Overcoming the Lie with the Truth
by Lonnie Mackley
JN 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free.
Most of the time our addiction is a lie that is being mixed and reinforced with some
form of mental, spiritual, and/or especially physical pleasure. Because of this it can make letting go of an addiction very
difficult indeed. As an example, using porn which is a lie (sexual abuse and misuse) and masturbation (a physical pleasure),
works on our brain and strengthens its power over us each time that we do it. Plus it also strengthens an evil spirits control over
us as our heart and will progressively surrenders to the addiction's and the demons' domination.
Another thing is we as recovering people are normally carrying around a lot of pain
already that we are constantly trying to relieve with some form of pleasure. We may have chemical imbalances which keep our
bodies in a constant state of distress and discomfort, plus there is usually a lot of emotional damage and fear that we are trying
to keep numbed all the time. Addiction also creates more and more pain as it destroys our life, so the more pain we try to
relieve with excess pleasure, the more pain we are actually creating and needing to relieve.
So is there a way out of this downward spiral of pain and addiction? Yes there is, it's
called the truth. The only way to stop walking in a lie is to learn, embrace, and walk in the truth of how God originally
created things, and in how we should experience pleasure and pain relief. We must learn to tell ourselves the truth about
what God has said about how we are to meet our needs properly. Rather than always turning to destructive pleasure when
we are in need, we must learn to go to God and ask Him to fulfill us in healthy and spiritually correct
ways.
1PE 5:7 Cast all your anxiety
on him because he cares for you.
We were born to need what only God can truly give, so we must take our cares and needs
to Him rather than to addiction in order to meet them. Trying to meet needs with addiction is like trying to drink
salty water out of a glass with a big hole in it. In the end you just end up more thirsty and desperate for more water
to try to satisfy your thirst. Meeting your needs according to God's truth does satisfy your needs in the right ways.
If you want to keep trying to meet your needs in wrong ways that don't work, then you will just create a
greater need.
One of our biggest problems as addicted people is that we have been severely hurt in
life so we have learned to trust in nobody but ourselves to meet our needs. But God designed life to be "interdependent" not
independent, so if you are trying to meet all of your needs by yourself it won't work, and you will likely just become
an idolater (someone that uses fake gods to meet needs that only the real God can meet). We must ask and trust God to
heal and restore our trust once again, and trust Him to be in control of uncontrollable situations
Use sex for mutual marital intimacy, pleasure, and procreation. Use drugs only if you
have a legitimate problem that warrants it. Use food as a tasty fuel, use your computer and TV for information, communication,
and entertainment; but meet all of your other needs through the spiritually legal channels that God provides by praying, reading
your bible, worshiping, and fellowshipping with and serving others. When you are in need, or are tempted to relapse use the
truth of God's word to overcome the lie. The truth, plus God, always equals gratification.
PS 107:9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
