What Does the Bible Say About Masturbating?

The Bible doesn’t explicitly mention masturbation, but it offers clear principles related to purity, lust, and self-control that guide believers in making decisions about sexual behavior. These teachings suggest that actions like masturbation, which can lead to lustful thoughts and behaviors, may be considered sinful.

In this article, we explore key Biblical verses and principles that address the heart and mind’s intentions, helping you understand how to align your actions with your faith.

At the end, we’ll discuss some resources that are available to you if you’ve found yourself trapped in a masturbation habit and want help to stop. Our goal here at Relay is not only to help you find what is true, but to help you find freedom from unwanted behaviors like masturbation that bring distress and shame.

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What Does the World Say About Masturbating?

If you were to ask google if masturbating is bad for your body, you would be met with a ton of very official-looking articles detailing the supposed health benefits of this practice. They talk about the benefits of ‘getting to know your body’ and ‘exploring your pleasure and sexuality.’ It’s tricky language. And here’s the thing: maybe that’s true. (We’ll discuss these articles later on, and whether or not they’re actually true. So stay tuned!) Yet we Christians still stay away from masturbating. Why?

As believers in Christ, we strive to be like Him in our thoughts and actions. The Bible talks a lot about the “higher law” as taught by Jesus Christ. The laws of the Old Testament were known from things like “no killing, no adultery.” But when Jesus came, He taught us not just not to kill, but He said not even to react in anger to someone. Not only are we not to commit adultery, we are to try our best to avoid lustfulness altogether.

So why do we Christians say no thank you when the internet tries to teach that “exploring our pleasure and sexuality” is a good thing? Because we're striving to be pure in our hearts and minds like the Savior, Jesus Christ, is. The Bible teaches that sexuality is reserved for marriage, and so we do our best to follow that teaching. But what does the Bible really say about masturbating? Let’s dive in.

What Does the Bible say about Masturbating?

The tricky thing here is that the Bible never specifically mentions masturbation. Yep, you read that right. Nowhere does it say, “thou shalt not masturbate.” But do we really need a specific “thou shalt not” from God to know if we’re on the right track? Scripture mentions striving for purity, becoming sanctified, and avoiding lust, but the practice of masturbation itself is not specifically mentioned.

So how do we make sense of this?

“I’ve noticed that when I’m wondering what the Bible says about something, the root of my concern isn’t actually finding Bible verses at all. I’m almost always wondering if that thing I’ve been doing is right or wrong.” - Relay user

This is where the Word of God can be incredibly helpful, as our Father in Heaven trusts us enough to provide us with scriptural guidelines, and then let us use our discernment to apply those guidelines in a modern world. That being said, we’ll go through a list of some applicable verses together, and see what we can discern from Scripture about the complex, nuanced topic of masturbating.

• Galatians 5:16 - So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
• Colossians 3:5 - Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
• James 1:14-15 - but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 - For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God…
• 2 Timothy 2:22 - Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

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The Truth About Masturbation

So, lots of avoiding immoral or unholy desires, but not a word about masturbating. However, if God built our bodies to be capable of the powerful feelings of love and sexual desire, do we really think He would leave us in the dark as to how to best use them?

Definitely not!

It’s clear from these verses that the Lord wants us to live lives of holiness, seeking after that which is good, and right, and will lead us to Him. Giving in to temptations that are labelled as “sexually immoral” or “passionate” does not help us achieve these goals of holiness that God has set for us. He wants to bless us, and we need to be living in a way that is consistent with what the Bible teaches in order for God to give us the blessings that come from following His commandments.

But does that mean that all “passion” is bad? No! Maybe you’re passionate about football, ballet, art, rock climbing, music, human rights, theatre, sports, or nature. These traits are God-given gifts, just like your body’s sexual nature is.

But imagine expressing your passion for football in the middle of a quiet yoga class. If you just jumped to your feet and started screaming “GO FIGHT WIN WIN! LET’S GO TIGERS, DO IT AGAIN!” while the people around you were quietly stretching and meditating… that’s a bad idea. Similarly, it's important that we learn to express “self-love” and explore our sexuality in the appropriate context.

The Bible teaches us that the right context for this is within a Godly marriage. Exploring your body’s sexual capabilities outside of marriage isn’t the right context. It isn’t consistent with the holy and virtuous lifestyle you’re doing your best to live as a follower of Jesus Christ.

Now, do the verses about sexual passion above mean that having sexual passion towards your spouse a bad thing? Absolutely not! In marriage, sexuality is healthy and is a key part of God's design for man and woman. But exploring feelings of sexual passion alone is where we stumble into dangerous territory. Why?

Let’s talk about it.

What Are the Real Effects of Masturbation?

You’ve likely come across myths about masturbation—like going blind or growing hair on your palms. These scare tactics were often used to discourage young people from masturbating during puberty, but they are simply not true. However, there are real effects of masturbation that can impact your spiritual and emotional well-being, and these are worth understanding, especially from a Christian perspective.

