A common subject a lot, and I do mean a lot of Christians, struggle with is the topic of Masturbation. Is Masturbation a sin? If so, why and what makes it immoral for humans who choose to do it? For those who may be unsure what I mean when I refer to the term “Masturbation.” It’s a sexual phenomenon of an individual self-satisfying his/her sexual needs through pornographic images, sexual fantasies, or any hormonal arousal to influence this action. In this specific blog post, I wanted to make this an extended case on this struggle of unwanted sexual behavior because Masturbation is an action that is not just done by looking at porn. It’s an action that torments those who are all alone in their room, knowing that nobody is looking.
However, this specific subject is controversial for Christians because some believe this is not sinful. The reason behind it comes from the idea of Masturbation not being mentioned anywhere in the bible or any condemnation of performing this particular act. Even some psychologists believe that Masturbation can be good for you and a great way to relieve stress, improve your sleep patterns, increase your sex performance, and other myths may have been proven to be true. One common myth that I have heard from certain Christians is Masturbation can be a way to increase contentment in your Christian singleness. At the same time, you are not sexually intimate with another individual. These are crazy myths and so-called facts.
While some believe it’s not a sin, it comes from someone who deeply struggled with this strong habit. I have learned that Masturbation has some pre and post-effects each time I engage and relapse into this sexual activity. So to answer the question, many may want to know if Masturbation is a sin. The answer is YES; it very much is a sin to Masturbate. Now I know what you’re thinking why is it a sin, and if I struggle with it, how do I stop? In this blog post, I want to highlight 3 key reasons why Masturbation is an unhealthy habit and 2 ways to overcome it if this is a severe stronghold.
Reason 1: Masturbation is a Form of Lust.
“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
– Matthew 5:28 NIV
As I have mentioned, there are pre and post-effects for this specific sin; let’s start by discussing the pre-effects. To understand this phenomenon, we must know what causes it. Every human being is born with a craving and appetite for many things, like food and water. When we indulge in food and water, our bodies will develop urges at the most necessary times. When we become hungry or thirsty, some people may not realize that sex is also something we naturally crave. God created this craving for a man and a woman to desire each other through an intimate connection. This is why sex during a marriage is very sacred from the time of Adam and Eve.
So if we can determine that we have a nature of cravings in our life now, what causes Masturbation? The bible never condemns the nature of sex, but it does charge the perversion of sex, and that’s where we can define the term “lust.” Lust is when someone begins to indulge in another person with sexual intentions who is not their spouse. This could be having sex with another person before marriage, committing adultery behind a spouse’s back, or even just looking at a person you find very attractive and believing what it would be like to have a sexual experience with them. This can be called sexual fantasy, and most of the time, we fall into the mindset of becoming attracted to someone by what we see.
Jesus even spoke about this in Matthew 5:28-29 if a man looks at women lust, he has already committed adultery in his heart. So if sin can form in someone from a look and a thought, what makes Masturbation less sinful? Masturbation is a transactional form of sex where an individual arouses their sexual orgasm without another partner present. When sex is performed in any way, arousal is always a hormonal response in the brain. An intense debate most people have about Masturbation is whether it could be done without the intention of lust. However, we must be honest and know that for Masturbation to occur, an individual needs to be sexually aroused, leading to self-orgasm. This is a self-pleasing action that causes a lot of spiritual warfare to occur within an individual.
Reason 2: Masturbation is extremely addictive.
“Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”
-John 8:34
If you are struggling with Masturbation, chances are you are not choosing to do this once a month or on a particular day of the year. No, you are probably Masturbating every week, if not every day. Why do we become addicted to this sexual practice even when we don’t want to? The reason is that going back to what our body craves and hunger for, we must understand that what we feed will live and grow. Masturbation results from a high dopamine effect that our body craves from the task of lustful visions. When our body experiences high dopamine, it usually desires to be rewarded once experienced. This is why looking at a pornographic image can lead to someone craving a sexual experience even when no romantic partner is involved.
When our body becomes used to what we experience involving a high adrenaline rush, we will become very dependent on these strong hormone-like emotions. Masturbation feels excellent at the moment because sex was created to be a pleasant and memorable experience; however, the results of sex apply to every situation, especially sexual immorality. The reason why sex is addicting is that a man and a woman were created to become one flesh based on their covenant with one another through marriage. When someone is Masturbating and giving sexual pleasure to themselves, they are also giving themselves the after-effects of sin. In John 8, Jesus states that anyone who falls into sin becomes a slave to sin.
