I am not an expert in the field of addiction, and the following is my opinion only. I absolutely believe recovery is possible. However, that does not mean the temptation will go away. And, I mean this for all addictions. Understanding Christianity is the easy part; but, I'll tell you, anyone who claims living the life of a Christian is easy, doesn't fully understand what God demands from us. Letting the Holy Spirit into our hearts, learning to pay attention, and living the life God wants us to live is quite an accomplishment; so much so, that it is impossible. But, we can get better and better each day at it. We are all sinners; we're imperfect. But, that's no excuse to not try to do better. Addiction is a sign, a symptom. It shows us that we are still living the way we want to live, not the way God already has planned for each and every one of us.
I have always believed in Jesus Christ, but I never fully understood what it really meant to be a Christian until I had to overcome my own addictions several years ago. It meant living by Gods will, not my own. I also learned that my drug addiction was only one of many problems; or, rather, signs that I wasn't living out God's Will for me. Letting go of that control we so desperately cling to, and submitting to God is one of the most difficult things we have to do as Christians. Like I said, addiction is just a sign that we have not done that. But, we have to. We really have to, or we could end up jeopardizing everything, even our salvation. Just as we can accept Jesus, we can also reject him. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we have to protect that commitment. And, there is nothing greater that Satan would love than for us to worship him and turn away from Jesus.
The temptations never go away, but I become stronger through my personal relationship with God. Everyone is tempted by different things; whatever and however the devil can get to us. He waits, and takes advantage of our every weakness. But, when we are strong, neither the devil nor his demons can win in spiritual warfare. They are not strong enough to defeat Christians prepared to face them...and, they know it; and, they are afraid of us. That's why they wait until we are weak.
Again, I am not an expert. These are my opinions only, and do not necessarily reflect the ULC or anyone else.
In Humble Servitude,
Pastor Jason
