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An Image Naked Enough
- 04/25/11
- 15
I continue to read Russell Moore’s book Tempted and Tried. And it continues to give me a lot to think about (which may be a bit of an understatement). I really found this section worth pondering—a section that speaks of the allure and satanic triumph of pornography.
In our time pornography has become the destroying angel of male Eros. I don’t mean to suggest that pornography is only a male temptation (it is not), but pornography, because of the way a man has been designed toward arousal is, when available, a universal male temptation. It has come to the point now that whenever I meet with a couple in which there is a man who is an emotional shell of himself—dead to intimacy with his wife—and a marriage is fraying apart, I ask how long the pornography has been going on. In every case it’s there.
There is a kind of helplessness that a man engaged in pornography exhibits. He often speaks of it in terms of a “struggle” or an “addiction.” Now both of those terms are accurate, I believe, but they distance a person from his sin in a soul-decaying manner. Pornography is not just an addiction; it is occultism. The man who sits upstairs viewing pornography while his wife chauffeurs the kids to soccer practice is not some unusual “pervert”; he is (like his forefather Adam) seeking the mystery of the universe apart from Christ. That’s the reason the one picture, stored in his memory, of that naked woman will never be enough for him. He will never be able to be satisfied because he will never be able to get an image naked enough.
I say pornography is occultism because I believe the draw toward it is more than biological (though that is strong). The satanic powers understand the “the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18). They understand that the pornographic act severs a one-flesh marriage union at the very point of intimate connectedness and instead joins Christ, spiritually, to an electronic prostitute (1 Cor. 6:16). They also know that those who unrepentantly practice such things “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10).
Pornography is, in one sense, no different from any other form of sexual temptation. But in another sense it is even more insidious. Pornography brings with it a kind of pseudo-repentance. Immediately after it is “over,” the participant feels a kind of revulsion and self-loathing. Whereas an adulterer or a fornicator can at least rationalize a kind of transcendent “love” behind his sin, even a conscience thoroughly seared over rarely wants to write love songs or poetry in celebration of his pornographic self-satisfaction.
Typically—at least in those who have some sort of Christian or moral identity—the pornographic act is followed by a resolve never to do it again, to leave it behind and find some sort of accountability. But what masquerades as a repentant conscience is in most cases little more than a sated appetite. When the appetite is “hungry” once again, the demonic powers will collaborate with the biological impulses to find a way to make it seem irresistible again. As the cycle of temptation grinds on, the illusion of repentance keeps the sin in hiding, so that actual repentance never happens until, as with Esau, the conscience is so seared that repentance is then impossible (Heb. 6:4-6, 12:16-17).
And this is, of course, exactly where the powers want any child of Adam—and especially any professing brother or sister of the Lord Jesus.
I suppose this quote has been long enough. Moore goes on to show how this temptation aligns with one of Jesus’ temptations in the desert. And from there he speaks about romance novels, perhaps the closest female equivalent to the allure of pornography. But to read about that, you’ll need to buy the book (Amazon | Westminster).
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (15)
“what masquerades as a repentant conscience is in most cases little more than a sated appetite.”
I think he is on to something there.
Couldn’t stop reading this excerpt; by the end of your post, especially with that teaser about females being addressed, I was wishing you had “excerpted” the entire book. Thanks for this sneak peek.
Fornication will bring ruin. I think of Solomon. 1,000 concubines. My goodness. The internet, and TV are always throwing this porno stuff at us. It is powerful, and so it surely is spiritual wickednesses behind it all. Jesus cast 7 devils out of the prostitute.
For young Christian men, I have a heavy heart. The devils in this world have surely planned the ruin of every young man who loves Christ, not they have to give into the temptaion, but it is inevitable to be there.
Thanks for the post.I know Porn has tempted me, and even caused me to stumble. Yet, we can learn to hate it as sinful filth, and so that helps. And also it helps to think of the fornicators how they need to repent and hear the Gospel, or they will be judged and condemned to hell.
I think Dr. Moore’s diagnosis of the problem is spot on. Does he go onto to speak about how one can fight this cycle of psuedo-repentance followed by resolve to never repeat, accountability, and then succumbing to the hungry appetite?
