Christian Recovery Using the Sword of the Spirit

Temptation is no excuse to give into addiction. Every Christian is tempted with something, but we're all expected to resist using the Bible as our instruction book. Even Jesus was tempted by the devil during his 40 days in the desert. And since Jesus is our model and we're to have the mind of Christ, all we need to do is follow his lead when temptation strikes.
In Matthew 4:4,7 and 10, Jesus’ response to the devil’s temptations started with “It is written.” This should be your response when tempted to use drugs or alcohol. Ephesians 6:17 refers to the Word of God as the Sword of the Spirit. In other words, your greatest offensive weapon in the spiritual battle of addictions is scripture. If you learn the Word, you will have the weapon you need. When you wield the Sword of the Spirit, you kick the devil's butt and win the battle for your own soul, and many times will help others do the same.
 
With this in mind, it's important to get in the habit of reading your Bible every morning. Start your day empowered by the Word of God. Don't leave home without your Bible so it's easily accessible if you're suddenly hit with temptation. And memorize victory scriptures so that you are fully armed at all times. Remember, Jesus has already won the war on cross of Calvary, so you already victorious. 

God's Word is truth, and knowing His truth sets you free. 

You can learn more about how to get and stay free from addictions on The Solid Rock Road website at www.thesolidrockroad.com. You can also follow the Solid Rock Road on Twitter and Facebook. 

Christian Recovery: Taking Our Thoughts Captive

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5)

As Christians we are given the mind of Christ, and yet, our fleshly filter appears to be the default. So the challenge is, how do we switch from our natural way of thinking to access God's thoughts?

Here's the way our minds naturally work: We receive information into our brains and we process it through our life experiences. Satan is always there to add pain, anger and torment through memories, old offenses, insecurities, perceptions and other unfair means. If we allow these thoughts to persist, they literally become obsessions in our minds. We can't stop thinking about the situation, and because Satan is involved, the obsession grows and negative thoughts fester.

For those who have a propensity for addictions, these obsessions always lead to relapse. And in most cases, these obsessions will take the most devout Christian to very dark places. Many people spend days, weeks and even months and years cornered in the dark recesses of their fleshly minds.

We can avoid obsessions if we learn to take our thoughts captive as described in 2 Cor. 10:5. To do this, you must first become aware of how Satan traps your mind. And there's a simple test you can take to see if you're heading away from God's light. Compare the acts of the sinful nature with the fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5:16-26. You'll know where you stand.

If your thoughts have fallen into the "acts of the sinful nature" category, your job is to grab all your negative thoughts together and throw them out like garbage. You must also wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. If you can't think of any scriptures that fit your situation, simply recite 2 Corinthians 10:5, especially the portion that reads, "we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." It's best to actually personalize this scripture by repeating, "I take captive every thought and I make it obedient to Christ."

Be persistent in your spiritual battle against the enemy of your soul. Satan is determined to have your mind, so you must be even more determined to have the mind of Christ. If you have been diligent to counteract the negative obsessions, but are unsuccessful, don't give up. Instead, call your leader, pastor or faith-filled friends to help you work through it.

You will be set free. You will have the victory. God said!

Jamee Rae Pineda has co-authored a Christian recovery book called Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery. You can also find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad

The Art of Dying to Yourself in Christian Recovery

From the beginning of time, mankind has sought to prolong life. Whether it was learning survival techniques in the caveman days, receiving heart transplants in modern times, or looking for the fountain of youth in natural therapies, the goal has always been to live longer.

In Christianity, we are to die to ourselves every day. In 1 Corinthians 15:31, the Apostle Paul writes, "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." In other words, Paul willingly destroys the works of the flesh in order for the Spirit of God within to control his soul.

This does not come naturally. Human instincts are to live. With Satan's encouragement, the sin nature continually rises up to wreak havoc in our lives. Therefore, we must commit to our own death so that we can rise up in the resurrection of life in Christ.

When we die to ourselves, the Spirit of God is revealed and engaged in the battle for your mind and soul. Your spiritual death brings honor to God and establishes your place in His Kingdom. It also keeps us humble.

Go to our Twitter site at wwww.twitter.com/solidrockroad or to www.thesolidrockroad.com to purchase Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery

Moving Toward Your Destiny in Christian Recovery

We have to get over ourselves so we can get to God. The devil uses proven tricks to keep you from moving to the next level with God, and he’s good at holding you back from your destiny.

