Recovery from sexual addiction requires a delicate balance of faith (trusting God for freedom) and action (daily habits and safeguards). As Christian men in a Pentecostal evangelical context, we believe in God’s power to deliver us completely from sin – yet we also recognize our ongoing responsibility to “watch and pray” and guard against temptation. How can we believe we’ll never fall into that sin again, yet still stay vigilant by using tools like accountability software and support groups? Far from showing a lack of faith, these practical steps demonstrate biblical wisdom, humility, and obedience. In this post, we’ll explore how strong faith in God goes hand-in-hand with consistent pursuit of purity, supported by Scripture and biblical examples.
Believing in God’s Deliverance (Faith in Freedom)
As followers of Christ, we start with the faith that true freedom from sin is possible. Jesus said, “if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). We stand on God’s promise that through Christ’s sacrifice and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6–7). This means we can live in victory over sexual sin. We’re called to have a mindset of hope and confidence in God’s ability to transform us. For example, Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) – our strength to overcome comes from Jesus, not ourselves. In recovery, faith looks like believing God’s grace is sufficient and that He is working in us to purify us.
However, biblical faith is never passive or presumptuous. Trusting God does not mean we become complacent. In fact, genuine faith propels us into action. James 2:17 reminds us that “faith without works is dead,” meaning that real faith will show itself in the choices we make. We trust God for victory, and because we trust Him, we take proactive steps to live out that victory. As one pastor put it, “The Christian’s motto should not be ‘Let go and let God’ but ‘Trust God and get going.’”jordanraynor.com True faith empowers us to “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling,” knowing that God is working in us (Philippians 2:12–13). In other words, believing God’s promise of freedom gives us the courage to fight for that freedom each day.
The Role of Vigilance: Why Safeguards Are Wise
If we believe we’ll never return to our old sin, why bother with filters, accountability partners, or meetings? The simple answer is: because the Bible teaches us to be vigilant and humble. Jesus warned His disciples in Gethsemane, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”biblehub.com Even with strong faith and willing spirits, we must acknowledge our human weakness. The Apostle Paul likewise cautioned believers, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Peter himself confidently declared he’d never deny Christ, yet a few hours later he did – all because he let his guard down. Jesus had told him to stay alert in prayer, but Peter fell asleep, illustrating how overconfidence can lead to failuregotquestions.org. Biblical faith calls for humility, not pride in our own strength.
Scripture uses vivid language to encourage an attitude of active vigilance. Peter writes, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”biblehub.com In the battle for purity, complacency can be dangerous. Installing Covenant Eyes on your devices or attending weekly recovery meetings isn’t a sign of doubting God – it’s a sign of obeying God’s command to stay alert. We do these things not out of fear that God won’t help us, but out of wisdom, knowing that the enemy will exploit any opportunity if we let our guard down. As Proverbs 22:3 says, “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”biblehub.com. Using accountability software or an internet filter is simply acting as “the prudent” man who sees potential danger and wisely takes refuge, rather than the naive person who marches on unprotected. It’s faith in action – trusting God enough to take sin seriously and do our part to avoid it.
Faith and Works Hand-in-Hand: Biblical Examples
The Bible is full of examples where God’s people trusted Him and took responsible action. One powerful example is Nehemiah. When Nehemiah led the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls, enemies threatened to attack. Nehemiah 4:9 says, “We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” He didn’t choose between praying or acting – he did both. They trusted God for protection and carried swords while working. In fact, the little word “and” in that verse is key: “They didn’t ‘let go and let God.’ They trusted in prayer and the abilities God had given them to work and protect the wall.”jordanraynor.com. In the same way, we pray for purity and also use the tools and wisdom God provides (accountability, counseling, etc.) to guard our purity. Nehemiah even asked the king for armed escorts during travel, despite believing God’s favor was on him – taking precautions did not negate his trust in Godjordanraynor.com. Trusting God does not mean doing nothing; often it means doing everything He enables us to do.