I’m not sure if Moore has thought out the full meaning of that statement, “What masquerades as a repentant conscience is in most cases little more than a sated appetite.”
It is essential to remember that in every true Christian, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has brought a new heart into being; a heart that is not only capable of obeying God, but also delighted by God and averse to the things God despises.
When a Christian falls into sin such as pornography, the feeling of revulsion afterwards is not only just but also true to the nature of the spirit within him; it is legitimate. While an unregenerate person might feel revulsion only because they have gorged themselves and their appetite reviles more, the Christian’s remorse is to some small but essential extent genuine revulsion at the wickedness of their deed.
There will always be a degree to which a Christian sins or abstains from sinning because their carnal appetites are inflamed or satiated, but that is not the end of it. The Christian who believes that they temporarily lose their desire to sin again after the deed only because they have satiated their appetites is buying the Satanic lie that their true heart and ultimate identity is in the flesh and the old man. They are denying the Holy Spirit’s claim on their body, mind, and soul.
It is not that their wicked appetite has temporarily gone to sleep when they don’t sin, it is rather that their old and alien wicked desire has risen up and overpowered them when they do sin.
When we believe that our true nature is the sinful nature, and the holy nature and godly impulses are just an act we maintain when we are well-fed and full of sin, then we lose heart, languish in remorse, fail to call on the Spirit, and never achieve true repentance. But when we live as true sons and daughters of God, in accord with our new identity in Christ, we can be bold to go out and do the good works God has prepared beforehand for us to do - we can call on the Spirit and encourage each other that the struggles of this life have no ultimate hold on us; we can reject the lies of Satan as most false when he tries to convince us that our true heart longs for his foul delights; we can preach the gospel to ourselves confidently, repent honestly and fruitfully, pray faithfully, and grow in grace.
meh… I feel like the lie about our identity is probably Satan’s best-seller among well-intentioned Christians today. As true as Moore’s statement is, it makes too much room for this lie to take root. He should have filled the thought out more completely.
“They are denying the Holy Spirit’s claim on their body, mind, and soul.”
I shall always struggle with sin. And that sin is the most contemptible when it is pride. Paul tells us the flesh wars against the Spirit, so that you can not do what you want. And so we surely do need to be in a good church, trust in the Lord’ power and Spirit, but it is never going to be easy for the saints of God.We are saints, and we need to know that. And we are sinners, and we know that. Otherwise we will become discouraged, or puffed-up.
While I understand the concern that drove your comment, I feel that it is inappropriately applied to this passage. The author is not commenting on our identity in Christ and the role of the sin nature in his quote. Nor is he suggesting that the sin nature is superior to our new nature in Christ.
He is commenting on the difference between lust with pornography and fornication. Fornication has semblance of love and relationship to it (though utterly false) and therefore is easier to justify in the mind of the one sinning. However, pornography, once the desire is satisfied is empty. The desire is still “wicked and alien” as you say it is; Just because the desire is a “sated appetite” as the author states does not infer that this appetite is a natural and dominant aspect of our new nature.
He is positing that the guilt feelings that are present after indulging in pornography (which I would wager he would say are from the Spirit) do not equal repentance though the individual sinning may come away equating them as such. It is similar to confessing a crime for which you already have been caught. He is delineating between feelings of guilt and true repentance, which he states are blurred by the nature of pornographic sin.
Also, to solely use an excerpt to state that Mr. Moore did not fill out his thought completely enough and therefore is in danger of perpetuating a lie is presumptuous. By nature, an excerpt is taken out of its context, the very thing that is necessary to fill out a thought. Though this was an extended excerpt, it is reasonable to assume that Mr. Moore may have answered some of your concerns in preceding chapters.
Again, I am not arguing against your concern, but rather your accusation toward Mr. Moore..
“He will never be able to be satisfied because he will never be able to get an image naked enough.”
This bit was particularly powerful. Consider how porn is increasingly hardcore and debasing. Not only are they filming naked people having sex, but they’re stripping them of dignity, honour and pride. They are doing more and more shameful things. They person will never be naked enough.
