Just Say NOPE: A Practical Strategy for Resisting Lust and Pornography

“How are you doing in your struggle with pornography?” I asked the young man whom I was counseling. Unlike most of the guys I have counseled, this one had not gone off the deep end into the dark and destructive world of porn, but he was definitely tempted to do so. He assured me that he had been standing strong in this area. I went on to follow that question with another question. “How are you doing with lusting after women that you see when you’re out and about every day?”

“Not well,” he confessed—with a tinge of defeat in his voice. As I began to both encourage and exhort him in this regard, I sensed a deep zeal for purity well up inside me. The reality of how often so many of us men are bound and dominated by sexual lust overwhelmed my heart with an urgency to see this radically change.

I looked at this dear soul sitting in front of me and said, “Sometimes we just need to say to ourselves, This is enough! I’m done with this! And then we need to make a commitment not to give in to lust by uttering the word nope out loud.”

“Remember that lust begins with a first impure peek—whether it’s a physical or a mental one.”

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This seemed to resonate with my young friend, and it definitely stirred something in my own heart. I walked away from that counseling session with a renewed passion to strengthen my defenses against the insidious temptation to lust or to give in to sexual immorality of any kind.

The next morning, after I left my house to head to my office, I saw a couple of very scantily dressed women jogging near my car as I drove through my neighborhood. As soon as I caught sight of them in my periphery, I automatically exclaimed, “Nope!” I instantly felt a strong resolve rise up in my heart, and it flooded my whole being with a mixture of unwavering determination and satisfying joy.

I remember that as soon as this happened, I wished I could somehow come up with a meaningful acrostic that would help focus my mind and strengthen my surrender to the Lord anytime I’m tempted to lust. About five seconds later, four words popped into my mind:

Not
One
Peek
Even

I wish someone could have snapped a picture of my face at that very second. I felt like I had struck gold, and the beaming smile on my face made that very evident. Beyond the fact that I theoretically believed I had acquired a tool that would help other men and me, my joy resulted from the immediate benefit that I experienced in real time. I’m at a loss for words to describe it, but that special moment was both distinct and sublime. It bordered on the euphoric in the spiritual realm.

Remember that lust begins with a first impure peek—whether it’s a physical or a mental one. So, when you’re handling your daily affairs and attractive women cross your path, direct your lips and your heart to exuberantly declare, “NOPE!” When you’re driving down the street and encounter a billboard plastered with smut: “NOPE!” When you’re flicking through the television channels and come across something salacious: “NOPE!” When you’re surfing the web or interacting with social media and inappropriate pictures pop up: “NOPE!” When you pass by an adult bookstore or you come across a pornographic magazine or your mind is invaded by sexually obscene images: “NOPE! NOPE! NOPE! Not now. Not ever. Not One Peek Even!”

In keeping with the spirit of the NOPE strategy, may you follow in the footsteps of Job, who said, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman” (Job 31:1, NIV). Be determined to also fortify your commitment through dedication to God’s Word. As the Scriptures permeate every aspect of your life, the desires of the world will grow strangely dim. Like the psalmist of old, make this anthem your battle cry: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

If you found this NOPE tip to be helpful, I’m confident that you’ll be blessed by my new book from which this article was adapted. It’s called Fight Like a Man: A Bold, Biblical Battle Plan for Personal Purity. The book’s foreword was written by Ken Ham, and it was endorsed by Dr. John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, and many other respected Christian leaders. Not only will you learn more about NOPE, but you’ll also discover many other effective weapons that will help you achieve victory in the war for sexual purity.