Many sincere Christians love Jesus and still find themselves caught in a painful circle: fall, feel guilty, confess, do well for a few days, then fall again. If that is you, you are not alone, and you are not too far gone.
At Bible Fun Quiz we have gathered the best advice we could find, from ordinary believers who have walked this road, from church and counselling resources, and from teaching on freedom in Christ. We have tried to make sense of it all and bring it together in one place, checked against Scripture. It is our gift to you, free.
It All Begins with Oneness
Before anything else, there is one truth underneath everything on this page. So much of what weighs on us (sickness, lack, fear, oppression, every longing and every hurt) grows out of one root: the belief that we are separate from God. We pray to a God who seems far "out there," and we hope to reach heaven one day. Yet Scripture says we are already there with Him:
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2:6, KJV)
You are not standing outside, trying to get in. You have been brought near and joined to Him:
"But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6:17, KJV)
When this truth settles in your heart, fear, problems, lack and need begin to lose their grip, because they all draw their strength from a sense of disconnection. It is true that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, KJV), and our minds can easily turn that into a feeling that God is distant and we are on our own. We may feel that and think that, but in reality God has never left us, not for a single moment:
"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5, KJV)
The same is true in the struggle with pornography. The pull, the shame and the hiding all feed on the lie that you are alone and far from Him. You are not.
This is why Jesus points us inward:
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33, KJV)
And He tells us where that kingdom is found:
"Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." (Luke 17:21, KJV)
In Christ you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are not a stranger hoping for a hearing; you are a son or daughter of God:
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14, KJV)
New creation, child of God, one with Him: that is the oneness. So seeking first the kingdom does not mean reaching out to a God far away. It means turning within, to the God who already dwells in you and is one with you. As you rest there, "all these things" (provision, healing, freedom) are added, not as wages earned, but as the natural fruit of living from that union.
The rest of this page unfolds this oneness further, especially in the sections on who you are, where you are seated, and your authority in Christ. Every step that follows flows from here: not reaching up to a distant God, but living from the God who is already one with you.
You Are Not Alone, and You Are Not Too Far Gone
Many people who struggle started young, sometimes because of things done to them that were not their fault. Many others are now months or years free.
"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13, KJV)
Remember: conviction comes from the Holy Spirit; condemnation does not. Conviction says, "Come back to Me." Condemnation says, "Hide."
Grace comes before effort. You don't fight your way into God's love; you fight from it. Shame never truly changes anyone. Forgiveness in Christ is the ground you stand on, not the prize at the end.
Part 1: Freedom Through Christ — Repenting, Renouncing and Deliverance
On the cross, Jesus "said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost" (John 19:30, KJV). The work that sets you free is already done. That means we fight from victory, not for it. Each step below (confessing, renouncing, closing doors, breaking soul ties and resisting) is not a way of earning freedom. It is receiving and standing on what Christ has already finished.
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57, KJV)
Know Who You Are and Where You Are Seated
Before any step, settle three truths the finished work has made true of you.
Who you are. In Christ you are not an old addict trying to become clean. You are a new creation, joined to God Himself: one with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV)
"But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6:17, KJV)
Where you are seated. You do not fight from the bottom, looking up. God has already placed you with Christ, far above every power.
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:6, KJV)
Your authority. From that seat comes authority that Jesus Himself gave:
"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:18–19, KJV)
Identity, position and authority are gifts of a finished work, not prizes for good behaviour. The steps below simply put them to use.
Steps to Freedom
Pornography can become a spiritual stronghold, but Jesus came to set captives free.
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36, KJV)
This is not a magic formula. It is simply coming to Jesus honestly.
1. Come clean with God. Even if you have left something behind, its effects may not have left you. Be fully honest, especially about what you feel most ashamed of.
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13, KJV)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, KJV)
2. Repent, then renounce. To repent is to change your mind completely, a heartfelt turn away from the sin. To renounce is to say out loud that you reject it and refuse it any place in your life. Repentance turns your heart; renouncing closes the door.
3. Close open doors. Sin we keep practising leaves a door open for the enemy to keep pressing on us.
"Neither give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27, KJV)
Open doors can include continuing to watch, holding on to unforgiveness, and painful things done to you. Closing them means stopping the practice, getting rid of material, and choosing to forgive.
4. Forgive and release. Forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling. Forgive anyone who harmed you, including anyone who exposed you to pornography as a child, and receive God's forgiveness for yourself.
