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Closing the Window: Steps to Living Porn Free
Pornography is everywhere. Far too many Christians regularly use and are addicted to it, warping their perception of sexuality and relationships, destroying marriages and ministries. But Christians who struggle with porn also long for change. When we realize the unfulfilling emptiness of porn, we come to yearn for freedom from it. But what do we do? Tim Chester says that we can be captured by a better vision--a liberating confidence that God offers more than pornography does. Moving beyond pat answers or mere willpower, Chester offers spiritual, practical and corporate resources for living porn free. He exposes the false promises of porn and redirects us to the true promises of God. With assurance of God's grace and cleansing power, we can change our desires and escape the traps and temptations of pornography. However great the challenge, God's grace is even greater. And we can come to a place where we no longer feel the need to use porn. Close the window on porn. And open the door to freedom, integrity and new life.
151 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2010
56 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Tim Chester
136books178followersDr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 22, 2021
Que livro sensacional! Tim Chester escreve com graça e sabedoria! É um livro excelente para quem tem problemas com pornografia, mas também para quem está ajudando alguém assim! Ele convida a todos a substituir a pornografia pela Glória de Deus! Livro excelente, 5 estrelas!
November 7, 2023
First read 2014, reread 2023. This is quite possibly the most helpful books I’ve read on this topic. Thoroughly biblical and very practical while also capturing the positive vision necessary to break free of slavery to sin. It can be a little dry in parts, but it is worth pushing through.
January 23, 2021
Um livro VERDADEIRAMENTE fantástico. Simples, claro, objetivo e com muitas reflexões. Com certeza um dos melhores que já li.
Recomendo demais!!!
Recomendo demais!!!
January 12, 2024
Solid book. Talks about the issue in a straight forward way that deals with the issue while pointing back to Christ that there is a better way to live.
January 28, 2024
In the introduction Chester writes about how anyone reading will be convicted of their sin. They will be condemned. But they will not be left condemned. They will find that, as deeply abhorrent as their sin is, truly the grace of the Lord God is more. I, for one, came face to face with my own self idolatry in this book. But truly God is great. He has used this book to work greatly in my life. I highly recommend it for anyone struggling with pornography or any other sexual sin.
January 11, 2022
Um livro excelente! Tim Chester traz neste livro, de forma bíblica, como o crente deve combater a pornografia, como ela nos destrói e nos afasta de Deus. Sempre argumentando de forma teológica e com aplicações práticas.
Recomendo a todos que sofrem com o vício e para aqueles que querem saber mais de como aconselhar um irmão em Cristo.
Recomendo a todos que sofrem com o vício e para aqueles que querem saber mais de como aconselhar um irmão em Cristo.
September 17, 2020
Really, really good. Very astute. Very theologically sound. Very practical.
Would have loved to see him dive in a little bit into the scientific side of both the struggles and the solutions, in terms of understanding how the brain works, retraining reward centers, etc. But overall, the biggest and most important factors are addressed.
The most encouraging and helpful part of this for me was the reminders of the greater joy and satisfaction that is found in intimacy with Christ. There is nothing and no one greater or better than Jesus.
Would have loved to see him dive in a little bit into the scientific side of both the struggles and the solutions, in terms of understanding how the brain works, retraining reward centers, etc. But overall, the biggest and most important factors are addressed.
The most encouraging and helpful part of this for me was the reminders of the greater joy and satisfaction that is found in intimacy with Christ. There is nothing and no one greater or better than Jesus.
April 13, 2016
The prevalence of pornography in our electronic age is an important matter for the whole of society, and even more so for Christians who know that sexuality is a wonderful gift from God that can be awfully twisted into ugliness.
Chester is not all about 'a technique' to stop porn in one's life. But he does not mock techniques, either, but places them in a better whole-of-life context. Use the skills (like accountability software, etc), but use them as tools in the bigger picture of life with Christ.
