Engaging The Enemy
Breaking Free, the blog of Covenant Eyes, has a great post today on, essentially, battle tactics; strategic response to the temptations of Pornography, Lust and Masturbation (PLM).
The author writes of his own epiphany regarding the Satanic nature of his sin and the temptation he experienced. Then he writes:
I felt so stupid. How could I have not even considered Satan and lust together in the same sentence?
In my experience, 90 percent of the men struggling with addiction to PLM do that very same thing. i know i did. For some reason we choose naivete, and prefer to act as though we have no Enemy even though I Peter tells us in strong terms that, not only do we have an Enemy, but he prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (I Pet. 5:8).
As the author mentions, targeted spiritual warfare prayer is crucial. i started praying that way in the very early days of my recovery; just days after my addiction came to light. And i have been praying that way ever since, multiple times each day.
My personal daily prayer goes like this:
Father God, i come to You and ask that You would unleash Your divinely powerful weapons to demolish the Satanic strongholds in my life; strongholds of lust, pornography, deception and masturbation. Crush, annihilate and completely remove any remnant of those strongholds and build in their places strongholds of righteousness, purity and truth. Father, transform me by the renewing of my mind and set my heart free. Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. i offer the members of my body as instruments of righteousness. i put on Your armor, God: the helmet of salvation; the breastplate of righteousness; and the shield of faith. i fasten the belt of truth around me and take of the sword of the Spirit — Your Word; teach me how to wield it in Your power. And Father, give me the shoes of the Gospel that all of my steps would honor You.
There are also suggested prayers, a bit longer than this one, at John Eldredge’s web site, here.
These sorts of prayers become irreplaceable parts of the masculine journey away from the corruption of a pornified culture toward wholeness, integrity, honor and purity. Until we live with a mentality that indeed a battle is raging all around us, we will continue to fold under the Enemy’s attack.
And there is plenty of attack, just look around at entertainment, fashion and cultural attitudes about sex.
Intentional Warriors 
Leave a Reply