5. Break ungodly soul ties. The Bible describes godly bonds: "the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David" (1 Samuel 18:1, KJV). Sexual sin creates unhealthy bonds too:
"Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." (1 Corinthians 6:18, KJV)
Breaking them takes two simple steps: forgive the person, and release them to God. With pornography, the bond may be to images or fantasies rather than a person.
6. Resist, in Jesus' name.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7, KJV)
Notice the order: submit first, then resist. Your authority comes from Jesus, not from shouting or special words.
A prayer you can pray
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me. Thank You, Jesus, for dying on the cross so I could be forgiven and set free. I confess my sin of pornography and lust, including every image, fantasy and habit. I am sorry, and I turn away from it. I invite You, Lord Jesus, to be Lord of every part of my life, including my eyes, my mind and my body.
I choose to forgive everyone who has hurt me or exposed me to these things, and I release them to You. I receive Your forgiveness, and I forgive myself.
In the name of Jesus, I renounce pornography, lust and every unclean thing. I break every ungodly soul tie formed through images, fantasies or relationships. I close every door I opened, and I declare that the enemy has no right to me, because I belong to Jesus. Seated with Christ, I take authority in the name of Jesus over every spirit of lust, the spirit of addiction, every form of idolatry, sexual perversion, sexual immorality and all unclean spirits. I command you to leave me now in Jesus' name.
Thank You, Father, that I am one with You. I am in You, and You are in me, just as Jesus prayed. Thank You that I am in Christ and Christ is in me, and that sin has no claim on who You have made me.
Holy Spirit, fill me afresh. Wash my mind, renew my thoughts, and give me strength to walk in purity. Amen.
Jesus promised this oneness and prayed for it:
"At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." (John 14:20, KJV)
"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." (John 17:21, KJV)
Stop Fighting to Become What You Already Are
Many of us have tried to beat pornography by sheer willpower: fighting every thought, wrestling every desire, white-knuckling through every evening. It sounds godly, but it points in the wrong direction. The more you see yourself as a sinner struggling against sin, the more power you hand to temptation. You end up trapped in a cycle of temptation, resistance, guilt and condemnation, and your whole walk with God becomes about your ability to resist rather than what Christ has already accomplished.
Look at what Scripture says has already been done:
"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14, KJV)
Notice the tense. He hath perfected. It is finished. Your righteousness is something you receive, not something you work towards.
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." (Romans 6:6, KJV)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV)
Sin may still dwell in the flesh. Paul himself said, "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." (Romans 7:17, KJV) But that sin no longer defines who you are or where you stand before God.
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:11, KJV)
Paul does not say, "Struggle until you become dead to sin." He says reckon: count it as true, because you already are. That means surrendering the verdict of your own thoughts and feelings and believing what God's Word says about you instead.
"For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14, KJV)
So live from the righteousness Christ has already given you. This is not permission to sin. Real change grows from a heart transformed by grace, not from fear or shame. You can still set wise boundaries and honour God's design for sex within marriage, without making your ability to resist the foundation of your identity.
The answer is not becoming better at fighting sin so you can finally be righteous. It is believing Christ when He says you have already been made righteous, and letting that truth change your heart. Christ did not die for you because you could overcome your sinful nature. He died precisely because you couldn't.
And when you do fall, don't hide. Come straight back to Him, confess it and receive His forgiveness:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, KJV)
When to ask for help
Some find freedom praying alone; others need a mature believer beside them, especially when the struggle is long-standing or tied to trauma. Ask your pastor for a gentle, accountable deliverance or prayer minister grounded in Scripture.
If you are helping someone else: be a safe person and listen without shock. Pray with them through the steps above, let the Holy Spirit lead rather than a rigid method, and keep their story confidential. Point them to Jesus, and stay with them afterwards. If someone is under 18, involve their parents or church leaders.
Part 2: Practical Steps That Help
Freedom in Christ is walked out in everyday choices. These practical steps help guard what He has done.
Remove easy access. Jesus called us to cut off whatever makes us stumble (Matthew 18:9). He meant real change, not self-harm. In practice:
- Use a content filter or blocker on every device. Some people use more than one so it is hard to switch off.
- Let a trusted friend hold the password, or turn on your phone's parental controls with a random PIN that you hide away.
- Delete tempting apps, and keep devices out of the bedroom at night.
"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Romans 13:14, KJV)
Don't fight alone. Find a safe church small group, a prayer partner, or an older believer of the same gender.
