How to resist sexual tempation now! (Part 3)

Imagination is the realm of sexual temptation. Pornography is fueled by fantasy. In the imaginary is infinity, according to our enemy. In your mind you can do whatever you want, be with whomever you want, and have whatever you want. No man or woman can resist you or refuse you. You can do whatever you want to him or her, and he or she will do whatever ever you want him or her to do.

In your mind, you are God.
In your mind, your are Goddess.

Notice.

The mind is the realm that determines whether one is spiritual or fleshly. The mindset. As it is written, "Those who live in accordance with the flesh set their minds on what the flesh desires. Those who live in accordance with the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires."

I've noticed that in times when I let my mind aimlessly drift, I am most easily tempted, sooner or later. But when I focus my mind on spiritual things, I have spiritual feelings and spiritual satisfaction, like I have now as I write. It is written,

"Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, think about these things."

Notice that Paul makes a list without specifying exactly which thing on the list should be focused on. In other words, as Paul also said, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

We are free to think about whatever spiritual thing we want, whatever interests us, whatever motivates us, whatever we like.

When I do this, I am free from the imaginations that result in sexual temptations. When I don't, I fall, sooner or later, into sinful imaginations. As it is written,

"Those who live in accordance with the flesh set their minds on what the flesh desires. Those who live in accordance with the Spirit set their minds on what the Spirit desires."

Mindset is a choice.

One of the best definitions of mindset I've ever read is on dictionary.com. It defines mindset as a fixed mental disposition that predetermines interpretations and responses to situations. Fixed. Predetermined. Interpretations. Responses. Situations.

So, the spiritual mindset focuses on, interprets, and responds to situations spiritually. Truth is a spiritual thing, for example. The mindset of truth focuses on truth. It's interpretation of situations is true. It's response to situations is true.

But if I am focused on what my flesh desires, living for the fulfillment of those desires, then my entire life will be directed by this passion. It is up to me.

It is up to you.

Your mind is indeed your mind. You can focus it, or refocus it, or refuse to focus it, on whatever you want. To resist the temptation you may be facing right now is to turn your mind from the object of imagination that is the source of temptation, and to turn your eyes and head and body away as well. In the grocery store, for example, I turn magazines over so that I can't see scantily clad women when I'm just trying to buy groceries. I often take a spiritual book with me s0 that I can read while I wait in line. If no scantily clad woman is before my eyes, I feel no passion being aroused. This is obvious. As said before, objects are the source of emotion or passion. Whatever is focused on with the will has a corresponding emotion. If I look at the scantily clad woman on the magazine, I will feel attracted. If I don't look at her and focus on a spiritual topic in a book I am reading, I will feel the feelings associated with the topic. Spiritual focus results in spiritual feelings. Physical focus results in physical feelings. The decision to have a spiritual mindset must be made before going to the grocery store, not at the store, or in the line. This is important. If I am unfocused and unaware, I am prey for the devil. As it is written, "Be self-controlled, be watchful, because your adversary the devil roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing what you are experiencing." (My partial paraphrase.)

Another important point to make is this one: moment by moment spirituality is all that is necessary. In other words, as C.S. Lewis wisely states, God only promises grace for right now, the present moment, the daily bread. So don't focus on 21 days. Focus on now. Right now. The temptation you face right now. The mindset of resistance right now. Decide NOW what your mindset is, and thus you decide what your mindset will be when temptation comes.

Jesus said, in so many words, do whatever it takes to resist, no matter how painful or inconvenient. Cutting off a hand and plucking out an eye is as painful and inconvenient as it can get. Jesus said to do this if the right eye or right hand causes sin. He made this a matter of life and death, of heaven and hell. A matter of eternity. A matter of spirituality.