How many times have you sought God and began to experience positive changes when all of a sudden you start to question everything? You begin to think negative thoughts, and say to yourself, “Who are you kidding? You’re a loser and always will be. You’re different from everyone else in church and no matter how hard you try, Christians will never accept or understand you. You’re a fake and a liar. The only people who understand you are your old friends. You relate to them. They are like you and you are like them.”

Any psychologist will tell you that your addiction is talking. While that’s a great recovery cliché, it’s not a Christian reality. In truth, the devil is reconnecting you with your sin nature, and with himself. He's telling lies and using his wiles to prevent your original God-given future from unfolding. Therefore, you must be sure to counteract every ungodly thought and forge ahead no matter what.

The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 3:14 that he pushed himself for a purpose. "I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." You would be wise to follow Paul's lead!

In the Solid Rock Road Christian recovery ministry, Principle #7 is Seek the Will of God for Your Life. This is a valuable principle because once you understand you have a destiny in God, you will take hold of the freedom God gives and you won't let go.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also, look for the ministry's book Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

The Holy Spirit and Christian Recovery from Addictions

The Holy Spirit is your personal guide in your Christian walk. In John 14:16, Jesus tells the disciples He will be leaving (meaning crucified) but someone better will take His place. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” (NIV)

That Counselor is the Holy Spirit that lives in you from the point of salvation. Counseling from the Holy Spirit is divine. It’s also free and available twenty-four hours a day. The Holy Spirit overpowers evil and is your source of strength, wisdom, and inspiration. When you are guided by the Holy Spirit, you will not relapse or fall back into negative patterns of behavior.

The problem we Christians have is that the Holy Spirit doesn’t possess us. He doesn’t just spring up and take over our life. We wish He would. It would make everything so much easier, and much better. Instead, the Holy Spirit lives in us, but waits for us to empower Him through surrender and the process of emptying ourselves of our sinful nature.

As Galatians 5:22,23 explains: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

The Bible also describes the Holy Spirit as the abiding guest (John 14:16), Spirit of truth (John 14:17), teacher (John 14:26), testifier (John 15:26), guide, voice of God, the Prophet (John 16:13), Glorifier of Jesus (John 16:14), witness to sonship (Romans 8:16), helper in prayer (Romans 8:26), and power to witness (Acts 1:8).

Christians in recovery from addictions can count on the Holy Spirit to help at every level. The goal is to engage the Spirit so that it has control of your soul.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com and look for a book I've cowritten called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

God's Plan for Christian Recovery

It’s true that God performs miracles. I've witnessed many and have experienced more than I deserve. But if God isn’t giving you the miracle you've been pleading for, He has a different plan for you. God isn't worried about what you think about His plan, He does it knowing what's best for you and with a specific lesson in mind.

God does not want to be your situational rescuer, nor will he put a bandage on your gaping wound. God wants to change your life, to change your mind and to change your heart. Mostly God wants you to put Him first and to make Jesus the Lord of your life so that you can be complete in Him.

When you fully surrender, you’ll find the strength and courage you need to quit addictive and sinful behaviors. You won’t have to go into a treatment center or offer a lifelong commitment to a recovery organization. You won’t have to claim that you are an addict until the day you die. As the Bible says, you are changed; you are a new person in Christ.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. And look for a book I've co-written called "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery." It is coming out in Feb/March 2010.

Christian Recovery and the Value of Getting Wise Counsel.

Christians can get off the path when they believe they have heard from God when it's actually their inner voice being directed by their sin nature. While this may make you insecure about whether you are divinely inspired or not, but there is a system you God set up to ensure what you are hearing is truth.

First, check it against Biblical instruction. Second, get in the habit of seeking counsel from your leaders. Even small decisions can have a major impact on your Christian life. Your leaders have been given the grace for you and are responsible for your soul according to Hebrews 13:17. Therefore, they have wisdom and good counsel to offer you.

Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." To prove this point, Solomon writes something very similar in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.”

The best advice is to leave nothing to chance. When making decisions, don’t get prideful and religious; get guidance. Most importantly, if several wise people agree on an answer, take their advice. This may mean that you have to do something you don’t want to do, or you can’t do something you want to do. At first, you’ll hate this accountability process, but I guarantee you’ll love the long-term results.

You can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. And look for a book I've co-written called Follow The Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery. It's coming out in February 2010 (or early March.)

The Value of Faith in Christian Recovery

No one can force truth down your throat, nor is God going to place a spiritual feeding tube in you. You have to want it and you have to get it yourself. The same is true for faith. You can hear about it, see that others have it, wish you had it and wonder why you don’t have enough of it, or you can go after faith with all your heart.

