Winning the Battle of Addictions

There is a constant struggle going on inside your mind. It’s a war between your old and new self. For people with a history of relapse, the old self often wins. Since the old self is not redeemed, it is still of the world and controlled by Satan. If Satan controls your mind, he becomes the filter by which all information is received. Even the Word of God gets interpreted incorrectly.

Since our minds lead our actions, the devil knows that if we think bad thoughts, we’ll act badly. Joyce Meyer wrote a book called Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind. In the first chapter, she explains that Satan is strategic and creates deliberates plans to defeat us.

Meyer brings this point home early in her book when she writes, “He (Satan) knows our insecurities, our weaknesses and our fears. He knows what bothers us most. He is willing to invest any amount of time it takes to defeat us. One of the devil’s strong points is patience.”

With such a patient devil, you must make up your mind to invest any amount of time it takes to defeat him! Even though you surrendered, Satan will wait for the right time to return as your master. He’ll wait until you’re tired, you’re showing signs of weakness, you’re having a moment of doubt, or someone at church offended you. He’ll wait years if he has to.

So far, you have let Satan win the battle of your mind. But if there is one concept you must believe, it’s that when you receive Jesus, you really are a new creation, and that all things really are brand new.

It’s time for you to embrace higher-level thinking so you can mature in Christ and live soberly. You can’t move forward if you’re looking back. You have to keep your eyes on tomorrow and trust that God is who He says He is.

Galatians 4:8-9 explains: “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” (NIV)

For information about The Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program and our recovery book titled Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery, check out our website at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Christian Intervention: When Someone You Love is Addicted

Many Christians in addiction attend church regularly while others have quit going to church altogether. Some have completely turned their backs on God and rejected the practices of responsibility and personal accountability.

Whether functioning in the world and in church or moving into total dysfunction, Christians who actively abuse drugs and/or alcohol are selfish and create real problems for themselves and everyone in their sphere of influence. While they get what they want at any cost, their close friends and family members worry about the addict’s health, safety and spirituality.

As a counselor for both the addicted and their families, I’ve taken note that the addicted are overly concerned about getting high, and their loved ones (codependents) are overly concerned about getting them well. Both are obsessed. Both need freedom. Therefore, there’s a dire need for Christian intervention strategies.

It’s true that faith is necessary when dealing with those in addictions, but faith alone may not be enough as many have discovered. Praying for years while the addict continues destroying the family and bringing in darkness may seem like the only answer, but it’s not.  In fact, The Solid Rock Road team believes that at some point, families and friends of the addicted have to set boundaries and take very bold steps to ensure that addiction is no longer part of their lives. The following Scripture in James 2:20-24 provides Biblical back-up for this philosophy:

“You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” 

So what does this mean for the loved ones of the addicted? It means that you must combine your prayers and your faith with real action. This often requires that you create a crisis – not for yourselves, but for the Christian in addiction. It's the same challenge that Abraham faced. Will you put your loved one on the altar, not knowing the results, but trusting God for the outcome? 

Will you do the hard thing? Will you act in a godly and Biblical manner in order to allow God to be God? For now, pray and ask God to open your eyes, and surrender your loved one into the mighty hand of the Creator!

Check out our website at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also follow The Solid Rock Road recovery program in Oregon on Facebook and Twitter.