Q: How Can I Get Free From Inappropriate Sexual Thoughts and Feelings?
A:
If you struggle with having inappropriate sexual thoughts and feelings, know that your struggle is no different than struggling with any other perversion or deception that resulted from Adam’s fall. We have great news! You have been made free by the blood of Jesus! John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
Your Father God loves you very much, and He has great things in store for you. The Bible says that the plans that God has for you are for good and not evil, and they lead to the hope of a bright future (Jeremiah 29:11). The enemy tries to get us off the good path that God has for us, and he uses many temptations and pressures to do it (John 10:10), but Jesus understands the pressures that we are faced with. Hebrews 4:15 says, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.” You can always be assured that you are not alone!
A great man of God, the apostle Paul, mentioned his frustrations in trying to control his fleshly desires. Romans 7:22-23: “I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.” This verse might seem discouraging, but Paul didn’t stop there. He found the answer to his dilemma: “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8:1-2).
Victory is ours when we walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. Our deliverance comes when we allow God’s grace to empower us to change. The enemy would like you to feel isolated and alone, but he is a liar. When thoughts and feelings come that don’t line up with God’s best for you, speak the Word of God and allow God’s Word to help you overcome the temptations and lies of the enemy. The Word says he will run from you (James 4:7)! By the power of the Holy Spirit you can be victorious in the midst of temptation.
We encourage you to cast the care of this burden on the Lord. As you spend time in God’s Word and in His presence in prayer and worship, you will find the temptations of the flesh growing weaker and weaker. When you feed on and submit to His Word and Him rather than the things of the world, you will see your own desires change to reflect His desires!