The unfolding of Your words gives light.Psalm 119:130
Addictions research needs something new.Its vision has been controlled by one partic-ular lens, and even though this lens high-lights certain features of the addictive expe-rience, it can blind as much as reveal whenit is the only way of seeing. To reduce all dis-cussion of addictions to one image would beto sacrifice helpful perspectives that bringmeaning and understanding.
In the case of addictions, the diseasemetaphor has been the controlling metaphorand it has jealously guarded its turf. Noother perspective has been invited to broad-en our understanding, let alone offer amajor conceptual overhaul. Of course, thedisease metaphor has usefulness. It high-lights the way we can feel controlled bysomething other than our own will. What itdoesn’t highlight is that the bondage weexperience is a voluntary slavery.
This exclusive reliance on one metaphoris not the only encumbrance within addic-
tion discussions. Even more troublesome isthe fact that the metaphor of addictions islosing its metaphorical quality. Instead ofsaying that addictions are like a disease,more people are simply saying that addic-tions are diseases.
In its literal sense, a disease is a diagnos-able condition with a physical cause. Usedthis way, addictions do not fit the definition.AA itself states that “alcoholism is largely aspiritual disease requiring a spiritual heal-ing.”1 Although addicts can show somephysical differences when compared tothose who have not struggled with addic-tions, there is no reason to believe that thesebiological differences do anything morethan either result from heavy use of a sub-stance, or influence addictions. As an influ-ence, these differences are similar to theeffects of parenting, friends or socioeconom-ic status. They can pull or incline us in cer-tain negative directions toward chemicaldependency, but they can be resisted. Theyare not one’s unavoidable destiny, as manyaddicts “in recovery” can attest. As such, the
Ed Welch is academic dean and director of counselingat CCEF. This article prefigures his forthcoming bookon the topic of addictions.
1 “A Member’s-Eye View of Alcoholics Anony-mous” (New York, Alcoholics AnonymousWorld Services, 1970), 12.
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word disease, in its most technical sense, is not an accu-rate way to describe addictions.
Given how the disease metaphor is hardening intoa reality, and that the metaphorical use of disease haslimitations, one task for a theology of addictions is toconsider other available metaphors in Scripture. Con-sider five different metaphors for addictive behavior:idolatry, adultery, foolishness, attacks by a beast, and,then, disease.
Idolatry
One of the most common portrayals of the humancondition, and one which captures both the in-controland out-of-control experiences of addictions, is thetheme of idolatry. From this perspective, the true nature
and fourth generation of those who hate Me, butshowing love to a thousand generations of thosewho love Me and keep My commandments.(Deut. 5:7, 8)
Do we have idols in our society? In Western culturewe rarely make visible gods. To detect our idols, wemust begin by realizing that Old Testament idols wereconcrete, physical expressions of new loyalties andcommitments that were established in the humanheart. The prohibition against idolatry is ultimatelyabout “idols of the heart” (Ezek. 14:3).
Notice the paternal warning at the end of 1 John:“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” John’s let-ter does not even mention observable, physical idols.Instead, he speaks of “the cravings of the sinful man,the lusts of the eyes, and the boastings of what he hasand does.” John is concerned about the pernicious,unseen Baals that are constructed more by the heartthan the hands.
In other words, Scripture permits us to broaden thedefinition of idolatry so that it includes anything onwhich we set our affections and indulge in as an exces-sive and sinful attachment. Therefore, the idols that wecan see—such as a bottle—are certainly not the totalityof the problem. Idolatry includes anything we worship:the lust for pleasure, respect, love, power, control, orfreedom from pain. Furthermore, the problem is notoutside of us, located in a liquor store or on the inter-net; the problem is within us. Alcohol and drugs areessentially satisfiers of deeper idols. The problem is notthe idolatrous substance, it is the false worship of theheart.
We renounce living for God’s glory, and turn toobjects of worship that we hope will give us what wewant. The desired payoff? The purpose of all idolatry isto manipulate the idol for our own benefit. This meansthat we don’t want to be ruled by idols. Instead, wewant to use them. For example, when Elijah confrontedthe Baal worshipers on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), theprophets of Baal slashed themselves and did every-thing they could to manipulate Baal to do their will.Idolaters want nothing above themselves, includingtheir idols. Their fabricated gods are intended to bemere puppet kings, means to an end.
So it is with modern idolatry as well. We don’t wantto be ruled by alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, food, oranything. No, we want these substances or activities togive us what we want: good feelings, a better self-image, a sense of power, or whatever our heart is crav-ing.
Idols, however, do not cooperate. Rather than mas-tering our idols, we become enslaved by them andbegin to look like them. As idols are deaf, dumb, blind,
Idolatry includes anythingwe worship: the lust for pleasure,respect, love, power, control,or freedom from pain.
of all addictions is that we have chosen to go outsidethe boundaries of the kingdom of God and look forblessing in the land of idols. In turning to idols, we aresaying that we desire something in creation more thanwe desire the Creator.
This sounds like strange language to Western ears,but idolatry is perhaps the most dominant image inScripture and it abounds in potential applications. Didyou ever notice how many biblical stories could besummarized with these questions? “Who will you wor-ship? The Creator or the created thing? God or man?The Divine King or worthless idols?” The basic storyline of the Old Testament is about people who find idol-atry irresistible. Then God, ultimately through Jesus,comes to rescue His people out of their enslaving prac-tices. Accordingly, all sin is summarized as idolatry(e.g., Deut. 4:23, Eph. 5:5).
