When Tim was 14, he accepted Jesus as his Savior. At about the same time, he began a war with an invisible monster: a shame-producing beast called lust. Tim knew he wasn’t alone; many teenage guys face similar battles. He also was convinced that the Lord loved him and wanted to help him defeat this sneaky beast.In the following paragraphs, Tim (now a college student) shares candidly how God empowers him to fight lust daily so he can stand strong for purity.
When I was a little kid, the thing I most feared was the bogeyman who lived under my bed. By the time I was in middle school, a much more formidable monster had taken its place: lust.
Unlike the imaginary monster I never could find in my room, lust crawled right into my bed on a regular basis. I’d drift off to sleep with sexually explicit images flashing through my mind. (The pictures came from Web sites I’d secretly accessed earlier.) Then I’d wake the next morning with a knot of guilt in my gut. I’d ask the Lord for forgiveness and hoped that He granted it.
Because I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I knew that I was a Christian and that the Lord loved me. But I also knew only too well that I was likely to be ambushed by that invisible monster several times during the day. And more often than not, I’d fall victim to the lure of lust at night.
Hiding Behind a Mask
As I entered high school, I was living a double life. I never told anyone about my struggles because I believed the lie that I was the only one struggling. I put on my “Joe Christian” mask for Sunday school and youth group. But inside, I felt like a two-faced liar. Sure I was a Christian, but my walk with the Lord had reached a dead end. I smiled as if everything were just fine with me, yet I felt rotten having looked at porn on my computer the night before.
Not only did the monster impact my relationship with the Lord, but it also affected the way I looked at girls. I’d imagine seeing them in the porn sites I visited over and over.
My application to a Christian college in the Midwest asked no questions about the invisible beast that held me hostage. I had decent grades and impressive skills as a hockey player. My pastor (unaware of my struggle with lust) gave me a glowing recommendation — and for good reason: He was close to my parents, both of whom were leaders in our congregation.
As I began to date a beautiful girl who loved Jesus, I wanted to reprogram my pattern of behavior. But I struggled to know how. About that time, I met a Christian man who had spent much of his adult life helping guys break free from the grip of lust. He offered to mentor me and guided me through a Bible study that focused on breaking free from lust. When I learned that I wasn’t the only one struggling, I was able to be real with the people around me.
Victory in the Battle
During my sophomore year at college, four of my buddies and I committed to a weekly Bible study, as well as to helping each other fight lust. During that time, we learned three important skills: (1) placing our identities in Christ; (2) assuming accountability with other Christian guys; and (3) being a warrior instead of passively allowing sin to take over.
At first, I didn’t believe I’d be able to come clean. My good intentions crashed and burned. The monster breathed down my neck, reminding me of my past failures. I knew it was really the Enemy attempting to trip me up because I was on the right road. I stumbled more than I made forward progress. But when I began to give Christ my whole heart without holding anything back, I began to experience victory. I made every effort to never delay in confessing my sin to Christ. I also quit lying to myself and others about the lust monster.
The most powerful steps I took involved confessing all my sins (including the sexual ones) to a brother in Christ. He then prayed for me and with me. The bonds that I created when I looked at images or messed around with my girlfriend were broken.
I sensed Jesus fighting for me. True, He had already forgiven me, but I needed to stand up, accept His forgiveness and walk in purity.
Be Encouraged: You Can Defeat the Monster
Listen clearly, Breakaway brothers: My faith has grown in awesome ways since I’ve taken the steps to fighting lust.
My struggle was like a brick wall in my path. I learned how to defeat it with the power of Jesus. And once I committed myself to a life of purity, I learned to demonstrate dignity and respect in my relationship with my girlfriend. Together we established appropriate boundaries.
I now understand that giving in to lust means taking, while standing for true love means giving. 
* Last name withheld to protect Tim’s identity.
