Let me also say a word about flirting. Some men love to flirt with women other than their wives. It's a little game they play. But it's dangerous, and it is dishonoring to their wives. Don't tell me women come to you wanting to flirt. I think the truth is that men give off signals that say they are looking. Yes, some women are aggressive; but if you really want to, you can stop that stuff cold. Ask your wife to help you if it's really a problem.
Abide in the Spirit of God
Confess to God, "I can't do this on my own, but I can do all things because You give me the strength." Don't say you can't, when the Spirit of the Living God within you says you can.
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Arm Yourself with the Word of God
The psalmist asked, "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word" (Psalm 119:9).
Philippians 4:8 is a verse that ought to be tattooed backwards on our foreheads so we can read it in the mirror every morning. One of the areas it commands us to meditate on is "whatever things are pure." God has made us so that we can really think about only one thing at a time. That means if I'm thinking the right thing, I can't be thinking the wrong thing. This goes back to our need for mental toughness. Saturate and sanctify your mind with Scripture. If you have to, lay the TV remote on top of your Bible so you'll be reminded to shut down the tube and open up God's renewing, life-giving Word.
Some of us need renewed minds because we've got a lot of dirty pictures on our mental walls. We've seen and done some things that are pasted there and are hard to erase. One of the most insidious things about sexual sin is that it enslaves a person. The most sexual organ in our body is our brain. Someone said sex starts in the kitchen, but it really starts in the mind. But, praise God, His Word can cleanse the mind.
Affirm the Grace and Forgiveness of God
Praise brings power and leads to victory. The devil departs when we praise God. The next time you are tempted in the area of sex, start praising God. And when you fail, confess your sin to Him and thank Him for the cleansing power of His blood (1 John 1:9).
Remember That You Must Give an Account to God
You cannot sin indiscriminately and independently of your accountability to God. If you are saved, God won't send you to hell; but you'll feel like hell before it's over, if your life goes up in smoke when tested by fire at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:13).
We are standing at a critical fork in the road today. The road we take and the decisions we make will determine not only our destiny, but the destiny of our children, grandchildren, and their children. Let's take a stand for integrity and purity in every part of our lives.
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Jack Graham is Senior Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, TX.
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From A Man of God by Jack Graham, © 2005, pages 69-84. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, www.crossway.com.