How do I strengthen my conscience against impurity?

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Oh come on. I reckon if someone didn’t sin for a year then that would be a new record. I’ve been baptised in the Holy Spirit, both in terms of the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, and in terms of Charismatic-style baptism in the Spirit. I still sin all the time. If we don’t sin anymore after out confirmation then how come we have to go to reconciliation at least once a year?

We will always sin. Not necessarily mortal sin, but we will always commit venial sin until we die.

But back to OP. Just because we are always going to commit venial sin doesn’t mean that we should just give up and not try to avoid it. God is pleased at any attempt we make to do what He wants us to. The word is FIGHT. You’ve got to see your sins as an enemy. And see the devil as an enemy who is trying to make you commit those sins. Then you need to put on your armour (read Ephesians 6:10-20, about the full armour of God). And never give in to aq sin of impurity without a fight!

A general rule to follow - If it’s a sin, then don’t do it!
 
I didn’t write these Scriptures. Jesus has explained them to me though, and I know what they mean and they mean a Christian, who knows God, is dead to sin, in and through the Holy Spirit.

(1 John 3: 3 - 9) “Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ. Any one who sins at all breaks the law, because to sin is to break the law. Now you know that He appeared in order to abolish sin, and that in Him there is no sin; anyone who lives in God does not sin, and anyone who sins has never seen Him or known Him. My children do not let anyone lead you astray; to live a holy life is to be holy just as He is holy; to lead a sinful life is to belong to the Devil, since the Devil was a sinner from the beginning. It was to undo all that the Devil has done that the Son of God appeared. No one who has been begotten by God sins: because God’s seed remains inside him, he cannot sin when he has been begotten by God.”

(1 John 5: 16) “If anybody sees his brother commit a sin that is not a deadly sin, he has only to pray, and God will give life to the simmer - not those who commit a deadly sin; for there is a sin that is death, and I will not say that you must pray about that. Every kind of wrongdoing is sin, but not all sin is deadly.
 
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Giver:
Notworthy, I don’t know that we have agreed on much before, but this time I say AMEN!
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Robert H., I don’t know that we’ve agreed on anything, but thanks… I think.
BTW, your last post gave you away.

Notworthy
 
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Isidore_AK:
Self-Flagellation? 😃
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Does that mean we should fart on ourselves??? 😃 Maybe lock ourselves in a small, airtight room and let 'em rip? :rotfl:
 
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Shameless:
I have battled sins of impurity for years, how do I strengthen my conscience against impurity? I can’t seem to really get myself to hate this sin, it is hard because it has been a major part of my life for so ling. I know it is wrong but I can’t seem to really hate it, I really dislike it, but I’m not sure I HATE it. Any advice?
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1.) Pray- this includes the rosary, daily reading of scripture, and personal prayer.
2.) Wear a miraculous medal and/or scapular.
3.) Carry a Rosary with you at all times.
4.) If pornography by way of the internet is a struggle for you, keep your computer in a place where others can see what you are doing without warning- if possible. It also may help to have a desktop background with a crucifix or something like that.
5.) Find the situations that cause you to fall and remove them from your life, or adjust how you deal with them (taking cold showers instead of hot, for example) if possible.
6.) Go for a walk or do some other kind of physical activity to get your mind off of your temptation.
7.) Fast
8.) Go to confession as often as you need- it may be once a week- it may even be every day for awhile.
9.) Receive communion (in a state of grace, of course) as often as possible- daily is best, but at least weekly.
10.) Accept your struggle with chastity as a cross to bear and recognize God’s allowing you to be tempted with this is a way He can bring you closer to him.

Here is a good prayer to remember:

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious virgin Mary that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O virgin of virgins, my mother! To thee do I come! Before thee do I stand- sinful and sorrowful! O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.
 
I feel your pain, brother. I was in a quite similar situation myself, though mine was fairly mild.

What I did to amend myself was, in essence, what has been suggested thus far. Wearing a scapular and carrying a rosary really helped, as did putting the Virgin Mary as my background (So much did that background help me keep my mind clear of impure thoughts that it remains my background to this day).

Also, I said many prayers to God asking me to deliver me of my obsession. I begged for the intercession of Mary and Joseph especially, both of whom were very chaste individuals indeed.

Most of all, I must stress the importance of confession. I know from experience how difficult it is to confess sins such as these, but in doing so, I know that I am completely free of my sin and can thus freely talk about them with you, since there is no longer any stain on my soul to be ashamed of.

Once you confess these sins for the first time, make confession a monthly habit. The voice of a priest can really be soothing and encouraging, and the sense of complete and utter cleanliness afterward is wonderful.

Also, think about your future husband/wife, depending on your gender (I’m assuming you’re unmarried). Think about the honor you will do them by loving them not for the sensuality they will provide, but for their soul. And the first step in freeing yourself from lust of sensuality over love of spirituality is right here and now, in liberating yourself now.

And whenever you are tempted, cling to your scapular or miraculous medal, pray feverently to Mary, repeat the name of Jesus, forcefully drive out Satan from your mind and soul.

In addition, it would do good to research the Catholic standpoint on this matter. Encyclicals like the Humanaes Vitae and such are very uplifting and prove good points in conveying what true, pure love and marriage is. It also wouldn’t hurt to engace some Protestants who are far less strict on chastity and contraception issues in debates. I find contraversey to be the main strengthener of my own faith, and I would suggest the same to anyone.

