What Does the Bible Say About Watching Porn?

If you are opening your Bible looking for the word "pornography," you won't find it. But that doesn't mean the Bible is silent on the issue.

The Bible speaks directly to the root of the problem: Lust, the eyes, and the heart.

✨1. Jesus on "Heart Adultery"

In Matthew 5:28, Jesus raises the bar:

"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

This is the core verse. Jesus explains that sin isn't just about physical actions; it's about what happens in your internal world. Pornography is essentially "lust on demand." It is the practice of engaging in sexual desire with someone who is not your spouse.

✨2. The Eye is the Lamp

Matthew 6:22-23 says:

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness."

This is psychologically profound. What you consume with your eyes affects your entire "body" (your life, your mood, your spirit). When you fill your eyes with distorted, objectified images, you are filling your inner life with darkness.

✨3. Sexual Immorality (Porneia)

The Greek word used in the New Testament for "sexual immorality" is porneia. This is literally where we get the word "pornography." In 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul writes:

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body."

Notice the command: Flee. Paul doesn't say "fight it" or "reason with it." He says run away. This aligns perfectly with modern recovery advice: Remove the trigger. Get away from the screen.

✨4. It's About Freedom, Not Just Rules

Galatians 5:1 says:

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Addiction is slavery. You know this if you've tried to stop and failed. God's commands aren't there to make you miserable; they are there to keep you free. Porn promises pleasure but delivers chains.

✨The Good News

The Bible is honest about the sin, but it is also loud about the solution. 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

God is not shocked by your search history. He wants to help you rewrite it.