A very practical tool for fleeing online forms of fornication

I was on YouTube today, watching all sorts of various videos–funny, educational, or just pure entertainment of a wholesome nature–and i realized something.

It reminded me of what Paul writes in Ephesians‬ ‭5:15-17‬, “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk — not as unwise people but as wise — making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (emphasis added).

What i would like to do in this short post is simply try to redeem the use of YouTube or Netflix or PlayStation/Xbox in a very practical, biblical way.

Use these things as avenues away from pornography!

Paul writes in Ephesians 5:15 to pay attention to how you walk as a Christian. I would argue that this includes where you walk online. It means that we must pay careful attention to what we click on. He says we must be wise.

Then in verse 16, he tells us to make the most of our time. Too often we think, “if i’m online, i’m wasting time.” I disagree with this mentality.

Paul then says in verse 17 to not be foolish. This means, “don’t waste time online,” but it does not mean, “completely refrain from being online.” He goes on to encourage us to know God’s will.

He tells us God’s will in 1 Thessalonians 4:3. “For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.”

There is no greater waste of time than spending hours gazing at lewd images. Therefore, to spend time online, even just “wasting time,” in an effort to flee from sexual immorality, you are actually making the most of your time.

Therefore God’s will can be summed up by saying, “Be careful where you go online, don’t go places that foster sexual immorality, be wise, and use your time constructively.

So be wise on YouTube, Netflix and your gaming console. Don’t watch things that will tempt you toward sexual immorality. But also don’t treat these technological inventions like they are sins in and of themselves. They can also be invaluable tools for holiness.

The more we practice going to something else when we are tempted toward sin, the easier it will be to flee from sin the next time we are faced with a temptation. We reap what we sow, so let’s use technology to sow toward the Spirit.

Whether it’s fail videos on YouTube, a new show to binge watch on Netflix, a video game campaign on PS4, sermons on YouTube, educational television on Netflix, or games with friends on Xbox One, there are tons of ways to flee from sexual immorality while using technology.

How will you flee from immorality, make the most of your time, and pursue God’s will for your life, all at the same time? How will you do this even today?

I love you.

Soli Deo Gloria