As mentioned under the question, "What resources are available to help overcome it?" Jesus Christ empowers us to manifest His victory over sexual sin through four means: new life, His Holy Spirit, His word, and His church. Sexual temptation and desire are a fact of life; these will continue as long as we are within our fallen, unredeemed bodies; but the Christian who still finds himself in bondage to sexual sin is not obediently following Christ's lead through one or more of these means.

New life -- "We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life... Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Romans 6:4, 11-13). A Christian who is still living in the bondage of sexual sin may not recognize that his old self has died and that God has created him anew. He may still be struggling under the assumption that he has to change his ways in his own power. Instead, he needs to yield himself to God and recognize the work that God has done within him already.

His Holy Spirit -- The apostle Paul sums it up nicely: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). No one can sin while following the Holy Spirit, "For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed" (James 1:13-14), and "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able" (1 Corinthians 10:13). A Christian who is still living in the bondage of sexual sin is not walking in obedience to or in submission to the Holy Spirit. Because of his pride, self-centeredness, and an incomplete submission to God, he is choosing to control his own life and missing the victory of Jesus Christ over sexual sin. Instead, he needs to confess and turn away from his self-centeredness and pride and allow the Lord to build humility and submission into his heart.

His word -- "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16). A Christian who is still living in the bondage of sexual sin often either does not know God's word, is not actively studying God's word (not just reading, but studying it with the intention of personal application and growth in his relationship with God), or he is selectively choosing counsel from God's word along with counsel from sources outside the word of God. "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2).

His church -- "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1). "But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrews 3:13). A Christian who is still living in the bondage of sexual sin often hides the specific nature of his struggles and temptations from other Christians. In isolating this part of his life from others, he removes himself from the work of the Holy Spirit through others to restore him from his sin, and he allows sin to harden his heart deceitfully. Daily encouragement, accountability and restoration in meekness and prayer are means by which the church strengthens its members who are learning to live out the victory of Jesus Christ over this sin.
    Instead of these means, a Christian struggling with sexual sin often would rather "overcome" sexual sin on his own terms, such as God's provision of a marriage partner that willingly and perfectly fulfills every sexual desire, God's sudden removal of all illicit sexual desire from within him, or loss of sexual function and desire altogether. Often he would prefer, even beg God for one of these easy, self-centered means to a shallow victory. Instead, we should open our hearts and minds to God's means in gradually and sometimes painfully moving us from the false intimacy of sexual sin to genuine love of Jesus Christ and others.

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