Chester's five broad topics are, in my words: hate porn, love God, trust God, actively avoid porn, get help. As is clear, there are reasons why, and there are tips how. And both are important.
Chester quotes extensively from people who completed an on-line survey for him, and this illustrates his points nicely while introducing a chatty feel to parts of the book. This complements the parts which are more solid sections of thoughtful argument.
I have a few criticisms, but none of them are major.
But to finish with negatives would be way off - this is a good book, on an important topic, written with gospel-shaped truth, which shows love to all touched by the damaging scourge of pornography.
Chester is not all about 'a technique' to stop porn in one's life. But he does not mock techniques, either, but places them in a better whole-of-life context. Use the skills (like accountability software, etc), but use them as tools in the bigger picture of life with Christ.
Chester's five broad topics are, in my words: hate porn, love God, trust God, actively avoid porn, get help. As is clear, there are reasons why, and there are tips how. And both are important.
Chester quotes extensively from people who completed an on-line survey for him, and this illustrates his points nicely while introducing a chatty feel to parts of the book. This complements the parts which are more solid sections of thoughtful argument.
I have a few criticisms, but none of them are major.
Though a shortish book, about 160 pages, I think it could have been edited a bit more. The chapters seem to have long introductions before getting to the major point. And those intros don't always really tightly connect to the main point, in my view.
Chester acknowledges that porn is a problem for both men and women, and can be expressed in 'non-porn' ways (like romance novels, or underwear junk mail). But I certainly had the sense this book was more about blokes with porn problems. If there was some editing out (above), then the book could edit in more on women's experiences of porn.
Chester takes the line of Genesis 2:18 - that it was not good for the man to be alone - to mean he was lonely, needing companionship. That's a tempting preaching point, believe me!, but is probably not the point of the text.
But to finish with negatives would be way off - this is a good book, on an important topic, written with gospel-shaped truth, which shows love to all touched by the damaging scourge of pornography.
January 13, 2020
I've been looking for a resource to use to work through with young men that are struggling with porn use. I think this is the resource I have been looking for! It is short: 146 pages. Chester does a great job showing us the five tools that are needed to win the battle with porn. 1) Abhorrence of porn; 2) Adoration of God; 3) Assurance of grace; 4) Avoidance of temptation; and 5) Accountability to others. He shows us how most of us try to find a single "silver bullet" instead of using all 5 of these tools. I found his first section on abhorrence the most helpful. The second section has a awesome chart on six false promises made by porn which I plan to use to help people think about their underlying heart issues that keep them enslaved to pornography.
March 19, 2020
Still my go-to book for dealing with this (awful) issue. I’ve read and discussed it with a LOT of guys in the last decade. Gospel-centred and highly practical. My only complaint is it needs an update due to tech changes since written.
March 26, 2021
Uma enxurrada de Bíblia, graça e responsabilidade.
July 2, 2024
Read through this with a young man from my church. The strength of the book is the solid framework and biblical counsel around pornography. The 5 A's (Ingredients in the battle against porn) are: Abhorence of porn, Adoration of God, Assurance of Grace, Avoidance of Temptation, and Accountability to others. Put simply, this is an incredibly helpful framework. As we read Chester unpack each of them, we were both encouraged and ministered to. The accountability questions on page 111 and the questions in the conclusion to go deeper were also particularly helpful in walking through this book with another person.
The weakness of the book is that it's a little outdated (For reference, he quotes Rob Bell as an orthodox Christian voice on the subject so written before Bell departed from Christianity). Obviously, the counsel from God's Word will stand throughout generations but the specific applications will vary and I think younger men will have a harder time connecting with the examples.
The other thing that I don't like is the use of specific terms and descriptions that can stir up images pretty easily for someone battling pornography. There are examples scattered throughout the book of people being quoted or studies describing the emptiness of sex and making mention of types of sex positions or types of pornography that I don't think are necessary. While obviously unintentional by the author, my experience as a biblical counselor working with many guys and addictions over the years is that this is often a stumbling block in reading books on pornography. And because this book is designed for those struggling with pornography, perhaps more sensitivity in that regard is needed. But he does point to the reader to finding satisfaction in Christ and that is the best thing anyone could do for someone battling pornography and for that I'm grateful for this book.
