How do you curb sexual desires and eliminate sexual fantasies?

At this stage of your life, it seems like your thoughts and bodies aren’t yours anymore; it’s natural. If this is not handled properly, you may end up making decisions that will destroy you for the rest of your life. Sexual desires and sexual fantasies may look similar, but in fact, are totally different. Firstly, let’s see what the Bible has to say about this. “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you…” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Apostle Paul seemed shocked when he said “What” He expected every boy, girl, father, and mother to know this. He expected us to know that our body is God’s temple and that the Holy Spirit lives there already. A temple is supposed to be clean, undefiled, and pure. So, how can we cope with these thoughts flitting through our heads all day and night? Three things are essential at this stage; the first is discipline. I know that we are Christians, and we believe that we can pray and poof! God answers. Yes, but God also wants us disciplined. That’s why God told the Israelites to march around the wall of Jericho for seven days without making a sound; God could have destroyed the wall on the first day, but God wanted them to learn more about silence and obedience. So, you have to discipline yourself and engage yourself in something more productive when the urge comes. Never listen to those who tell you to indulge in your urges. The second is having a confidant that you can speak to, or call for encouragement and counsel; might be a relative, or preferably your leader at church. It is important to note that you must be of the same gender; so the person can relate to your experiences. Your confidant must be mature, older than you, and trustworthy (spiritually). Lastly, you must read the Word of God; the Bible, and pray often. The Bible helps you to know God; and the more you know God, the more you desire to be like Him; the more you desire to be like God, the more you gain strength to overcome the temptation to have pre-marital sex, or to masturbate. Prayer is communication with God, you tell God what you are going through, and God speaks to you and gives you the strength to overcome. So, what’s the difference between Sexual desire and Sexual fantasy? The answer to these questions will come along with the consequences for indulging in them. Sexual Desire According to Oxford Dictionary, sexual desire is a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something sex related to happen; it is the strong emotion to participate in a sexual activity. It is a highly intense emotional state. Let me give you a scriptural example of two men who gave in to their desires, and the consequence. The first was King David, this was a man after God’s own heart. The Bible testified that he loved God, and God loved him. But one day, King David was sitting and chilling on his balcony, then he saw a woman bathing. David did not leave, instead, he indulged, he looked and lustily appreciated her beauty, and he fantasized; that’s a red flag. It’s the beginning of destruction (2 Samuel 11,12). God was mad at him, and because of that God took the child; the child died. Another consequence was that his child tried to dethrone and kill him. Also, we have Samson, a mighty man, strong enough to take down an army by himself. He desired Delilah, and he wanted her at any cost. Lust blinds, overwhelm, consumes, and destroys. Samson woke up one day, and he thought he would be able to demonstrate that God-given strength. Alas! He had lost it due to giving in to his unholy desires. Judges 16:21-25 will show you the end of a man that gives in to his desires; God will leave that man alone. Sexual Fantasies According to Cambridge Sexual fantasies refer to mental imagery of sexual activity with an emotional component that absorbs the fantasizer. Sexual fantasy is highly dangerous, this is because it involves your imagination to satisfy sexual cravings. This is a path to dissatisfaction because you will always try to measure reality to your imagination; which is not possible. Sexual fantasies are the source of the abominable behaviors that are prevalent in our present society. This is also a road straight to masturbation, a deadly sin that attracts judgment. Christ said that just the mere thought fueled by lust is a sin (Mathew 5:28) We have two Bible characters that invited disaster on themselves because of feeding and indulging in their sexual fantasies. The first was Reuben who was carnally intimate with his stepmother; that lust brought desire, and when he dwelled on it, it became an abominable fantasy which he then brought to reality. His father cursed him and his generation for that (Genesis 49:4). The second individual was Amon, the son of David; he was sick with lust for his step-sister. He allowed his friend to encourage him to rape her; Absalom killed him for that. His life was cut short. Friends, lust is deadly, and feeding and indulging in it is deadlier; so, discipline yourself with the Word of God if you fall into any of the aforementioned categories. John Oguntoyinbo Answers2Prayer Volunteer