I feel plenty naked, exposed and vulnerable with my husband than anyone else. Some things I admit to are so close to my heart, that I don’t want to reveal them in case I’m rejected and scorned. But he accepts and loves me. If that’s the case with my husband, how much more with God!? I am stripped of everything before God, yet clothed with glory and honour. What a contrast with the way men and women are presented in the porn industry! Yay God!
“…the pornographic act severs a one-flesh marriage union at the very point of intimate connectedness…”
Welcome to my nightmare. Just last night my spouse finally admitted he avoids intimacy because he’s not attracted to my appearance. How could he be? How could I compete with the hundreds of thousands of images he has illegitimately ogled over the years? The images that have been falsely touched up, airbrushing away any imperfections. No one looks that good. That is the big lie. “Take, eat, (look) and you will be like God, having knowledge….” Knowledge to which you are not entitled. Taking what is holy and profaning it for your own selfish pleasure.
Though my husband has made a profession of faith and loves to attend church, it all seems to be for appearance sake. He does not love me, will not have intimate relations, recoils from touch, won’t even kiss me. He does not love God, spends no time in prayer or His word.
Porn has stolen his heart and he blames me for the lack of intimacy because I don’t “measure up.” It has nothing to do with me. He was addicted before we met and covered it up for years. He abdicates any responsibility for leading the relationship, for accountability, claims he’s not addicted and says he’d choose divorce over counselling.
I am struggling to practice forgiveness and learning to seek the beloved heart of God, crying out to Him for wisdom in how to live with a man who rejects the core of who I am and has abandoned his responsibility to lead and love as a godly spouse. I am trying to live in a way that he will be won by my behavior without me saying a word, but it seems…
“…the conscience is so seared that repentance is then impossible.”
Dr. Moore addresses the very identity issue you bring up from the beginning of his book. “The first step in the cycle of temptation is the question of your identity” (Chapter 2). Dr. Moore sees two different mistaken identities that the demonic powers use to their advantage. One is the problem you address, believing our sin nature to be our true nature which leads to self-loathing, remorse and unrepentance. The other is a sense of personal grandiosity—a feeling of personal autonomy and of being above the scrutiny of God. Adam and Eve felt both identity issues. They ate the fruit out of a desire to be like God (personal grandiosity), then fled and hid from God, crafting themselves garments of leaves to hide their shame (what Dr. Moore calls an animal, or beast, identity). The demonic powers use both to deflect our attention from the one thing we need the most—the gospel.
The excerpt in the post above comes after this discussion, so the reader would already have the discussion of identity as a foundation in their minds.
Tim, I was just saying to Justin that romance novels, movies, etc are porn for women. That’s why I don’t even go there. If I am asking him to have integrity that I need to have it too. I really think women saturating themselves in “romance” that doesn’t really exist is the same as men saturating themselves in “sexuality” that doesn’t really exist.
Your comment is heart-breaking. I will be praying that God works a miracle in the heart and life of your husband and enables you to love and seek God in this very difficult thing.
Dear Sister in Christ-
May the Lord sustain you as you endure this incredibly difficult situation. May His grace be sufficient for you as you strive to honor Him in your marriage.
Dear Sister in Christ-
May God sustain you in the midst of your painful marriage. May His grace carry you on to see Him as your true Husband as you strive to honor your earthly husband.
This is a great topic and one that is of utmost importance for our younger generations as the material has become not only ubiquitous, but also mainstream in many ways.
As for the cure, I say that the Catholic Christian has an advantage in the confessor. As this article demonstrates, sin is not simply an individual act - no matter how private it may seem - and neither is the love of God a strictly private encounter.
Not only do we need Christ and the Holy Ghost in this personal fight against sin, we also need the Body of Christ, we need fellow Christians and, more specifically, the Church. You can deceive or excuse yourself (through the assistance of Satan) a millions ways, but good luck deceiving your community or your confessor! One sure way to break this “private” and common sin for males is to be aware that you must confess any time that you engage in such low-some behavior both before God and man.