Is viewing porn harmful to one’s body?

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.” I Corinthians 6:18

A growing epidemic among evangelical Christians has to do with sexual and porn addiction. A 2017 study indicates that 60-70% of men, 50-58% of pastors, and 20-30% of women in evangelical churches in America are sexually addicted (Conquer Series, Vol. 1 Study Guide, 2017, p. 21).

God wants His children to “flee” from “sexual immorality” because it is harmful (“against”) to their physical bodies (6:18). The word “flee” (pheugō) means “to run away from danger, to seek safety by flight.” Just as I would never think of staying inside of a burning house about to implode on itself, God does not want me to hesitate to run away from sexual sin whether it be on a billboard, a TV show or movie, a computer, on Facebook, or in a hotel.

Like the Corinthian believers, we may think that sexual sin doesn’t harm us physically, but it does. Based on advances in the field of neuroscience, we now know that when you have a sexual release, your brain is flooded with neurochemicals that are as strong as drugs. So when you are sexually acting out, you are restructuring your brain and setting yourself up for sexual bondage.

For example, when a husband and wife have sexual intimacy, bonding hormones are released that bond them to their spouse during sexual release. But outside of God’s will, these hormones will impair our judgment. These same chemicals are released when watching pornography or indulging in sexual fantasies, bonding you to those images. These images become your sexual triggers which actually impair intimacy with your spouse.

Brain scans reveal clear similarities between a cocaine addict’s brain and a porn addict’s brain. Repeated viewing of pornography damages the pleasure centers of the brain, sears one’s conscience, and makes a person attracted to what is synthetic instead of what is real. It physically alters the structure of the brain. The only way to reverse the damage is by going through the process of renewing your mind.

One of the best ways to preserve our physical body is to run from sexuality that is contrary to God’s design. And the best way to avoid sex outside of God’s design is to cultivate a more intimate relationship with the Maker of sex itself – God. The closer we grow to the Lord spiritually, the more satisfied and secure we will be with ourselves and the world around us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me of Your design for sexuality. You never intended for sexual intimacy to take place outside of marriage. When it does, it only causes pain and damages our physical body, especially our brain. Please help me to honor You with my spirit, soul, and body by running away from any form of sexual immorality and cultivating a more intimate relationship with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.