Caution. Adult dialogue. Viewer discretion advised.
The first thing I’m gong to do when I get to Heaven (ok, the second) is to seek out Adam. What the heck he was thinking, eating that fruit? Remember now - he was created naked, and woman likewise; and they ran around for God knows how long that way. It wasn’t until they ate from the tree that they thought it was odd to be naked, and covered up. (Please note that it took both of them. But please also note, that it was the woman who initiated something we men then took the blame for.
). But really, Adam, man, talk about blowing’ it in Biblical proportions. If you hadn’t eaten that apple, Maxim could print pictures of women who are actually naked. And I'd be at the mall riding crowded elevators.
Oh that human body, that fallen flesh. God made it. All of it. Even that. And these. And here, there, and this little spot way under … giggle … All those wonderful nerve endings ... His design. Those organs, hormones and neural pathways, with the sole purpose of making you want to become one with another… His design. Born naked ... His design.
All of which has been screwed under satan's authority. That which was so innocent has now become so vile. And our flesh, like a leash, drags us into that villainy. But what can we do, even when it's not being tempted by satan - it's still flesh! Fallen and opposed to God. The only way to be truly free of it is to be done with it. But that's not a choice we're supposed to make for ourselves.
So the battle is not to try and be rid of the urges (as the Borg say, resistance is futile) but to learn how to manage them. You must have a plan. That includes confessing your failures, and asking forgiveness. When you submit to a demon yanking on your leash, you empower it over you. Confession is the way you rebuke that. In God's mind, salvation forgiveness is a once for lifetime event, and the power of sin has no effect on it. But the power of sin in the here and now is that if you submit to an authority, you're submitted to that authority... until you rebuke it. So bring it before God, confess what you got dirty in (again), and pray the Blood of Christ be poured out upon and within you for the cleansing it brings in both spirit
and body. Pray the Holy Spirit be poured out upon you as well, filling your spirit to be stronger against the flesh. Be specific in your prayers. And confront the enemy and his minions who are going to use that flesh of yours. They're going to taunt and tease and do their best to entice you. They've built a global society around it. Be aware of that, and like the verse paraphrases, if your HBO causes you to sin then cut it off. That or your hand, but I'd try the HBO first.
Know how I treat my addiction? I come here. I told myself that when I was tempted, I would come here first, and that if 30 minutes later I was still worked up I'd go ahead. I'm still here.
God bless you for fighting the fight.