Overall, the chart of the 5 A's is the best part to pull from this book but I also believe there are better books to read on the subject.
The weakness of the book is that it's a little outdated (For reference, he quotes Rob Bell as an orthodox Christian voice on the subject so written before Bell departed from Christianity). Obviously, the counsel from God's Word will stand throughout generations but the specific applications will vary and I think younger men will have a harder time connecting with the examples.
The other thing that I don't like is the use of specific terms and descriptions that can stir up images pretty easily for someone battling pornography. There are examples scattered throughout the book of people being quoted or studies describing the emptiness of sex and making mention of types of sex positions or types of pornography that I don't think are necessary. While obviously unintentional by the author, my experience as a biblical counselor working with many guys and addictions over the years is that this is often a stumbling block in reading books on pornography. And because this book is designed for those struggling with pornography, perhaps more sensitivity in that regard is needed. But he does point to the reader to finding satisfaction in Christ and that is the best thing anyone could do for someone battling pornography and for that I'm grateful for this book.
Overall, the chart of the 5 A's is the best part to pull from this book but I also believe there are better books to read on the subject.
April 3, 2024
Thought this was one of the better resources for addressing the issue of pornography from a Christian point of view.
In the past a lot of the discussion around pornography from Christian perspectives was mainly focussed on how bad pornography is, that you shouldn't look at it, that you need to work hard not to look at it, etc. It felt like a very 'white knuckle' approach - were I just need to do better, pray harder, etc.
While being a little outdated now in terms of the examples of some of the issues facing society (most people having 24/7 access to pornography through their phone), I really enjoyed this book. It was so good at looking at the topic of pornography from multiple different perspectives, not just that porn = bad. It helped me see the importance of a greater view and love for God and his salvation, and how missing that, porn seems like an easy, 'good' alternative.
The only criticism of the book is that in some parts it seems as though it wants to be addressing both men and women, but the majority of the book is written with the male perspective in mind. While the principles can be applied to both genders, I think it would have been great for it to be more consistently applied to both. For that reason, I'm not sure I would be able to recommend it as a resource to a woman that is struggling with pornography as easily as I would a man.
In the past a lot of the discussion around pornography from Christian perspectives was mainly focussed on how bad pornography is, that you shouldn't look at it, that you need to work hard not to look at it, etc. It felt like a very 'white knuckle' approach - were I just need to do better, pray harder, etc.
While being a little outdated now in terms of the examples of some of the issues facing society (most people having 24/7 access to pornography through their phone), I really enjoyed this book. It was so good at looking at the topic of pornography from multiple different perspectives, not just that porn = bad. It helped me see the importance of a greater view and love for God and his salvation, and how missing that, porn seems like an easy, 'good' alternative.
The only criticism of the book is that in some parts it seems as though it wants to be addressing both men and women, but the majority of the book is written with the male perspective in mind. While the principles can be applied to both genders, I think it would have been great for it to be more consistently applied to both. For that reason, I'm not sure I would be able to recommend it as a resource to a woman that is struggling with pornography as easily as I would a man.
October 18, 2021
I found this to be one of the better books on this topic. Chester does a wonderful job of mixing theology and practical steps for change. The book is built around five key tenets for "closing the window" on pornography. The greatest strength of this book is that Chester digs down to the underlying reasons people turn to porn, exposing the lies that are involved. But he doesn't stop here because he applies the gospel as the antidote to the lies that drive people to porn. In the final chapter of the book, Chester develops a theology around beauty, sex, marriage, singleness, and the glory of God, which are essential elements in the battle for sexual purity.
