Is a Lower Sex Drive the Answer to Walking in Victory?

Many men often blame their strong sex drive for their sexual sin. That begs the question, is somehow lowering one's sex drive the answer for overcoming sexual addiction? Steve Gallagher answers that question in this interview.

Host: Hey, Steve, thanks for coming in. We want to deal today with an email that came in from a 21-year-old man who is struggling with the power of his sex drive. And it seems that someone has suggested to him that psychiatric drugs may be an option to help lower his sex drive. How would you respond to that?

Steve: Well, I would respond from Scripture like I would with any kind of an issue that comes up in life like this. In 2 Peter 1, Peter made a couple of interesting statements that I think we should take a look at. He said this, “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (1 Peter 1:3-4, NASB 1995) Now that's a mouthful and I understand that, but I do want to say a couple of things about this.
       First of all, I need to say that I believe this statement is true. With all my heart I believe it's true. Not only because the Bible says it, but also because it's my testimony. It's something that I have experienced and have seen lived out in the lives of many people. God has what every believer needs. That's not just cheap preacher talk or something. It’s the reality of anyone who has a life with God. Peter promises us here that God's power will provide everything we need to make it in life.  We have to decide if we really believe that.
       That's what it boils down to when we hear these kinds of promises made in Scripture. Do we really believe what the Bible is saying? Personally, the idea of a Christian needing to take drugs to live in victory is absolutely preposterous to me. It shows me that the young man asking this question does not yet know what it means to have the power of God in his inner life. If he will establish a strong devotional life, not only will he find that there is power to live victoriously in Christ, but it'll give him a wonderful opportunity to ask God for a greater infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Host: Now, one of the things that I see in his email is that he is so focused on his physical sex drive. And of course, most guys that are 16 years and older are often focused on their hormonal issues that are drawing them toward giving over to their sexual sin. But in the passage you just read from 1 Peter, there’s more being spoken of than just a strong sex drive when Peter uses the phrase “corruption is in the world because of lust” isn’t there?

Steve: Well, this young man who reached out is overwhelmed. And like you said, a lot of young people do become overwhelmed when their hormones are raging inside. But when God becomes large in a person's heart, mind and their daily life to where they are spending time with God and they are connected to the vine, then their problems become much smaller and more manageable. When you're just living in the flesh, of course, your problems are going to be overwhelming.

Host: Now, in his email, he said that he wants to reduce his sex drive. Now are we saying that if he develops a solid relationship with the Lord that his sex drive is going to go diminish?

Steve: No. His sex drive is not going to change. It's a physical thing that he has to deal with. But what does come into play is the power to be able to deal with it in the right way. That's what he's missing. All he's focused on is his sex drive, but he's not seeing the power of God at work in his inner man.

Host: And of course, one of the things that fights against young men who want to go on the right path with this issue is that the culture is saying that you are a captive to these desires and you can't help but indulge in them. In fact, the culture teaches that you are abnormal if you don't give into these desires.

Steve: Right. And one of the problems which that raises is the fact that so many young people are more plugged in with the world and our pagan culture than they are to the things of God. So of course, when you're more plugged in to the strong messages coming from television and the internet, that's going to shape your thinking, your belief system and it's going to strengthen the unbelief that's already in you.

Host: And for a young man or even for a young woman, if you look at it right, this is a wonderful opportunity to prove the faithfulness of God in your own life.

Steve: Yes, it is a wonderful opportunity to glorify God in your body. It sends such powerful message to young people around you today who are totally given over to the things of this world, their flesh and sexual sin for you to stand strong and say, “I choose to say no to my flesh. My life in God means more to me than worldly pleasure.”