Christian Living

DOING BATTLE WITH A GIANT

by Paul Janz
10/28/17
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DOING BATTLE WITH A GIANT

This predator has claimed many notable victims: judges, doctors, teachers, and pastors. It has stalked our schools, theaters, and home computers, looking for someone to prey upon. No disease, be it cancer or AIDS, comes remotely close to the destructive power of this 'virus.' Though some diseases can kill the body, this plague has the power to kill your marriage, your family, your children, and ultimately your soul. And while man is preoccupied trying to battle cancer, there is another killer on the loose that is far more destructive and far more deadly—PORNOGRAPHY.

This is really my story—my battle with a giant in my life—porn—and how God set me free. As a backdrop, I would like to take us to the Bible, to that familiar story of David and Goliath, which is found in 1 Samuel 17:1-51. This story offers tremendous spiritual truths when it comes to getting victory over porn. Let me set the scene if I may.

The Philistines had gathered to do battle with Israel. Each army stood on top of a mountain with a valley in between them. Out of the Philistine camp comes their champion, a giant named Goliath (you can call him 'Porn' for short). This guy was huge—9'9' tall—and armed to the teeth. He was insolent and proud. The world was on his side. They had embraced him as a hero. The Philistines looked to him for protection and found great pleasure in his company. Goliath (Porn) had become their god. They literally worshiped him.

The giant stood and bellowed out his defiance against God and the armies of Israel. He gave this challenge to anyone brave enough to fight him: 'If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him, then you shall be our servants and serve us' (1 Samuel 17:9).

You see, there's no middle ground with porn. Either you conquer it or it conquers you. Many Christians are dabbling with porn under the illusion that it's not affecting them. But the truth is 'to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness' (Romans 6:16).

Indeed, I had become a slave to the giant—PORN. I worshiped it. It had become my god. How did it all start? When I was only 12 years old, I discovered a porn magazine in my home that my sister had. The timing could not have been more perfect for Satan. It was here that I first encountered sexual arousal and masturbation before I ever knew what the word was. What followed was years of sexual fantasy . . . of idolizing a woman's body . . . of gratifying my flesh. Porn has a way of destroying any healthy attitude towards women as they are depicted simply as sex objects for man's gratification. In porn, there is NO love or respect for women—only lust. It had become an addiction.

At the age of 19, Jesus saved me in the country of Spain. I immediately threw the porn magazines out, but the bondage in my mind remained . . . it was a stronghold in my imagination. And even though as a 'good' Christian, I stopped buying porn, the truth is, I was still enslaved to it. Like a junkie looking for a fix, I was drawn to the magazine racks at the checkouts. The difference now being that I felt guilty and condemned whenever I would fall into this sin. I would confess my transgressions to the Lord and His grace was there for me. But I could not see my way out of this bondage. The giant seemed too strong for me. And I felt too weak.

Now back to the story. Goliath had just finished issuing his challenge. Notice the reaction from God's children: 'When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid' (1 Samuel 17:11). This is the typical reaction of Christians when facing their bondage to porn. The giant looks too big . . . too powerful. They cower before it. They are ashamed of themselves and keep their bondage a secret—afraid of what other Christians will think of them.

'And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening' (1 Samuel 17:16). There is no relief from the constant harassment of the 'accuser of the brethren' unless one is prepared to FACE THE ENEMY. Ignoring the enemy will not make him go away. Just as Goliath mocked Israel for 40 days solid, so porn mocked me as a Christian for 35 years.

How encouraging it would have been if there was someone to have shared my struggles with . . . someone who could understand me . . . someone who would not condemn me. However, I felt all alone. I got so discouraged with my bondage that I actually prayed for God to end my life. I started to believe a lie that even God couldn't set me free. How could I be a Christian and have such a terrible bondage? I even started doubting my salvation.

That's the way Israel felt. They doubted God's ability to take on this giant. 'And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid' (1 Samuel 17:24).

Then David, the son of Jesse, shows up on the scene. His father had sent him to check on his brothers who were enlisted in the Israeli army. This young 17-year-old hears the taunting of Goliath. Now David represents all those who are weak and powerless against porn. Look at David in the natural and it is obvious that the odds are stacked against him to take on a giant.

David was only a youth, untrained in warfare; and he was up against a battle-hardened behemoth whose spear alone may have outweighed the shepherd boy. There really was no contest here. I believe God arranged the circumstances to unfold in scripture just the way they happened for our benefit. So that we can clearly see that we are helpless to slay the giant without God . . . that the battle is not ours—but the Lord's.

All David had was his FAITH IN GOD. Even when King Saul tried to 'counsel' David not to take on this giant, David replied, 'The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine' (1 Samuel 17:37). You see, David had faith in the mighty power of God to do the impossible. Those giants in our life that seem so big to us—they are nothing to God. Don't look at the giant. Look at the MIGHTY GOD who can slay that giant. 'For with God nothing will be impossible' (Luke 1:37).

King Saul then offered his own armor to David to help fight Goliath. 'So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them' (1 Samuel 17:38-39a).

This armor represents the works of the flesh that a believer will often try, hoping to free himself from porn. For example: NEEDING to have his computer 'password-protected' to RESTRAIN himself from porn sites, or a medical operation reducing his sex drive.

Having to put a leash on someone to keep him from a porn site (I'm talking about restricting adults here—not teenagers), is like putting a chain on a mad dog. You have restrained the dog true enough . . . but the dog's still mad. You haven't cured him. If this guy's heart wants porn, he will find it—password or no password. It's a heart issue. When such a person is truly set free on the inside, he won't need a restraining harness. 'Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed' (John 8:36). Only JESUS can take down the 'strong man' (Luke 11:21-22). Only JESUS has the power to break this bondage. Read on.