Friend, as someone who has gone through the same thing, I must tell you how much better life is when you are not worrying about these sins on your soul or lusting after sensual pleasure. I feel so pure, so forgiven, so much in love with Christ. Just lift this burden from your soul. Spend some time in a confessional. You will feel so much better, so much more like a true man or woman of Christ.

I know you can, friend. 😃
 
Ask God for help. I had this problem and its amazing what singing the refrain from songs during communion does. I never when tempted thought about the songs…they just appeared in my mind. Boy that works even the songs I never really liked.
 
hilde the dog:
Ask God for help. I had this problem and its amazing what singing the refrain from songs during communion does. I never when tempted thought about the songs…they just appeared in my mind. Boy that works even the songs I never really liked.
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I’ve done most of these things but to no avail, actually things are getting worse!!!
 
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Shameless:
I’ve done most of these things but to no avail, actually things are getting worse!!!
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Go to confession. The first step in stopping is becoming clean again. Ask the priest in the confessional what you can do to stop it. The priests are there to help you out.
 
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Chex:
Go to confession. The first step in stopping is becoming clean again. Ask the priest in the confessional what you can do to stop it. The priests are there to help you out.
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I go to confession weekly, sometimes I have to go more often, trying to find an available priest to hear a confession is difficult.
 
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Shameless:
I have battled sins of impurity for years, how do I strengthen my conscience against impurity? I can’t seem to really get myself to hate this sin, it is hard because it has been a major part of my life for so ling. I know it is wrong but I can’t seem to really hate it, I really dislike it, but I’m not sure I HATE it. Any advice?
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Shamelss:

I think we found the source of your depression…

*What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I concur that the law is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if (I) do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand. For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself, with my mind, serve the law of God but, with my flesh, the law of sin. Romans 7:15-25 NAB*

*For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.

For a dead person has been absolved from sin.

If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God.

Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as (being) dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, sin must not reign over your mortal bodies so that you obey their desires. And do not present the parts of your bodies to sin as weapons for wickedness, but present yourselves to God as raised from the dead to life and the parts of your bodies to God as weapons for righteousness.

For sin is not to have any power over you, since you are not under the law but under grace. Romans 6:6-14 NAB*

For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me. Galatians 2:19-20 NAB

It’s obvious that the old man has to die, and that he’s caused you more than enough grief, but, just one more question,

Were you ever Confirmed? Did you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?

The reason why is this:

*In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-25 NAB*

If you’re living in the Spirit and the old man has been crucified with Christ the advice that everyone is giving you here should have worked to alleviate your problem, provided you persevered.

If the old man hasn’t died, that has to happen, and that can only happen through frequent consumption of our Lord, frequent (monthly at a minimum with a daily examination of conscience) reception of the Sacrament of Confession, and a complete and full prayer life that includes daily time in front of our Lord in the blessed Sacrament.

If you do those things, and you persevere, the old man will die.

But, unless you have the Holy Spirit infusing your life with some of the same joy and power that the Apostles had (including St. Paul), you won’t be able to maintain it, because your Christian walk will be joyless and dry as a desert.

Get the old man dead - he’s caused you more than enough grief and heartache.

Then do whatever it takes within the Catholic Church to encounter the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. He will make your walk with our Lord a little easier and somewhat more joyful.

Once again, Goodnight and God bless.

In Christ, Michael
 
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Shameless:
I’ve done most of these things but to no avail, actually things are getting worse!!!
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Shameless:

Then you just might be under Satanic attack.

Tell St. Michael and your guardian Angel that you REALLY need their help! And, Tell the devil to get lost in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. In other words, “Satan, or whatever devil is bothering, me right now,I command you, in the name of jesus christ the Lord, to get out of here and to leave me alone.”

And then ask for St. Michael to protect you.

Remember, the time to pray is when you’re in the temptation, and it doesn’t hurt to tell that Lord that you’re just not up to the challenge, at least not without a LOT of help

In Christ, Michael
 
Shameless

Is this connected with another of your threads posted here?
 
Traditional Ang:
Shameless:

Then you just might be under Satanic attack.
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But why me???, I’m no Saint and definately not worth that much effort.
 
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Giver:
I didn’t write these Scriptures. Jesus has explained them to me though, and I know what they mean and they mean a Christian, who knows God, is dead to sin, in and through the Holy Spirit.
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Jesus has also said that a just man sins 70 times a day, so either you consider the whole Bible as context and what the Apostolic Tradition has taught or you’re on your own to err.

:blessyou:
 
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Shameless:
But why me???, I’m no Saint and definately not worth that much effort.
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I’m positive you’re wrong about this. 😉 It’s no one but God Who’s allowing Satan to do this to you and for no other reason than to strengthen you and bring you closer to Him.

It is a heavy cross to carry, but not as heavy as the one He carried for us.

It won’t be easy, it’ll require a lot of grace and perhaps all the days of your life, but it’ll be worthy it.

:blessyou:
 
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Augustine:
Jesus has also said that a just man sins 70 times a day, so either you consider the whole Bible as context and what the Apostolic Tradition has taught or you’re on your own to err.

:blessyou:
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Where in Scripture does it say the Jesus said we sin seventy times a day?
 
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Shameless:
But why me???, I’m no Saint and definately not worth that much effort.
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We all are under attack, but if we are close to God and are led by the Holy Spirit we won’t give in to the attack (temptations).
Giver
 
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