Spiritual points about masturbation

For Christians, there are some important issues we need to address concerning masturbation. The foundational question is, “Are you committed to honoring God with your life?" If you are, then I urge you to carefully consider the points presented in this section.

Let’s first examine the typical sins that accompany masturbation: lust and sexual idolatry. These may not be involved in every case, but they usually are.

Lust

Definitions from Webster’s 9th New Collegiate Dictionary:

(n) Intense or unbridled sexual desire, lasciviousness...an intense longing: craving
(v) to have an intense desire or need, crave
Obvious examples of lust during masturbation include looking at pornography and fantasizing about sex. As we can see from the definitions, lust can simply be an intense longing or craving. It may not even be a conscious thought, but simply a gut feeling of the flesh.

Sexual Idolatry

Definition of idolatry from Webster’s 9th New Collegiate Dictionary:

(n) Immoderate attachment or devotion to something
Definitions of idol from Webster’s 9th New Collegiate Dictionary:

A likeness of something
A form or appearance; visible but without substance
An object of extreme devotion
A representation or symbol of an object of worship
A false conception; fallacy
When we look at porn or form sexual images by memory or imagination during masturbation, we are basically feeding an immoderate attachment or devotion to the idol of sex. Such attachment and devotion is greatly reinforced by the pleasurable brain chemicals released during sexual arousal and orgasm.

Idolatry is sin (Exodus 20:3-5) and it can bring unpleasant consequences, such as demonic oppression and generational curses. God's primary command to us is that we love him with all our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:36-38). I suggest that it is impossible to love God with all our heart, soul and mind when we are idolizing sex images in our eyes and thoughts!

Having discussed lust and sexual idolatry, we can now explore the spiritual impact of masturbation.

1. Masturbation causes you to be "mastered" by sin: The Bible says that there are only two things that we can be a slave to: sin or righteousness. There are no other masters. Paul wrote:

Do you not know that if you yield yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16 NKJV

Which master does masturbation bring us under? In almost every case, it is used to complement sins of lust or sexual idolatry and will therefore enslave us to sin.

God does not want us to be mastered by sin. For example, he told Cain, "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it" (Genesis 4:7 NKJV). Cain failed and sin ruled him for the rest of his life. After killing his brother, he lost his job, his peace, his home, and his blessing and spent the rest of his days as a "restless wanderer" (Genesis 4:12).

Likewise, we have the same opportunity to choose our master. If we choose sin as our master, our life will bear the fruit that sin brings - i.e. destruction, sorrow, dissatisfaction, death, etc.. If we choose righteousness as our master, we will reap life! Paul wrote:

20When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:20-23 NIV

2. Masturbation uses your body as an instrument for sin: Your body is to be presented and used as an instrument for righteousness, not sin. Paul wrote:

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, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God Romans 6:12-13 NKJV

God can best use us when we keep our "vessels" (body, soul & spirit) free of sin. Paul wrote:

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:20-22 NIV

It is our responsibility to cleanse ourselves from sinful motives and purposes with the help of the Holy Spirit. Practicing masturbation is the exact opposite of fleeing evil desires because it involves setting our minds on the evil desires and using our bodies to act them out. In so doing, we are hindering the usefulness of our vessels for God.

3. Masturbation defiles God's temple and grieves the Holy Spirit: As believers in Jesus Christ, our bodies are literally temples for God's Holy Spirit, who lives in us. Sexual sin is unique in that it damages this special union we have with God. Paul alluded to this when he wrote that sexual sin is sinning against our own bodies ((1 Corinthians 6:18). He even compared it to trying to unite Jesus with a prostitute (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). Since masturbation rehearses sexual sins (e.g. lust or sexual idolatry), it will likewise damage our relationship with God and defile his temple (our bodies).

God commands us to "honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:20 NIV). This is a form of spiritual worship that we do physically:

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2 NIV