You want to have sexual integrity. But it’s not easy, is it? After all, if you struggle with compulsions and unhealthy habits, they will sabotage you and undermine your relationships. Healing is possible, however, if you examine your life and make some changes. God will help you move beyond sexual addiction to sexual integrity. Here are twelve steps you can take that will help you find freedom.
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- Open our hearts to God’s power to free us from the grip of unhealthy sexual behaviors.
Acknowledge you are powerless—realize God can accomplish what you can’t. “What is impossible for people is possible with God” (Luke 18:27). - Allow God to restore our sexual sanity.
Recognize how your sexual behaviors have been out-of-control, and look to God to restore control to your sexuality. “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life” (2 Pet. 1:3)
- Open our hearts to God’s power to free us from the grip of unhealthy sexual behaviors.
- Submit to God to be freed from the bondage of life-stealing addiction.
Surrender and let God take over your life. “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). - Self-examination leads us out of addiction.
Look at your life and see any pattern of sexual behaviors that have caused you problems. “Keep me from lying to myself give me the privilege of knowing your instructions” (Ps. 119:29). - Experience the healing that begins with mutual confession.
Admit your sins to God and another person. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). - Get ready for God to heal us from addictive sexual behaviors.
To have sexual integrity takes humility and willingness on your part. “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven” (2 Chr. 7:14). - Invite God to remove our sexual shortcomings.
You can’t fix yourself; confess your struggles with sex to God and ask Him to remove them. “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him” (1 Jn. 5:14). - Create a list of people our unwise sexual behavior adversely affected.
Realize how your sexual behavior has hurt or continues to hurt others—whether intentional or unintentional. “For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night” (Ps. 51:3). - Restore relationships damaged by our sexual sins (when possible) and experience a clean slate.
Make amends: ask for forgiveness for sexual sins and restore the loss in whatever way possible to people affected. The Bible says if “someone has something against you… go and be reconciled to that person” (Matt. 5:24). - Review daily the defects in us that hinder a healthy life with God and others.
Sexual integrity involves ongoing evaluation of not just only your actions, but your thoughts and motives. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing” (Ps. 19:14). - Grow closer to God through prayer and meditation.
Prayer is speaking to God; meditating is humbly and expectantly listening to Him. “Meditate on it day and night…you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Josh. 1:8). - Bless others with the blessing of healing from habitual sexual sin.
Carry the message of hope and transformation to others. Paul told Timothy to “throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress” (1 Tim. 4:15).
If you would like more resources on sexual integrity, we recommend The Life Recovery Workbook for Sexual Integrity. Call 800-639-5433 to order or for help finding a counselor, workshop, or Life Recovery Group.