Contrary To Popular Belief, Marriage Will Not Cure Porn Addiction

As the music played, all eyes were fixed on the back of the church.

Today was a celebration of marriage. The groom felt a lump forming in his throat as he watched his beautiful bride descend the aisle towards him. He literally felt like the luckiest man on the face of the earth! Not only was he getting a lovely wife, but he was finally going to be free from the secret sin that had haunted him for years.

He would later discover that marriage would not cure his porn addiction.

The Web of Destruction

In today’s sex-saturated culture, it’s easy to be tempted, respond and then quickly become entangled in a web of destruction.

You don’t even have to be searching for questionable content. It’s easy to be inadvertently exposed to it through movies, music, or even children’s television programs. Without realizing it, you’ve given in and a seed has now been planted in your mind.

For some, they are able to take this thought captive and turn away from this temptation. But for others, this seed takes root in their lives. Much like a farmer has to fertilize, water, and provide adequate lighting if he wants a valuable crop, this seed of sexuality begins to demand attention. The more it is fed, the more it wants. God has made us, inside of our marriage covenant, to pursue our spouse sexually. It is blessed, however outside of this ordained relationship, pursuing that sexual desire is never satisfied.

Related Article: Husbands, Here’s How To Love Your Wife Well

Marriage Won’t Fix Your Porn Problem

As shocking as it may seem, if you viewed pornography as a teen it makes it much more difficult as an adult to not view porn. Why? Because you’ve become accustomed to medicating the pain and stress in your life through the temporary high offered by pornography.

Many believe the myth that when you get married you will not have the desire to view porn because “I will have sex with my spouse and not need it”. They tend to believe that marriage will cure their porn problem. But as Eric Hovind, President of Creation Today, shares, nothing could be further from the truth.

Yes, while the honeymoon stage of marriage is present, a struggle with pornography may go into hibernation. But eventually, it will resurface. When it does, you’ll likely move into blaming everyone and everything else, including your spouse, for your struggle with sexual sin.

The Extent of the Damage

Because of the addiction to porn, the betrayed spouse receives the message that their partner is not happy with them in the bedroom. The enemy will use these thoughts and expound on them causing great pain and rejection. Often, self-esteem begins to plummet. Before long, every area of life seems to be negatively impacted.

Many times the spouse may completely withdraw from their partner – both in and out of the bedroom. They instead may find themselves embracing isolation and rejecting companionship, and in some cases, may give up entirely on caring for themselves and seeking a fulfilling life. It can be difficult, though not impossible, to pull yourself and your marriage back up once you have spiraled into this dark pit.

Celia S. from South Florida is one example of a wife who thought her marriage would never be restored as a result of her husband’s struggle with sexual sin. A few months ago, she shared,

“What a blessing it is to be able to say that what the enemy meant for evil, God clearly meant for good. I have to admit, 19 months ago, it would have been hard for me to see this as the final outcome. But God truly is a miracle worker and has blessed us with the marriage we never thought we would have!”

Hope Restored

Like Celia and her husband, countless couples have relied on the Conquer Series to help them recover from the wounds of betrayal.

The Conquer Series is a riveting 10-week course that helps individuals on their journey to healing from sexual sin. Using Biblical and scientific evidence, individuals will learn why trying harder does not work. You’ll learn the first step in renewing the mind, which is understanding how watching porn rewires the brain.

As you complete weekly assignments, you can begin to identify where sexual sin may have first taken root in your life. And you’ll be able to combat the lies you’ve been led to believe through finding your identity in Christ.

If you’re ready to fight for yourself and your marriage, now is the time to respond.