We live in the most sexualized culture in the history of the world.

Before the internet, you had to go out of your way to find porn. Now, you have to go out of your way to shield yourself from it. Porn is everywhere—literally. Each of us carries a device with instant, 24/7 access to an infinite library of sexualized images and videos. Millions of men (and women) are addicted. If I claimed I had never struggled with it myself, I might as well tell you I go bowling every Saturday with Bigfoot. I don’t think I’ve ever met an adult male who hasn’t dealt with this issue to at least some small degree.

Personally, I’ve had to take extreme steps in my own life to keep those weeds from taking root. I even have accountability software on my phone that alerts a few friends if I ever visit sites I shouldn’t. That might sound fanatical, but is it any crazier than cutting off your hand or plucking out your eye? Because that’s what Jesus advised. Of course, I don’t believe He was being literal—no more than He was when He said, "I am the bread of life" (he wasn’t actually declaring himself to be made of flour and yeast). A man who plucks out both eyes can still be troubled by memories and urges. Jesus was using hyperbole to make a point: Don’t toy around with sin! It is deadly serious. Do whatever you have to do to keep its tentacles from choking you. Taking such extreme measures to block porn out of your life might sound unhinged, but I’ve found it to be just the opposite. The longer I keep away from porn, the stronger and healthier I feel.

Porn is a sugary poison. It promises pleasure but leaves people in a puddle of shame. It cheapens the gift of sex—a gift God designed to be beautiful and sacred, reserved for the intimacy of marriage because it is so profoundly powerful. Porn turns such gold into cheap plastic. Porn devalues women by reducing them to mere objects. Sex is meant to point your heart outward toward your spouse, but porn pulls you inward toward selfish gratification. It destroys marriages. It pulls people into the quicksand of addiction. It can even rob men of their virility. Whatever momentary pleasure it offers is just not worth the cost. If nothing else motivates you, remember: God sees what we do in private. He knows our hearts. We will all have to give an account on the Day of Judgment.

So come to Jesus in humble repentance. Ask Him for forgiveness and strength. Confess to a pastor, priest, or trusted friend, and ask them for help. Then take whatever extreme steps are necessary to pull the hooks out of your skin and start fighting for righteousness.

It will be worth it.