Consider Joseph in Genesis 39. He had deep faith in God and a strong conviction against adultery, telling Potiphar’s wife, “How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” Yet when temptation literally grabbed him, Joseph ran away, leaving his cloak in her hands. His faith in God’s standard led him to take drastic action – he didn’t stick around to “prove” his resolve. This echoes the New Testament command to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18) and “flee youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). Sometimes the faithful thing to do is escape the situation! Joseph’s story shows that true believers aren’t above temptation – they are just quicker to flee it. By installing boundaries (like internet filters or avoiding certain environments), we are essentially fleeing from sin in a practical way, much like Joseph fled the bedroom. This isn’t lack of faith; it’s living out the wisdom of Scripture that tells us to run from what could destroy us.
Another example: Noah believed God’s warning about a flood and demonstrated his faith by painstakingly building the ark. It took years of steady work to prepare for what God had promised. In recovery, God’s promise might be that “sin shall no longer have dominion over you” (Romans 6:14), but we still must hammer the nails, so to speak – establishing new habits, renewing our minds, and building a life that can withstand storms of temptation. Faith builds the ark; unbelief leaves it unfinished. By daily discipline, we prepare our “ark” of escape from sin, trusting that God will keep His word.
Accountability and Habits: Acts of Wisdom, Not Unbelief
Regularly attending support groups, confessing struggles to an accountability partner, or using Covenant Eyes may feel like admitting weakness – and in a sense, it is. But biblically, admitting our weakness is part of walking in the Spirit. Paul taught, “Put no confidence in the flesh”biblehub.com – we don’t trust our sinful nature or willpower alone to keep us pure. Our confidence is in God, and because we distrust our flesh, we gladly accept help from safeguards and fellow believers. The Bible actually commands mutual accountability: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”biblehub.com Bringing our struggles into the light with a trusted brother or group is a step of faith and humility. It invites God’s healing and strengthens us. Isolation and secrecy, on the other hand, are where faith truly withers. By being accountable, we obey God’s design for the Church – bearing one another’s burdens and spurring one another on to holiness.
Far from showing a lack of faith, taking practical steps is often a proof of faith. Think of it this way: if you pray for God’s protection and believe He values holiness, wouldn’t you also lock the “doors” that the enemy might sneak through? God often provides a “way of escape” in temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13), but we must choose to take it. Installing a porn filter or having an accountability partner is like building an escape hatch before the temptation comes. It’s saying, “Lord, I trust You enough to value the escape route You’re giving me.” In contrast, deliberately neglecting wise safeguards might indicate presumption (testing God) or pride in one’s own strength. The story of the devil tempting Jesus is instructive here: Satan urged Jesus to jump off the temple, claiming God’s angels would surely catch Him. But Jesus replied, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:7). We don’t deliberately put ourselves in temptation’s path just to prove God will rescue us. That isn’t faith – that’s testing God. Using wisdom and means of grace (like software, mentoring, etc.) is not testing God; it’s cooperating with God.
In fact, one pastor noted that inaction can be a sign of unbelief: “Inaction would indicate lack of faith, and God never blesses lack of faith. So never pit God’s sovereignty against your own human responsibility. If you are going to gain victories in your life, it will only come through hard work.”biblicalblueprints.com Strong words – but they ring true. Believing God is sovereign over your recovery doesn’t mean you sit back and do nothing; it means you work diligently on your recovery because you trust God is working with you. When we install accountability apps, set up internet boundaries, or establish a daily prayer routine, we are saying, “I believe God wants me to be free, so I’m doing my part to walk in that freedom.”
Humility, Diligence, and the Power of the Holy Spirit
Christian tradition emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit to break yokes of bondage – and amen to that! At the same time, the Spirit often leads us into disciplines and community rather than lone heroics. Personal testimony and teaching from Scripture both affirm that freedom is usually a journey, not just a one-time event. We rely on the Holy Spirit every day for self-control (Galatians 5:22–23) and renewal of our minds. The Spirit might prompt you to call a brother when you’re struggling, or give you the nudge to throw out something that triggers you. Following those prompts is exercising faith. It’s much like the Israelites gathering manna daily – God provided the bread, but they had to go out each morning and collect it. God provides grace and strength; our part is to respond daily with obedience and effort, empowered by that grace.
