"I consider myself the underdog in every fight."-Ronda Rousey
"Everybody has a chance. It's my job to make that chance as low as possible."-Jon Jones
These quotes show why the pound-for-pound best male and female fighters alive are currently UFC champions: THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN LOSE.
This kind of underdog mentality is also what separates the winners from the losers in the battle for sexual purity. Those who are humble enough to acknowledge their weaknesses, take their opponents seriously, and fight with all of their heart to honor Christ with a pure marriage are the ones who become and remain Romantic MMA champions. The self-righteous and the arrogant who think that they are invincible are the ones who get turned out by a crafty member of the opposite (or same) gender, get trapped by pornography, literotica and masturbation, or wind up having affairs which torch their marriage like a flamethrower.
Regardless of how these people fall sexually, the answer is clear: those who do not defeat sin in the power of Christ will become sin's prison harlot!
I do not want to be sin's prison harlot. I do not want to have even a hint of sexual immorality in my life nor anything that would cause me to wound the wonderful, god-fearing wife that the Lord will give me in the future. I want to overcome sin through faith in the death and resurrection of my Savior, Jesus Christ and be a living sacrifice to Him. That is why I am taking the next 6 months to undertake a quest for inner purity. Setting boundaries with the opposite gender, accountability groups and locking down electronic devices with filters and tracking software are all excellent tools for maintaining purity. That being said, our greatest enemy will always be our own heart. Even though I am a virgin, I'll be the first to admit that I still get tempted. I've considered entering relationships with certain women (all of whom I've met through church circles) who were willing to "go all the way" if we wouldn't get caught. To put it politely, one if these women (whom I found very attractive) wouldn't even require the smokescreen of a dating relationship. This is why I stay away from these women: I know that they can beat me! There are certain shows I've wanted to watch because I know they show things which I shouldn't be seeing (or doing) before marriage, which is why I stay away from TV. And I am fully aware that there are loopholes around any filter a computer, tablet, or smartphone can have, which is why I limit my use of these devices to an "as needed" basis (i.e. checking email and blogging) to avoid the obvious temptations of the internet.
In other words, even though I still have my V-card, I am definitely the underdog in my fight to honor Christ with a pure marriage. I KNOW THAT I CAN LOSE. This is why I would appreciate your prayers as I take six months of daily devotionals and prayers to allow God to purify my heart.
Matthew 23:26 "Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." (NIV)
