Hot Potato!

By repetitive obedience the hold of any lust is lost…

I received an e-mail with a question many people have about addiction. This man’s addiction was with alcohol, but I believe the application of my advice* to him works for all who are in bondage because of the nature of addiction:
ANYTHING can be an addiction…

Dear Patrick,
Why is it that I can’t stop drinking?
I have broken so many promises to God to stop that I can’t even recall the number…it is dozens of times. I want to be a more mature Christian, but this alcoholism is a serious impediment. Please give me some words of wisdom.”
(Name withheld)

Though I am familiar with the struggle of addictions I was never addicted to alcohol specifically. But here is my reply anyway because ALL addictions have the same course. In this I am directly addressing the one addicted, but I believe all will find it helpful…

Promises to God don’t work – Take that from me. If you had wanted to be free you would have been by now, so there are problems, other than addiction, to address…

So, first, we have to answer the looming question,

“How does anyone stop an addiction?”

Well, all addictions are alike in one important point; they are all compelling and sinful. And all people have a propensity for addiction, because all sin, are sinners; There is none that is good, no not one. And when we are made new through regeneration we still have the flesh to contend with; We are saved, but we are in the process of being rescued. We are made clean, but now we must be made pure as snow, shade by shade, through a process called “sanctification.” And as it is a process, it can be painful at times (go watch the movie Ragamuffin). And that pain can be quite the more intense with an addiction to overcome.

Addiction is rooted in sin that has been left unchecked, unaddressed, unconquered.

Read that again… Addiction is rooted in sin that has been left unchecked, unaddressed, unconquered.
Just as your sin developed into an addiction by your giving in to temptation repetitively, so is the cure acquired in that same manner. Through a repetitive denial of sin you will overcome. Whether that lust is drugs, sexual impurity, alcohol or any of the many sins of the flesh in which we indulge, only by repetitively denying that monster its food will your addicted flesh grow weak enough to be overcome. I assure you this is true and there is a reason why you must, “Take up your Cross daily and follow” after Jesus: Growth.

Key: You are not alone

But, and this is the first key Christian, you are not alone, for those who are Christ’s (the lost are worse than alone, they are lost, and so subject to every manner of attack; Their addiction is a symptom of the real issue)

Every person has an addiction – Every Single Person. Read that again.
Every single person in God’s beautiful Creation has that one thing they cannot free themselves from, should they indulge it enough… E V E R Y O N E.
It’s just that most people have learned to control their lusts through continually denying themselves the food of that sin – or have learned to hide their sin(s) so very well. I have known GODLY, stalwart, Believers that it took YEARS of knowing to reveal their sins, but ALL have them and “The truth will out”, as my British cousins say. We all have that precious little sin we have tucked away, the delightful little indulgence, that sweet little, creepy-as-Hell sin. That “Hideous Strength”, as C.S. Lewis described the ability to deny God’s Will in our lives, to sin anyway; We just don’t want to give up, and God will let us feel the pain until we do. We take it out, and we play around with our consciences, with that sin, even though we KNOW it’s all kinds of stupid. And then we feel that gnawing, horrifyingly scary, guilt, as we should (because, listen, if you didn’t feel scared and guilty then you have serious problem). And then we go, and we tuck that sin away again, like some prized possession, hoping the craven desire will pass. Oh, and we are oh so careful not to let anyone know, aren’t we? It’s that THING we cling to, that disease infested rat we snuggle up to, that must go. We have believed a lie, and this is what we must SEE. We’ll address knowing it is a lie in a minute.
Refusing to believe the lie is another key to freedom from Lust (the precursor and feed to addiction)…
We all love some sin; That is the nature of sin, it is appealing. If sin was not desirable, in some way, you never would engage in it. Sin would never be a problem if it wasn’t enjoyable in some way. It is that lust we are so tempted with, if given in to too often, that becomes addictive. Addiction is a sin that we want so badly, and our flesh is so used to getting, that we think we cannot live without it. AND THAT is another lie, right there; That is what I believe is the one which, when understood, will reveal our true problem…

The power of addiction is in this lie:
You do not need to give in to your lusts.
You do not NEED that sin, that stroking, that fulfillment.

You know it’s true… You are no longer obligated to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. You were once under the control of the flesh, but in Jesus you are freed (See Romans 8, specifically the 12th verse, and Ephesians 2, specifically verse 2, and all of Galatians on your freedom in Christ)

I was so addicted at one point I believed I could not live unless I engaged in that sin, “just once more”; “It’s no big deal, I’ll just do it a little.”
Is this sounding at all familiar?

