Do you ever feel discouraged in your battle for sexual purity… especially when it comes to dealing with pornography?
Well, you’re in good company. Believe it or not, there were some saints – that’s right saints – who became so discouraged in their struggles with lust that they very nearly gave up. One saint, in particular, was just about to walk out the door of his monastery to indulge his lusts…
St. Moses – often called “the Black” or “the Ethiopian” – was the ancient equivalent to a modern-day gang leader. He was a thief, a murderer, a drinker, and a womanizer. And just because he had a “conversion experience,” didn’t mean the temptations to indulge his passions went away – in fact, his sexual temptations became unbearably intense.
Unable to deal with the temptation on his own, he went to one of the elders in his monastery, confessed his struggles, and asked for guidance. The elder recommended a strict fast, and Moses enthusiastically embraced the penance with the hopes that it would make the temptations go away (sound familiar?). It didn’t. So Moses went back to the elder, confessed that fasting wasn’t helping and that the temptations were becoming more unbearable. The elder then recommended that Moses keep all-night prayer vigils. One would think that pure exhaustion would suffocate the flames of sexual lust.
But for Moses, the temptations became even more intense… so much so that he began making plans to leave his monastery, return to life in the world, and indulge his lusts.
What stopped him? In a vision, the elder showed Moses the hosts of demons that we struggle against and the more powerful hosts of angels who are just waiting for us to call on them. All Moses needed to do was call on them for help. Moses also began performing acts of charity for his brothers in the monastery – carrying water to their desert cells during the night while they slept.
But for Moses, the temptations became even more intense… so much so that he began making plans to leave his monastery, return to life in the world, and indulge his lusts.
What stopped him? In a vision, the elder showed Moses the hosts of demons that we struggle against and the more powerful hosts of angels who are just waiting for us to call on them. All Moses needed to do was call on them for help. Moses also began performing acts of charity for his brothers in the monastery – carrying water to their desert cells during the night while they slept.
It was only after a great deal of time, through the help of the elder, Moses’ own acts of charity, and intense prayer that he was eventually delivered from his lustful passions.
So the next time you feel yourself being tempted to lust, know that you have a sympathetic saint in Moses the Ethiopian. Turn to him in prayer, and, like him, turn to others in loving service.
If you or someone you love is struggling with porn addiction, or if you’re looking for practical ways to fight porn in your life, then you’re going to want to check out our FREE eBook 7 Steps to a Porn-Free Life.
Integrity Restored is on a mission to help individuals, spouses, and families recover from the damaging effects of porn and porn addiction. We provide education, encouragement, and resources that empower people to break free from pornography, heal relationships, and help prevent pornography addiction in our children.