Let’s think about the word “Slavery.” When the bible speaks on slavery, we can pull the example of the Hebrew slaves in Exodus. They lived in deep poverty, forced to work long hours and days for Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Yet, they were given slight privileges to roam the villages and purchase food like meat and fish. When God freed them from slavery, they were no longer working in poverty or living in chains, yet they were still upset that they couldn’t access their small privileges. Sin causes profound destruction in a person leaving them feeling shame and torment; however, there is still a small reward of pleasure they feel. Masturbation can have lasting consequences on a person, but what keeps them returning to the same sin is the feeling of lust and fulfilling their sexual fantasies.
Reason 3. Masturbation ruins your Identity.
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”
– 1 Corinthians 6:18
If we have to identify one thing about Masturbation that makes it a sin is the consequences a person faces when they commit it. The bible in 1 Corinthians not only condemns sexual sin but states to flee from it! Because whoever sins sexually sins against their own body. What does that mean? In the article Compulsive Internet Pornography Use and Mental Health: Recent studies showed in a survey done at a university in Ohio was porn, and other self-pleasing activities increased instability in someone’s mental health. It concluded that 56% of porn and Masturbation addicts (men and women) have been open about feeling a sense of depression, high anxiety, low self-esteem and overall negative emotions during their addiction period.
Studies have also proven that most self-pleasing sexual behaviors affect a person’s intimacy with other people. Since porn and Masturbation fulfill a person’s fantasies, it also changes their thoughts. Most people who perform these sexual acts being single openly admit their reason behind it is out of loneliness and boredom. In contrast, married people have been open to not connecting with their spouses on an emotional or physical level. However, what ultimately causes a person to feel depressed is that sexual immorality makes them believe they don’t have enough when they are promised a lot.
When you fall into Masturbation chances are you are aroused by your triggers and want to be fulfilled, but when you take action, you start to think the following thoughts. “Why can’t I have real sexual intimacy?” “I feel nasty when I do this.” “What would my spouse think?” Sexual immorality affects our body mentally, physically, and emotionally from what we allow to come in. It affects how we think of ourselves, at times known to cause semen retention or erectile dysfunction, and ultimately affects a person’s identity in their singleness and marriage.
Some of you may be reading this and thinking how badly you are failing God and feeling shame. The good news is there is hope for you, and Jesus loves you even through your deep struggle. You may want to know what it takes to find freedom, and from my experience, it all came down to two simple steps.
1. Identify Your Triggers and Cut Them Out!
“If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”
-Matthew 5:29 NIV
If there were just one biblical reference to Masturbation, it would be in Matthew 5 where Jesus refers to gouging out your eye and cutting off your hand if they are causing you to sin. No, he is not meaning the literal term but let’s be honest. Masturbation is triggered by what we see and how we please our sexual desires physically. What are those specific triggers that give you the urge to Masturbation? Is it a scroll through an Instagram feed to see a girl in a bikini? Are you looking at rated R movies that show nudity? You may even physically break emotional and physical boundaries with another person, and your interactions spark lustful urges.
If you are struggling with Masturbation, you probably have one or more triggers that spark your sexual urges. To help yourself recover quickly, start with strict self-reflection throughout your day and identify what you are looking at, what you’re surrounding yourself with, and how you feel about when you see these certain things every day. To be free from sin, we must know what makes us vulnerable. So cutting out certain habits that our flesh takes pleasure in is an initial step to getting free of Masturbation. It is not going to be easy, but freedom and change require discipline and dedication. I know what you’re thinking, “I must do all this complicated stuff.” “Why can’t God deliver me”?
2. Be Patient with Yourself and Trust God.
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. “
– John 8:36
What makes an addiction a tough cycle to break out of is your emotions and cravings do not go away overnight. Since Masturbation can be considered an addiction, there are post side effects when someone tries to break free. Since your soul is so used to it, you will experience the side effects of wanting to fall back into it so bad it becomes excruciating. This is what you would call a withdrawal feeling the urge to want what your body was used to doing. So now that begs the question, how can I become free? Can God help me, or do I have to figure this out on my strength?
Sometimes deliverance doesn’t just come in a particular moment; it comes through our faith and obedience. When we decide to cut off our triggers and seek to change, it’s now time to allow Jesus to do the changing. Sometimes we may end up relapsing and give into the flesh, but I am here to tell you not to give up. If God has not given up on you, then one thing’s certain: he wants to walk with you in this time of recovery. Take the time and spend time with the Lord and stay grounded in the word and prayer. Make time for God and prepare for times of temptation. Be patient with yourself and allow God’s grace to redeem you into freedom. Take it one step at a time and trust the Lord’s process. Nothing is more satisfying than becoming a testimony to our past strongholds, and you were meant to be free in Jesus’ name!
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