I'm too embarrassed to tell you what I tried to do to deliver myself from lustful desires. It was all the work of the flesh—it profited nothing. That's why David, after frustrating himself walking about in the cumbersome armor, said, ''I cannot walk in these, for I have not tested them.' So David took them off' (1 Samuel 17:39).

Now David prepares to face his enemy. That helpless, defenseless shepherd boy was DETERMINED. 'Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine' (1 Samuel 17:40). When David picked up those five stones and started walking towards Goliath, he had made up his mind—there was no turning back. He wanted that giant DEAD. Likewise, one must be determined to press into Jesus and not quit until the bondage to porn is destroyed.

Goliath sees this baby-faced boy approaching him with a stick in his hand. The giant feels insulted. How dare Israel send out such a wimpy lad with only a stick against a champion soldier like himself! He roars, ''Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?' And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, 'Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!'' (1 Samuel 17:43-44)

The enemy is all about fear and intimidation. The scripture says 'the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour' (1 Peter 5:8b). Remember, the devil is not a lion . . . he only roars like one to put fear in us. That's why we are encouraged to 'RESIST him, STEADFAST in the FAITH' (1 Peter 5:9a [emphasis mine]). The devil is no match against the real LION from the Tribe of Judah.

David does not shrink back at the giant's intimidation but declares, 'You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. . . . Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands' (1 Samuel 17:45, 46a, 47).

Notice where David's faith is. It is NOT in the five stones that are in his pouch, nor in his slingshot, nor in his stick. His faith is totally in the Lord to deliver him from this giant. The same God who delivered him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear would deliver him from this giant as well. Hallelujah!

Now I must tell you about my own deliverance. Where did I leave off? Oh, yes. I had been so defeated by my bondage to porn, that I was doubting my salvation. And that's exactly what the devil wants—for us to doubt the Word of God and to give up hope.

But one day I found myself reading Romans 6:14, 'For sin shall NOT have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.' Astounded by this verse, I continued reading and came to verse 18. 'And having been set FREE from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.' Then in Verse 22 I read the same message: 'But now having been set FREE from sin, and having become slaves of God.' [Emphasis mine.]

The words seemed to leap out at me. For the first time in my life I felt hope rising in my heart. God's Word said sin shall NOT have dominion over me . . . that I've been set FREE from sin. Then I prayed, 'O Lord, if I've been set free from sin, then why does this sin still have dominion over me?'

The answer came swift from the Lord. 'Because you want it to! The VICTORY is ALREADY yours, PURCHASED BY JESUS ON THE CROSS, who triumphed over the principalities and powers. You give in to sin not because you have to, but because you WANT to.'

It was a REVELATION! Sin's power over me was ALREADY BUSTED by JESUS. And the only reason that sin prevailed over me now was because I CHOSE to let it. WOW! I didn't have to give into lustful desires anymore. The devil's power over me was already broken at the cross . . . I just never realized it—until now. 'And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free' (John 8:32).

'Having disarmed principalities and powers, He [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it' (Colossians 2:15). Jesus disarmed the devil—smashing his power over me. And the only reason porn had a hold on me now as a Christian was because I chose to let it. I chose to click on that porn site. I chose to look at that magazine. I chose to think lustful thoughts. It's not because I had to—it's because I wanted to.

This truth started me on the long road to victory where I learned about 'bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ' (2 Corinthians 10:5b). And like David, I humbled myself before the Lord and prayed, 'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me' (Psalm 51:10).

I asked God to change my attitude towards this sin—to change my heart. And God, by His grace, began to change my attitude. Instead of living for that moment of selfish pleasure, I began to desire to please God—to walk in obedience. God was indeed changing my heart.

[Please note: If you are NOT a Christian, and you are in bondage to pornography, then you will not be free from this addiction until Jesus becomes your Savior and Lord. For Jesus is the only one who can set you free. 'Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed' (John 8:36).]

I also realized from the Word of God that 'the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, SELF-CONTROL' (Galatians 5:22-23a [emphasis mine]). These virtues come from God, not me. It's the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in me that allows me to obey God's commands:

'And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires' (Galatians 5:24).

'Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin' (Romans 6:12-13a).

These scriptures, which seemed impossible before to obey, were now possible, when I realized Christ had set me free on the cross. I CAN obey—for the Spirit of Christ lives in me. Jesus had already defeated the power of the devil. Jesus took down the 'strong man' (Luke 11:21-22). 'You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world' (1 John 4:4).

And God's grace was abundantly poured out on me. I started to taste consistent victory, CHOOSING to walk in OBEDIENCE. I knew now that Jesus had truly set me free on the cross when He smashed the power of sin. I COULD say NO to my flesh—I COULD say NO to pornography—for sin had no more power over me. Temptations still come, but THANK GOD, I know this truth—I no longer have to yield to those temptations. Hallelujah!

Let's go back now to the story of David and Goliath and let the Word of God make the final point: 'So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

'So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled' (1 Samuel 17:48-51).

It's time to slay the giant! Hallelujah!

Blessings to all of you in Christ Jesus,

Paul Janz

(All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version.)

'DOING BATTLE WITH A GIANT' Copyright © 2010 by Paul Janz.

Paul Janz is a mature aspiring author whose writings are based on personal experiences and issues that the Lord has laid on his heart.

His wit, humor, maturity, and ability to tell a good story make him an ideal writer for any Christian magazine.

Contact him directly through his website: Heaven Inspired Movies