The Ten Commandments give special prominenceto prohibitions against idolatry. They are the first twocommandments, and they receive substantial elabora-tion.
You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in theform of anything in heaven above or on theearth beneath or in the waters below. You shallnot bow down to them or worship them; for I,the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishingthe children for the sin of the fathers to the third
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2 The exception is when a physical addiction to a particulardrug develops through use. In these cases, the absence of thedrug will make physical cravings more intense until the per-son is no longer physically addicted.
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utterly senseless, and irrational, so “those who makethem will be like them, and so will all who put theirtrust in them” (Ps. 115:8).
How can these lifeless idols exert such power? Theydominate because of a powerful but quiet presence thathides behind every idol, Satan himself. As obedience toGod demonstrates our allegiance to Him, so when weset our affections on created objects we demonstrateour affinity for Satan. Therefore, God’s Word remindsus, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [oralcohol and drugs], but against the rulers, against theauthorities, against the powers of this dark world andagainst the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenlyrealms” (Eph. 4:12).
So far, this discussion is relevant to everyone. We setour affections on ourselves and choose idols that will,we hope, satisfy us, and we avoid the worship of thetrue God. But what about the different types of addic-tions? Can’t we make some distinctions between a per-son addicted to alcohol and one addicted to work?Should we stress the unity in all addictive behaviors atthe expense of the obvious differences? After all, noteveryone has a covert lifestyle for which they willseemingly sacrifice everything. What is the differencebetween idols that are satisfied by a big paycheck,respect of colleagues, or the adoring love of a spouse,and idols that are satisfied by mind-altering or physicalsensations?
The answer is an important one: some idols hookour bodily passions and desires. This group of addic-tions includes drugs (legal and illegal), alcohol, sexualsin, and food. These idolatries can provide physicalpleasure, relieve physical tension, and soothe physicaldesires (Fig. 1). Such payoffs can be difficult to resist.
Figure 1. The Early Cycle of Addictions: Rebellion
The heart desiresjust one more
The body is brieflysatisfied
When physical sensations become entrenched as ahabitual satisfier in someone’s life, another cycle issuperimposed (Fig. 2). The heart becomes more than anidol factory. Along with its incessant idol productionand demands for satisfaction, it also becomes a slave tothe physical desires of the body.
Figure 2. Later Stages of Addictions: Bondage
Theidolatrous heartwants more
Physical desires areunsatisfied anddemand more
In light of how our physical desires can easily getcaught in the crossfire within our souls, it is not sur-prising that the apostle Paul implores us to be vigilant.“I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat mybody and make it my slave” (1 Cor 9:26,27). In this, theapostle Paul reiterates that nothing short of a declara-tion of war will dislodge our favorite idols.
Now, make this more personal. Think of some ofyour idols that are expressed as bodily desires. Sex,drugs, and food are the most obvious. Consider onethat seems less important, such as a craving for sweets.You know you don’t need them, and you may be fullfrom a meal, but if they are available you might experi-ence a strong craving for them. Then you rationalize ormake deals with yourself: “I will have ice cream nowand skip dessert tonight,” or “What difference will ahandful of M & M’s make? Am I under the law?” Thestrategy is the same as that of a substance abuser. Inter-estingly, as in the case of most drug or alcohol abusers,if these sweets are definitely not available, the cravingsare minimal.2
Have you ever tried to diet? It is one of the most dif-ficult spiritual disciplines. How many times have youstarted a diet, only to give up a few days later? Feelingguilty, you try it again, then again. Such is the experi-ence of substance abuse.
Have you ever found yourself flirting with sexualtemptation through a long gaze or sexual fantasies?Have you ever found yourself captured by the allure ofpornography? Have you ever been involved in sexualimmorality even though you were aware of God’s callto be holy (1 Thess. 4:3)? These are additional examplesof how pleasurable, physical experiences are favoritetargets of our idolatrous hearts. Instead of runningfrom temporary physical pleasures that are ungodly, orsimply enjoying but not being dominated by physicalpleasures that are gifts from God, we quickly get tunnelvision and see nothing but “one more.” Self-control
over bodily desires is an exercise in faith that lasts a life-time. “Relapses” are not uncommon.
Can you see how the biblical theme of idolatry fitshand-in-glove with modern addiction? Addicts oftenbelieve they have found life, but any payoff they expe-rience is short-lived and deceptive. They are blinded tothe fact that they are having a banquet in a grave.
For the addict dope is God. It is the supremebeing, the Higher Power, in the junkie’s life. He issubjugated to its will. He follows its command-
Addicts often believe they havefound life, but any payoff they experienceis short-lived and deceptive.
ments. The drug is the definition of happiness,and gives the meaning of love. Each shot of junkin his veins is a shot of divine love, and it makesthe addict feel resplendent with the grace of God.3
Tyler started smoking marijuana when he was thir-teen. Peer pressure was the stated reason. Little did heknow that he had already bowed low to another idol.Although he knew God, he worshiped the god “opin-ions of others” and “peers must think I’m cool.” Drugsseemed to satisfy these ruling desires. Even though hedidn’t get high the first time he smoked (he didn’t evenlike it), he felt accepted. He was proud that others knewhe smoked, so he continued. Of course, his goal was notto worship marijuana, it was to use it for his own pur-poses.
