Paying With Your Soul

“If it’s free, you pay with your soul.” 

“If it’s free, YOU are the product.” 

More than likely, you’ve heard at least 1 of these 2 quotes before. 

If you haven’t, let me break it down for you.

The porn industry is expected to reach roughly $100B (yes, with a B) this year, 2026, according to seocircular.com. 

That’s a lot of zeroes if you ask me. 

And that’s $100B PER YEAR by the way. 

The NBA, NFL, and MLB combined won’t even reach half that much. 

And with AI on the rise, it’s only going to get worse. 

The industry will continue to soil men, their marriages, bank accounts, careers, self-esteem, dignity, and worst of all 

Their relationships with God. 

You don’t have to be a part of the problem, brother. 

I could tell you you’re a victim (which you technically are), considering you were likely exposed to adult content at a young age, which sparked a multi-year-long addiction,

BUT that type of rhetoric is not useful for you. 

You need accountability. 

Just because something started this dark journey for you doesn’t mean you can’t put an end to it. 

Before you do anything, though, I need you to count the cost. 

“Evan, what do you mean by that?” 

In Luke’s Gospel account, Jesus had a polarizing conversation with his disciples. 

(28) “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 

(29) Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭14‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NRSVUE‬‬

The context is the cost of becoming a disciple of Christ. 

Far too many people “become Christian” because it sounds good.

Or maybe because their Grandma said to.

Or maybe because they felt an overwhelming feeling of peace one day at church. 

While none of those are bad things. 

They are likely not strong enough on their own to be your foundation for belief in Christ and the Gospel.

Because eventually that “on fire” feeling for God will wear off. 

Eventually we won’t have someone like our grandma to encourage us to go to church or follow God. 

Eventually real problems will arise and test our faith. 

Now what does this have to do with lust? 

It means you need to take a step back and think about what sacrifices you need to make to overcome lust for good.

Is it your girlfriend? A girl you’re just getting to know? Your friends/social life? 

Maybe, but think deeper. 

Maybe you’re afraid of losing the only version of yourself you know. 

Even though this version makes you upset for going back to the same thing you swore to never do again in the first place.

Or maybe you’re afraid of how strong you will become in Christ after getting clean (it’s lonely for Christ followers).

After that, think about what you are already sacrificing (or will sacrifice) if you continue to choose lust. 

The highest version of yourself.

That thriving business. That healthy relationship/marriage. 

The ability to hold eye contact with people (especially women). 

An authentic relationship with God where you don’t ignore Him because you feel too unworthy to pray. 

Count. The. Cost. Brother. 

Notice how in verse 29 from earlier, it says people will “ridicule” or, in other words, make fun of those who do not finish the project. 

I’ve seen plenty of guys who try “NoFap” for a few weeks or months. They slip up and never try again. 

Or they cope by saying, “There’s no real benefit to that anyway.” 

Is that the kind of mindset you want to have? The kind of leader you want to be for your wife and children? 

I don’t care if you have given in to lust 1,000 times.

A righteous man always gets back up. 

Weigh out the options and the sacrifices that come with each decision. 

If you’re ready to give up whatever it takes to overcome this thing, then you’re already free. 

If you’re still on the fence. Decide before life decides for you.

I’m not here to condemn you, brother. I’m here to give you the message that I always needed. 

It is not us who overcome sin, but Christ who got the victory once and for all. We just have to walk in that victory.

You know you can overcome this. 

Don’t put it off. 

Think about the 53-year-old man who's been addicted since 17.

36 years of “I’ll stop tomorrow.”

Now he is divorced. Alone. Has no confidence. 

No pursuit of God-given purpose. 

By the way, that man is no different than you or me.

He just chose the cheap route and hasn’t dealt with the actual reasoning behind his addiction.

Don’t let that be you, brother. 

Here is Today’s Takeaway:

Figure out what’s holding you back from going all in with overcoming lust.

If you haven’t gone all in with Christ, it could be for the same reason.

It’s time to deal with whatever fear or other emotion that is. 

You aren’t going to overcome porn or lust if you aren’t even serious about your faith. 

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but once I realized this, it was a game changer. 

If you need 1-on-1 help with overcoming lust for good, reply to this email or DM on IG @maketodayholy.

May the Lord bless you, keep you, shine his face upon you, and deliver you from the chains of lust for good… in JESUS’ name. Amen

— Evan MTH