1. The Connection Between Masturbation and Pornography

Masturbation is often closely linked to pornography use. Many people turn to pornography to stimulate arousal, leading to a cycle of watching explicit content and then masturbating. While the harmful effects of pornography go beyond this discussion (though you can read more about them here), it's important to recognize that this connection can be toxic. Pornography is psychologically harmful and can lead to a distorted view of sex, relationships, and self-worth.

2. The Shame-Isolation Cycle

Masturbation can also trigger a cycle of guilt and shame, particularly when it conflicts with your personal beliefs. Guilt can serve as a signal from the Holy Spirit, prompting you to recognize actions that go against your faith. However, when this guilt is not addressed through prayer or seeking forgiveness, it can evolve into shame—a much more harmful emotion.

Shame doesn’t lead to repentance; instead, it drives us to hide and isolate ourselves from loved ones and our faith community. This isolation can make it easier to fall back into the habit of masturbation, creating a vicious cycle: guilt leads to shame, shame leads to isolation, and isolation makes it harder to resist temptation. Breaking this cycle requires recognizing the difference between guilt and shame and taking steps to seek God’s forgiveness and reconnect with supportive people.

3. Masturbation Can Become Habit-Forming

Masturbation can easily become a habit, one that feels controlling and negative. Over time, this habit can lead to a sense of powerlessness against temptation and a distorted view of your body and sexuality. Instead of seeing these aspects of yourself as the gifts from God that they are, you may begin to view them negatively. Recognizing the habit-forming nature of masturbation is the first step toward regaining control and realigning your actions with your faith.

Is Masturbating Healthy?

People are still generally uncomfortable with the idea of masturbation, so it hasn’t been studied much. But there have been a handful of studies that seem to make a good point when they say that people who have frequent orgasms tend to be healthier and live longer.

But, there’s an error in most of these studies. They weren’t actually specifically studying masturbation or orgasms that came from self-stimulation like masturbating to a pornographic video. They were just studying people generally, and found that those who had regular orgasms were healthier. Why should this raise our suspicion? Many of the people included in these studies were actually in committed, loving relationships and marriages where sex was simply a fun part of their lives together. Of course these people would be healthier and live longer.

(If you find stuff like this interesting, check out this interview with Dr. Dean Busby, an LMFT specializing in healthy sexuality.)

Here’s the thing. In 1 Peter 2:9, Jesus’s beloved apostle Peter teaches that we are supposed to be a “peculiar people.” We Christians are different from the world. So if the internet tells you that masturbating is good and healthy, but you feel awful, guilty, ashamed when you do it, listen to your feelings. We know that the Holy Spirit can speak to our feelings, and so these probably come from God.

No matter what the internet may say, no matter how official it may look and sound, a habit of masturbating goes against the lifestyle of virtue that Jesus Christ teaches us to strive for in the Bible.

Find Spiritual Freedom: Resources to Stop Masturbating

If you’ve fallen into the sin of masturbation, Relay is the program for you. Unlike many other apps and programs, this one is built to do more than just help you track your habit. It’s designed to help you kick it for good! Relay’s program provides a safe community that makes it less scary and shameful to actually work on your recovery alongside other Christians, in groups that will help you to not only avoid masturbation, but learn and understand why you’ve been struggling with it in the first place, tackling the issue from the root. You’ll get interactive videos made by top therapists and tools to help you truly overcome this sin once and for all.

Through all of this, don’t forget which team you play for. If you’re the type of person who cares enough to search what the Bible has to say about masturbation, it means that you care what God thinks about you. No matter how much you think you've failed, take this article as a sign that you are a good person.

The message of God and Jesus is one of joy and forgiveness for those who believe and repent. Talking to God about masturbating might feel scary or embarrassing, but He wants to hear from you. You’re His child! He loves you. Praying for help, strength, and forgiveness can be a powerful experience. But if you don’t feel ready for that, maybe just ask Him how He feels about you. He’ll answer in love.

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Talk to Your Loved Ones

If you feel comfortable and safe with your spouse, parents, pastor, youth group leader, men/women’s group leader, Sunday school teacher, or even just a mature friend, they can be valuable resources as you work towards living a more positive and chaste lifestyle. Remember that you can tell them as much or as little as you feel ready to. Odds are, they've probably had similar experiences too, and they can probably relate to you more than you might expect.

Conclusion

In summary, while the Bible may not explicitly address masturbation, its teachings on purity, self-control, and honoring God with our bodies provide clear guidance. Reflecting on these principles can help you make decisions that align with your faith and values.

If you’re struggling with masturbation or feel conflicted about it, know that you’re not alone. Seeking help through prayer, support groups, or counseling can lead to healing and freedom. At Relay, we’re here to support you on your journey to living a life that honors your beliefs and brings you peace.

Remember what the Bible says in Romans 8:31. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Isn’t that neat?! You’re on the same team as someone who is literally invincible. God has promised to help you. Changing your behavior isn’t easy. Masturbation does things to the brain that can take awhile to unlearn. But if you have God on your side, no matter how hard quitting may seem, it is doable.

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