Gradually, the drug began to represent the idolatrythat was in his heart. His marijuana became an object ofworship. He would think about it, plan how to get it,and even avoid friends in order to perform his cultic rit-uals. By the time he was fifteen, Tyler was in a drugrehabilitation clinic, enslaved and out of control. Hisidol had betrayed him.
Addicts have defected from the living God. Insteadof worshiping in the temple of the Lord, they performaddictive rituals that give them more perceived power,pleasure, or identity. They see in their addiction a formof magic. The promises of the idol, however, are lies.Any identity, power, or peace that they bring is falseand temporary. There are only two choices: puttingyour faith in a loving God and thus knowing freedom,or putting your faith in idols (Satan) and being
enslaved. Curiously, our selfish pride prefers slavery.“Jim, I wonder if you have ever noticed that, foryou, alcohol is very much like the idols of theBible. These idols start out as helpers. The peo-ple thought that God could not be fully trustedto give them what they wanted, so they lookedfor blessing in other gods. In the Old Testamentthese false gods were the answer for rain or fer-tility. Today, we are less concerned with rain andfertility, but we are very concerned about beingpain-free, or about our identity and self-worth. Iwonder if alcohol was a way to fill in holes inyour identity. I wonder if it became a way to find‘blessings’ such as power or pleasure apart fromGod, or alongside of God.
“But here is the real killer about idolatry.Idols end up having dominion over us.
“It seems that there is no getting away fromthe basic questions of life: Who will you wor-ship? Who will be king? Who will have domin-ion?” Are addicts self-consciously making these idola-
trous decisions? In most cases, no. Remember, we arelooking at what is behind the scenes. Sin by its verynature is covert. As people who want to help, thismeans we need something very powerful to break thehold of idols. Pleading, tears, screaming, or threats willnot penetrate. Reason is useless. We cannot simply say“Stop doing drugs, get control of yourself, stop wor-shiping an idol.” They need the power of God (1Cor.1:18), the message of Christ crucified and risen.Other therapies may offer sobriety, but only this goodnews is powerful enough to liberate the soul.
Adultery
Idolatry is an especially prominent theme in Scrip-ture that brings new light to the understanding ofaddictions. Adultery is a companion metaphor, espe-cially since idolatry is ultimately a personal relationshipgone wrong. Adultery emphasizes the more intimatefeatures of idolatry. The sense of being controlled andbeing dominated by another, the lies, and the obsessionare all there. The idolatrous object, however, is a person(or functions like one).
Go to an AA meeting and listen to the language.Chances are you might think that people were havingaffairs. They are talking about something they loved.They once thought of nothing but that object. They feltcomplete when they were with it.
[My wife] said to me that I was going to have tomake a choice—either cocaine or her. Before shefinished the sentence, I knew what was coming,so I told her to think carefully about what she
3 B. Meehan, Beyond the Yellow Brick Road (Chicago: Contem-porary Books, 1984), 175.
22 The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Volume 19 • Number 3 • Spring 2001
was going to say. It was clear to me that therewasn’t a choice. I love my wife, but I’m notgoing to choose anything over cocaine. It’s sick,but that’s what things have come to. Nothingand nobody comes before my coke.4
The picture is reminiscent of the foolish young manwho is being beckoned to the house of the adulteress(Prov. 7). This tale of surreptitious lust starts innocentlyenough. A young man is meandering down the streetbut there is a certain intention to his steps. It is as if heis throwing out the banana peel so he can slip. It isdusk, and he is walking in the direction of a particularhouse, one where he knows there is a sexually provoca-tive woman. When the woman sees him she showershim with alluring words. His seduction soon follows.Yes, there was pleasure for a moment. But it was thepleasure of an animal eating meat from a deadly trap.His sensual banquet was, in reality, a banquet in thegrave. Equally vivid is the story of Samson (Judg. 13-16). Perhaps no other narrative portrays the irrationalnature of sin so clearly. By the time Samson met hismatch in Delilah, he was already a veteran of foolishrelationships. But with Delilah his lust defied all reason.Over and over she was exposed as a betrayer, yet Sam-son was intoxicated with her. He was a classic exampleof a man who was both fully responsible and hopeless-ly out of control.
How can this be applied to a struggling addict?Adultery introduces more personal language foraddicts. They indulge in a secret life that will eventual-ly be exposed. Deception is commonplace. People areunfaithful to their spouses and enter into a relationshipwith their beloved. Why do they do it, especially whenit could result in such pain for themselves and others?They do it because they love the pleasure and the fawn-ing attention of the other person. They do it becausethey love their desires above all else. They do it becausethey feel like they need it. The relationship becomestheir life.
But we still want to ask, “Why did you throw awayeverything you had for this affair?” Yet there will be nosatisfactory answer. Sin is not rational. It doesn’t makesense. It doesn’t look into the future. It doesn’t considerconsequences. All it knows is, “I WANT—I WANTMORE.” For example, Jim was a heavy drinker. Howmight adultery language—Jim’s “affair” with the bot-tle—speak to him?
“Jim, it sounds like alcohol became your mistress.Your identity was wrapped up in your relation-ship with her. She gave you all sorts of good
things. Whatever holes you felt in your sense ofidentity were filled with her. Chances are you willmiss her, try to visit her, dream about her, andremember her fondly. You’ll be surprised at thenumber of things that remind you of her. Butremember, she was a betrayer. She was actually apoisonous snake, and your good times were actu-
Remember, the experience of addictionsis not far from any of us.
ally a banquet that was in a grave. Her goal wasyour death.
