How do I stop having sex outside of marriage?

There are many traps that cause us to detour from a healthy emotional and physical lifestyle, but perhaps fornication is the one that most often trips Christian singles. What does the Bible have to say about this activity?

In 1Corinthians 6:18 the Bibles shares with us "Flee fornication. Every sin which a man may practice is without the body, but he that commits fornication sins against his own body." The Creator of our bodies provides a word in His instruction manual that having intercourse outside of marriage is actually harming his/her own body.

Allow me to share WHY I believe that God says this. It is akin to serving a false god. When we practice sex outside of marriage, we are sending a signal to the deepest part of our soul that this is the one God created for us to bond. If marriage has not taken place, this premise is NOT true and we are lying to our inner being. What happens after we tell ourselves repeated lies, we begin to believe our own lies – well, our mind does. However, I suggest that our emotions know the difference and was not BUILT by God to bond with more than one person.

One of the consequences of this action is the inner feeling of doubt and guilt. I believe that when you "feel" these at work you can know you are in Satan's neighborhood. They are definitely his calling cards. For the believer, there is another voice heard – that of the Holy Spirit. His voice is not one of condemnation, but conviction. The promptings of conviction are not for our destruction and continued entrapment, but calling us to a better way where victory and freedom can be truly realized.

Okay, so now you agree that you should not be fornicating – but you just cannot find the way to stop. You join so many of us who as singles had to fight this behavior. Let me share what I have learned to stop this undesired behavior.

STEPS FOR THE COUPLE:
1. I believe that the first step is to establish accountability. Yes, that is a strong word and an action that our pride does not want to hear. However, I do not believe that ANYONE can stop this behavior without it.

2. Who should you be accountable to? I think that first of all the two of you should pray, asking God to guide you to the ones who would best serve the two of you. Both of you should agree on this course of action and be committed to doing it. You may be led to a Pastor, or an older Christian couple. You may find that having each of you be accountable to your own accountability partner works for you. Whatever the course of action, do it!