Addiction and Evil Spirits

When we talk about addiction, we need to cover all aspects of it as well as the spiritual side concerning how evil spirits may influence our addiction. Now I want to be careful and to just give you the facts because you have probably heard the expression "The devil made me do it", well the devil cannot make anyone do anything, and the most he can do is tempt us and then take advantage of us should we take the bait. When we practice an addiction long or often enough an evil spirit may get power and control over us simply because we are feeding its lusts through us, and it then receives spiritual rights to be involved in our life due to our actions. When we practice an addiction it is always progressive so the more we feed it, the stronger it will get.

I want to make sure that you understand that we are not talking about the Exorcist here, and you will most likely not be fully taken over by a spirit where you have no control over what you do. But spirits can oppress you and push you to gratify their lusts through you to the point that it can be almost maddening. A spirit gets attached to you and just wants to feel the addiction it craves flowing through your body. Plus demons get more power and authority with the more humans it destroys, so for them it is a win-win situation. For you, it just becomes an obsession and slavery to an addiction that seems impossible to get rid of. Each spirit has it's own character like the spirit of addiction, or the spirit of pornography, or smoking. Its name is its nature.

Now, before you freak out I just want you to know that you can be free from the power of evil spirits of addiction. One way is to take away it's landing strip by healing the old emotional pain and eliminating the need for the pain relievers, another way is to starve the spirit out by simply refusing to practice the addiction. The third way is by having someone pray for you to be set free from these spirits or by praying for yourself. It may help to fast a little before you clean your spiritual house so to speak, but it is not a requirement. If the spirit has gotten a strong hold on you it may take a few strong believers to lay hands on you and drive the thing out. This can be quite an experience, but the spirit is just a spiritual infestation that needs to be evicted.

MK 16:17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

The way that evil spirits are driven out and away from a human is by the power of the name of Jesus Christ and faith. Demons are like spiritual cockroaches and they are attracted to the garbage of our sin. God gave Jesus full authority over all evil spirits, so when we use His name to drive them out then we have the legal right to evict them. But you must do this in faith and believe that God will help you. After I had been involved with heavy addiction for so long the Lord led me to go through a deliverance from demons. It wasn't pretty or fun to undergo, but it was necessary. You wouldn't leave cancer in your body, so neither should you leave the spiritual cancer of evil spirits in your life pushing you to return to your sin. Just pray for God to show you the right time for a deliverance session and He will help you. God will set you free.


LK 11:24 (Jesus speaking) "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, `I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."



Also, be sure that you really want to be free from your addiction before you try to evict anything that may be driving your obsession. Otherwise you may be in even a worse situation with evil spirits than before. Remember, you have the ability to say no to anything. If you went to church and someone told you to take off your clothes would you? No you wouldn't, because you would just refuse. Nobody can force you to do anything, the choice has been yours all along. Likewise, nobody can force you to practice addiction, it has been your choice as well, but usually there does need to be some healing to get rid of the old unhealed pain, and there may need to be some deliverance from evil spirits for you to truly get free from the inside out. God will help you with everything at the right time, so trust Him to deliver you from evil spirits.



Here is a prayer you can pray for yourself or others to get rid of all evil spirits;


"Lord God, I repent of my sin that has allowed any evil spirit to have power over me in any way, and I renounce any and all sin that I have ever committed that has attracted any demonic activity in my life. Now in the name of Jesus Christ, I command any and all evil spirits to be bound and to be banished from my life forever. I apply the blood of Jesus Christ upon my body, spirit, soul, and mind, and also upon my home and everything in it. I thank you Lord Jesus for setting me free from the power of evil spirits, and I ask that you would now fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name I pray, amen".



* NOTE; It also may help to get extra assistance from a fellow Christian that you know deals with deliverance ministry. Also it will help to get rid of anything in the house that has been connected to your addiction, because it is a landing strip (a volition of will) for them the spirits to return. Below is a guide that lists the different stages of spiritual bondage.



A person can deliver self from the following:

Regression . . . going backward in spiritual growth and power.Repression . . . fear, ignorance, or indifference keep knowledge of demons hidden. Satan steals your joy. (Within).Suppression . . . listless, inactive, disinterested. Suppression of feelings. (Without).Depression . . . broken spirit . . . inactivity.Oppression . . . weigh you down with something you are not able to carry. Disease is a weapon of oppression.


At this stage the person will need help from another with deliverance:



Obsession . . . changes the mind (black is white, straight is crooked). Comes through believing a lie, jealousy, hatred. No will power.Possession . . . no mind of your own. Seen often as insanity.

More scriptures to help you;


LK 4:33 In the synagogue (This was someone who went to church) there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

LK 4:35 "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.

LK 4:36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.


MK 9:23 " `If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

MK 9:24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

MK 9:25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

MK 9:26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

Coping With Rejection

Will I experience rejection after I become a Christian?

Yes - the Bible teaches that as a Christian, you will be rejected and persecuted by the world. Our example, Jesus Christ, was rejected by many during His time here on earth. He was rejected by:

His family (John 7:3-5; 1 Cor. 15:7).

His neighbors and friends (Mark 6:1-6).

The religious leaders (Matthew 12:14; Matthew 23).

His own people, the Jews (John 8:48-59).

His disciples (John 6:53-66; Matthew 26:56).