“The object of your love has been a bottle thatsometimes met your desires. Our goal is to findsomething that is much more beautiful than her.Sure, we will talk about where you went wrong,but most importantly we must talk about Jesus,the one who is to be your first love. And the onlyway to learn to love Him is to know Him from theBible.
“One more thing to remember: adultery iscomplex. We move toward it because of our ownselfish desires, but in the end the adulteress con-trols us. So, although the bottle is in one sense theenemy, the real enemy is the selfish desires of ourown heart. We will have to fight with things wesee, like alcohol, and things we don’t see, like ourhearts’ desires.”
Of course, as we say this to Jim, God’s Wordexpands this theme to include us all. Jesus said, “Any-one who looks at a woman lustfully has already com-mitted adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28).James 4 indicates that those who quarrel experience thesame root problem as Jim. We say “I want” to ourdesires. Remember, the experience of addictions is notfar from any of us.
Foolishness
Another theme that overlaps with idolatry andadultery is foolishness. The entire book of Proverbs,which examines wisdom and folly, is must-reading, get-ting right to the heart of our daily struggles. There aretwo different paths: the way of wisdom and the way offolly. Folly is characterized by thoughtlessness anddecisions to pursue a course that is briefly pleasurablebut ultimately painful. Our natural inclination is thisparticular path.
The fool, although wise in his own eyes, acts in
4 R. Weiss and S. Mirin, Cocaine (Washington: American Psy-chiatric Association, 1987), 55.
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ways that are patently ridiculous. Some theologianstalk about the “noetic affects of sin.” Noetic means thatsin affects the way we think. Put bluntly, sin makes usstupid, not intellectually but morally.
They [idolaters] know nothing, they understandnothing; their eyes are plastered over so they can-not see, and their minds closed so they cannotunderstand...He feeds on ashes, a deluded heartmisleads him. (Isa. 44:20)
The fool’s attention wanders, never focused on wis-dom. He ignores all consequences. He is persuadedthat his way is the right way, so there is no reason to lis-ten to others. He thinks he will always get away with it,but he will be exposed. He goes with his feelings, not
Since addictions are illustrations ofidolatries that affect everyone, we shouldexpect that principles of change foraddictions would be very similar to thosefor any other sin problem.
realizing that they can mislead. Of course, the fool feelsthe consequences of his behavior at times, and he mighteven have glimpses into how he has brought pain onothers, but consequences are no deterrent. The destruc-tive pattern is repeated because folly is enjoyed (Prov.17:24; 9; 14:12; 28:26; 15:3; 14:8; 17:2; 27:22; 26:11).
As with idolatry, Scripture paints an unretouchedpicture, aiming to bring us back to our senses. It alsopromises that God will give grace to those who desireit so that they can leave their idols and take the path ofwisdom. The triune God delights in giving wisdom tothose who ask, and He gives it liberally.
Attacked by a Beast
So far, the evolving definition of addictions is that itis voluntary slavery, showing signs of both purposeful-ness and victimization. One metaphor that especiallyemphasizes the victimizing nature of idolatry is that ofbeing captured by a wild beast. Both Satan and sin arelike wild animals. “The devil prowls around like a roar-ing lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).Similarly, sin crouches at the door and desires to mas-ter us (Gen. 4:7).
There is no subtlety here. No wooing attractivewomen. No idol that holds out promises it can’t keep.This is just plain old in-your-face, rip-you-apart war-fare. Sin and Satan victimize. They enslave, and the ear-
lier we see their intent, the more opportunity we haveto be prepared.
“Jim, do you ever find yourself getting spirituallylazy? Coasting? Some people might be able to—atleast on the surface—get away with that. But partof God’s goodness to you is that you have to beconsistently on alert. It’s as if there is beast justwaiting for you to let down your guard. In fact,there is a beast just waiting for you. It could strikeanywhere and any time. It wins when we think itis gone.
“At first glance, the beast is alcohol, but whenwe look more closely, ‘We have seen the enemy,and he is us.’ It’s time to get ready for a fight.Even though you don’t feel able to defeat this foeright now (sometimes I don’t think you evenwant to), sobriety is God’s plan for you. If He hascalled you to be sober, He will give you every-thing you need to fight. And, it might not seemlike much, but I am going to continue to fightalongside of you.”
Disease or Illness
Not surprisingly, Scripture does use illness as ametaphor for our spiritual condition. In fact, one of thebest known passages in Scripture uses the imagery ofsickness and healing.
Your whole head is injured, your whole heart isafflicted. From the sole of your foot to the top ofyour head there is no soundness—only woundsand welts and open sores, not cleansed or ban-daged or soothed with oil. (Isa. 1:5-7)
But He was pierced for our transgressions, Hewas crushed for our iniquities; the punishmentthat brought us peace was on Him, and by Hiswounds we are healed. (Isa. 53:5,6)
Have you or someone you know been captivated bya disease model? Here is the point of contact. Scripture,indeed, emphasizes that sin has many things in com-mon with a disease. For example, it affects our entirebeing, it is painful, it leads to death and it is absolutelytragic. Yet there are also ways in which sin is not like adisease. It is something we do rather than catch, weconfess it rather than treat it, the disease is in our heartsrather than our bodies, and only the forgiveness andcleansing found in the blood of the Great Physician issufficient to bring thorough healing.