There’s plenty of spiritual food to go around. At church, your pastor is at the pulpit preaching his guts out. Your Bible is full of the inspired Word of God. If you have doubt, then you would be wise to become obsessed with scriptures about faith, the heroes of faith, and hang around people who consistently demonstrate faith.

Whether you lack faith, don’t fully understand Christian principles, or are just being stubborn, your only hope in overcoming your addictions and living a blessed life is to completely surrender to God.

You can resist all you want or complain about how your situation is harder or worse than everyone else’s, but God can’t be manipulated by your tears, fears, or false promises. And if you believe that your addiction is stronger than His power to set you free, then your message to the world is that Christ’s suffering on the cross was meaningless to you.

Who is Sitting on the Throne: You or God?

Whenever you depend on your own strength, God can’t give you His. When you admit you’re weak compared to God, He happily intervenes and everything falls into its proper place.

So why do we struggle with letting God be God? If it’s been proven that our lives work better when God is in control, why do we persist in doing things our own way? Why do count on our flawed minds when we have access to the mind of Christ? Why do we forget that God has the power and love we need to live a great life and be free from addictions?

We could all write out long lists filled with reasons we go in and out of our faith and submit to God intermittently. But the main problem is that many Christians are comfortable on the throne and refuse to get off.

God belongs on the throne. If you step down and put God in His rightful place, your life will be blessed.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also look for a book I've co-written called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

Christian Recovery Requires Conviction

If you never feel convicted for the sins you’ve committed, you will continue in them. This includes your sin of addiction.

There’s a major difference between conviction and condemnation. The Holy Spirit brings conviction, which will cause you to change. In fact, it will have you doing a complete moral u-turn. The devil promotes condemnation, which results in your feelings of guilt and shame, but has no power to help you change.

The grace message is one of the most beautiful truths in the Bible, but it is not the only truth. Yes, God forgives you of your sins when you repent, but there are many scriptures that describe a state of apostasy in which the hand of God is permanently removed from someone’s life. We’re not sure where God draws the line, we just know He does.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also look for a newly published book I've co-written called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery

The Value of Meditating on the Word of God in Recovery

What you think about, or what you obsess about, becomes your meditation. If you think about your drug of choice all day long, that's what you meditate on, and it's no wonder you can't stay sober. You have to retrain your brain to think godly thoughts. The Bible says you can do all things through Christ Jesus, so this isn't an impossible task.

Make up your mind to read the Bible, think about what it says, and pray to God. You may be doing one or two of these things, but you really need all three actions to stay fully connected to God, who is your source of life and energy.

This connection allows truth to penetrate your soul and your spirit to rise above your sin nature. When you disconnect from God, you are in human default mode. This means that you are being directed by your inner voice, which has gotten you into trouble your whole life.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. And look for the book that's about to be published called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

Is it the Devil or is it You?

In our Christian recovery ministry, people talk a lot about how the devil is destroying their lives. And though we see the damage Satan does, we also see that Christians are often their own worst enemy.

The devil can tempt you -- and he will -- but ultimately, you make the choice to continue your sin of addiction. The Bible says that you are given the ability through Christ to resist all temptation. Therefore, your recovery depends on you making the right choice.

This sounds way too easy. In a way, it is. You complicate the matter by justifying behaviors, blaming others for your weakness, and living in the past.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also, look for a book I've co-written called "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery." It will be out in January 2010.

Freedom Comes When God is First

God wants to take first place in your life and be the source of power for all things.
God is way more powerful than Satan. Unfortunately, you may see Satan as the one with all the power. But the reason you can't resist him is because you’re surrendered to him. If you transfer your obedience to God, you will be shocked and amazed by His power, love and grace.

This is your first step to overcoming addictions forever. Think about God more than you think about your drug of choice. If God is first, then He will be on your mind and His righteousness will become you.

You can see this as simplistic or you can see this as an amazing opportunity to be quickly transformed. I challenge you to soak yourself in the presence of God and be immersed in His Word for one month straight. Go to very church event and Bible study you can. Make dates with faithful people who will build you up spiritually. Get prayer every day and be in prayer every day. You will see the power of God, you will be able to resist the temptations and you will be free from your addictions.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. And look for a book I co-wrote called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery.

Christian Recovery: Put On the New You

Why would you want to live as your old self when you have a completely new identity in Christ? For Christians in recovery, the answer can be the difference between continual relapse and freedom for a lifetime.

The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4:22,23: "put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

Paul was talking to Christians -- reminding them of their identity as sons of the king. We have to kill the sin nature at the cross of Jesus so that new life can emerge. When we say goodbye to who we were, we welcome the new us. That is what Christian living is all about. We become a new person that looks more like Christ, and that is in a continual progression of spiritual growth.

