Towers of Silver, Panels of Cedar*
Help for when You’re Fighting Sexual Temptation

By Anya Brucal, London, UK

What shall we do for our sister…
We will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
Song of Songs 8:8-9

Hi all! My name is Anya Brucal. I fell in love with God and became a disciple at 13! Currently I’m part of the Teens Ministry in West London, but I’ve been blessed to be a part of churches in the Philippines, Oahu, and the UK. I am part of a family of four, with my parents and my sister who just loves to eat my cookies. I’m still studying at high school level but hope to become a chemical engineer in the near future. My favourite scripture is Exodus 14:14: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Sexual Impurity Blockers: Following is a compilation of scriptures aimed to get you through the night when the impure thoughts feel too overwhelming; or if you want to study out how purity is viewed in the Bible. I highly recommend taking some of the scriptures and engraving them in your heart, so you can rely on God to fight the devil’s schemes.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
John 15:13

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

Is what you’re thinking about or thinking about doing worth throwing away the greatest love you will ever experience?

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

Remember all the times you’ve fallen into sexual sin before. Was the gut-wrenching feeling worth it, for the momentary millisecond of pleasure? King Solomon did everything one could imagine doing and he concluded it was all meaningless -- so why do it in the first place?

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Psalm 139:13-16

One of the biggest causes of sexual impurity is the lack of value we give ourselves. We can judge ourselves unworthy to be loved by another person. As a result, we think these impure thoughts and pleasures give us a simulation of “feeling loved”. Do you not know you are wonderful? You are created in the image of the God that created the UNIVERSE. The sources of your insecurities are other parts of creation, which God intentionally made by hand. Every time you look in the mirror and complain, God could be thinking, “Oh no. Do you not like it?
I made it for especially for you…” How his heart must break every time. You don’t need to seek validation in other created things, for you are custom-made by God himself. No other human can ever make you feel as valued and treasured as God can.

“Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murder from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe in me!” John 8:43-45

There is a false promise in your desires; don’t let them control you and steer you away from the path Christ has paved. Remember: the devil only tempts but it is YOU who decides to carry it out.

“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.” Revelations 2:20-21

God has given you so much mercy, yet you are eager to disobey for a momentary comfort. Why are you taking advantage of the grace you’ve been gifted?

“For out of the heart comes evil thoughts-- murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” Matthew 15:19-20

This is all from your heart, this evil desire. Why do you desire such things? Stand your ground, with God at your right hand.

“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.” James 1:13-16

Highlight here on the “do not be deceived.” Keep level-headed and hold onto the promises of God, one of which is that He can provide more than you can ask for. Don’t let this temptation stay in your mind.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:5-8

If you have not done so yet, pray about your struggles. Pray until there is no more doubt in your heart. Pray until you have surrendered it all. Pray, until you PRAY.

“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:6-8

Hold your hands together and close your eyes. Imagine God is holding you, riding you out of the storm of impure thoughts and desires in your mind. Pray and talk to Him -- tell Him how much it burdens you.

“Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.” 1 Timothy 5:1-2

If you are thinking about a specific person, picture how your thoughts would change your interactions with them. Are your thoughts hindering you from creating the kind of pure relationship God intends for his children?

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.” Philippians 4:8-9

When a questionable thought comes to your head, ask your yourself, “Is this true? Is this noble? Is this right?” Surely enough, it’s not. So STOP thinking about it. To have a pure mind, we must train our minds to filter out the ungodly thoughts and keep the godly ones in!

“An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.” 1 Corinthians 7:34

(For all my single ladies) My single sisters out there! Paul is saying this is an amazing time to focus on God, where you are not responsible for a spouse yet, so do not be let your mind be consumed day and night, dreaming about your future married life or fantasizing about “special” brothers in your life. Honestly, how much time do you use up, imagining possible scenarios or daydreaming? Instead, utilize this time to focus on your own growth in your spiritual life. Seize your opportunity!

The first step to overcoming impurity is admitting we can’t. I had a hard time grasping this concept: I would read the scriptures on impurity with a prideful perspective, making my ‘repentance’ very short term. I also had deep insecurities which I couldn’t let go of, and sexual sin was my childhood coping mechanism. But these scriptures reminded me how this was inhibiting me from living the life I was promised, the life I was gifted with, the life that was paid for. The second step to overcoming impurity is acknowledging that God can do a better job at it than we can. I wrote personal messages to go with each scripture, directed at me, as if God were talking to me. I needed to train myself to surrender, even if I had to pray for hours at night, and let God fight the impure thoughts for me. I never knew I could gain so much conviction about something, and it inspired me, to see how God could work in other areas of my life where I’m lacking faith. Yes, it sounds crazy, but I’m glad I went through the sleepless nights, since I learned so much from this struggle, and can share it with others. I pray these scriptures provide comfort and peace to you. God bless!