If you are a believer, God wants to break all chains of addiction in your life. Jesus came to set the captives free, restoring complete liberty to eeach person trapped in a lifestyle of sin or a cycle of compulsive harmful behaviour.
John 8.36 tells us that “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” This is not some partial relief, but a complete turnaround. Sometimes God can deliver us instantly but more often than not it is a process. This is because the Lord is more interested in who we are becoming as one of His disciples than us receiving a ‘quick fix’.
Freedom easily won may be quickly lost, so embrace these seven steps, building one upon the other and you will see chains of addiction fall off you, no matter what life-controlling issue or sin you are struggling to put behind you. This isn’t of course an exhaustive list, however it will certainly get you started on your road to freedom.
Chains of addiction are broken in Jesus Name
1. Repent of your sin – the road to recovery from chains of addiction begins with acknowledging that you are an addict, or in bondage to something. Very often this is because we have opened doors to the evil one. We have given him a legal right to operate in our lives and the authority to enslave us.
When we acknowledge our sin and repent, we submit ourselves to God and give Him permission to start working in our lives to bring freedom. Where we have sown many seeds of destruction that will cause weeds to grow in our lives, repentance is like a weedkiller that puts us on a new fresh path where we are no longer strangled by the things that have led us astray.
2. Speak the name of Jesus – The Bible tells us that there is no other name by which people can be saved but by the name of Jesus. It is the most powerful name of all. It is the name that causes demons to leave. It is the name that mobilises armies of angels to come to our rescue.
How well do we know the scripture, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”? Yes, this pertains to our eternal salvation but it also applies to each and every situation where we need God’s help. For example, I was once in a car accident with an out-of-control vehicle heading towards me. All I had time to say was “JESUS, JESUS, JESUS”. Thankfully the impact happened directly behind me, narrowly missing me. There is so much power in the name of Jesus. Use it to break every chain.
3. Renew your mind – As the saying goes, “Garbage in, garbage out!” If we have spent years putting garbage into our minds it may take as long to change our way of thinking. God’s Word is the only thing that cleanses us and we need to read it and replace our addictive thoughts with scriptures that inspire us towards godly living.
Romans 12:1-2 instructs us not to conform to the ways of the world, but to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. We are called to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. Sin stems from rebellion against God and our sacrifice to Him is the exact opposite of that. Renewing your mind is all about discovering the promises of God in His Word and speaking them over your life, rather than letting your mind agree with all the negative accusations the enemy will bring.
Once your mind is renewed you will start to tell yourself the truth and align your thinking with God’s thoughts about you which is transformational.
4. Fast – Jesus said that some spiritual conditions can only be turned around through fasting. God delivered me overnight from smoking years ago, but when it comes to overeating I’ve had to learn to live ‘a fasted life’. It’s obvious, what we feed grows and what we starve dies. Sometimes we have to cut off certain things, separate ourselves from people who hold us back and avoid particular places that perpetuate a weakness.
Fasting is not just about what we eat, it can be about denying ourselves things we know will cause us to stumble. I sometimes do a liquid fast for three days and I feel the supernatural power of God sustaining me. I’m all too aware that I could never do this in my own strength and I encourage you to try fasting and see what God supernaturally accomplishes in your life.
5. Pray and Worship – Prayer is simply communicating with God, telling Him your deepest thoughts, including confessing your weaknesses. He knows them anyway, but this builds spiritual intimacy. Run to God every time you mess up, don’t run away from Him. And, remember when you have a setback you don’t go all the way back to square one, you can pick yourself up and get back on track. Through prayer, you can learn to come alongside God and walk in His strength to break chains of addiction.
Worship is a crucial factor in finding your freedom as it removes earthly idols from your life and their power to keep you in bondage. As you praise and worship the One true God you put Jesus on the throne of your life. You give Him your whole house rather than just a couple of rooms. Creating a worship playlist can also be an ongoing safeguard as God inhabits the praises of His People. Flood your life and home with worship.
6. Be on the alert – Look out for situations that could take you back into your addiction. We all have triggers and it’s important to know what your triggers are and avoid them. Watching Christian media is a great way you can learn to live above temptation. It also helps to connect with the testimonies of others who have learned to walk in victory.
Consider the first hand accounts of others who have been delivered from all kinds of addiction. This could be anything ranging from alcoholism to pornography, drugs or other life-controlling issues. Some have been able to turn away from an unwanted same-sex attraction, others have broken free from fear and anxiety. Trust God to meet you where you are at. Let Him break off your chains of addiction and turn your situation around just as He has done for many others.
7. Have a vision. Discover what God has called you to do. See fulfilling your calling as infinitely greater than wallowing around in your addiction. As the song suggests, trade in your sorrows, trade in your shame. Lay them down for the joy of the Lord. As Jim Elliot says “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
As you follow these steps God will reveal your life purpose to you. It is only in fulfilling His calling that you will experience the greatest joys in life. The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied. Satisfaction comes as a byproduct of working out God’s purpose and vision for your life. Live a life of purpose as you listen to the Voice of God, your inner coach.
Never give up hope
We serve the God of all hope, full of mercy and compassion. We as believers will always face temptation, but God promises us He will always make a way out. Let’s give up the things that hold us back, break chains of addiction and embrace all God has for us.
Al Gibson
Wordsmith, overcomer and exhorter. Al has a degree in Journalism and Media Studies and years of communications experience in Africa, the UK, Israel and USA. He left South Africa in 2001 and worked for GOD TV in England for 18 years. He now heads up Countdown Creative, a content creation business in Exeter. Al is the author of three biographies. Blogs he writes for include GODTV.com; International Christian and UK and US Christian.
