Giving Your Addiction An Inch
by Lonnie Mackley
PR 26:11 As a
dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.
You've heard the expression, "Give it an inch and it will take a mile".
Well when we play around even a little with an addiction after we've quit then rest assured it will demand more and more
from us until we've fully relapsed once again. Old habits die hard, but they do die if we are willing to refuse to keep
feeding on the lies that fuel it. We have trained our brain to live on the lie, now we must retrain it to walk in the truth in
order be free. Being aware of the lie that was fueling our addiction, and God's truth about that
same area of life can help us to stay free when we are tempted to return to it. Evil spirits of addiction will always
make sure that some new temptation is available just around the corner if you're willing to take the bait when you are bored
or in pain, and go searching after some new destructive pleasure fix.
MT 5:28 But
I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
As an example, if you are trying to quit a porn addiction then you must
first accept the truth that God created humans to only have sex with their spouse in order to have mutual pleasure, create
marital intimacy, and to have children. Anything beyond this definition is error and sexual perversion and must be rejected.
Avoid mixing mental lust with a physical pleasure (like masturbation) because it greatly reinforces the power of the
addiction. Use scriptures like the one above and know that if you return to porn you will be guilty of actual adultery
and be judged for it before God when you die. Be aware that when you view a nude body you are actually looking
after something that God made. Verbally renounce and repent of the addiction and bind up any evil spirits that have had
any rights to keep tempting you.
MT 4:4 Jesus answered,
"It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes
from the mouth of God.' "
Use God's word the bible and speak it out verbally when you are tempted
just like Jesus did in the above scripture. Jesus always used the truth to combat a satanic lie when facing temptation
and you must do the same thing in order to live free. Drag your problem into the light by being accountable to someone
that you can trust not to gossip or lead you astray. Starve the lie to death by just not doing it or feeding it,
and in time the lie will lose its power over you, and then you and God will be in control once again. After you quit
replace the wrong way of meeting your need with the right way of meeting your need because needs do not go away
just because your addiction does. Addiction acts like your best friend, but it's actually your worst enemy, so refuse
to give it even one more inch in your life and be free.
1JN 1:7 But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies
us from all sin.