One warning is that Chester is at time blunt and "frank." (he provides this warning himself in the introduction) However, this serve an important purpose in the book as Chester exposes the seriousness of this sin. Overall, this is a very important book not only for those currently enslaved to pornography and sexual sin, but also for those walking with people who struggle, and even for those seeking to strengthen themselves in the fight.
One warning is that Chester is at time blunt and "frank." (he provides this warning himself in the introduction) However, this serve an important purpose in the book as Chester exposes the seriousness of this sin. Overall, this is a very important book not only for those currently enslaved to pornography and sexual sin, but also for those walking with people who struggle, and even for those seeking to strengthen themselves in the fight.
August 1, 2024
Table:
1. Abhorrence of porn: a hatred of porn itself (not just the shame it brings)
2. Adoration of God: a desire for God, arising from a confidence that he offers more than porn
3. Assurance of Grace: an assurance that you are loved by God and right with God through faith in the work of Jesus
4. Avoidance of temptation: a commitment to do all in your power to avoid temptation, starting with controls on your computer
5. Accountability to others: a community of Christians, who are holding you accountable and supporting you in your struggle.
This was a very practical book and biblically based reassuring you that God will always be enough and the cross is sufficient. It starts off right away with why you should hate porn, not just because it is a sin, but because the industry abuses women and most women in the porn industry, end up committing suicide or taking hard drugs to perform , if you want to defeat, your sin of porn you need to rely on God and to him in prayer as well as have an accountability partner and community that will pour into you.
1. Abhorrence of porn: a hatred of porn itself (not just the shame it brings)
2. Adoration of God: a desire for God, arising from a confidence that he offers more than porn
3. Assurance of Grace: an assurance that you are loved by God and right with God through faith in the work of Jesus
4. Avoidance of temptation: a commitment to do all in your power to avoid temptation, starting with controls on your computer
5. Accountability to others: a community of Christians, who are holding you accountable and supporting you in your struggle.
This was a very practical book and biblically based reassuring you that God will always be enough and the cross is sufficient. It starts off right away with why you should hate porn, not just because it is a sin, but because the industry abuses women and most women in the porn industry, end up committing suicide or taking hard drugs to perform , if you want to defeat, your sin of porn you need to rely on God and to him in prayer as well as have an accountability partner and community that will pour into you.
April 27, 2020
A brief but full resource; great for those who are shepherding others or married to someone struggling in this arena too. Chester pairs the philosophical/theological with the right amount of practical wisdom and admonishment. The thoughts here sparked good conversations with the men I’ve been counseling. Read it with others, be intentional about reflecting and discussing, and you will likely find great encouragement, wisdom, and growth in doing so.
As an aside, I’ve found much of the book personally useful in tackling a variety of sins; so there are practical applications for the one who is not struggling directly with porn/lust.
As an aside, I’ve found much of the book personally useful in tackling a variety of sins; so there are practical applications for the one who is not struggling directly with porn/lust.
November 25, 2023
Theologically and practically sound approach to living a life free from pornography. I’ve read other material on this topic (more science based) but this was my first Christ centered book on it.
If you or a loved one struggle with pornography addiction I highly recommend.
“People often long for instant victory for the struggle to go away. But victory is not life without temptation--not in this life. In this life victory is struggling with temptation and consistently choosing obe-dience. And it means choosing obedience out of love for Jesus--not out of war of being caught.�
If you or a loved one struggle with pornography addiction I highly recommend.
“People often long for instant victory for the struggle to go away. But victory is not life without temptation--not in this life. In this life victory is struggling with temptation and consistently choosing obe-dience. And it means choosing obedience out of love for Jesus--not out of war of being caught.�
October 30, 2023
Neste livro, Tim Chester leva-nos a comparar as falsas promessas da masturbação e pornografia com a glória de Deus e as suas promessas para o seu povo.
Mostra-nos como um aparente prazer libertador aprisiona os seus usuários e de como podemos, olhando para Deus, libertar-nos e ajudar os outros a libertarem-se destes vícios.
