A Spiritual Pandemic

We have been overwhelmed since early 2020 with a daily barrage of information about the impact of the COVID-19 virus sweeping the world.  And we have all been impacted personally with the illness itself, the fallout of social restrictions, the death of friends and family, the general chaos that has impacted most of the world, or some other dimension of this plague.  Except for those who look favorably upon the heavy hand of government control, this pandemic cannot end soon enough.

There is, however, another plague which has been causing chaos and destruction at a spiritual level long before the coronavirus existed.  I’m referring to the destructive effects of the plague of pornography.  The American Family Association Journal observes Porn Awareness Week October 24-31 and highlights the devastating impact of pornography, not just upon society at large but also within the Christian church.

Covenanteyes.com, an online accountability resource, offers help for those battling the lure of pornography.  It cites statistics from 2018 which reveal that one in five youth pastors and one in seven senior pastors use porn regularly and are currently struggling [with addiction].  64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women say they watch porn at least once a month.   The impact of pornography has not declined in the past three years.  Currently, 35% of all Internet downloads are porn related.

As Christians we must take seriously this often-secret sin which has become exponentially worse since the advent of the Internet and especially with the prevalence of smart phones.  Today, 95% of American teens have access to a smartphone.  And 90% of teenage porn use happens on their smartphones. 

The Journal notes that in 2019 the leading porn site created 170 years of new content and garnered 42 billion site visits, with 115 million daily visits.  And this is a single website.

Ted Shimer has written a new book, The Freedom Fight: The New Drug and the Truths That Set Us Free.  He states, “This book is for anyone who wants to know the pathway to freedom for themselves or so they can be equipped to help others.”  Thefreedomfight.org offers a biblically-based, no-cost recovery program.

If you, or others you know, struggle with this pervasive sin that is wreaking havoc in both the church and the world, I urge you to seek spiritual assistance.  Scripture commands us to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).