Is pornography addiction grounds for divorce?

from the old testament

• God’s design for sexuality is within marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24).
• Sexual immorality—including adultery, incest, homosexuality, and prostitution—is repeatedly condemned (Leviticus 18; Leviticus 20:10-21). God calls His people to be holy, set apart from the sexual practices of surrounding nations (Leviticus 18:1-–5).
• Adultery was punishable by death under Mosaic Law (Exodus 20:14; Deuteronomy 22:22), showing its seriousness.
• Proverbs warns that sexual sin leads to destruction, deception, and regret (Proverbs 5-7).

from the new testament

• The Bible gives two explicit grounds for divorce: sexual immorality (Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9) and abandonment by an unbelieving spouse (1 Corinthians 7:15).
• Jesus says in Matthew 5:32, “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery.”
• Again, in Matthew 19:9, He states, “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” The Greek word used here for “sexual immorality” is porneia, which refers broadly to illicit sexual behavior, including adultery, fornication, and other sexual sins.
• Jesus affirms God’s design for marriage and purity of heart; He equates lust with adultery (Matthew 5:27-28; Matthew 19:4-6). Physically acting upon lust and lusting in the heart differ, but the sin begins in the heart.
• The apostle James warns, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). Watching pornography can lead to acting out the sexual immorality depicted in it.
• Sexual immorality (Greek: porneia) is condemned as incompatible with Christian living (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21).
• Believers are told to flee sexual immorality because the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
• God’s will includes sexual purity: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
• We are called to honor God with our bodies and pursue holiness (Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:3).
• God’s desire is always for repentance, healing, and reconciliation where possible. As Colossians 3:13 urges, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Divorce should never be the first response but rather a last resort after all efforts at repentance, accountability, and restoration have failed.
• Spiritually, pornography is a manifestation of the flesh, which the Bible warns against in Galatians 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality… those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Pornography feeds lust, distorts God’s design for sexuality, and enslaves the heart and mind.
• As Philippians 4:8 instructs, believers are to think on things that are “true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable.” Pornography is the opposite of these virtues and leads the mind and heart away from God’s truth.

implications for today

God created sex and sexuality. This means that He alone can define what it is and how it is to be experienced. God created sex to be enjoyed between one man and one woman who are married (Genes 2:24). God enumerates and prohibits many acts that fall under sexual immorality and harm the gift that sex was meant to be. Sex and sexuality outside of God’s parameters is sin. This includes pornography.

Pornography is any visual, written, or audio material intended to sexually arouse by depicting explicit sexual content or nudity. Pornography distorts God’s design for sex by separating it from love, covenant, and dignity. Its focus is on self-gratification, and it commodifies people for others’ enjoyment. Such content leads to viewing someone who isn’t in covenant with you in their most intimate state. It turns sex and sexuality into a consumer, spectator event. It removes your spouse and love from the equation. Pornography affects you, your brain, and your relationships.

Sexual immorality falls under what is known as the “exception clause” for divorce. In Matthew 5:32 Jesus says, “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery” (emphasis added). Pornography is clearly sexual immorality; however, whether it qualifies as grounds for divorce under the “exception clause” and at what point (how addicted does the person need to be) is a matter of interpretation and pastoral wisdom. Some believe habitual, unrepentant pornography use constitutes a betrayal of the marriage covenant and fits within Jesus' words about sexual immorality. Others claim that it is not the same as committing adultery so it is not a clear reason for divorce.

What is clear is that pornography damages trust and intimacy, and if left unaddressed, it can harden hearts and destroy the foundation of marriage. God's heart is always for redemption and healing, but He also acknowledges the deep pain caused by sexual sin. Therefore, both truth and grace must guide how we respond—calling pornography what it is, confronting it in love, and seeking God's power to walk in purity and restoration. Ongoing, unrepentant pornography use may reflect a deeper pattern of sexual sin or lead to abandonment of a spouse. Pornography addiction could align with biblical grounds for separation and potentially divorce. However, every situation should be handled carefully, with spiritual discernment, wise counsel, and a desire for healing and restoration whenever possible.