Same addiction?

OK Jeff said:

I struggle off and on with inappropriate contentography.
I'm six years sober from alcohol but this just keeps coming back. It's something I've even hidden from my AA friends and I don't have a sponsor anymore. Mine went back out some time back. But this keeps raring back up periodically and is likely to cause damage to my marriage at some point. I know (or think) it's the same addiction coming out in a new outlet. Something I haven't dealt with? What do I do here?

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I said last night that this was the most prevalent temptation among men in my generation.

I was bound to it for years, and near the end my guilt and suffering were so bad that I would burst into tears upon acting out my temptation.

This is what helped me:

I realized that I didn't have to judge myself anymore over this sin, because the Blood of Jesus offers not only forgiveness, but FREEDOM. So I repented, and then stopped the guilt trip. Stopped listening to the demons in the background screeching, "You've been doing this for years you disgusting waste of a penis, why stop now? Jesus is going to hate you when He sees you after 1,000,000 times of masturbating."

That feeling of judgement keeps you bound to the sin for ever and ever more.

Also:

That which is in your heart (your subconscious mind) is what you act on. TV, games, jokes told by friends or yourself, going to the beach, walking down the street on a hot day can all be temptations to have lustful thoughts. Which then get downloaded into your subconscious.

Find all of the verses that you can against sexual immorality in the KJV. Every time you mess up with this sin, write one of those verses down in your study notebook. Actively and vocally repent of your sin, hold no judgement against yourself, and repeat these verses out loud and in your head. Download these verses into your subconscious instead, and you will quickly notice a difference.

Also realize that the people you are viewing in inappropriate contentography are very much loved by God. Satan would have you believe that they have no place in the Kingdom of God, that their existence is a superficial thing only recognizable in their current platform. Think of each "girl" in church, sitting there crying over being in inappropriate content and trying to stop.

get involved in a good mens group and get older men to pray for you on a continual basis
you will aventually overcome ......through the blood of Jesus
the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered
Revelation 5:5

OK Jeff said:

I struggle off and on with inappropriate contentography.
I'm six years sober from alcohol but this just keeps coming back. It's something I've even hidden from my AA friends and I don't have a sponsor anymore. Mine went back out some time back. But this keeps raring back up periodically and is likely to cause damage to my marriage at some point. I know (or think) it's the same addiction coming out in a new outlet. Something I haven't dealt with? What do I do here?

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...it might help to remember that when you're looking at that material, you're giving your attention, emotional engagement, and participation to people (women?) <staff edit>. Do you REALLY want to be a part of that?

whatever things are good pure and holy

Whatever it takes....
I knew a guy had to get rid of his conmputer....

Lead me not into temptation

Jesus

OK Jeff said:

Thank you all so far for the remarks.

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...while you're wrestling with all of this, just keep in mind that many of the guys here on CF have shared that they too have struggled in their lives with much of this same issue. So, you're not alone. In fact, I'd say that most people, in one way or another, struggle with various sexual issues, and if not with inappropriate content specifically, then with general forms of promiscuity. (And if you're wondering why you don't hear about it, it's likely because a lot of Christian people hide their pain and confusion really, really well.....)

Peace,
2PhiloVoid

OK Jeff said:

I struggle off and on with inappropriate contentography.
I'm six years sober from alcohol but this just keeps coming back. It's something I've even hidden from my AA friends and I don't have a sponsor anymore. Mine went back out some time back. But this keeps raring back up periodically and is likely to cause damage to my marriage at some point. I know (or think) it's the same addiction coming out in a new outlet. Something I haven't dealt with? What do I do here?

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You know the answer: get a sponsor, get honest, and work the Steps. Work them HARD!

Addiction is, after all, a disease that affects every area of our lives.

Nro try to get involved with a good mens group
Even if it is small and have older man pray for you on a continual basis....
You will overcome
By the blood of the lamb qnd the blood of His testimony
Revelation 12:11

OK Jeff said:

I struggle off and on with inappropriate contentography.
I'm six years sober from alcohol but this just keeps coming back. It's something I've even hidden from my AA friends and I don't have a sponsor anymore. Mine went back out some time back. But this keeps raring back up periodically and is likely to cause damage to my marriage at some point. I know (or think) it's the same addiction coming out in a new outlet. Something I haven't dealt with? What do I do here?

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right there with ya man. I go weeks even months with no problem. then all of a sudden fall again. I hear so many conflicting ideas in theology. I know its part of being human and a man. just feels lonely sometimes. I think we all think we have invented the "one sin" that God can't forgive. but I know better. I rely on His grace EVERYDAY. The one thing that has worked the most, is spending all my time in the Word or studying scripture or Worship music. filling my life with these things give less time for myself.

Do you really believe it is not affecting your marriage? That is what I believed and I was dead wrong.

13 years sober from alcohol but I could never get victory over my inappropriate content addiction. I cannot tell you the damage this has caused my precious, faithful, longsuffering, gift from God wife. It has been 5 years since I actively engaged this addiction. 5 years of very hard work with plenty of backsliding. It is just too easy.

On this side of it, I can easily see how it destroyed intimacy in my marriage. 5 years later, it is still a profound and significant barrier between me and my wife, even after I confessed, repented, and humbled myself before her and God.

There was no victory for me over this addiction until I fully submitted my life and my will, every minute detail, every aspect, to God's sovereign Will. Only in total submission to God have I achieved any victory over this addiction at all.

The good news is that this really happened, no joke, not kidding. If it had not happened to me I would not believe it:
God really did supernaturally remove this temptation's power over me for a time. I've heard of that happening to other people and have always thought it was total BS. This thing had me totally conquered. I was totally unable to resist the temptation. And then one day, after A LOT of work humbling myself before God, I woke up and it had no power over me. The triggers didn't trigger me. It just didn't interest me anymore.

Have hope Brother, you can have victory in Jesus name.

But it takes work! And when I am not fully submitted to Him, not fully prayed up, not fully repentant, it regains power over me. This addiction has become my bellwether. It's power in my life is a direct reflection of the effectiveness of my prayer life and my level of submission to God's Will.

1) Use something like Covenant Eyes and get an accountability partner
2) Johnny Hunt's book Demolishing Strongholds helped me
3) Get and stay on your face in prayer and repentance and all humility to God
4) Confess to your wife and pray God gives her the strength to endure with you.

OK Jeff said:

I struggle off and on with inappropriate contentography.
...What do I do here?

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Get a sponsor, get honest, work the steps. Pray hard. Remember how when you first stopped drinking you did everything you could to avoid being around alcohol, and white-knuckle refused to give in to the craving until the steps working in your life removed it? Do the same thing with inappropriate content.