God’s system works and is one hundred percent effective when applied. So what is the problem? After all these years, after all this knowledge of God, after all the worship songs, the Bible Studies and the awesome moments, why is it that that I am still inclined to go after sexual immorality?

         Essentially, many are asking, where is my deliverance? Subsequently, when deliverance does not come, many feel as if God has abandoned them. They don’t feel God’s love and they can’t sense His presence.

         It gets worse when they sit under those super powerful preachers that “struggle with nothing.” They teach that they are sanctified, filled with perfection and that sin is no longer and issue in their lives. It gets even worst when individuals who are struggling with sexual issues are prayed for and told they are actually delivered, only to find out that those sexual desires are still there.

         I believe in deliverance, don’t get me wrong. However, when it comes down to sexual desires it gets very complicated. That is because, unless you have the gift of self-control, you will always have those desires. It is like hunger or thirst, it is indeed a part of you as a human being.

         I know that many of you will not like this, but one of the reasons for marriage is so that we may satisfy those desires. First Corinthians 7:9 tells us,

but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (NKJV)

         I remember a pastor telling me to wait a couple of years before getting married. That was easy for him to say! He was married, but I was burning up! I will never justify fornication, it is indeed a terrible sin, but I will never justify waiting to get married after you already know that’s the one. The less you wait, the better.

         But I should also add that just because you are married, that does not necessarily mean that you are off the hook from sexual immorality. See beloved, sexual immorality is any sexual activity outside of marriage. All sexual activities are reserved for the sanctity of marriage. It should be fun and exciting. Just don’t limit yourself to the bed room; do it in the laundry room, do it in the car, do it in the bathroom, in the living room, in your own backyard if you can, just make sure you don’t go to jail over it or have others watch you, but be creative with the love of your life. In First Corinthians 7:5 we, the married folks, receive specific instructions from Paul,

Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (NKJV)

         Every time you, man of God or you, woman of God, decide that you are not giving yourself sexually to your spouse, you are in direct violation of God’s Word. You are directly contributing to the destruction of your own marriage by allowing Satan to come in. Satan comes in to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10) your marriage. Sexual desires are no joke!

         The point that I want to make here is this; as it refers to deliverance, it is not coming! You will never be delivered from something God put on you. I know many of you claim to be super spiritual, but sexual desire is a normal and powerful thing. Those sexual desires will always be there.

         So then, many of you may be telling yourselves, if I am not going to be delivered from this thing, then, is it ok for me to watch pornography and masturbate? Is it ok for me to sleep around? After all, I can’t be delivered, right? No, that is not what I am saying and that is not the heart of God regarding this matter. Remember what First Corinthians 10:13 tells us,

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (NKJV)

         Temptations will come our way; Jesus himself was tempted in all things according to Hebrews 4:15. Satan is an expert on how to effectively tempt us. Our job, when faced with temptations, especially the sexual temptations, is to flee from it (I Corinthians 6:18). The reason we constantly fall in this area is because we don’t flee from it. We either continued to put ourselves in the position to be tempted or when God, in His mercy, shows us the exit, we simply don’t take it. Why don’t we take that exit? The answer to this question is the root of the issue; the answer to this question will surprise many of you.

TO BE CONTINUED…