Common Features of All Biblical Metaphors
We have highlighted a few useful biblical meta-phors, but already there is a clear message. Since addic-tions are illustrations of idolatries that affect everyone,we should expect that principles of change for addic-
24 The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Volume 19 • Number 3 • Spring 2001
tions would be very similar to those for any other sinproblem.
Don’t excuse it. That would simply encouragethe self-deceptive consequences of sin.
Confess it as sin against God.
Look to Jesus as the One who shows grace and
mercy to idolaters.
Grow in faith by knowing your God as He
reveals Himself in Scripture.
Learn to delight in obedience. Search out Scrip-
ture to find ways to obey.
Don’t rely on yourself but partner with and be
accountable to wise people.
Pursue wisdom—the skill or godly living that
comes out of reverence for the Lord. And pursue
it aggressively. Don’t just avoid sin; hate it.
Realizethataddiction,likeallsin,doesn’timposeitself on us unless we have been willing to enter-tain the seeds of it in our imaginations. Therefore,change must be deeper than overt behavioral
change. We are targeting our hearts. Does this seem harsh or unloving? If so, the prob-lem might be a knee-jerk response to any discussion ofsin. The word “sin” can be used as a club. But what weare examining, however, is called the good news: thekingdom of God has come in the person of Jesus Christ,and He has liberated the captives. This is cause for cel-ebration. It is beautiful. It is the path of life itself. It is thepath on which God never fatigues in extending graceand mercy: “The Lord longs to be gracious to you; Herises to show you compassion” (Isa. 30:18). Addictsmust know that they are being given a gift, and thosewho help addicts must know how to give this gift in away that is suited to its cost and beauty. Beautiful giftsmust be presented in the most attractive way possible.These beautiful gifts call forth a very active response, anew way of walking free. True freedom and true peace
come from going to war with yourself!
Staying Violent
From the days of John the Baptist until now, thekingdom has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (Matt. 11:12) If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut ifoff and throw it away. (Matt. 18:8)
There is a mean streak to authentic self-control.Underneath what seems to be the placid demeanor ofthose who are not ruled by their desires is the heart of awarrior. Self-control is not for the timid. When we wantto grow in it, not only do we nurture an exuberance forJesus Christ, we also demand of ourselves a hatred forsin.
So think again. When was the last time you said
“No” to something, out of obedience to Christ, when itactually was hard to say “No”? Maybe you can say “No”quite easily to cocaine, but you linger over salaciousadvertising. Maybe you can say “No” to the second orthird drink, but you will never miss a dessert (thoughyou vow weekly to change your eating habits). What-ever earthly desire doesn’t take “No” for an answer is alust that surpasses your desire for Jesus Himself. With
The only possible attitude towardout-of-control desires is a declarationof all-out war.
this in mind, we quickly realize that self-control is notsimply an exercise in self-improvement. It is an essen-tial discipline in a high-stakes spiritual battle. The onlypossible attitude toward out-of-control desires is a dec-laration of all-out war.
Actually, the war has been declared. The enemy hasalready made a preemptive strike; sinful desires already“war against your soul” (1 Pet. 2:11). We simply need tobe awakened by faith to engage in a counterattack.
Be very careful how you live. (Eph. 5:15)Put on the full armor of God. (Eph. 6:11)Prepare your minds for action. (1 Pet. 1:13)Make every effort. (2 Pet. 1:5)
Be self-controlled and alert. (1 Pet. 5:8)
These are battle cries, and Scripture is full of them.But unlike our old conception of warfare, where battlelines are clear and the times of battle can almost be pre-dicted, this is modern warfare in which you are notalways sure where the enemy lurks. It is guerilla war-fare. There are strategically placed snipers. You letdown your guard for a moment and the village youthought was safe suddenly opens fire on you.
Declare War
There is something about war that sharpens thesenses, especially when the enemy constantly hides.Issues of life and death will do that. You hear a twigsnap or the rustling of leaves and you are in attackmode. Someone coughs and you are ready to pull thetrigger. Even after days of little or no sleep, war keepsus vigilant.
The problem is that we often forget we are in a war.Or worse, we don’t even know that there is a war.Unlike most warfare, where soldiers at least know thatthere is an enemy somewhere, spiritual warfare tends tobe especially covert. No one is getting shot and many
The Journal of Biblical Counseling • Volume 19 • Number 3 • Spring 2001 25
people—even addicts themselves—seem to be manag-ing their lives fairly well. It all looks like business asusual. Add to this the fact that we actually like theenemy, and it is easy to understand why many of us actas though we were on vacation.
A vacation is even more serene than times of uni-versal peace. During peacetime, people still work andgo about their normal duties, but on vacation, it is purerest and recreation—nothing taxing. The idea of doinganything until it hurts is absolutely taboo. “Reducestress in your life” is the motto.
Scripture understands that life is hard and busy. Infact, God Himself is the author of Sabbaths and times of
rest. (The difference between a Sabbath and a weekendis that the Sabbath reminds us that we ultimately findour rest in God alone.) God Himself is also the Onewho announces “comfort” (Isa. 40) and “peace,” andHe invites us to a place of rest. In fact, His peace is evenmore profound than we can imagine (Phil. 4:7). Butwhen you examine Scripture as a whole, it says morethan “peace.” It is as if peace comes in installments. Ifwe have turned to Christ in faith, we have peace withGod and a conscience that is no longer troubled. Yet weare guaranteed that we will not, at this moment, havecomplete peace in all our relationships (Matt. 10:34),and we certainly do not have peace either in our battlewith our own sin or with Satan. Instead, when we turnto Christ by faith, we are freed from the slavery of sinand are empowered to fight.
