“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” Hebrews 12:1 NLT

Most people dread the idea of a cancer diagnosis. The moment those potentially fatal words “you have cancer” leave the mouth of your doctor and register in your brain, your life goes from looking forward to your next vacation to wondering if you will live to even see another vacation. It’s a line of demarcation on life’s timeline you can’t ignore.

I’ve known many amazing people that have heard those words, and they all have one thing in common: they did everything they could do to beat it.

Fighting cancer is a real and daily struggle for millions. It isn’t a battle that’s easily won, and it is often lost. But there is an even more serious battle raging amongst us. The battle for sexual purity.

Cancer is to physical well-being what sexual addiction is to spiritual well-being.

Secret (and overt) sexual sin is rampant in our culture today. You know, I know it. Most of us have struggled with it at one time or another. If you’re fighting it now, it’s important to know you’re not alone. It’s also important to know that you can (and should) be doing all you can to beat it. Your spiritual life depends on it.

How do you know if you have a sexual addiction? Take this test: http://www.conquerseries.com/sast/

Admitting you have a problem is always the first step to recovery. It’s the keeping it in the dark that allows it to thrive. If you had cancer – would you sweep it under the rug and hope nobody found out about it? I doubt it. You’d pull out all the stops and find the best treatment you could afford.

I’m here to tell you there’s a way to beat sexual addiction, and it doesn’t come from trying harder. It begins with admitting there’s a problem, and coming clean to another person of the same gender that is also striving for purity. It continues with yielding totally to Jesus Christ and asking Him to help you identify the events that started it and now have you trapped in a stronghold. Thought patterns that lead to lust and acting out sexually have to be reversed. Thought pattern reversal can only happen by replacing old thought patterns with God’s pure and life-giving Word through memorizing Bible verses like the one at the top of this article.

Several guys I know are admitting they have a problem and need the support of other Godly men around them to beat it. Joining a group like the ones that are available at www.conquerseries.com is one of the best ways to do that.

Most of us struggled with this sin at one point or another, and for most it’s a daily struggle. But to not struggle is to yield to the cancer. We can beat it. God has made a way.