Humility is key in this balance of faith and works. We remain humble by remembering that, apart from Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5). This humility keeps us dependent on God and appreciative of safeguards rather than resenting them. A humble attitude says, “I know I need God every hour, and I’m not so strong on my own – so I’ll gladly take all the help and wise boundaries I can.” Pride would say “I’m fine now, I don’t need accountability,” but “Pride goes before destruction” (Proverbs 16:18). The Bible praises the man who fears falling: “Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble” (Proverbs 28:14). Staying on guard is simply acknowledging the reality of spiritual warfare and the weakness of our flesh. It’s the posture of someone who walks softly before God, not wanting to grieve Him again.
On the flip side, hope and confidence in Christ keep us from falling into constant fear. We pursue recovery practices not in a spirit of paranoia, but in a spirit of hopeful diligence. We truly believe we “are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). This confidence gives us joy and optimism on the journey. Each meeting attended or each week of clean internet use is a celebration of what God is doing in us. Our extra habits are not heavy shackles; they are like a runner’s training regimen – done in anticipation of victory. Hebrews 12:1–2 compares the Christian life to a race, urging us to lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily entangles so we can run with endurance, keeping our eyes on Jesus. The “weights” might include unnecessary internet access, unaccountable free time, or any context that makes sin easier. Laying those aside is an act of faith that allows us to run after Jesus with a freer heart.
Conclusion: Walking by Faith, One Step at a Time
In summary, believing you’ll never do that sinful behavior again doesn’t mean you ignore the possibility of temptation – it means you are banking on God’s promise of freedom and therefore you actively guard that freedom. It’s the difference between confidence in Christ versus confidence in ourselves. We have zero confidence in our flesh’s ability to stay pure on its ownbiblehub.com, so we place all our confidence in God – and as a result, we take sin seriously because He does. This dynamic of faith and action is seen throughout Scripture: those who trusted God most were often the most diligent in obeying Him. By daily checking our hearts, confessing to others, attending that support group, or keeping Covenant Eyes running, we are not saying “God can’t keep me from sinning” – we are saying “I trust God enough to use every tool He’s given for my growth.”
Remember, faith is not opposed to effort; it’s opposed to earning. We don’t do these things to earn God’s favor or prove ourselves worthy – Christ has already saved and forgiven us. Rather, we do them because we trust our Father’s wisdom. Like a loving parent, God tells us to stay alert and steer clear of danger. We take precautions with a smile, knowing our Father’s heart is to see us thrive in holiness. Ultimately, this balanced walk is about relationship: depending on God daily (faith) while actively pursuing Him and away from sin (works). As we do so, we fulfill Paul’s counsel: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The Spirit leads us both into prayer and into accountability; into worship and into war against sin.
Be encouraged that using filters, meetings, and other tools is a sign of wisdom and obedience, not of doubt. You are aligning your actions with your belief that purity matters. You’re guarding the treasure of freedom God gave you. In time, as habits strengthen, you may find you rely less on certain tools – but never outgrow the need for God’s grace and the support of His people. Faith will always be a fight this side of heaven (1 Timothy 6:12 calls it “the good fight of faith”), but it’s a good fight because victory is secure in Christ. So keep believing and keep building safeguards. By doing both, you’re living out a robust, biblical faith that God richly rewards. Remember Nehemiah’s example: pray and post your guard. Trust God fully and give it all you’ve got. In this partnership with the Lord, you will find true freedom that lasts.
Sources:
- Jordan Raynor, “Trust God and get going” – lessons from Nehemiah on combining prayer with actionjordanraynor.com.
- Dr. Phil Kayser, The Benefits and Duties of Body Life – on God’s sovereignty and human responsibility: “Inaction would indicate lack of faith.”biblicalblueprints.com.
- GotQuestions.org – “Take heed lest you fall” (1 Cor 10:12) explains the need for vigilance and Jesus’ warning to “watch and pray”gotquestions.org.
- GotQuestions.org – “Make no provision for the flesh” (Rom 13:14) urges removal of stumbling blocks rather than expecting failuregotquestions.org.
- Bible Verses: Matthew 26:41biblehub.com, 1 Peter 5:8biblehub.com, James 5:16biblehub.com, Proverbs 22:3biblehub.com, Philippians 3:3biblehub.com, among others cited above.
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