The Lion Roars.

Sex. Lies. Food. Porn. Caffeine. Cocaine. Marijuana. Methamphetamine. Cutting. Gambling. Shopping.  Alcohol.

Have you or a loved one been struggling with addiction? If so, then you know the grip that the disease can have on you and the person struggling. Families are broken up, lives are taken, babies are left without parents, skin in maimed, and all is sin.

According to http://www.aboutrecovery.com, Substance abuse affects an estimated 25 million Americans directly and 40 million indirectly. Additionally, 15 million Americans struggle with sex addiction and 5.5 million with gambling problems, accumulating to an estimated 19 percent of the population.

In total, 54.3 million Americans suffer from addiction. Of that, an estimated 10 million are affected by co-occurring addictions and emotional problems.

Now, I bet you’re asking me how a sickness is sin… well, let’s ponder this for a few moments. The Devil tempts us with things that will get out attention. Things that we subconsciously (or not) want will be what we’re tempted with… Seriously. Don’t believe me? Well here, do you like licorice? No? Do you ever find yourself craving licorice? Like, you just have to have it? I doubt it. That just doesn’t make any sense. Now, do you like soda? What about razor blades? Or food? Yep, I’m sure you like some of these things, too. When does a like for something turn into an addiction?

Webster’s dictionary defines addiction as: “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.”

With all addiction, a process occurs. As aforementioned, the Devil gets our Attention. He lures us in with things that we like, things we love even. People like the sensation that they get from alcohol, cocaine, sex, food, caffeine, razor blades, etc.

Then Seduction occurs. This is when you shift gears from an innocent attention getting to really thinking about it. Maybe even thinking about it makes you happy, or excited.

After that, it’s time to make a Decision… will you let yourself succumb to these awful thoughts or will you tell Satan to get behind you and move on in the Light? Jesus did tell us to walk in the light as He is in the light. (1 John 1:7)

If we’ve decided to cling to Jesus, then we’re fine. The Devil will depart from you for a season but beware, he will return. (Luke 4:13)

But, if you’ve fallen to the Devil, next comes Transgression. This is where we start to give reign to those bad behaviors and if we don’t stop them while they’re small, then we get into Condemnation.

1.    We often talk of God’s providence, but we seldom discuss Satan’s providence. Like the Almighty, Satan is everywhere all the time, too.  A professor of mine once said: “This is why alcoholics fall off the wagon. This is why drug addicts go to rehab and shoot up again. “

I charge you to be on the lookout, Beelzebub will come like a snake in the grass, ready to deceive you and bring you to his lair. Also, don’t be discouraged and think that you can’t resist this trial. The Son of Man was tested, too. Our own Lord and Savior was tested just like we are at this very moment. Don’t believe me? Let’s look it up. Matthew 4:1-11 reads: Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Here we read of Jesus being tempted 3 times in succession. And again, the Devil tempted Jesus with things that he wanted and desired. “… All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Do you not think Jesus wanted to jump? Wouldn’t you want control over man and those who would eventually bring you to your death? I mean, if you just jump, or turn these stones into bread, everyone would see and believe what you’ve been saying all along. It’s a simple choice right? Jump and avoid death. But, our wonderful Guide quoted our Father and said “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” The things Satan was tempting Jesus with weren’t even his to give… Jesus, our Lord, our Savior, our God, our Redeemer, was tempted.

Powerful stuff. In James 4:7 we read:  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. We need to realize that the Devil is always looking for the point that we are at our lowest, then he strikes.

He was tempted in the exact and same manner that we are tempted, but He remained. without. sin. Amazing. Read Hebrews 4:15: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” We are to have Christ’s mindset. If we keep His mindset and way, we will not become a stumbling block for others. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God…”

How LUCKY are we that we can have that perfect and holy example set before us? Even if we are struggling with something as severe as addiction, God understands because His SON went through what we do, he talked with prostitutes and those that others wouldn’t. He fed the hungry and clothed the naked. God is strength, and love, and shelter. “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Psalm 19:14 says: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
 Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”

Now, I’ve said all of this to say, that we can come back to God. We, as Christians, can come back. How? Repent in your heart. Make the decision to do what you know is right. Pray and plead to God for your forgiveness. He said in Ephesians 1:7-8 that  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself…” We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Maybe you’re reading this and you’ve not yet decided to follow Jesus… wanna know how? Well, here. Now you can know.

·       First you must hear the Word of God. (Acts 15:7) “And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.”

·       Believe the Gospel. (Mark 16:15-16) “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

·       Repent of sins. (Acts 17:30) “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

·       Confess Christ to be the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

·       Be Baptized for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38) “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

·       Be faithful unto death. (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

I hope you listen to my pleas and take this to heart. God loves you and so do I. <3 Have a great day!