This is a book about sexual purity. It was born from a deep desire to see men get free of the sexual idolatry we have been practicing. The lessons it includes were learned from failure. Years and years of failure that finally gave way to a first, small success. That one was followed by another and then another. And to be honest, I still have struggles. I’ve learned to apply many of the truths in this book, but there are several that I’m still working on. In this regard, I relate to Paul, who said:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)
When it comes to sex, there is more going on than we are aware of. Much more. To recognize this, we first need to be aware that the spiritual realm is real and that what we do here in the physical realm has spiritual implications.
The spiritual realm is at war. There are two armies lined up to do battle; one fights under the banner of Christ, and one fights under the banner of Satan. Sex is a key part of each army’s battle plan.
Surprised? That’s because part of Satan’s strategy is to get us to forget about the spiritual realm. He wants us to think that there’s no connection between our behavior in the physical realm and the war in the spiritual realm. Don’t be fooled. Spiritual and physical are bound together. Whether you demonstrate obedience to God or give in to temptation, there is a spiritual ripple effect.
But what does this have to do with sex? God created sex as a critical part of His battle strategy. It’s an ingenious way to win the world. God’s purposes for sex are:
Procreation
In a committed, Christian marriage, having children is a phenomenal way of expanding the Kingdom of God, since most of those children will learn to trust the God of their parents. The parents disciple the children, and the act of raising children helps the parents become better reflections of God.Intimacy
Marriage is a picture of God’s relationship with the church (Ephesians 5:31-32). The oneness we experience in marriage (and particularly during sex) helps us understand the spiritual oneness of the Trinity and of Christ and the Church. The intimacy we experience during sex (as God intends it) is the clearest, purest image we can get of this oneness.Pleasure
God wants us to enjoy sex with our wives. It’s His wonderful gift, and our response should be thankfulness and praise for a God who loves us enough to be so generous.
Can you see why Satan hates sex as God intends it? He is absolutely opposed to the growth of the Kingdom of God through procreation. He hates the image of God revealed during sexual intimacy, and he doesn’t want anyone giving God praise for His incredible gift. To prevent God’s purposes from being fulfilled, Satan launches some of his fiercest and most persistent attacks at sex.
Consider how many ways Satan has found to pervert God’s plan:
- Pornography
- Sexual abuse
- Rape
- Incest
- Adultery
- Sex “education”
- Cybersex
- Phone sex
- Pedophilia
- Swinging
- Masturbation (I’ll explain later)
- Bestiality
- Sexual cults
- Orgies
- Homosexuality
- Premarital sex
- Promiscuity
- Sexual guilt
- Some sexual inhibitions
- Masochism
- Sadism
- Prostitution
- Morning-After pills
- Voyeurism
- Exhibitionism
- Fetishes
I’m leaving out some of the really nasty stuff, but you get the picture. Satan hates sex as God intended it, and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to pervert it. This list alone should be a clue to how important sex is in the spiritual battle. As I heard a Viet Nam vet once say, you get the most flak (anti-aircraft fire) when you’re over the target. Makes sense, doesn’t it? The closer you get to what’s important to the Enemy, the harder he will try to shoot you down.
Satan has been winning the battle over sex, and he’s taken a lot of territory. Much of what I’ve listed above is considered normal by the world. They call evil good and good evil. They have exchanged darkness for light and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20). A friend of mine recently had a conversation with an old college friend, who thought my friend’s marriage was unhealthy because he and his wife wouldn’t consider swinging. Can you get anymore backward than that?
It’s time for us to make a stand for sexual purity. It won’t be easy. The world and even some in the church will laugh at our attempts. They will say that we are over-reacting, that we are blind to the times we live in. I hope to convince you differently. This battle is of utmost importance for Christian men. As long as we engage in sexual idolatry, we have no integrity to lead. Our spiritual walls are down, and the Enemy has free access to our hearts and our minds. Rebuilding our walls will take courageous leadership in the face of heavy opposition. Thankfully, we have a blueprint for just such leadership in the book of Nehemiah.