Um livro de rápida leitura, mas que deve ser lido com uma profunda meditação, pode trazer muitos de volta para um relacionamento saudável com Deus e com os irmãos na fé.
Mostra-nos como um aparente prazer libertador aprisiona os seus usuários e de como podemos, olhando para Deus, libertar-nos e ajudar os outros a libertarem-se destes vícios.
Um livro de rápida leitura, mas que deve ser lido com uma profunda meditação, pode trazer muitos de volta para um relacionamento saudável com Deus e com os irmãos na fé.
January 12, 2022
Livro bem escrito, bem pesquisado e com uma linguagem acessível. A divisão do livro é boa, pois cada capítulo funciona como uma parte independente, mas o sentido total só é alcançado juntando todos. Os relatos de experiências ao longo do livro também são muito úteis.
January 12, 2023
Nunca li muitos livros sobre esse assunto, mas este com certeza tornou-se um livro excelente. O livro é claro, te confronta e te leva ao caminho da graça.
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March 15, 2023Useful for counselor as well as the one needing counsel.
March 13, 2024
One of the best books on this topic!
April 11, 2025
Very helpful book.
November 3, 2021
O melhor livro que eu já li sobre o assunto.
Com muitos exemplos práticos e atuais.
Excelente material para estudar em grupo.
Chester anima os corações sem esperança e dá um verdadeiro manual de luta pela santidade e pureza!
Com muitos exemplos práticos e atuais.
Excelente material para estudar em grupo.
Chester anima os corações sem esperança e dá um verdadeiro manual de luta pela santidade e pureza!
March 27, 2023
If you know someone or you yourself are caught in a place where you are struggling. Struggling to really break away from a sin that is ruining your life, relationships, and well you/their being. You need to take the time to read this book. It delves into what pornography does to our minds. It skews our relationships with our spouses or future spouses. It leads to place where you should be a protector and your turn into a potential threat. It reinforces the idea of not fighting this on your own. Your will never be enough. Tim leads us back to the cross, and turns to GOSPEL POWER AND ACCOUNTABILITY to help you in this every day battle.
October 20, 2011
Tim Chester, in the vein of his previous work You Can Change, tackles the specific sin of sexual addiction and pornography. With a much clearer focus and a smoother writing style, Chester offers some practical wisdom wrapped up in very heavy doctrine. Where as Craig Gross offers more pragmatic methodology, Tim Chester thoroughly covers the necessary theology. This is like the flipside of the coin for breaking addiction.
Chester this time around relies less on platitudes (though still uses them) and gets into the gritty business of porn addiction. With plenty of quotes from everyday people and some of the stats we've grown used to, Chester makes sure to attack the problem at its root: our identity. Porn addiction is "self-worship," and without a recognition of such an abominable condition, we can't hope to overcome. The book is clear about this from start to finish.
There are no shortcuts here. Those who want to quit porn and wake up out of hyper-sexual patterns cannot just check off a list of actions. While we cannot do less than that, there is an internal alignment that is fixated on some seriously wrong paradigms. It must turn -- repent -- to the truth. Chester does a great job, even if at times wordy, of describing such biblical truth.
Chester does sometimes get his feet off the ground in heavy theology and this tends to come off overly preachy, as if we needed to be chided some more about God's Will. This is where the work of Craig Gross contrasts the most because it breathes like a real person who is offering grace instead of a motherly slap. I wish there would have been more of Chester's personal journey to share his own struggles with porn, which would've been an epic conclusion. But he only briefly spends a page on it.
Bottom line: This is another worthwhile book on quitting porn through the power of Christ. It covers the theology more deeply than the typical methods and will certainly dig deep on the issue. I also recommend this with Craig Gross' work and Mark Driscoll's teaching.
Chester this time around relies less on platitudes (though still uses them) and gets into the gritty business of porn addiction. With plenty of quotes from everyday people and some of the stats we've grown used to, Chester makes sure to attack the problem at its root: our identity. Porn addiction is "self-worship," and without a recognition of such an abominable condition, we can't hope to overcome. The book is clear about this from start to finish.
