Discussions around sexuality are a part of human life, and the Bible touches upon various aspects of this topic, including masturbation. Join us as we explore verses that offer insights into this aspect of human sexuality.
What Does the Bible Say About Masturbation?
In the Bible, there is no direct mention of masturbation as a specific sin. However, the Bible does talk about sexual immorality and lust. In Matthew 5:28, Jesus speaks about the danger of looking at someone with lustful intent, which can lead to sin in the heart. This verse can be applied to the act of masturbation if it is accompanied by lustful thoughts or pornography, which can lead to sinful behavior.
In 1 Corinthians 6:18, the Apostle Paul urges believers to flee from sexual immorality and to honor God with their bodies. While the act of masturbation may not be explicitly mentioned, the principle of using our bodies in a way that honors God should guide our actions.
It’s important to note that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and as such, we are called to treat them with respect and purity. This includes the way we engage in sexual behavior, whether in thought or action.
Ultimately, the Bible encourages us to focus on purity, self-control, and honoring God with our bodies. It’s important to prayerfully consider how our actions align with these principles and seek guidance from God.
Also Read: Bible Verses About God’s Plan For Us
Bible Verses About Masturbation
1 Corinthians 6:18
“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
This verse emphasizes the importance of fleeing from sexual immorality, which includes masturbation. It highlights that sexual sin not only affects others but also harms our own bodies.
Matthew 5:28
“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus teaches here that lustful thoughts and desires are equivalent to the act of adultery. This verse reminds us that our thoughts and intentions matter to God, and indulging in lustful desires, including during masturbation, is not in alignment with His will.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor.”
God desires our sanctification, and this involves abstaining from sexual immorality, including masturbation. This verse also emphasizes the importance of self-control and using our bodies in a way that honors God.
Galatians 5:16-17
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”
Walking in the Spirit means resisting the desires of the flesh, including those associated with sexual immorality and masturbation. This verse highlights the ongoing battle between our fleshly desires and the desires of the Spirit, urging us to rely on the Holy Spirit’s strength to overcome temptation.
Colossians 3:5
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
As Christians, we are called to put to death our earthly desires, which include sexual immorality and impurity. Masturbation is mentioned as part of this list, and the verse emphasizes the need to purify our hearts and minds from such sinful behaviors.
1 Corinthians 10:13
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
This verse reminds us that God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. When faced with the temptation to engage in sexual sin, including masturbation, God promises to provide a way out. We should rely on His strength to resist temptation.
Romans 6:12
“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.”
This verse encourages us not to let sin, including sexual sin and the act of masturbation, reign in our bodies. Instead, we should strive to live according to the Spirit and not be controlled by our fleshly desires.
Ephesians 5:3
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”
As followers of Christ, we are called to holiness and purity. Any form of sexual immorality, including masturbation, goes against God’s standards for His holy people. This verse urges us to remove even the slightest hint of such behaviors from our lives.
Matthew 15:19
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts – murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.”
This verse reminds us that sinful acts, including sexual immorality and masturbation, stem from the heart. It emphasizes the importance of guarding our hearts and filling them with thoughts that are pleasing to God.
Job 31:1
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”
Job’s commitment to purity serves as an example for us. By making a covenant with his eyes, he chooses not to gaze upon a woman lustfully. This verse encourages us to maintain a similar commitment to purity by avoiding lustful thoughts and actions, including during masturbation.
Psalm 101:3
“I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.”
This verse reflects a strong stance against any form of wickedness or impurity. It emphasizes the importance of hating what is contrary to God’s nature and not participating in it. Masturbation, being an act linked to sexual sin, falls under this category of practices that believers should reject.
1 Peter 1:15-16
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'”
God calls us to be holy, just as He is holy. This verse reminds us that our behavior, including our sexual conduct, should align with His holiness. Masturbation, being a sinful act, contradicts the call to live a holy life.
Proverbs 6:25-26
“Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life.”
These verses warn against the dangers of lusting after someone’s beauty and the consequences it brings. The imagery used emphasizes the destructive nature of sexual sin, including masturbation, and the potential harm it can cause to both body and soul.
Proverbs 5:18-19
“May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer – may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.”
This verse encourages marital fidelity and satisfaction within the context of a marriage relationship. It reminds us of the blessings that come from enjoying the physical intimacy shared with one’s spouse while highlighting the importance of reserving sexual desires and activities for marriage.
1 Corinthians 7:2-5
“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
These verses establish the importance of sexual fulfillment within the bounds of marriage. It highlights the mutual responsibility spouses have towards one another and discourages depriving each other of sexual intimacy. Masturbation is presented as contrary to God’s design for sexual expression within marriage.
Romans 13:14
“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
This verse encourages believers to clothe themselves with Christ and to not dwell on satisfying the desires of the flesh. It serves as a reminder to redirect our thoughts and actions towards the things of God, rejecting behaviors like masturbation that satisfy fleshly desires.
2 Timothy 2:22
“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Paul advises Timothy to flee from evil desires and instead pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. This verse encourages us to resist temptation, including the temptation to engage in sexual sin or masturbation, and to seek after godly things with a pure heart.
Colossians 3:2
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Paul encourages believers to focus their minds on heavenly things rather than being consumed with earthly desires. This verse encourages us to redirect our thoughts away from lust and sexual immorality, including the act of masturbation, and instead set our minds on God’s truth and His kingdom.
Philippians 4:8
“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.”
Paul exhorts believers to intentionally choose their thought patterns, focusing on what is good, true, and pleasing to God. This verse encourages us to replace impure thoughts, which may be connected to masturbation, with thoughts that honor and glorify the Lord.
Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Jesus encourages His disciples to stay watchful and pray in order to resist temptation. This verse acknowledges the weakness of our fleshly desires but reminds us that through prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit, we can overcome temptation, including the temptation to engage in sexual sin or masturbation.
2 Corinthians 7:1
“Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
Paul urges believers to purify themselves from anything that contaminates their bodies and spirits. This verse calls us to strive for holiness, out of reverence for God, by forsaking actions that defile our bodies, including sexual sin and masturbation.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
These verses remind us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and as such, we should honor God with them. Recognizing that we belong to Him and have been purchased at a great price, we are called to glorify God in all aspects of our lives, including our sexual conduct and the choices we make about our bodies.
1 Corinthians 10:31
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
Paul teaches that everything we do should bring glory to God. This verse reminds us that our actions, even those connected to our sexual desires, should align with God’s will and His glory. Masturbation, being an act grounded in lust and self-gratification, fails to bring glory to God and should therefore be avoided.
Romans 8:5-8
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”
These verses emphasize the importance of our thought patterns. While indulging in sexual sin, including masturbation, feeds into the desires of the flesh, living in accordance with the Spirit requires us to set our minds on what pleases God. This verse encourages us to choose the path that leads to life, peace, and obedience.