Sharing Christ’s Suffering. Jesus taught His followers that they would be rejected just as He himself was rejected (Matthew 10:24,25; John 15:18-21).

What are some general principles for coping with rejection?

Understand the true nature of rejection. Often the rejection that comes from believing in Christ is of a very personal nature. It feels as though you are being rejected for who you are as a person and it can be very painful. But it’s important to remember that ultimately it is Christ they are rejecting. You are being rejected only because you have chosen to follow Him (John 15:19; Acts 7:51-60). Remember what Ephesians 6:11-12 says—our real enemy is Satan.

Recognize you are not alone. Rejection can leave you feeling very isolated. But you should be aware of the fact that you are not the only one who has experienced rejection. As you have seen above, Jesus went through the same kind of pain. Notice what He said you should keep in mind when being rejected (Matthew 5:12). God will be with you (Hebrews 13:5). There is comfort in knowing that no matter how many others may reject you, God will never leave you.

Keep the goal in sight. The verse you just read gives another principle for coping with rejection

- remember your reward! (Matthew 5:11-12; 19:27-30; Luke 6:35; Philippians 3:8). God has promised to reward those who are faithful in spite of rejection and persecution (Hebrews 11:24-26). Also, remember what you were saved from (Matthew 16:24-26). The road to eternal life may be difficult, but the alternative is eternal death.

Pray for those who reject you (Matthew 5:44). Our attitudes and actions should imitate Christ. His own example was that he prayed for those who were killing him (Luke 23:34).

Find acceptance and friendship with your new family. As a Christian, you have a new family—the Church. Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 12:46-50. The church has a responsibility to reach out to new believers and befriend them. As a new convert, you should show yourself friendly and respond when people extend friendship in your direction.

What should I do if my spouse rejects me?

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 and 1 Peter 3:1-2 give advice on how you should handle being rejected by a spouse:

 If the unbelieving spouse rejects you completely and wants to leave the marriage, let them leave. If they remain unmarried, your desire should be for their salvation and for the restoration of your marriage relationship. If they marry someone else, you are no longer bound to them.

If the unbelieving spouse is willing to live with you, remain with them. God does not want you to divorce your spouse simply because you are now a Christian. Be willing to endure persecution from them with a Christ-like attitude.

As you remain in the relationship, live in such a way that your conduct will witness to them and they may be won without a word being spoken.

In extreme cases where the physical safety of your life/body may be threatened, separate from your spouse but do not pursue other relationships (1 Corinthians 6:19). Your prayer should be for their salvation and for the restoration of your marriage relationship.

What should I do if my family/parents reject me?

If you are young and still living under your parent’s care, you should remain submissive to them and show them respect in spite of their rejection. Be mighty through God in prayer. Many of the principles we looked at in the case of a rejecting spouse can also apply for rejecting parents (e.g. live in such a way that your good behavior is a witness to them).

If you have a family of your own, you may find it necessary to create boundaries to protect yourself and your children. Many times you may discover unbelieving grandparents encouraging your children to do things you forbid or being a bad influence on them (either by lifestyle or speech). In such cases you should be as kind and respectful as you can while still maintaining your own standards.

What should I do if my friends reject me?

In some cases such rejection may be a good thing (because those friends would only be a bad influence—1 Corinthians 15:33). Indeed, some friends may need to be rejected by you as their friendship can only lead to trouble (1 Peter 4:3-5).

If some of your friends respect your faith in Christ, you should remain friends with them and seek to win them to Christ. Prayer is your best weapon here; be firm but sensitive to when they need space/time to think about what you have said.

Turn to the church. As a Christian, you have a new family in the church. It is your responsibility to involve yourself as much as possible in the many activities available. Show yourself friendly.

Boyfriend/girlfriend (2 Corinthians 6:14). You may find yourself in a position where you have been saved but the person you are dating is still a sinner. In such a case, I advise you to be truthful and straightforward about the change in your life. It may be that you will win them to Christ. If they reject Christ and tell you that they will not continue the relationship unless you

give up your faith, you must be ready to break off the relationship. This can be a very difficult and painful experience. But remember, God will reward you for putting Him above all others!

What is going on in the minds of those who reject me?

It is helpful to understand what is going on in the minds of those who reject you. Often you are so focused on how you are being treated that you are unaware of how your faith affects others. Consider this:

 
Conviction. The change in the heart and life of a new convert is a tremendous source of conviction to their friends and family. Most sinners have some awareness that what they are doing is wrong. Your life serves to amplify this awareness and intensify their feelings of guilt. In a sense, you are making them miserable (actually it is their own stubbornness and rebellion but they will see you as the root case) (2 Corinthians 2:15,16).

Light provokes sin. The Bible teaches that when light and truth are focused on the sinful heart, it provokes more sin (Romans 7:8). Your good example will serve to inspire sin in those rejecting you so don’t be surprised if they become even worse than they were.

 
Justification. Sinners are constantly trying to justify their attitudes and actions to themselves and others in an attempt to ward off the feelings of guilt they have for their sin. You may find them trying to justify themselves to you.

Persecution. Many times the one rejecting you may persecute you hoping you will respond in kind—if you do, it will make them feel better to know you are really no different than they are. If you don’t, you will convict them all the more.

© 2009 Nathan E. Brown