Jimmy Evans - A Mind Set Free: Overcoming Mental Strongholds Through Biblical Meditation

Copyright 2000, 2004, 2007 Jimmy Evans. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher, except brief passages for purpose of reviews. For information contact MarriageToday.

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All examples in this book involving ministry situations are real. However, the details and surrounding circumstances may have been altered or combined to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of the individuals involved.

For simplicity, the masculine pronoun is used when speaking in general terms; it is intended to be interchangeable with the feminine.

All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV), copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers, unless otherwise noted. Printed in the United States of America

As a pastor for more than twenty-five years, I have ministered to hundreds of men individually and to thousands of men in groups. One of the universal struggles men are dealing with is unprecedented sexual temptation.

We live in a world of sexual imagery and seduction; these influences are everywhere we turn. As men, we are visually aroused when it comes to sex. Capitalizing on this, advertisers, entertainers, and porn peddlers bombard us with sexual images they know will attract us.

Whether it is television, magazines, computers, movies, billboards, or just a pretty girl walking down the street, our minds are being deluged with images that have the potential of destroying our lives.

I cant count the number of men I know whose lives have been deeply scarred or whose marriages have ended in divorce because of sexual sin. In every case, the sin that ultimately damaged a life or destroyed a marriage and family began with the silent, private acceptance of sexual thoughts and images that were wrong.

One of the hallmark features of sexual sin is that of escalation. Anyone who believes sin truly satisfies is deceived.

Sexual sin, whether mental, visual, or physical, begins a downward spiral of diminishing satisfaction and demand for greater stimulation. What previously satisfied is no longer enough. Once hooked, a man must live to satisfy the proverbial monkey on his back. Then, what was designed by God to be a beautiful, satisfying act of love between a husband and wife is reduced to a raw animal function.

Devoid of anything sacred, sex becomes a self-centered pleasure fix, and women become objects to satisfy an insatiable sexual appetite. And so goes the dark tunnel that descends into the abyss of sexual bondage.

Even though men are the largest group dealing with sexual temptation and bondage, women are certainly not immune. Just as pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry oriented toward men, there are billions of dollars spent to attract women as well.

Unlike men, women arent as visual when it comes to sex. Even though women are certainly not blind to physical attractiveness, their sexual arousal is mainly connected to their emotions. Therefore, soap operas, romance novels, movies, television programs, and magazine articles court womens sexual interests on a daily basis.

Even though these may be less graphic than male-oriented pornography, they are no less dangerous.

The sexual fantasies and lies being showered upon women today create deep deceptions and unrealistic expectations that can never be met in real life just like pornography creates in men.

The result for many women is the tendency to enter relationships with deceptive thinking that leads to greater frustration and disappointment, as well as the inclination for some married women to look for emotional and/or sexual satisfaction apart from their spouses.

Just like men, women are being sexually tempted in an unprecedented manner. They are being courted by well-produced, highly attractive entertainment of every type to capture their sexual imagination and to lure their fallen nature.

When women accept the information being designed to appeal to them regardless of how pleasant or entertaining they are petting a hungry lion. I have witnessed unspeakable pain, as well as many divorces and incredible family devastation, caused by the sinful sexual behavior of deceived women.

Regardless of the sexual differences between men and women, the answer to sexual temptation and bondage is the same. That answer is biblical meditation. I know that may surprise you and even seem a little simplistic when it comes to stopping the raging power of sexual impulses, but it is true. I know from experience personally, and as a pastor.

While growing up, I lived in a normal middle-class neighborhood. I spent most of my time playing with the kids who lived on my block. We were typical for our age.

Then one day, a neighbor friend down the street brought his fathers Playboy magazine for us to look at. It was the first time I had seen a naked female. I was perplexed and aroused. From that time on, he brought his fathers magazines for us to examine on a regular basis. It was the beginning of a long season in my life of sexual temptation and deception.

As I got older, I was exposed to raunchier material than Playboy. In fact, Playboy seemed mild compared to many of the things I saw, especially in collage.

At one party I attended in college, an XXXrated film was shown. Again, it was the first time I had seen anything like it. Not only was I aroused, but I was also fascinated by the women in it. They were sexually aggressive and totally uninhibited. This film fixed in my mind a deep deception about women and sex that had a very negative impact on my marriage in our early years.

In spite of my inner sexual battle, I received Christ as Lord of my life when I was nineteen years old. I have sought and served the Lord for the past thirty-four years.

I love Jesus and would never go back to the way I lived before. He has tranformed me. One of the most powerful changes that has taken place in me is the area of sex. Not only do I think much diffeently about sex today than I did when I was younger, but I am also free from the bondages and driving impulses of sex that were so powerful and prominent in my life back then.

It is important to understand that the transformation in me didnt happen automatically when I got saved. In fact, for years after receiving Christ, I still dealt with very strong sexual deceptions and temptations.

Even though I was faithful to my wife and never fell into a bondage to pornography, it was attractive to me and very tempting. I wrestled constantly with my thought life and experienced nagging guilt and condemnation because of my inability to stop the thoughts I knew were wrong.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I was praying again for God to deliver me from the sexual desires and thoughts that were controlling me and keeping me from seeking and serving Him the way I desired.

Soon after that, on a family vacation in Colorado, I noticed a small booklet lying on the coffee table in the house where we were staying. It was called Biblical Meditation: A Transforming Discipline, by Ronald A. Jensen.

As I picked it up and started reading, I was surprised by what I read. I dont know what I expected, but I certainly didnt think by looking at the cover that it was a booklet dealing with issues such as pornography, lust, and sexual temptation but it was.