What does the Bible say about ADDICTION?

Are you struggling with ADDICTION? Do you feel out of control and helpless over your behaviors and thoughts? Is your life consumed by fear? Be assurred--there is hope for you today in the name of Jesus Christ! Mark 10:27 "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'"


What does the Bible say about addiction?


Unfortunately, the exact word “addiction” is nowhere to be found in the Bible. However, this does not mean that people in the Bible did not struggle with addiction or that God wants nothing to do with addiction. There are even those who would go so far as to say that because the word “addiction” is not in the Bible that it does not exist. To those who hold this belief, be challenged and open your eyes! Addiction is one of the biggest tools that Satan is using to keep both nonbelievers and Christians in bondage! The battle of addiction must be fought on all levels, including physically, psychologically, and spiritually! Only through conquering addiction in all of these areas will people truly experience the healing powers, grace, and victory of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Keeping all this in mind, we must turn to the Scriptures for a better understanding of what the Bible as a whole says about all aspects of addiction. In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul declares, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”, Romans 7:15. Whether or not Paul is sharing from his own experiences of addiction, this distress-filled statement is one that hits close to home for many people who are in fact struggling with addictions. Simply put, Paul's words can be used to explain addiction and the serious loss of control that takes place in the addict's life. No matter what Paul's specific situation was (which remains unknown), these words stand true and powerful in the lives of addicts.

So what else about addiction? How else does addiction fit into scripture? In looking at addiction through a physical or psychological lense addiction is recognized as a brain disease. This is obviously an important aspect to keep in mind. However, this particular study is focused solely on the spiritual nature of addiction. In Christian terminology, addiction can be defined as the idolization of a substance or object that is placed higher than God in one's life. In this manner, addiction is sinful because the addict is not serving God. How do we know that addiction is sinful? Because Scripture tells us very clearly through the first 2 commandments. In the first commandment God says "you shall have no other gods before me" Exodus 20:3. In the second commandment God says, "you shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them", Exodus 20:4-5. Any time a person feeds into their addiction, it is sinful because they are directly disobeying God and his word. Clearly, when held higher than God, anything can become an idol, which then leads further down the sinful path of destruction, and away from the will of God. Obviously, there are many consequences of addiction. The most important of these is that because of their sinful nature, addictions separate us from God and hinder addicts from partaking in a loving relationship with God.

In returning to the apostle Paul, he continues by stating that "as it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members" Romans 7:17-23. There is nothing but truth in Paul's words. At the same time in which he is talking about himself, he is also declaring humanity's sinful state before God. Unfortunately, no human being can escape the fact that "all have sinned", Romans 3:23. In dealing with addiction it is necessary to study the spiritual aspects that keep people in bondage to satan and the powers of evil in the world. However, satan is not all powerful. Jesus Christ died on the cross at Calvary and rose three days later to provide a sacrfice for all of humanity's sins. The first step to conquering the evil of addiction is to access the victorious powers of God through his one and only son Jesus Christ! The Bible states in Romans 10:9 "that if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved". If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that is the first step to take in becoming free from your addiction! Please contact us to let us know that you have made this decision so that we can pray for you, support you on your new journey in life, and point you in the right direction in order to grow closer to God on your walk with him!

Blessings,

Dan Lubin
Founder & Owner
In God's Hands Clothing
M.A. Recovery Ministry, Fuller Theological Seminary