Activating God’s Word during the Struggle with Addiction
Addiction affects more than just our bodies and minds. It has a significant impact on our relationships with friends, family members, and even God. Activating God’s Word is powerful when it comes to healing from addiction. Also, understanding the root cause of the addictive behaviors and the lies we have either knowingly or unknowingly believed is critical for emotional and spiritual healing.
Spiritual and Physical Realm | What Is Addiction?
When we think of addiction, we often think of alcoholism or drug abuse. But there are other substances and behaviors people can become addicted to, such as…
- Pornography
- Pharmaceuticals
- Food
- Fornication
- Gambling
- Money or material things
- Anger/Jealousy
These are just a few of the ways the enemy manipulates us and robs us of the joy that only the Lord can bring. He lies and tells us these are things that will fill our hearts and souls and give us meaning. He essentially uses addiction to introduce and attach a counterfeit identity to us.
When we shift our mindset away from who the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob says we are—or perhaps we never rested in the truth to begin with—we fall into the enemy’s trap. And he has been using the same deceptive tricks since the fall.
Cain, holding back from God, became angry and jealous. This ultimately led to him killing his brother and causing a curse to fall upon his family line.
“So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it… So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.’”—Genesis 4:6-7, 11-12
We see three things from this passage…
- The power addiction can have over us
- How addiction can impact our families
- How the enemy has been using these tactics since the beginning
What Is Activating God’s Word?
Activating God’s Word is about declaring and obeying it. In order to break free from the bondage of addiction and to grow, you must first acknowledge the behaviors that are blocking your freedom and blessings.
Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Asking God to reveal the addictive behaviors in your life, and then choosing to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead to deal with them, is essential. A lack of knowledge precedes a poverty spirit, which can lead to further addictive behaviors.
When we do not activate God’s Word in our lives, we are putting our destiny in jeopardy. Our goals and dreams are cut off and short-lived. We walk in lack and poverty when we are not living a life of activating God’s Word.
What Stands in Our Way from Activating God’s Word?
Sometimes we do not activate God’s Word because we simply do not know or understand the need. Lies of the enemy stand in our way, telling us we do not need God or freedom from the addiction.
Lies such as…
- This behavior/addiction is not a big deal.
- I’m not perfect, so I don’t need to try.
- It’s something I can’t overcome, so I give up.
- I could quit if I wanted to.
- I’ll lose friends and connections if I quit.
This might be a list that is repeated like a broken record in your mind. Or maybe there are one or two that the enemy uses to push you down over and over again.
These lies attach to you and attack you both spiritually and physically. They slowly rot your dreams and rob you of your inheritance in Christ. They prevent you from prospering.
Activating God’s Word
Step 1. Spend time in the Word daily. Start by simply choosing a few verses, such as…
- “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”—1 Corinthians 10:13
- “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’”—1 Corinthians 15:33
- “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”—1 Corinthians 6:12
Study and meditate on the verses. Write them down. Declare them. Pray on them.
Step 2. Decide to act. Once you have acknowledged the issue and spent time in God’s Word, it’s time to activate the promises. As mentioned previously, activating is obeying. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”
This means surrendering to God and walking in obedience to His Word. Will you still struggle and make mistakes? Yes. But it’s about living a life of repentance and returning to the Father. Repentance is a lifestyle that keeps you free and liberated.
To live a life of repentance, there must be a covenant relationship with God established through Yeshua. Understand that God fills every void in your life. But there is also an enemy who wants you to use other ways to find fulfillment.
Therefore, take scripture and declare it when the enemy uses lies to manipulate you away from God’s path. Decide to give. Decide to serve others. Decide to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind, and strength.
Step 3. Get an accountability and prayer partner. You are not meant to deal with this struggle on your own. It’s important to have someone who will pray with you and hold you accountable. You must have a teachable heart and be open to truths your accountability and prayer partner has to share.
You should listen to words not only of those who teach you but also of those who can speak directly with you—this is crucial during your journey.
Activating God’s Word | It’s Time
Perhaps you have struggled with addiction for decades. Or maybe it’s a generational pattern you’ve noticed in your family. Whatever the bondage may be, it is time to break free. Do you need freedom prayer today? Schedule a call with our intercessors. In the meantime, prayerfully repent and get into God’s Word. God’s riches are waiting.