When you are drinking, for example, and your pastor, or your parents, or your spouse, walks in on you, your first response is to stop, if just for the length of time it takes for you to get rid them. But, the point is, and this is very important for you to see: You would stop, you CAN, because you JUST DID.

You can stop when you want to…

And that is another lie you have believed. “I can’t Stop!”
You can, you do it all the time. If you expect to be victorious you must take your conquest one success at a time, one resistance at a time. You wouldn’t indulge your sin in Church either, like a person addicted to alcohol would not be knocking down a cold one during the service. So, as you can see, you can control yourself, when you need to. And this brings me to a hard to swallow, but necessary, inspiration for you to hear…

Key: If you want to be free you can choose to be

You sin because you choose to; Addiction is a choice, just as with all sin.
YOU ARE ADDICTED BECAUSE YOU LIKE IT

The problem with addiction is in the lust being so well fed; it is extremely hard on your flesh to resist: That monster temptation is so very strong from your giving in so often. If you expect to be victorious you must take your conquest one success at a time, one resistance at a time. Keep resisting, and, as you continue steadfast, you will succeed; The “d” word Discipline comes into play here. The reason you are even in the mess of addiction is from a lack of disciplined denial. There is no Christian that does not have to deny himself daily, but he is no MORE enslaved to sin as he was, when he was, before repenting and trusting in Jesus, before he was born again (pay attention).

And yes, I know there are chemical addictions that cannot be shaken without medical intervention, I’m not stupid.

Part 2
One of the most pervasive indicators of addiction being only a symptom of the real issue is the fact that those addicted do not stay fixed to one addiction. The medical community likes to say those who are addicted have a propensity for it, as if they are born to sin more than others are. But, I have learned personally, and through the pains of helping others through their addictions (lusts), from the experience of many others I have known, from other brothers and sisters in Christ, this idea of addiction being a disease you can catch, or as a gene you are born with, is just not so. (There is none that is good, remember?)
To suppose that someone like Hitler was more evil than you or I is to deny what God knows, and life plainly shows: The heart of man IS desperately wicked, just as God says: ALL MANKIND is broken. Take a good look in the mirror and at the news; Mankind, you, me, are all desperately and hideously depraved. We all want to be “in control” and, given the right set of circumstances to remove our inhibitors, like moral codes, peer pressures and laws, we will all, any one of us, do anything our evil hearts desire: Deny this to your peril.

Key: Those who are addicted will find something else to be addicted to, until they give it all to Jesus.

But why? Because Jesus did not come to heal the healthy but the sick; Jesus did not come to call the righteous, but the sinner, to repentance.
Please pause right here and ponder that for some time…

Moving on…
If you go to a meeting of those with addictions, you will note something right away: They smoke and drink coffee like it was going to run out. Anyone who was an alcoholic will tell you that this is a common problem; that they switch from one addiction to another: They are NOT free, they merely changed their controlling habits.
I spoke to a person who has many addictions, and she plainly told me that she knows her problem is not addiction, but one of control. She realized that those who are addicted will find something else to be addicted to, until they give it all to Jesus: Jesus MUST be LORD, or you will remain addicted to something.

Did you get that? You shouldn’t be surprised, if you know yourself, that this is true. And you shouldn’t get too high and mighty over it either: All sin is an attempt to be as God to ourselves, and there isn’t ANY of us who has that walking on water trick down yet, except Jesus. Peter got close, but FEAR tripped him up… That sounds pretty familiar…

Key: The struggle with sin is your unwillingness to not play God

When I was addicted, and then managed to stop that particular addiction on my own, I found it was very easy to switch to another sin, so my flesh would stop yowling, and I could claim victory over the prior addiction. But, once I faced myself honestly in God’s Law, seeing how depraved I really was, I saw I was not overcoming anything. Only by surrendering to Jesus, to His control over me, did I finally find the peace I so desperately sought. But it wasn’t the peace I had expected… I STILL HAVE TO FACE THE DRAGON OF ADDICTION, every day, or every third day, or a month later…

Key: It doesn’t matter how long, you will eventually lower your guard and get blind-sided

Jesus began exerting His Control over me, by the Spirit, the day I surrendered to Jesus; Everything changed and some things stopped right away, but then the process of purification began for the other struggles. God always gives new Believers some peace for a time.

