Welcome to Part Two in this series of posts on overcoming addiction. What I’m about to share with you is real practical help to use against the adversary’s tactics to keep you in the stronghold of addiction...
Living in bondage to addiction is a very dark place to be. Many people—like I have—experience depression, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. The Bible describes this condition:
“So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.”
But let me share with you, friend, we do have a Comforter! He is as close as the mention of His Name—Jesus. Remember, He is the One Who has all power. His Power is far greater than our adversary’s.
While we are in the midst of our addiction, it seems like we are making the same mistakes over and over again. Our own actions are destroying our life!
We honestly want to stop the cycle we are trapped in, but how?
Come to Jesus. He is the source of power we need. Begin reading His Word. The Bible gives us the wisdom and understanding we so desperately need to fight against the adversary.
We must begin with our thoughts...
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: ”
Let me share with you the first Biblical principle I learned about addiction. In Part One of this series, I shared how I came to the point in my addiction of totally surrendering to the Lord. He made it possible for me to go to the Reformers Unanimous Discipleship School, in Rockford, Illinois...
After the first few days there, I noticed the other ladies saying “Cast it down,” when one of them was struggling or upset. I asked someone what it meant and why they were saying that.
What they meant was that any thought they were having that was oppressing them needed to be put out of their mind—cast down.
This principle is described in God’s Word:
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
”
“Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: ”
Dear friend, I pray the things I'm sharing will help you. Allow Jesus to hold your hand and walk with you through this battle. I can promise you that life will be so much better! Soon, gone will be the darkness...
“that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”
I'll end Part Two by leaving you with a quick reminder:
When we begin to pay attention to our thoughts as they happen, we can examine them and determine 3 things:
By process of elimination, where is that thought coming from, God or our adversary?
If the thought we have is not from God, then we have three seconds to cast it down. If we allow ourselves to think about it longer than three seconds, then we are entertaining the thought.
Once we cast the thought down, we replace it with a truth from God’s Word and meditate on that truth. Believe on it in your heart and praise God for it.
Action Steps You Can Begin:
For one day, write down all the wrong thoughts (fiery darts from the adversary) you are having.
Next, find some verses in the Bible that are truths you can replace the lies with, and write those verses down.
Then, begin using those verses each time you feel an attack on your mind.
Meditate on truth.
Speak truth back to the adversary.
And praise God!
Join me for Part 3 of this series: “His Ways Are Higher”
