“Every athlete exercises self control in all things… Well, I do not run aimlessly…but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:25–27)
Consider: Men train in self-defense by learning how adversaries attack, developing techniques to neutralize and counterattack, and building strength, stamina, and skill to prevail when attacked.
Likewise, a man who battles porn must fortify himself by building spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical strength so he can prevail when Satan seeks to tempt him with pornography.
Realize: To be successful, a man must fortify himself in the battle against pornography:
1. Partner with God to Fortify Your Spirit – Begin and end your day in prayer, study Scripture, pray to battle temptation throughout the day, frequently receive the Sacraments, and consecrate yourself to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.
2. Practice Mental Training to Fortify Your Mind – Continually affirm your new chaste identity, confront what tempts you, eliminate addictive digital media, practice concentration and impulse control, learn new things and build new skills, and track and improve your progress.
3. Battle Vulnerability to Fortify Your Emotions – Battle anger by practicing meekness, fight loneliness by drawing closer to others, master sexual arousal by setting and following personal rules, reject boredom by pursuing purpose, overcome low mood by cultivating hope and fortitude, and neutralize stress through stress management.
4. Physically Train to Fortify Your Body – Battle fatigue by protecting sleep, stabilize energy through proper nutrition, practice mortification to build self-control, and reduce inactivity through exercise.
5. Build Catholic Brotherhood to Fortify Against Isolation – Make friends with many men in your parish and build close brotherhood with a small band of Catholic brothers.
Resolution: Today, I practice Heroic Sexual Self-discipline by fortifying myself against temptation so I can seek and experience the joy of Chastity.
My God, I regret that I did not understand the importance of taking personal action to fortify myself against temptation. I am sorry for my past weakness and know that, with Your grace, I can rise again, imitate St. Paul, and train to resist the temptations of the Evil One. I commit to working through the above list and, with Your help, joyfully fortify myself against temptation.
Examine: What area of my life (spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, or relational) is the most urgent for me to strengthen to better resist pornography?
Pray: Holy Spirit, help me build the Virtues of Fortitude and Fraternity (a part of Justice) so I can take decisive and persistent action to fortify myself against my personal weaknesses, grow stronger in Christ, and resist the temptation of pornography. Amen.