to sacrifice cheap, demonically-influenced entertainment or to build a strong relationship with God and her family. You are doing well to take this situation so seriously and you are rightfully seeking Christian counsel. If things persist like this even after studying God's Word together, praying, and discussing your needs and thoughts, please seek Pastoral counselling and care 🙏 Often this is the push that people need to get the right perspective from a wise, outside party that wants to help strengthen their marriage. I doubt she would feel as unashamed explaining to your pastor how it's "not a big deal" to watch or read (i.e., imagining) couples in their most private, intimate moments. May God be with you, help guide you and give you the right words and actions to touch your wife's heart, turning it towards Christ, making her holy and pure. May God give strength, wisdom, courage, and blessings over you and your marriage. 🕊 ✝️

[@Biblecia]

Great advice, pastor! Great. Fight!!!

[@richardjohnson2692]

When growing up pornography was only available through magazines, stores, ECT. Then the advent of the computer cell phone. Got hooked and now free from it, almost 90 days. God is good and the full serenity prayer is amazing

[@larrycarter3765]

Guard Against | Pastry Well.

[@CaelinDarkGrace]

Right at the beginning you mentioned the devil. Yes Satan does influence us, but after the first exposure, the devil doesn't worry about it. It's the lust of the flesh.

[@maxaplin4204]

One of the roles of evil spirits is to tempt Christians. And they continue doing this, using the lust of the flesh.

[@CaelinDarkGrace]

@@maxaplin4204 religion commands that mindset. Christ sets us free. I no longer worry about a defeated foe

[@maxaplin4204]

@@CaelinDarkGrace Christians should expect to regularly be in combat with evil spirits. See, for example, in Eph 6:10-18 how Paul expects that this will be the case. Similarly, in James 4:7 James says: 'Resist the devil and he will flee from you.' This implies that we will often be under attack and fight off the attacks. It is true that in a deep sense Satan is already defeated, but, as the book of Revelation makes clear, in another sense Satan will not finally be defeated until Christ returns.

[@CaelinDarkGrace]

@@maxaplin4204 good God, you have so much religion in you. Ephesians 6:18 WEB - Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching for this purpose with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; This is our only offensive weapon. Religion doesn't include it in their arsenal. The apostle Paul was making a connection to David and Goliath. Religion keeps you so filled with fear. Fear is the antagonist of faith. Proverbs 3:5 WEB - Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not to thy own understanding. I refuse to acknowledge all those other deceptions you wrote. Unless you have a true question and not a weak argument, do not reply to me.

[@maxaplin4204]

@@CaelinDarkGrace Praying in the Spirit is only part of what Paul tells us to do in Eph 6. He also tells us to combat evil spirits! All of us Christians need to take that on board, including you. Also, James 4:7 has a command to resist the devil. Again, we all need to do this, you included. Combating evil spirits is not mutually exclusive with avoiding fear or trusting in God. I didn't write any deceptions, and you need to be careful what you accuse people of. You need to heed all the Bible says, not just the bits that fit with your preconceived ideas.

[@tomference4618]

..by the way, might I request a presented podcast topic over "why was nakedness the first thing that came into our ancestral parents mind, after they partook of the fruit of the tree, of the knowledge of good and evil?" Could it not be reasoned, that the same mindset was the real origin of "pornagraphy"?

[@TonyG-iu4td]

Thank you for this very clear and down to earth discussion. ...In my early years as a New Born Christian I once asked God why he had the right to criticise us for condemning our actions regarding sexual activity? When HE himself gave us sexual organs and sexual desire? He responded by saying ,'Indeed this was never going to be an easy task for mankind to overcome! The original plan was for this to aid men and woman to procreate but also to have pleasure within their marriage! Though sadly Mankind has fallen short of this basic and perfect ideology! He now sees that sex for many has become a more selfish need for self pleasure. This in turn, turns us away from the basic teachings within the Bible! Though he made it very clear that this is NOT a Sin that cannot be reversed! It is not a Sin that will guarantee your place in Hell! It is in fact a Stealth Driven Sin which the Devil is using to pull us away from our faith!

