Scripture doesn't explicitly name masturbation, but it addresses lust directly and comprehensively. Jesus's statement in Matthew 5:28 — 'anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart' — establishes that sexual sin includes internal acts of imagination, not just physical acts. Since masturbation virtually always involves sexual fantasy, it falls within what Jesus prohibits. 25/100 Caution — the act itself isn't named in Scripture, but the mental content that accompanies it almost always is.
The Bible never mentions masturbation by name. Any claim that it does — including the frequently cited story of Onan in Genesis 38 — is a misreading. Onan's sin was refusing to fulfill his levirate duty to his brother's widow, not the act itself. The passage has nothing to do with masturbation.
What Scripture does address, comprehensively, is lust. Matthew 5:28 — "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." This is Jesus's own teaching, and it is the most relevant biblical text. The question it raises for masturbation is the same question every Christian must honestly answer: Is masturbation typically accompanied by sexual fantasy? The honest answer for most people is yes. If so, Jesus's teaching applies directly.
The argument that masturbation is acceptable "without lust" is theoretically coherent but practically rare. The human sexual imagination doesn't switch off during sexual activity. Christians who are honest with themselves about what mental content accompanies masturbation will find that Matthew 5:28 speaks directly to their situation.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 adds another dimension: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." The Christian body is not simply one's own property to do with as one pleases — it belongs to God.
Christian leaders who refuse to address this question directly leave young Christians to figure it out alone, often from pornography or secular culture. The honest biblical answer is that masturbation accompanied by lustful fantasy is sin — and that it is a sin many Christians struggle with, including many who love God genuinely.
The path forward is not shame or condemnation but the same path Scripture prescribes for all sexual temptation: "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18), cultivate self-control as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and bring the struggle to trusted Christian community and, if needed, professional counsel. The Gospel Coalition's treatment of masturbation provides thorough biblical analysis. See our Is It a Sin? hub and our guide on Is Porn a Sin?