“The violent take it by force” is how the King JamesVersion puts it (Matt. 11:12). That is the way the king-dom of God advances. With persecution outside, Satanfighting with us by way of temptations, and our ownlusts within, every disciple of Christ is in a battle thatdemands spiritual strength and ongoing vigilance.
Show No Mercy to Your Sinful Desires
The apostle Paul uses athletic imagery to exhort usto fight.
Do you know that in a race all the runners run,but only one gets the prize. Everyone who com-petes in the games goes into strict training. Theydo it to get a crown that will not last; but we doit to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore,
I do not run like a man beating the air. No, I beatmy body and make it my slave so that after Ihave preached to others, I myself will not be dis-qualified for the prize. (1 Cor. 9:24-27)
Paul is not teaching that our bodies are bad and ourspirits or souls are good. He is using the body to talkabout our appetites—natural bodily desires that domi-nate us when unchecked. He is talking about eating,drinking, and sexual desires. He is not suggesting thatthese desires are necessarily evil in themselves. Theysimply need to be watched carefully. Or, more accu-rately, since our sinful tendency is to carelessly indulgethese desires, he implores us to have a battle-like,aggressive, rigorous, take-no-prisoners style of life.When your desires start growing into ungodly propor-tions, beat them into submission.
This is where a disease metaphor is weak. It doesn’tlend itself to violence—vigilance perhaps, but not vio-lence. When you are doing battle with sin, it requirespreparation and a desire to absolutely eradicate sin inyour life. To settle for a truce or peaceful coexistence isa thinly veiled commitment to falling back in love withthe desired substance.
Fight the Temptations within You
All temptations are a kind of lure, dangling in frontof us, waiting to ensnare us. We are exhorted to do bat-tle with them all. Yet not all temptations are the same.Some come from within us, and some from sourcesexternal to us. When doing battle, we need to know thesource. Otherwise, it is easy to overlook the contribu-tion we bring to the cycle of temptation and sin.
A popular biblical image of temptation is that ofJoseph and Potiphar’s wife. It is the picture of the allur-ing woman waiting to seduce. This narrative is anexcellent illustration of the temptation that is presentedto us. However, other temptations arise from our ownhearts and imaginations.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempt-ing me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor doesHe tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by hisown evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then,after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:13-15)
The desire for anything that Scripture prohibits isan evil desire that comes from our own hearts. We canquickly identify these temptations by asking ourselveswhich desires prefer to stay in the dark. Which desiresdo we want to hide from certain people? Illegal drugs?“Just one drink” when we know that “just one” willopen the door to “just one more”? Pornography? Morepain medication than we need? More ice cream than
The desire for anything that Scriptureprohibits is an evil desire that comesfrom our own hearts.
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we’d like people to know we ate? We can’t blame thesetemptations on anything outside of ourselves, so “flee-ing temptation” is certainly not the only answer. Ifsomeone actually can flee something that he deeplydesires, then, once removed from the external tempta-tion, he must still take his own soul to task. The reasonwe are attracted by the temptations outside us isbecause of the sinful desires we harbor within.
Progressive Sanctification
The process of doing battle with internal tempta-tions, of taking our souls to task, is called progressivesanctification. The battle with our sinful desires and thesins they produce will gradually progress. In God’ssovereign plan, He has determined that conversionwould not bring about instant moral perfection.Instead, sinlessness will wait for the return of Christ.Meanwhile, God’s plan is that we fight indwelling sin.Since it is God Himself who makes the declaration ofwar, there is something praiseworthy about the fight aswe participate in it. The fight itself brings glory to Him.
This is a very important point: the battle is good. It isa sign that the Spirit is on the move. It is a sign that weare spiritually alive and engaged in the process of sanc-tification. Some addicts are led to believe that the battleagainst sin is over after a short, name-it-and-claim-itskirmish. When the inevitable temptations arise, thesedon’t fit the addicts’ interpretation of what should hap-pen. Eventually, the addict begins to question whetherthe Spirit is really powerful enough to conquer hisaddiction, and Scripture gradually becomes somethingimpractical, increasingly separated from daily life.
The real spiritual battle is similar to the way theIsraelites were delivered from Egypt and taken to thePromised Land.
I [the Lord] have come down to rescue themfrom the hand of the Egyptians and to bringthem up out of that land into a good and spa-cious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.(Exod. 3:8)
This was God’s promise. He said that He would bring Hispeople out of slavery and give them a land that was theirown. The land was theirs—but they still had to fight for it.Furthermore, not all the battles were successful. Therewere times when Israel fought without the Lord Himselfleading them into battle. We, too, have been promisedsomething truly remarkable in Christ: a holy and blame-less life. Then we are told to fight for it (Figure 3).
Satan Is Defeated and We Are Not Condemned
Does it sound odd to talk about Satan? Usually, itonly sounds odd to someone who has never experi-enced the true bondage of addiction. There are many
Delight in the fearof the Lord.
Engage the battle at thelevel of the imagination.
Commit yourself to thinkingGod’s thoughts about
addictions and wise living.
Speak honestly. Uncover the moresubtle lies.
Surround yourself with wise counselors.Be part of a church.