Key: You will willfully sin against God, be tempted to, until you Fear God

Sometimes, either from foolish fear, or ignorant anger, OR JUST PLAIN EXHAUSTION, I would fall back into some sin. But Jesus is Gracious and doesn’t let you stay down. Sometimes He did let me walk into it, to learn a valuable lesson, but sin no longer reigns in me; My desires had been changed by Jesus from the inside – but then I sinned again?!? And this brings us to probably the most valuable lessons anyone in addiction can learn:
YOU CAN BE DELIVERED COMPLETELY, but only in utter surrender to Jesus. NO “higher power” will cut it…
And failure is going to be a common occurrence at first; You can’t succeed without failing many, many more times…
Until the day I repented, forsaking everything I could think of, trusting in Jesus to not only save me from Hell but to be my LORD as well, the real WAR had not begun inside me. Sin was no longer my master; I could say no and mean it, but MAN what a battle began that day. Some days I felt I was going crazy, but as I submitted and remained constant in my surrender; I gradually saw light at the end of the tunnel. It took quite some time for my flesh to stop revolting constantly, mourning like an old dog, but, day by day, trial by trial, the flesh gradually got weaker, as my desire to serve and honor Jesus got stronger. But I could go only so far until I asked Jesus to install me a Godly Fear. There are some days the flesh SCREAMS like a wounded animal, right out of the blue, so expect it; EXPECT IT, so, don’t get complacent. You, YOU, are weak, but He is Strong, so expect to be buffeted, but expect victories. But remember, it is the Fear of God that is the beginning of Wisdom.

Key: Expect victories

Just do what Paul did.
Know that every time you are tempted you are being enticed by what must die.
Let me say that again: Know that every time you are tempted you are being enticed by what must die. If I ever gave in, if I indulged even a little, the struggle took FAR longer to get back to that same place, and taught me the valuable lesson of immediate obedience, just like a child must learn to obey the parent; Their willingness to obey right away may just save their life. But the mark of a Christian is a growing holiness that can be seen, so KEEP RESISTING, no matter what: Expect victories. So, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, APOLOGIZE to God the Father, and ask Jesus to forgive you, again, and again, and again, and again, and then move on. The DEVIL, and he is very real, wants you to stop resisting and give in; The evil ones want you to stop trying. The DEVIL literally wants you to give up and think you are never going to win, and that brings us back to that lie you are still believing of, “I can’t win.” THAT is a lie, Christian, Jesus always wins, so He will win through you, as you resist, one more time. You WILL win, some day, count on it. Because, Jesus has your back, and that is why you will not lose.

We have seen so many accounts of men (and women) who thought they were immune to temptations; They, and we, have all learned the price for freedom is eternal vigilance; It always has been so, it always will be so.

Part 3

All the world has been corrupted by lust but there is The Escape…
There are several keys to deliverance from addiction and I have written as many of the ones I know or experienced. All these are necessary and none of them should be left out.

1. The most crucial step is to evaluate yourself and see if you are truly in the faith.
Take this test, and then do exactly what is recommended:
www.GoodPersontest.com

2. Go to your pastor and confess all to him – but be VERY SURE first your pastor isn’t the “psychology is good” kind – because, if you do confess your sins of addiction to such a false pastor, he will run from you and send you to a Godless manipulator called a Psychologist. BUT, if you are so blessed to have a good Pastor (and God bless him if you do), make it very clear what you have been doing and leave no detail out; Be cold-heartedly honest with him. You may need a bucket to puke in as you do, because telling the hard truth causes physical sickness. If you do not attend a Biblically sound Church, this process will be much harder to go through, I am sorry to say. Without a mentor you will struggle badly.
PLEASE don’t misunderstand me, YOU CAN do this without a Good Pastor, it will just be much harder on you.

3. AND THEN ALSO, get help from a friend, whom you can trust to hold you accountable. This may be impossible, as there are very few mature in Christ anymore, I am quite sorry to say. He must be of such impeccable caliber that he will be with you all the way through to success over this sin, and willing to have you check in with him for the rest of your life. I can elaborate on this further, but ask your Pastor, he will explain what this means; If your Pastor is “worth his salt”, he will know what I am talking about.

4. Women go to women counselors, men seek out men to entrust themselves to. NO EXCEPTIONS. If you must counsel a woman ALWAYS have a man there.