"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." (James 5:16, KJV)
Know your weak moments, and run. Loneliness, boredom, stress, grief and late nights are common triggers. Have an escape plan: put the phone away, go outside, call a friend, or worship.
"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22, KJV)
Look at the roots. Pornography often numbs something deeper: loneliness, rejection, grief, stress, or old wounds. Gently ask, "What was I feeling just before?" Bring those needs to God and to safe people.
Fill your mind with the Word. Write verses down and say them out loud when urges come (Psalm 119:9).
Resting in God's Presence
Deliverance has a quiet companion: resting in God's presence. At its heart is a simple truth. There is no power but God.
Other powers have lost their authority. The things dealt with in deliverance may be real, but at the cross Jesus stripped them of their power over anyone who belongs to Him:
"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15, KJV)
"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4, KJV)
So renouncing and resisting are not a battle between two equal forces. They are you using the authority described earlier, agreeing with what Christ has already won. The urge may knock, but it is not your master, and it has no power over a heart that rests in God.
What you dwell on shapes you.
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7, KJV)
Feeding your heart on fear of the habit gives it a bigger place. Feeding it on God's presence and on whatever is true, pure and lovely (Philippians 4:8) changes you from the inside.
Grace, not might. Freedom is not won by straining harder. It is received by grace.
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." (Zechariah 4:6, KJV)
Be still. Set aside daily quiet times: sit comfortably, turn your attention to God, and wait until you sense His presence. You don't have to strive; the battle is the Lord's. Try five or ten minutes morning and evening, and a moment of stillness whenever temptation comes.
"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10, KJV)
Abiding is where freedom is kept. This is the new-creation oneness described above: joined to the Lord, one spirit with Him. Deliverance clears the house; abiding in that oneness keeps it filled. Jesus prayed for it:
"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us." (John 17:21, KJV)
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15:5, KJV)
Or, in Paul's words, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20, KJV). Deliverance and resting in God's presence work together: both rest on a finished work that puts all the power in Christ's hands, and none in the habit's.
Part 3: Walking It Out
Freedom is often received in a moment and walked out over time; God drove out Israel's enemies "by little and little" (Deuteronomy 7:22). Don't be discouraged if some battles remain.
Put God first. Freedom grows best when God has first place in your day, your thoughts and your choices, not just when temptation comes.
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33, KJV)
Begin each day with Him, give Him your first attention, and let His kingdom set your priorities.
Find a better delight. Lust promises joy but leaves you empty. The deepest reason for purity is not avoiding embarrassment; it is seeing God Himself.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8, KJV)
When temptation comes, say no quickly and turn your heart to Christ.
Jesus warned that an empty house can be re-entered (Matthew 12:43–45), so fill your life with good things:
- Keep Jesus first and stay in the Word daily.
- Be filled with the Spirit and walk in Him: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16, KJV).
- Take thoughts captive: "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5, KJV).
- Pray morning and evening: confess quickly, forgive quickly, and close any door opened that day.
- Stay in community and keep your practical barriers up.
- Choose daily. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, "go, and sin no more" (John 8:11, KJV). Grace and daily choices work together.
If you stumble, don't hide. Confess, get up, and keep walking.
"I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5, KJV)
It's Okay to Get Counselling Too
Deliverance and counselling are not opposites. A Christian counsellor or licensed therapist can help heal the hurts and trauma that often lie underneath. Ask your pastor or church for a recommendation, and if you are young, please talk with a parent or trusted adult.
Where to Find Help
- Your local church. Talk to a pastor or a mature, trusted believer. Many churches run small groups or recovery courses, or can point you to one.
- A Christian counsellor. Ask your church for a recommendation, or look for a qualified counsellor who shares your faith.
- A content filter. Install a reputable filter or blocker on every device, and let someone you trust hold the password.
- An accountability partner. Someone of the same gender who will pray with you and check in regularly.
- For parents of teens. Use your devices' built-in parental controls, and keep conversations open, warm and free of shame.
Keep Walking
You don't have to stay in the circle. With Jesus, you can walk out a victory He has already won.
Personal Deliverance Session
Everything on this page is free, and we pray it helps you. If you would like someone to pray with you personally, Bible Fun Quiz also offers one-on-one deliverance and prayer ministry over Zoom.
In a gentle, confidential session, we walk with you through the steps on this page: confession, forgiveness, renouncing, breaking soul ties and closing doors. Then we pray together for freedom and for the Holy Spirit's filling, standing on what Christ has already finished.
Sessions are $100 USD per hour and are completely optional. Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian present, or their written consent.
