If weight loss and maintaining one’s weight were as simple as casting out a “spirit of gluttony”, there would be a mile-long line at every church with people waiting to have that spirit cast out of them.
Breaking addictions to food (or any addiction), requires more than a spiritual approach. Even so, we do not dismiss the possibility of demonic powers that work to keep people addicted to substances or aberrant behavior. To gain freedom from addictions, a practical element must also be applied alongside the spiritual element.
Spiritual Element Associated with Addictions
Make no mistake about it, regardless of the addiction, whether it is food, tobacco, caffeine, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc., there is undoubtedly a spiritual element attached to it. When speaking specifically of Christians that are addicted, it is indicative of an area in their life that is not fully surrendered to Christ, and that something else has gained a foothold.
And do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27 NIV).
This isn’t saying that an addicted Christian is possessed by a spirit associated with that addiction, it’s only indicating that demonic powers are at work keeping the Christian from being totally surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If demonic powers are successful in keeping God’s children addicted to and controlled by anything other than Jesus, they know that that person will never reach their full spiritual potential and they will then pose less of a threat to their dark kingdom.
This doesn’t mean that an addicted individual will never be able to function and serve Christ in some capacity, but it is pointing out that there will always be a little piece of that person which remains unsubmitted and out from under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Practical Element Associated with Addictions
Both spiritual and practical solutions must be applied when breaking addictions. We cannot merely command the “spirit of gluttony”, “spirit of tobacco”, “spirit of pornography”, etc., to leave, and assume the person will be forever free from that addiction. That is just not being realistic.
We do know some who have had addictions broken through prayer, and the person never again had a compulsion to drink, smoke, look at pornography, etc., ever again, but those were rare situations. Almost all deliverance from addictions will require the person to trust God for strength, and at the same time exercise self-control to stop or regulate the thing they were addicted to.
Self-Control and the Christian
The Holy Spirit enters every follower of Jesus when they are born-again. Accompanying the Holy Spirit is His fruit, which is:
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
A Christian may not have evidence that these fruits are in their lives, but it is a biblical fact that they are indeed there, if only in seed form.
Like a farmer, the Christian must nurture those seeds so they will germinate, send down roots, and send up a shoot. And as they are faithful in cultivating that plant or tree, eventually fruit will become evident to themselves and everyone around them.
Nurturing the Seed of Self-Control
Denial of self is a key point in Jesus’ teachings.
Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me’ (Luke 9:23).
As a Christian denies themselves pleasurable things, things that may not necessarily be sinful, but just not beneficial, or restricting an activity, behavior, food, or beverage, etc., a person will begin to notice the seed of self-control developing, and that self-control will spread to all areas of their life.
Determination and effort will be required on the part of the person, but as they exercise faith in the inner power of the Holy Spirit, and apply practical steps to curb that addiction’s power, they will begin to see results.
HELP IS AVAILABLE
If you know of people who are stuck in their relationship with Jesus, and are not able to make forward progress, or if they are experiencing emotional torment of any kind, please encourage them to start their process for freedom now.
CLICK THIS LINK TO START THE PROCESS FOR YOUR FREEDOM
