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

In the days before the internet you had to go out of your way to find porn. Now, you have to go out of your way to get away from it. Porn is everywhere. Literally. We each carry a device with us 24/7 that grants instant access to an infinite library of porn. Millions of men (and women) are addicted to it. If I said I had never struggled with it in my own life, I might as well tell you I go bowling every Saturday with Bigfoot. I don't think I've ever met any adult male who hasn't struggled with this issue.

Personally I've had to take extreme steps in my own life to keep those weeds from taking root. When I was a younger man I went ten years without owning a TV. I've joined men's groups dedicated to helping each other fight this temptation. I now have accountability software on my phone that lets my friends know if I've visited any sites I shouldn't have. I even have the parental controls set up so that I have to ask my wife for a password before using the App Store. That might sound fanatical, but is it any less crazy 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, any more than saying "I am the bread of life" meant he was actually made of flour and yeast. A man who plucks out both eyes can still be haunted with lustful memories and biological urges. No, 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 tenticles from choking you out. Taking such extreme steps to block porn out of your life might sound unhinged, but I have found it to be just the opposite. I longer I stay away from porn, the stronger and healthier I feel.

Porn is a sugary poison. It promises pleasure but leaves people in a filthy puddle of shame. It cheapens the gift of sex (which God restricted to the intimacy of marriage). It devalues women by reducing them to objects. Sex is meant to point your heart outward toward your spouse, whereas porn pulls you inward toward your own selfish gratification. It destroys marriages. It sucks people into addiction. It can even rob men of their virility. Whatever pleasure it may be giving you, it isn't worth it. If nothing else motivates you, remember that God sees what we do in private, He knows our hearts, and 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.