Turn to Christ and commit yourself to keepturning to Christ.
Engage the battle. Separate from the object ofyour affections.
Figure 3. The Process of Change
sins in which Satan’s lordship is hidden—the subtle liesof polite conversation, the fudging on our income tax.But it isn’t hard to detect Satan’s oversight when itcomes to addictions. The bondage, lies, and accusationsare blatant.
The kingdom of God, that Jesus inaugurated, over-powers the kingdom of Satan. At one time, all peoplewere easy prey, susceptible to Satan’s devices. But now“the prince of this world” stands condemned (John16:11) before Christ. He cannot dominate Christ orthose who have His Spirit.
Scripture warns us to be alert to Satan, stressing thatwe can “be strong in the Lord and in His mightypower” and we can “stand against the devil’s schemes”(Eph. 6:10,11). We can “resist him, standing firm in thefaith” (1 Pet. 5:9). Even more, we can resist him and hewill flee from us (James 4:7). Jesus has ushered in a newera in which Satan no longer has the power to blind thenations.
This changes the way we do battle. Instead ofassuming that the battle will be lost, instead of just try-ing to last long enough to slow the inevitable onslaughtof the enemy, in Christ we have been promised victory.We are given all the resources of Jesus Christ in ourfight. The battle is waged with the passion of an armythat knows the momentum has shifted. The fightingmay be fierce, but those who know they can and willwin can fight with abandon.
Satan tries to accuse us, suggesting that with everysingle slip we make, we are condemned. His goal is totake us out of the battle, incapacitated by despair. Likean enemy using false propaganda to demoralize its foe,Satan will tell us that we have been abandoned by thecommanding officer. Addicts are easy prey for suchaccusations and lies.
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Progressive Sanctification
There is pride, arrogance, and an unwillingness tohear counsel among addicts, but “high-handed” prideis not the only feature of addictions. There is also asense of hopelessness and uselessness. Addicts feel likethey are getting what they deserve. Of course, even thisdespair can be used as an excuse for continuing theiraddiction, but it is also what they genuinely feel. Everyaddict lives with the experience of inner condemnation.Change will not take place under a load of guilt and
condemnation, so Scripture invites us to the grace thatcomes from God through faith (Eph. 2:8).
Grace communicates two important truths. Firstand most importantly, it reveals the character of God.God delights in showing grace to those who turn toHim. God is one who surprises us in His eagerness toshow grace.
Second, grace says something about us. It says thatwe can’t pay God back for our sins against Him. Scrip-ture has clear teaching about restitution: if you sinagainst someone, you pay that person back, plus a fine.This, however, only works in human transactions. Ifyou steal someone’s bike, you repay a bike and more.We cannot, however, repay God. Grace reminds us thatwhat we could not repay, Christ Himself paid on ourbehalf. Contrary to what many think, when we see oursin clearly, as the rebellion against God that Scripturesays it is, it actually leads to greater joy.
Two men owed money to a certain moneylen-der. One owed him five hundred denarii, andthe other fifty. Neither of them had the money topay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both.Now which of them will love him more? (Luke7:41,42)
To receive grace is to acknowledge that we do nothave righteousness within ourselves. The humaninstinct is to choose to be miserable and full of self-loathing as a way to do penance before God. This istypical of many addictive cycles. The world avoids anydiscussion of sin because it does not know the astound-ing grace of God. We can admit sin because we confessgrace in Jesus.
Sin Is No Longer Our Master
A weak and limited view of grace assumes that we
have to pay God back for some of our sins. The oppo-site misunderstanding of God’s grace assumes thatgrace frees us so that we can do what we want. But weare either mastered by our desires (and Satan) or byChrist. We were bought out of slavery at the greatestcost possible. We were not set free to serve ourselvesbut to serve and love the living God.
“Everything is permissible for me” – but not every-thing is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me” –but I will not be mastered by anything. (1 Cor. 6:12)
Our freedom is intended to lead us into morewholehearted service of Christ, not into license to satis-fy our own desires. Knowing our penchant to twistGod’s truth into something self-serving, the apostlePaul reminds us that freedom can quickly drift intolicense, and license leads to slavery. He urges us not tobe mastered by our appetites. Why? Because we werenot freed from sin to pursue our own desires, whichsimply enslave us again. Instead, “you are not yourown, you were bought with a price. Therefore, honorGod with your body” (1 Cor. 6:19,20).
The reason we can fight with confidence against oursinful desires is that we belong to the One who is right-eous. Sin no longer has the right to tell us what to do.
Tempted but without Sin
The freedom and power not to sin does not meanwe get a heaven on earth. Even though sin is no longerthe master of those who put their faith in Jesus Christ,the conglomerate of sin, Satan, and the world wants usback. Temptations will continue. In fact, God Himselfallows temptations.
Temptations know where we live, how we go towork, and what we do on weekends. Even if we don’tbeckon them, they still know where to find us. Forthose who have wrestled with food, drugs, sex, or alco-hol, there are ways to avoid old haunts, but nearlyevery nook and cranny of life will contain somereminder of the previous obsession.
It is the ongoing saga of the Serpent in the Garden.You walk along, minding your own business, whentemptation appears from the most unlikely source. Youhave distanced yourself from old drinking buddies,bars, certain parties, and places where you might “coin-cidentally” run into a drug supplier, but who couldanticipate the article in the paper, the song on the radio,the sudden emergence of a good memory or a bad one?When a serpent comes across your path speaking lies,you must either run from it or kill it. Don’t sit aroundfor a friendly chat.
