The consumption of pornography has long been increasing thanks to the widespread use and accessibility of the Internet. It has also been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, which lockdown and isolation rules forced people to stay home and limit social interactions. Now, a Christian author is offering ways to overcome porn addiction through a new systematic process.
"The reality is, when you engage in something as toxic as pornography, you're almost like literally dancing with the devil, like you're really engaging with something demonic and giving him a foothold," Christian author Sathiya Sam explained to Faithwire.
He observed that there is a common thread in the stories of people who have struggled with porn addiction. The Christian author explained that while some men tend to overcome porn addiction, many will relapse "because they have not built the spiritual maturity to actually sustain the breakthrough."
Sam, who wrote the new book "The Last Relapse: Realize Your Potential, Reclaim Intimacy, and Resolve the Root Issues of Porn Addiction," comes from a long line of pastors and grew up in a wholesome Christian family and attended private Christian school.
Despite all this, he was exposed to pornography in the computer lab of his Christian school at the tender age of 11. It was 2001, way back when high speed Internet and smartphones were not yet a thing.
Sam explained that pornography sat at the back of his mind since his experience when was 11 and soon became more curious about sexuality and women. When he entered puberty, he started to consume porn as "a regular habit" in high school. By the time Sam was in college, it became a "full-blown addiction" to the point that he would schedules his days around it. He recounted how porn was "the only way" he knew how to "cope with the pressures of life."
It was also in college when Sam encountered Jesus for himself. It was also then when he realized he was a porn addict and had a problem. The Christian author recounted how he lied to himself, telling himself that he can "kick this thing" whenever he wanted or stop when he got married. That was when he realized he had a problem. It would then take him five years to heal from being a porn addict.
Sam recalled how he committed to helping others once he overcame his own demons, adding,. "So I was free for about two-and-a-half years before I felt a release from the Lord to step out and start Deep Clean, which is my ministry [to help men beat porn addiction]."
Sam explained that his ministry Deep Clean "lays the necessary spiritual groundwork to fight off porn addiction." He uses "faith-based practices - fasting, praying, reading Scripture" to help overcome porn addiction, saying it is "a huge part of the recovery process."
Sam explained that overcoming porn addiction is not a linear path and it is easy to lose one's way. That's why he underscored the importance of "finding community, particularly within the church." But he also recognizes the struggles of some pastors with pornography use as well. A study by Barna in 2016 found that up to 64% of men who self-identified as Christian used pornography on a monthly basis and another study found that most pastors or 57% of them and 64% of youth pastors also strugged with pornography use.
Sam's advice? "Start to fixate yourself on how good God is because that is the thing that is actually going to draw you into the life that He has called you to lead."