5. Get professional help if need be, but understand this well: Most professional counselors accept Psychology as a resolution; Most counselors do not believe the Bible holds the One and only Solution for you. Psychology will keep you burdened, confused and frustrated for the rest of your life: Only Jesus saves.

6. Deal with temptation wisely:
Temptation is merely a suggestion, not a requirement and not the sin itself. Temptation is merely a suggestion, not a requirement and not the sin itself. Temptation is merely a suggestion, not a requirement and not the sin itself.
Did I make a mistake typing that three times? No, I did not. The Apostle Paul said that we are no longer obligated to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, so temptation is merely a suggestion, not a requirement, and is not the sin itself. In other words, you do not have to sin; If you are a Christian, you do have a choice. The unrepentant, the lost, have little control over their lusts, so they are exactly that: LOST. And if they have any seeming control their motive is entirely selfish, making the cure worthless: They are hiding the truth. But there is The Cure gotten only through forsaking that sin, that lust, IN JESUS: Jesus paying the fine for the crime (1John 3:4) and you embracing that Truth, and, trusting in His Spirit within you to provide the Strength as you resist.

The bottom line, the very first and critical stage, for overcoming ANY addiction, or lust, is that you must first die to yourself. That can only happen as you repent of your crimes against God and entrust yourself wholly to Jesus to save you. And then, BELIEVE He can rescue you too; Every Day Jesus saves.

Every day Jesus saves

There is no other solution my friend; You must repent of your sinning and trust in Jesus to not only save you from the just reward for your sins but also to enable you now to overcome the flesh. Do not worry, you’ll have to repent again… and again… and again… and one more time too. But Jesus promises we can overcome all things through Him, who strengthens us.

Remember, it is the greatest tool of Lucifer to get you to believe you cannot stop, but a Christian can stop anything he wants to, as he entrusts himself to Jesus to make him able to. Just realize you have been believing lies: Do you hear me? You need to start reading, and believing, what God says; Surrender to Jesus and then just let that temptation go by; Don’t even respond to it. Know that every time you are tempted you are being enticed by what must die, so laugh and let it pass. LAUGH at the attempt to trip you up as the deliberate, stupid, ploy it is. Tell Jesus on the tempter.
“Did you see that Jesus? He tried it again? HAH! I am SO done with that!”

Laugh at addiction for what it is:
A pathetic attempt to try to keep you weak so you will not be the effective witness that God wants you to be.

Key: ALL addiction in Christians WILL be used to try and stop you being effective in sharing the Gospel.

God gave me a vision of what that meant, by showing me holding suitcase bags in each hand. Each bag was full and extremely heavy with sins, past struggles. Each time I was enticed I picked up the bags, (thinking I had to, believing the lies again, letting myself accept my unworthiness meant I was lost to help); I was burdened with the weight of them. And then God showed me letting them go and reminded me that the key is to not to pick them up again; Whenever I realize I have those bags in my hands again, however it happened, I must recognize what happened and let them go again, not taking any time between the realization and the action. HOT POTATO, in other words!
I have startled people around me when I suddenly would cry out, “NO! I’M NOT!”. It was very funny. I bet they thought I had Tourretes. ? (Tourretes is demonic possession, BTW)

By repetitive obedience the hold of any lust is lost

My friend, it is not your place to condemn yourself, just as Paul said. But, it is your place, your responsibility before God, to correct yourself. So feel free to write these on plaques all around your house. It’s okay, be weird.

Better to be weird than addicted…

If you want more extensive Biblical counsel on addiction read “The Kingdom of Self“, by Chaplain Earl Jabay. The site with his book has some good comments as well on some of Earl’s exceptional insights.

We all have a besetting sin that seems as if it is an insurmountable hill, but, as I said to this reader, I also say this to you:

Only Jesus Saves
Grasp firmly onto Him and never believe He doesn’t want you.

Keep on resisting,

It is the mark of every believer not that they have sins, but that they continue to resist temptations to sin, and, when they do sin, that they continue in repentance, and trust the Savior again,

Patrick J Burwell
Evangelist and Author
Director@OnlyJesusSaves.org
Biblically Evangelizing Street Preacher
Co-Founder and Director of OnlyJesusSaves.org Ministries
*This article was altered and expanded on, and will likely be updated as I grow older and wiser

For a Biblical cartoon explanation for children on being strong in Christ go to:
http://www.richardgunther.org/Bible/Christian’s%20Armour/