Although human sexuality is GOD’s design and gift, since the Fall of Adam & Eve, men and women have often found it hard to embrace this wonderful gift as GOD originally intended. However, just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it is impossible.

C.S. Lewis recognized the difficulty of sexual purity in thought and deed, and gave helpful guidance to those who truly desire a chaste, life of purity.

“…many people are deterred from seriously attempting Christian chastity because they think (before trying) that it is impossible. But when a thing has to be attempted, one must never think about possibility or impossibility. Faced with an optional question in an examination paper, one considers whether one can do it or not: faced with a compulsory question, one must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. Not only in examinations but in war, in mountain climbing, in learning to skate, or swim, or ride a bicycle, even in fastening a stiff collar with cold fingers, people quite often do what seemed impossible before they did it. It is wonderful what you can do when you have to.”

“We may, indeed, be sure that perfect chastity—like perfect charity—will not be attained by any merely human efforts. You must ask for GOD’s help. Even when you have done so, it may seem to you for a long time that no help, or less help than you need, is being given. Never mind. After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what GOD first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again. For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still. It cures our illusions about ourselves and teaches us to depend on GOD. We learn, on the one hand, that we cannot trust ourselves even in our best moments, and, on the other, that we need not despair even in our worst, for our failures are forgiven. The only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection.”

~ C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity [New York: Simon and Schuster, Touchstone Edition, 1996], page 94.

It is a principle of life that what you feed grows and what you starve dies.
GOD calls us to starve impure sexual thoughts and actions by refusing to yield our minds and bodies to them.
As we engage in such serious moral effort, we become aware of how weak we really are.

Yet, when we make that effort in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, we discover a new strength, not of ourselves, that makes possible what was previously impossible.
Such action feeds and strengthens our new nature, leading over time to transformation of heart.

— From the C. S. Lewis Institute, Reflections 

For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose].
Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with GOD—both now and forever]; the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to GOD. It does not submit itself to GOD’s law, since it cannot, and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please GOD.
However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of GOD lives in you [directing and guiding you].
But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of GOD].
If Christ lives in you, though your [natural] body is dead because of sin, your spirit is alive because of righteousness [which He provides].
And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.
So then, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation, but not to our flesh [our human nature, our worldliness, our sinful capacity], to live according to the [impulses of the] flesh [our nature without the Holy Spirit]— for if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.
Romans 8:5‭-‬13 AMP

Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything [and brought under its power, allowing it to control me]. Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food, but GOD will do away with both of them.
The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body [to save, sanctify, and raise it again because of the sacrifice of the cross]. And GOD has not only raised the Lord Jesus [to life], but will also raise us up by His power.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Am I therefore to take the members of Christ and make them part of a prostitute? Certainly not! Do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her?
For He says, “The two shall be one flesh.” But the one who is united and joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Run away from sexual immorality [in any form, whether thought or behavior, whether visual or written].
Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the one who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from GOD, and that you are not your own [property]?
You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify GOD with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:12‭-‬20 AMP

Finally, believers, we ask and admonish you in the Lord Jesus, that you follow the instruction that you received from us about how you ought to walk and please GOD (just as you are actually doing) and that you excel even more and more [pursuing a life of purpose and living in a way that expresses gratitude to GOD for your salvation].
For you know what commandments and precepts we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
For this is the will of GOD, that you be sanctified [separated and set apart from sin]: that you abstain and back away from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor [being available for GOD’s purpose and separated from things profane], not [to be used] in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know GOD and are ignorant of His will; and that [in this matter of sexual misconduct] no man shall transgress and defraud his brother because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we have told you before and solemnly warned you.
For GOD has not called us to impurity, but to holiness [to be dedicated, and set apart by behavior that pleases Him, whether in public or in private].
So whoever rejects and disregards this is not [merely] rejecting man but the GOD who gives His Holy Spirit to you [to dwell in you and empower you to overcome temptation].
1 Thessalonians 4:1‭-‬8 AMP

Jesus said:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who [so much as] looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble and leads you to sin, tear it out and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble and leads you to sin, cut it off and throw it away [that is, remove yourself from the source of temptation]; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Matthew 5:27‭-‬30 AMP

Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for GOD will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”
So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently say, “The Lord is my Helper [in time of need], I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Remember your leaders [for it was they] who brought you the word of GOD; and consider the result of their conduct [the outcome of their godly lives], and imitate their faith [their conviction that GOD exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider of eternal salvation through Christ, and imitate their reliance on GOD with absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].
Hebrews 13:4‭-‬7 AMP

Therefore become imitators of GOD [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to GOD [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
But sexual immorality and all [moral] impurity [indecent, offensive behavior] or greed must not even be hinted at among you, as is proper among saints [for as believers our way of life, whether in public or in private, reflects the validity of our faith].
Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to GOF].
For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and GOD [for such a person places a higher value on something other than GOD].
Let no one deceive you with empty arguments [that encourage you to sin], for because of these things the wrath of GOD comes upon the sons of disobedience [those who habitually sin].
So do not participate or even associate with them [in the rebelliousness of sin]. For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] (for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him—your behavior expressing gratitude to GOD for your salvation].
Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]; for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that such people practice in secret.
But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light [of GOD’s precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible.
For this reason He says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light.”
Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil.
Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.
Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.
Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks to GOD the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:1‭-‬21 AMP

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