There are no shortcuts here. Those who want to quit porn and wake up out of hyper-sexual patterns cannot just check off a list of actions. While we cannot do less than that, there is an internal alignment that is fixated on some seriously wrong paradigms. It must turn -- repent -- to the truth. Chester does a great job, even if at times wordy, of describing such biblical truth.
Chester does sometimes get his feet off the ground in heavy theology and this tends to come off overly preachy, as if we needed to be chided some more about God's Will. This is where the work of Craig Gross contrasts the most because it breathes like a real person who is offering grace instead of a motherly slap. I wish there would have been more of Chester's personal journey to share his own struggles with porn, which would've been an epic conclusion. But he only briefly spends a page on it.
Bottom line: This is another worthwhile book on quitting porn through the power of Christ. It covers the theology more deeply than the typical methods and will certainly dig deep on the issue. I also recommend this with Craig Gross' work and Mark Driscoll's teaching.
March 14, 2013
Although this book is geared towards porn users, it is a great book for anyone seeking a closer relationship with Christ. Tim really hits a home run when he says, "Only Christians are free not to sin, because we have new controlling desires from God. But the old sinful desires and habits linger on, so the Christian life is a battle and the battlefield is our hearts. Change involves a lifetime of daily struggle. The battle is never over, so beware lest you fall."
"Change takes a lifetime, because the habit's of sin run deep. But it's also because God wants us to learn the depth of his grace. He's preparing Us to praise his grace for all eternity! It's often hard going because he wants us to learn to grasp hold of Christ- firmly, desperately, humbly."
This book is geared towards anyone who is broken and contrite in spirit, struggling with sin. And for the one who may not be broken and sorry for their sin, by the time you finish reading the book, hopefully you will be. Tim uses much scripture to support his thoughts and does not leave you feeling condemned, but shows you that there is hope in Jesus Christ to set you free from the shallow pleasures of pleasing the flesh.
"Change takes a lifetime, because the habit's of sin run deep. But it's also because God wants us to learn the depth of his grace. He's preparing Us to praise his grace for all eternity! It's often hard going because he wants us to learn to grasp hold of Christ- firmly, desperately, humbly."
This book is geared towards anyone who is broken and contrite in spirit, struggling with sin. And for the one who may not be broken and sorry for their sin, by the time you finish reading the book, hopefully you will be. Tim uses much scripture to support his thoughts and does not leave you feeling condemned, but shows you that there is hope in Jesus Christ to set you free from the shallow pleasures of pleasing the flesh.
July 24, 2011
Simply the best book written on the subject. Pastors, counselors and individuals will benefit from their reading. Chester suggests that our culture and the church has become "pornified," meaning that: "the aesthetics, values, and standards of pornography have seeped into mainstream popular culture" and the church. He then developed a comprehensive discussion of the issues of porn from a biblical perspective. His discussion centered on five key ingredients that need to be in place if you're going to win your battle with porn: 1) abhorence of porn; 2) adoration of God; 3) assurance of grace; 4) avoidance of temptation; 5) accountability to others. He effectively uses personal testimony and citations of other sources on porn to make his point. Many of his references are available on the web for further information on the topic. Chester clearly shows that porn is a "worship disorder" and closes with this challenge: "Are you going to choose the shame of porn or the glory of God?"
October 12, 2013
The best book I've read on a topic which needs to be more commonly discussed among Christians. Starts by applying the gospel to the heart issues that lead to porn use before getting to practical strategies. Quite frank and full on at times, not a book to read casually. I'm becoming more of a Tim Chester fan with every one of his books that I read.
February 13, 2013
I believe it is one of the best books out today dealing with lust and porn. Tim goes to the heart of the matter by pointing us to our deep need for Jesus Christ. We don't change by bouncing our eyes, we change by putting our eyes on Christ. Highly recommend this book!
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