“Sexual Idolatry” is one of the typical sins involved in sex addiction. People often don’t realize they are committing idolatry with pornography. Please consider the definitions of idolatry from Webster’s Dictionary:

Immoderate attachment or devotion to something
The worship of a physical object as a god

People can easily become immoderately attached to pornography. This is reflected in the amount of time, effort and resources a sex addict will expend in pursuing pornography. When we consider the definitions of an idol, we can see even more confirmation that pornography is promoting sex as an idol. Webster’s Dictionary defines an idol as:

A likeness of something
A form or appearance; visible but without substance
An object of extreme devotion
A representation or symbol of an object of worship
A false conception; fallacy

A likeness of sex: Pornography is the ultimate likeness or appearance of sex. Pornography can only offer the appearance of the sexual experience. God created sex as a physical, emotional and spiritual experience, and porn can only give a partial representation of it.

Extreme devotion: Porn’s erotic appeal powerfully captivates its viewers, leading them to extreme devotion to finding more porn to look at.

False conceptions: Porn is awash with lies about sex (see lies of sex addiction). Its depictions are built on sexual sin, so it’s no wonder that porn addicts often have a warped understanding of what God’s plan for sexuality is. Homosexuality, incest and adultery are examples of the false concepts that porn glamorizes.

Idolatry is sin: Idolatry is specifically identified in the Bible as sin (Exodus 20:3-5, Exodus 20:23). God’s primary command to us is that we love God with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:36-38). It is impossible to love God with all our heart, soul and mind when we are idolizing sex images in our eyes and thoughts.

Idolatry damages our relationship with God:

Porn images can be linked to evil spirits: Idols were often linked with evil spirits in the Bible (Deuteronomy 32:17, Psalm 106:37, 1 Corinthians 10:20, Galatians 4:8). Pornography easily serves as a conduit for evil spirits of lust, fornication, adultery (harlotry), prostitution, masturbation, homosexuality, lewdness and many others to enter our minds and bodies. These spirits can be powerfully deceiving and will do their bests to consume our lives with evil. Even Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, fell to idolatry by turning his heart after demon gods (1 Kings 11:1-13). Every porn picture may not have a demon behind it, but it certainly could. At the very least, looking at porn gives the devil footholds for to oppress you.

The high place in our minds: Idol worship in Bible times was often conducted at shrines on mountaintops (1 Kings 14:23, 1 Kings 11:7-8). God detested these places and required their destruction as part of the peoples’ repentance. Our bodies are now temples of God’s Spirit through Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:19), and our minds are places of worship for the Lord. We can easily defile our minds with lustful thoughts. Sex addicts mentally build a type of altar for sex thoughts in their minds. It is a type of high place in the mind for sexual lust, where sexual thoughts seem to rise above everything else. God detests this high place just as he did with the Israelites’ shrines and he wants us to destroy it.

Prayers of confession, repentance and renouncement of idolatry

If you feel that you have allowed sexual idolatry to exist in your life, we encourage you to confess it, repent from it and renounce it. Here are some prayers to help you do this:

Confess the sin: “Father God, I confess that I have sinned through idolatry in these specific ways: ……(name them all). I see these activities and attitudes as sin and I ask Your forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. Lord I ask that you will help me destroy any high places I have made in my mind for sin. Thank you, Lord, for this forgiveness I have in Jesus”

Repent from the sin: Repenting from your sin is just as important as confessing it (Luke 13:3). Repentance means to turn from your sin and commit your way to living for God.

“Father God, I turn from my sinful ways now, and I surrender every area of my life that has been a source of idol worship: ….(name them all). I cast my idols behind me and close the door to them once and for all. I break the altars of sin I have made in my mind and wash them away with the blood of Jesus Christ. I commit myself to serving and worshipping God. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”

Renounce the sin: “I renounce my sin of idolatry and any evil spirits associated with it. I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to depart from me and trouble me no more. I close the door to these idols, bar it with the cross of Christ and seal it with the blood of Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.”

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