I listed some action steps to breaking free from the bonds of sexual addiction in my previous post of “Mastered by porn and sex – steps to break free”. I feel that it is important to elaborate on each of these in more detail.

• You need to acknowledge and admit to the problem, realizing that it is only through Christ that you will break free of this. There is an overwhelming urge to pray to God for release from this struggle and for Him to take the desire away from you. That will not happen. God created us with desire and He is not going to take that from us. Desire is not the problem anyway; it is what you have done with the desire. Desire has been twisted and mixed with immoral acts gradually over years of practice. You have spent years getting to the point you are now at. It does not just vanish instantly. Truthfully you have a long hard battle before you, one that you may not be able to accomplish; certainly one that you will not accomplish on your own without turning to God. Until you are ready to yield to God’s authority you will not have success.
• Probably the hardest step is to confess your sin to others. It is very important to confess your secret to someone in authority at your church. If you are in a church where you feel unsafe confessing your sin, then you need to find one that is safe, and you need to do it quickly. Some churches openly acknowledge the issue while others are completely adverse to the problem. If you confess your issue to the leaders and do not feel there is support then you need to find another church. Confessing your sin to your spouse is going to be difficult and it will be disastrous. If you hide it away and do not confess, sooner or later it will be found, and the results will be so much worse. If you are actively seeking help when you reveal your addiction, then this will help ease the blow, but be prepared for the worst.
• Find a purity group and accountability partner. This is much easier in a church that openly acknowledges the struggle, since they are more likely to have support groups. Church groups are going to be based on Christian principles and will attack the problem from a biblical perspective giving you the foundation needed to reach victory. Accountability groups and partners will help hold you to a high standard of honesty and conduct. You have been living in secret it is now time to be honest and open. It is time to form some strong relationships with individuals who care and know the struggle.
• Reading books on sexual addiction and purity could be the most beneficial yet overlooked aspect. I am always reading at least one book and sometimes two on the subject. I also supplement this by listening to a large number of podcasts on the subject. The material will give you a much better understanding of the root causes, triggers, strategies, and steps regarding success. The free time you now have from not acting out needs to be spent productively and this is one activity.
• Journaling compliments reading. Through journaling you are able to articulate your thoughts, feelings, emotions and victories. This is not the time to jot down a list of details about your day, but the chance to dig into your emotions, how you felt, what your feelings were ate various times throughout the day. It is time to look critically at your day and describe the temptations, trials, and moments of victory. What you are reading is in fact a result of my journaling. This blog is an extension of my original journaling on my struggle. Take the time; you should have plenty, to write about your emotions for the day.
• Do not disregard professional counseling. I feel it is very important to seek out a Christian counselor who specializes in this type struggle and addiction. As this struggle becomes more public we are seeing more counselors who focus on the topic. A counselor with a Christian background will be able to guide and help you not only with the struggle, but also with the root causes that lead to the addiction.

The steps above can provide a very strong foundation and start to obtain sexual purity in your life. Feel free to comment on these steps and any others that you feel are important.