Addictive sin doesn’t just show up and dominateyou. It sneaks in quietly. It gently appeals to your imag-ination. It shows the best commercial you will ever see,
The reason we can fight with confidenceagainst our sinful desires is that we belongto the One who is righteous.
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falsely advertising itself in such a way that you areamazed that you have been able to live without it. Thisis where the battle is fought.
When temptations come, live mindfully. Look pastthe façade of temporary pleasure and notice the smellof death that goes with it. If the temptation hooks yourdesires, go public. Confess it to a friend, confess it to theLord, get other people praying for you, ask for counselthat helps you to see that the Serpent is dangerous.Above all, remember that God’s promises and com-mands are good. They are intended to bless us.
Notice the strong and pleading exhortations to usfrom Scripture.
You were once darkness, but now you are lightin the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruitof the light consists in all goodness, righteous-ness, and truth) and find out what pleases theLord. Have nothing to do with fruitless deeds ofdarkness, but rather expose them....Be verycareful, then, how you live—not as unwise butas wise, making the most of every opportunity.(Eph. 5:8-15)
Why would God allow temptations? They aredivine testings that reveal our hearts. Isn’t it true thatwe really don’t know ourselves until we are put to thetest? Our advocate, Jesus Christ, was successful in Histime of testing. By faith we have His record rather thanour own (Matt. 4:1-11). Jesus is sympathetic to the test-ing and external temptations we face daily. He knowsprecisely what it is like. As a result, Scripture empha-sizes that Jesus is eager to give grace and mercy duringthose times of special need (Heb. 4:15-16). God’s Wordcould not be clearer: there is no temptation that can leadus irresistibly into sin.
From Affection to Affliction
How long do we fight? We fight against the desiresthat wage war in our soul throughout our entire lives.This is the normal Christian life. It ends when we havebeen fully made perfect either through death or Jesus’return. In the same way that there are steps into addic-tion, there are steps out of it.
With regard to addictive sins, the sanctificationprocess often loosely follows this pattern. At first, theungodly desires are affections or cravings. We cannotunderstand how we could live without them. Since weknow that they are attractive to us, we make clear plansto separate ourselves from any external temptations,because we know that we are vulnerable.
As the battle is waged, the focus is increasingly ourown heart more than the external barriers we haveerected to protect us. We commit ourselves to becomingruthless with our covetous imaginations. As we do,
those objects that were once affections gradually feelmore and more like afflictions. We still notice ourheart’s desire for the past idols, but these desires feellike a nagging salesperson more than an object of greatlove. We wish the desire would disappear but it stilloccasionally shows up. When we encounter it, wegroan, anticipating the day when we will be fully per-fected.
This is the course of progressive sanctification. Aswith a young child, growth is not always apparent overa twenty-four hour period, although careful observersmight notice daily changes in vocabulary and interests.
What about those who seem to be stuck or regress-ing? For example, what if the addict is caught returning
to his addiction? Is this just one of the predictable slipsin the sanctification process? Or is it evidence that theperson craves the darkness of the addiction and is onceagain actively worshiping an idol? We can’t reallyknow at the time. But there is enough that we do know.Both the means of escape from bondage and the way toget up after a slip are the same. Repent, remember whoGod is and what He has done in Christ, learn about ourhearts’ vulnerabilities, and get help to revise our strate-gies for battle. If the person is unwilling to participatein a wise plan, then don’t hesitate. Introduce whateverconsequences are appropriate—with the goal being torescue rather than condemn.
If someone has turned to Christ, really seems tohave engaged in the battle, yet change seems slow, sitdown and review the strategies for growth and change.Are they clear? Does he feel like he needs more helpthan he has been given? Does she still believe lies aboutGod? Does guilt control him? If the person is truly will-ing to change, and if this desire is rooted in a growingfear of the Lord, God’s power is certainly able to trans-form. If transformation is not evident in the same way,however faltering, the problem is either in the heart ofthe struggling person or in the lack of suitable help inthe body of Christ.
Telling addicts to fight is like telling very anxiouspeople to calm down: it might be good advice but itgoes against everything in them. Addicts have beenrunning from things that were hard—and towardsthings that felt good. Now we say, “Fight.” It is not that
We fight against the desires that wage war in our soul throughoutour entire lives.
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simple, of course. Such a lifestyle change will take timeto develop.
This section began with words from Jesus. If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cutit off and throw it away. It is better for you toenter life maimed or crippled than to have twohands or two feet and be thrown into eternalfire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge itout and throw it away. It is better for you toenter life with one eye than to have two eyes andbe thrown into the fire of hell. (Matt. 18:8,9)
In comparison with this, are your methods of wagingwar quite tame? If so, it is because you think you arefighting with a friend. You don’t have the heart for it.Are you afraid to fight the way Jesus teaches you for
fear that you will no longer have addictions as an insur-ance policy, as something that is there “just in case”?The addiction is in fact your deadly enemy. And God isyour friend, who gives pleasures that last and light thatonly gets brighter.
How priceless is Your unfailing love! Both highand low among men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance ofYour house; You give them drink from Yourriver of delights. For with You is the fountain oflife; in Your light we see light. (Ps. 36:7-9)Addictions promise pleasures, but end in agonies.Learn to fight, and you will experience the pains of bat-
tle, but end up with delights!
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