Spiritual codependency is very similar to regular codependency (actually it is part of it) where the codependent person is influenced by and made a slave of the spiritual environment around them. You see, human and non-human spirits can influence others around them spiritually and if someone is either fearfully codependent to those around them, or if they are being influenced by an evil spirit, they can mistake this influence as either coming from inside themselves or God, when in fact it is coming from a source on the outside that we must refuse and resist.

Many of us as children had a controlling person around us keeping us fearfully jumping to their every whim so we learned to become very receptive spiritually to monitor their moods to protect ourselves and anticipate their needs so that we would not be attacked by them. If you have ever been in the room with a really angry person that is not saying anything, you can still feel their spiritual emanation influencing the room even though they are silent. This is not New Age philosophy, but rather the basics of how spiritual mechanics work. Moods and feelings can be emanated to those around us, especially if we have a strong spiritual connection with them like in a marriage or between a parent and a child, or with our siblings or friends.

This spiritual codependency has also left us very receptive to evil spirits that try to push us to gratify their sinful desires through us with addictions and sexual immorality, so we must learn to recognize if a spirit is trying to bully us spiritually to practice addiction and refuse it. If we mistake this spirit's pressure as us, we can give in to what we mistakenly think is our own thinking when it is not. Non-codependents have learned to think for themselves and although a spirit may push them to sin they just decide for themselves to accept or refuse the temptation. A spiritual codependent is afraid to resist that pressure to sin because they want to keep things peaceful in order to protect themselves and keep things in a safe state of peace.

These evil spirits pressured us as children to do things that were really not originating from us but we have felt guilty for many years over some of the strange, evil, perverted things that we did because of their influence. It is time to say no to pushy spirits and to make your own choices. We must learn to refuse what we don't want in our lives and what God has clearly stated is unacceptable. Ask the Holy Spirit today to help you to overcome all spiritual codependency and He will be faithful to begin showing you what is you, and what may be coming from somewhere else. We don't need to be looking for a demon around every corner, but we must understand that we live in a spiritual as well as a physical world and that we need to be able to deal with both worlds effectively. I have listed a couple prayers to pray below to push back spirits that may come to tempt or intimidate you in order to control you.

If you are tied unhealthily to a controlling person, then you can pray this prayer.

"In the name of Jesus Christ I just break all spiritual ties, ungodly control, intimidation, and influence coming from ____________ (Fill in the controlling persons name). I command the portion of their spirit that has been influencing me to return to them, and I command the portion of my spirit that has been tied to them to return to me. I ask God that you would build a spiritual wall between me and _________ , and that you would help me to have a spiritually healthy relationship with them from now on. In Jesus name I pray, amen". (This is a good prayer to pray after a divorce as well, since we may still be spiritually tied to our ex-spouse).

If you are tied to, or you are being influenced or pressured by an evil spirit then you can pray this prayer.

"I just command the spirit of ___________ (The name of an evil spirit is always its nature like lust, drunkenness, addiction, smoking, sexual perversion, pornography, masturbation, etc. Just name it by what it is trying to pressure you to do) to be bound in the name of Jesus Christ from trying to harm, hinder, harass, tempt, or influence me in any way in the name of Jesus Christ. I repent of all sin that has given this spirit any place or rights in my life, and I ask that you would forgive me God for all sin that I have committed in this area. I command this spirit to be bound and to be banished now from my life forever. In Jesus name I pray, amen".

Remember, we cannot use the excuse that "The devil made me do it" in the end, God will hold us all accountable for our individual actions and choices, but we can learn to recognize when we are being spiritually influenced from the outside and learn to say no to this influence. This will be critical in your recovery from addiction since there is always some spirit looking for a body to gratify its evil desires through. You have the choice to choose now, you no longer have to obey any other spirit than God's Spirit, He created you to know Him and to fellowship with Him alone spiritually. Trust God to protect you as you strip the rights away from other spiritual influencers, and trust Him to lead you through this process of getting rid of and staying free from all ungodly spiritual influences. Pray, worship, and read the bible every day to stay filled up on the right thing, so that the wrong things find no place left in you should they return.