[@SaneNoMore]

God speaks to us through the Scriptures, NOT your imagination.

[@TonyG-iu4td]

@@SaneNoMore Well I think it is a shame for those that do not have a clear communication with God. What is even worse is that they cannot believe that other could?

[@SaneNoMore]

@@TonyG-iu4td God has graciously given us everything we need in scripture. That is our final and sole authority. It is the completed revelation given to the church. If you are hearing God speaking to you and revealing new information not found in the Bible then you suffer from a mental disorder or you are talking to demons.

[@TonyG-iu4td]

@@SaneNoMore I couldn't disagree more. God seeks a personal relationship with all his followers. Within our prayers we should be asking questions. This is just as important as reading the Bible. The two go hand in hand. The comments I made above are merely explaining what the Bible means, regarding the subject. I am not disputing the scriptures! PS. Are you a True Christian? Your reply and attitude suggests that you are not!

[@SaneNoMore]

@@TonyG-iu4td I said nothing about not praying and seeking guidance. You think God literally and audibly speaks to you? I will simply reply with an old Christian adage and pray you seek out help. "If you want to hear God speak, read your Bible. If you want to hear God speak audibly read your Bible out loud".

[@Joostin8]

This video is so gooooood

[@spiritman-em4qr]

This IS NOT every man's battle.

[@maxaplin4204]

I think the idea of having accountability partners is a really good one that will be able to greatly help a lot of Christians who are tempted with pornography.

[@kenromero9236]

The Samson Society can help with accountability partners.

[@godwinmanuel6963]

Excellent teaching! The main points are essential: 1. Pour your heart out to Jesus in prayer about this. Seek to desire Christ more than sin. 2. Saturate your mind with God's word (and good Christian literature). 3. Have solid accountability with another person. 3. Use filters (or whatever) to totally block access to pornography. John Piper said, "The only way I know how to fight sin in my life is to be satisfied by a greater pleasure." May God Himself be our ultimate satisfaction.

[@SomeIsBest]

So if a pastor is looking at pr0n, he's not disqualified?

[@charlesbrowniii8398]

What if your wife has sexual disfunction? Should I cut off my hand? Early Christian sects cut off more than hands. Porn is a bad alternative to no sex at all. What should I do?

[@holysmokes4493]

The husband is for the wife and the wife is for the husband, and they too must not deprive one another of the intimacy of marriage except for a time and at the agreement of the both of them. Barring abuse, or neglect, or a seriously debilitating physical condition that could prevent your wife from fulfilling her duty towards you, there is no reason whatsoever that you should be starved for physical intimacy. Whatever other reason there could be, can it not be resolved in counseling? Porn shouldn't even be an alternative for us. It destroys our souls.

[@mikeybeiza5142]

Fasting and asking everyday to resist helps alot . The word is key not worth it my brothrts

[@gojohnnygo3209]

A sinful thought is enough to send one to hell. -

[@seektruth7]

God is Holy, Holy, Holy

[@gojohnnygo3209]

@@seektruth7 Yes. - Therefore why then many pastors bind themselves to the ministry of death? - why submit themselves to the elemental spirits of the world. - because these pastors are still alive in the world.

[@Melchisedec81]

This is so poorly done. The lack of clarity and understanding around addiction here is just mean spirited and shallow. He’s speaking about habits, not addiction. This tactic with intellectual understanding and gnostic shame is fundamentally harmful and narrow minded. It keeps the dark deeds in the dark and this attitude of “Lone Ranger” pastorialship has ravaged the Baptist denomination for decades and shamed the gospel and Christ in the American church and on the world stage. Addictions are best dealt with in safe community. There are a myriad of GODLY 12-step addiction program and ministries. Please seek the help you need.

[@deepmaven8773]

What is pornography?

[@deepmaven8773]

lol

[@frankservant5754]

You are the GOAT bro 😂