Then he [David] took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. (I Samuel 17:40)
David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone. This is an amazing story. It is not humanly possible that a boy could slay a seasoned man-killer, a giant with sticks and stones, but he did! How could this possibly happen? The weapons for David’s warfare were sticks and stones, but the foundation for victory was already laid! David trusted in his God to win the battle. He put five stones into his pouch. These were some simple tools of warfare that he brought into battle; however, he trusted God for the victory before he put the stones in his pouch. This “Five Stones of Battle” tool was designed to be a foundation as you start on your journey, fighting the battle against the pull of lust and pornography. Many men have found these principles to be significant in beginning to understand how lust and pornography can be such a strong temptation. We hope that you will take the time to read the stories, understand the principles, and practice the exercises.
1st Stone - YOUR STRUGGLE IS NOT UNIQUE One of Satan’s goals is to isolate Christian men. He knows that a soldier who is isolated is easy to attack and destroy. As a result, Satan has done a great job - convincing many Christian men like us that we are alone in our struggle with lust and pornography. It seems to us that other Christian men around us live without any real temptation. We are left feeling alone, full of shame, and hopeless. Here is the truth: Nearly every man on the planet fights this relentless struggle with lust. It can pull us toward the pit of pornography and eventually, many fall into it. Some fall so deeply into the pit that they feel hopeless and some, in fact, don't ever find their way out. We continually hear in the news the heartbreaking stories about men who have lost everything due to sexual issues. Now I have read a great deal of research and statistics on pornography use by men. Let's say that the following statistics are only half true: Over 2 The Five Stones of Battle, © 2014 Jericho Ventures, LLC http://www.Mind-Armor.com