No More Idols! 

          Overcoming the stronghold of Addictions:  MAIN HEALING LESSON 22

This teaching on overcoming addictions and compulsions is just one of the 24 lessons in our workbook for personal transformation, "Matters of the Heart."  All 24 lessons will be helpful to the person seeking restoration and freedom and have been posted on this web site. They are available as a complete set in our workbook which can be purchased as a download or ordered through the mail. The lessons are also available on CD and DVD as 24, 1/2 hour teachings. All scriptures are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.
 

Introduction  

In the previous lessons on strongholds we examined each one in its uniqueness. With this lesson we will explore the common elements that constitute their binding power. For although this is a lesson focused upon addictions, it actually applies to anything in life that we can’t “just say no to.” And that is because the ground beneath the cross is level. People with addictions are not a special class of sinners. All of us have been badly broken by the Fall and need to be saved and mended by the love and mercy of God. The root issues are the same for all of us. The path of redemption and restoration is also the same. We must all learn to value the Lord above everything else and choose to have no more idols that take His rightful place in our hearts and in our lives.

A wider term for addictions
Narrowly defined addictions have to do with substance abuse; a wider term for addictions, one that is Biblical, is a besetting sin. The besetting sin is the sin that “besets” us—knocks us down—whenever the temptation for it comes along. Certainly the following scripture applies to those who are beset with substance abuse issues, but it applies equally well to those who can’t seem to give up being judgmental or jealous or worried. Carefully study this passage—all of the underlined sections of it are instructive of our freedom. For instance, AA says when you are hungry, angry, lonely or tired, it is time to HALT—lay aside that weight, before trying to go on.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 KJV
 

Teaching summary

What is an addiction?
An addiction is anything that controls us and holds us in bondage. That which controls us, rules us and whenever it gets triggered, God is not our master—sin is.

So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Genesis 4:6-7

If you can't "just say no"
Whatever we cannot just say no to (that is not of God), holds us in its power. It seeks to enslave us (Romans 6:6), then destroy us and in the process, destroy as many others as it can (John 10:10). One thing you can be sure of--this slave master will not want to see anyone get away into freedom. There is every likelihood of a long, determined resistance from the enemy that we will have to learn how to overcome. Be prepared to fight to get your life back--and then keep on fighting to maintain it. Overcoming addiction is a life's campaign, not a moment's victory. You have to be totally determined to allow no more idols, becasue giving them up will be very costly at first. It will require us to exercise a lot of Diligence as well as the fruit of Patience, Perseverance, Endurance.

Some things that are good can become an addiction when moderation is passed. Some things are no good to begin with. There are many forms that addictions can take:

The greater "addiction" has to become Jesus

Learn the “want to want to” prayer:
     Lord, help me want to want what You want and hate what you hate.

This prayer of the heart enlists the Lord to work with your emotional life and honestly admits to God that deep down you don’t want His will—you are strongly tempted to trade your inheritance for a bowl of porridge (see Esau, Genesis 25:29-34). But remember the teaching on who we are in Christ? (Note it is Our True Identity (Main Healing Lesson 9).) No matter how much we may crave the wrong thing, that is still not who we really are now as new creations. The real you truly does want only what He wants! The real you already has the nature of Jesus joined to you by the Spirit.

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

The number one way of escape is running to God (1 Corinthians 10:13).
We are absolutely, unconditionally promised that all who call on the name of the Lord will be rescued. 

…for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." Romans 10:12-13  

Call and keep calling on His Name!
To get free of any besetting sin we have to learn to call and keep on calling—learning how to lean hard on Him and draw on His saving help, casting all our hope on Him and hanging on for dear life. How much do you have to call? As much as it takes, as often as it takes. Our full recovery requires becoming 100% surrendered to God.

There is no peace, no victory without surrender
We cannot be 90% surrendered to the Lord and still gain victory over any besetting sin. Since we will never be more committed to God than we deep down believe that God is committed to us, believing the truth about our Father’s Love is truly a life and death issue. It was for Jesus—He was willing to die to reveal the Father to us (John 14:9-11; John 17:1-5). Even so Jesus has called all of us to embrace death of the self life with the same radical commitment to our God which He has embodied: we are to say no to self, die to self and follow Him, even to our own "death" upon the disciple's cross of resisting addictions. See for more scriptures and a free download The Cross of Christ and the Disciple's Cross.
 

1 powerful addiction from 3 powerful lies

Three deceptions of the enemy that must be cast down
     (see a threefold cord: Ecclesiastes 4:12).

1) The lie of the idol
As Paul describes there was no power in the idols of the ancient world themselves--they were mere blocks of carved wood or stone. they were simply substances, created things. But behind them stood spirits seeking worship, fellowship and service. The spirit behind the idol promised to give life to those it was seeking to capture and enslave.

What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 1 Corinthians 10:19-20

Demons still offer a “fix” in exchange for worship
Just because there are no more idols made of wood or stone filling temples, or carved images that tempt you to think they are God, doesn't mean idolatry has gone out of business. One meaning of worship is “to ascribe worth to;” another is “to serve.” What are your addictions and compulsions saying to you? How may you have been fellowshipping with them? How may you be serving them? Have you been enslaved to them?
    
Are they whispering these false promises to you?

Come to me and I will give you power to mend your life.
Give yourself to me and I will satisfy you.
I will ease the pain and give you gain.
 

2) The lie of the wounded heart
A wounded heart is also a deceitful heart (Jeremiah 17:9). It keeps the one bound looking in the wrong direction, but the problem is not out there and can’t be fixed out there. It is in a heart so broken it desperately needs a great love to heal it. The root cause of addiction and bondage is an inability to receive love (often characterized by self-rejection and self-bitterness). Being disgusted with one’s self over the besetting sin creates a double bind by increasing the bondage of it through self-hatred. (Review Love Thyself! (Main Healing Lesson 18).)

3) The lie of the distorted image
Only the revelation of the Father’s great love can mend such a broken heart, but a distorted image of the Father (see The Father's Heart of Love (Main Healing Lesson 10)) keeps the one bound running from God, rather than to Him. A distorted image of self binds the pain of self-rejection in the heart. (Review Our True Identity (Main Healing Lesson 9))

satan is a liar from the beginning
His lies are very convincing and once they have had a chance to impact our feeling system, they become powerful strongholds within us. Our task is to recognize and renounce those lies, carry them captive, and then come into agreement with God’s truths (2 Corinthians 10:4-6). This is war so be prepared to go to battle stations at a moment’s notice. Don’t tarry in the pig pen like the prodigal did—race to your Father at the first sign of weakness. 

 Learn to let your place of disgrace
--reveal your Father’s greater grace!
 

Interested in going deeper?

Don't just give these truths a "head bob"!
For further study and for help working these truths into your heart and life, see No More Idols! part 2 (Head to Heart Guide 22) and "work out" with exercises, discussion questions, review of main points, digging deeper, more scriptures, model prayers, renunciations/affirmations and practical steps of life application.

Or better yet, let us minister to you in person
     --at one of our Savannah Seminars...