Singles, even if they are on fire for God, sometimes feel sexual desires. So, what to do with that? Is masturbation the solution? (Passion374 addresses all topics!)
We live in a very sexualized world. The media sells us perfumes, clothes and even food by lightly dressed models in a suggestive position. It is therefore not surprising that Christians are sometimes tempted in this area. When we are single and sexual desires arise in us, what can we do? Passion374 has already addressed the subject of sexual thoughts in another article, but it seems imperative to push the subject further.
When sexual desires rise, the world has a simple solution: masturbation. This is even taught in sex education in schools. Now, even if this solution seems logical and natural, it is not acceptable for children of God. For this simple reason: God never said to satisfy the desires of our flesh, quite the opposite! “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Galatians 5:24 WEB). Masturbation is satisfying the impulses of the flesh, and a child of God is called not to listen to their flesh. “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts” (Romans 13:14 WEB).
The Bible does not speak of masturbation, but it speaks of giving up the works of the flesh. As children of God, we are called to use our bodies to glorify God. “Flee sexual immorality! Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:18-19 WEB). When we masturbate, God is very far from our thoughts! The proof: a child of God will always feel guilty for having masturbated. The Spirit of God in us does not agree with this practice. Just as Adam and Eve hid in the Garden of Eden after sinning, masturbation causes the child of God to hide from their spiritual authorities and even put a block in their relationship with God. If we give in to this practice, we will no longer imagine ourselves married to a partner filled with the power of God. When we masturbate, we no longer feel worthy of the glorious call God has made on our lives. This sin breaks not only our confidence in approaching the throne of grace, but it also breaks our dreams of a sanctified and mighty marriage against the plans of the enemy. And that is exactly the goal of the snake!
Now, let’s look at this matter from a practical way. When we give in to masturbation, we actually feel momentary pleasure, but we are never totally satisfied. Sex was created to be celebrated as a couple, as part of marriage. When we have an orgasm alone, we also feel a void. The enemy then quickly suggests other solutions to satisfy this void with sexual scenarios more and more elaborate, and often a desire to watch pornography. It’s a spiral that has no end. The more we give in to masturbation, the more we want to start again. The flesh can not be satisfied, so let’s not listen to the ideas of the enemy, it only seeks to make us a slave of this spiral and takes us away from God.
What if we already gave in to this poisoned solution? How do you stop this desire to masturbate? We must first begin by repenting sincerely. Then we must break all curses, all spiritual bonds, that this sin has brought into our lives. Finally, we must give ourselves an effective way to respond to this temptation when it comes back (because yes, this temptation will come back). For example, we can decide that when the desire comes back, that we will start singing worship songs to God, or go for a brisk walk, or embark on a project that captures our thoughts. If we have an exit plan already planned, we will more easily get out of temptation when it comes. The more we resist this temptation, the less it will present itself to us. “Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 WEB). Another way to resist this temptation is to avoid anything that could ignite our desires. For example, you may need to review your entertainment and maybe stop viewing some TV shows, movies or books. You may need to avoid some people with non-sanctified language or places that nourish the flesh. Protect your relationship with God: your eternal life depends on it!
(Note: I wrote this article because I have received several messages from Christian singles who are struggling with sexual desires and they do not want to tell anyone about it. They are embarrassed to ask questions about masturbation to their pastors for fear of being labeled and put aside, judged. This embarrassment is perfect for the enemy! He uses this great secret to bind the children of God, to sabotage their destiny, to humiliate and defile them. This must stop! We are the bride of Christ, and we must present to Christ a sanctified bride. We are not slaves of our flesh, we are more than conquerors and we have the power of the Spirit of God to overthrow all mountains! Do not stay in darkness!)