If you're hanging on all or parts of your old self, you can't be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Ask God to show you what you must let go of so you can enjoy the gift of true righteousness and holiness.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad

Christian Recovery and the Battle for Your Soul

If your soul is made up of your mind, will and emotions, then your soul directs the way you think, feel and act. So it's no wonder that God and the devil want to control your soul. God wants you to have the mind of Christ, to come under His will and to take all your thoughts captive into the obedience of Christ.

On the other hand, the devil wants you to be controlled by your sin nature. He wants you to think the old way, he wants you to protect your self-will and he wants you to be moved by your emotions. In other words, the devil likes it when you act on impulse and not on principle.

In the Solid Rock Road Christian recovery program, we teach you how to win the battle for your own soul. No one can do it for you, although there is an Army of God to support and assist you when you've made the choice to change. God doesn't possess your soul, although it would be great if He would. You must fight the spiritual battle so you can give your soul to God. That's how you win.

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also, look for the book Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery that's coming out in January 2010.

The Solid Rock Road Leads to Jesus

It's really clear that addictions to drugs and alcohol are on the rise, even in Christian communities. As a result, more and more Christian programs focus on the addict and their issues. In the Solid Rock Road ministry, we believe that Christians must focus on the new creation reality -- not themselves.

The power of God and the blood of Jesus set us free from addictions. We just have to believe what the Bible says. The New Living Translation of 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells it like it is: "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."

If you believe the Word of God, then you can resist all temptation. In our book: Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery, we offer 10 Bible-based principles to get and stay free from addictions forever. It will be out in January 2010. Meanwhile, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad

Christian Recovery and the Word of God

If you're a Christian and continually relapse, you don't need a program, you need a better understanding of scripture, suffering and obedience. The Bible says you are more than a conqueror, you are a child of the living God, you are a winner and you have the mind of Christ. It also says that we are to pick up our cross daily and that Jesus must be our Lord.

You must believe that the Word of God is your answer to every problem, including your addiction. If you don't believe that, then you are in spiritual danger. If you trust the Word, then you will be willing to do whatever it takes to please the Master. He says to obey is better than sacrifice.

You may want to read a book that includes these concepts and gives more answers to the spiritual battle at hand. It's called Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery and its coming out in January 2010.

Meanwhile, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad

Surrender and Realize Your Need for God

If you're a Christian in recovery, the most important thing you can do is surrender to God. You may think you've already done that just by getting saved, but if you continue to struggle with drugs and alcohol, then you really haven't.

When you surrender, you trade your will for God's will. This isn't a nonchalant act. In fact, if it doesn't hurt and it isn't hard, then it most likely won't last. Surrender means you give up, you let go, you say "yes" to every command in the Bible.

When you surrender and realize your need for God, you get the strength of God to fight and win the battle for your own soul. You renounce the works of the flesh and willingly kill your sill nature. In the process, Christ in you rises up and the grace of God empowers you to resist temptation.

Simply put, surrender gives you all the power you need to live a clean and sober life forever.

Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. Also, look for the new book I've co-written called "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery. It's coming out in January 2010.

Claim to be a Christian, Not an Addict

According to the Bible, we're new creations in God. That means we're changed, we're different, we're made new. This is an amazing reality, but one that many Christians in recovery seem to forget.

You can't claim you are an addict for the rest of your life if you claim you are a Christian. You must see yourself as transformed, and you must believe that the power of God and the blood of Jesus is enough for you to resist all temptation. When you continually claim your addiction, you are empowering your old self to rise up.

Your old self is the problem. You must walk in your new creation reality so that you can live as a victorious, addiction-free Christian forever. This is what the Bible says, and this is what the blood of Jesus has done for you.

Follow The Solid Rock Road ministry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad, and look for our book to come out in January 2010 called "Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery."

The Christian Recovery Path of Sobriety

To stay sober, you must discover the path God has created, go down it and stay on it. There's safety on the path of righteousness, plus a lot of learning, growing and getting set apart from the world.

The Solid Rock Road ministry describes this path and warns of taking the so-called Yellow Brick Road to recovery where the end is filled with smoke and mirrors. The path of God directs you straight to the cross of Jesus Christ.

Along the path, the devil will tempt you into taking detours. These off-ramps appear to be safe and seem like a faster way to get where you're going. But, they send you in circles, which results in you entering another one of your cycles.

Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/solidrockroad. And look for our book: Follow the Solid Rock Road: Pathway to Radical Recovery coming out in January 2010.