JN 8:11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

We can get so used to practicing things in the wrong way that it eventually seems like the right way to us, so when we try to recover from addiction we are lacking the skills of knowing how to do things the right way and we fail. When God tells us to do things the right way whether we feel like it, or even understand it, there is a good reason for this. He knows that if we just do it the right way whether we get it or not, that it will begin to systematically cancel out the habit of the wrong way in us, and automatically begin training us in the right way. It may feel unreasonable for God to tell us to just quit something cold turkey, but He knows that is the only way to retrain us out of the wrong way. Doing right kills doing wrong.

JN 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

So you see, God is not being unfair or cruel at all when He tells us to abruptly stop doing the wrong thing, because he knows that is the only way that we will learn the right way. He knows that we feel like we truly need the wrong way to survive life's pain, but He also knows that is a lie, and that the only way to counteract the wrong behavior of the lie is to practice the right behavior of the truth. You don't need to feel like it or understand it, you just need to do it and you will get it later on when you are fully free. Suppose we are viewing porn and we want to get free; we will only succeed if we stop doing the lie and start doing the truth about proper sexual creation when we are tempted. We need to feed the truth, and starve the lie.

JOS 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Sometimes you just have to do things afraid and trust that God knows what you are going through, and that He will be strong through you. We get so used to the false security of having our addiction available and nearby to run to when we experience harm or fear, that the idea of it suddenly not being there can seem unnerving. But the truth is, that addiction never protected anyone from anything, and it actually creates the very trouble we are trying to avoid with it. When you train yourself to face and do things while you are still afraid it will show you that all your fears were actually unfounded and the power of that fear will die off. It is actually true that the only thing that we have to fear is fear itself, because God is with us.

2CO 2:9 The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.

So I just want to encourage you today that even though you may not feel like quitting your addiction or understand exactly why you should, if you just obey God and do it now you will understand it in time when you are set free by forcing yourself to walk in the truth. I used to think that God just didn't understand my need to do certain things, and to me I truly needed my addictions in my life in order to control things around me and to protect and provide for myself. But I have had to since relearn that God does in fact understand perfectly, and that is why He tells us to just quit and we'll understand it later. So if you have been stuck in your addiction, then just quit by faith and you will get it in good time when you are fully free of it.

1PE 1:14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."