The Gospel and Addiction
by Lisa Watkins
When I considered writing about how the gospel speaks to addiction, I felt a bit overwhelmed because I do not have my own addictions conquered yet. The struggle is real. I am still being sanctified, a work in progress. I thought, how can I speak to this when it is still such a struggle for me? (My main two addiction struggles are ATL pro sports and social media. Confession is good for the soul, right?)
But then I thought…well, how does the gospel and the Word of God speak into the struggles of addiction?
First, let’s define the terms.
Addiction. There are so many addiction struggles out there. The struggle is real, even among Christ-followers. People are addicted to porn, sex, food, video games, work/making money, phone, human relationships, social media, Netflix, television, alcohol, drugs, hobbies, gambling, spending/shopping, sports, etc., you name it. Webster’s New World definition of an addict is, “to give (oneself) up (to a habit); one addicted, as to a drug.” Addictions can be to things that are good for you or to things that are bad for you, but any addiction exerts a measure of control over the addict. Something that you feel powerless to say no to.
Addiction and Idolatry
When it comes down to it, these addictions have become idols in our hearts. An idol is anything that will draw our hearts away from the One True God. It is something we deem worthy to worship and put in first place ahead of Christ. While we may not do this consciously, our actions reveal what our hearts love.
Addiction reveals our failure to treasure Christ and place our trust and worship in Him alone. Sin is what the heart does when it is not satisfied with God. Often the addict, the sinner, finds comfort or pleasure in the thing being worshiped. Their own pleasure or comfort becomes the idol.
The word of the LORD came to Ezekiel in the Old Testament to describe these idols in our hearts. Ezekiel 14:4-6 says:
“Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.”
God’s prescription for idols in our hearts, or addictions, was to “repent, turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.”
How does the gospel speak into the common struggles of addiction?
Jesus is the answer.
Jesus lived a perfect, sinless, addiction-free life. He perfectly loved the Father and put nothing ahead of His devotion to Him. When I begin to feel shame over my repeated failure, I look to Jesus and praise Him for His free gift of right standing with God. (Romans 4:5-8, 2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus died a sinner’s death. While He had done nothing wrong, He willingly laid down His life to take the punishment I deserve for my misplaced worship. My penalty has been paid. When I feel licensed to give in to my addiction, I remember the cost of the cross and praise God for His grace and mercy to me. (Romans 3:21-26, 1 Peter 2:24)
And Jesus rose victorious. When He rose, He put the power of sin to death. I am no longer a slave to sin, because Jesus defeated it for me. I can run to Him in my weakness, and ask for His help to overcome. (Romans 8:11, 1 Peter 1:3)
The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand
From the beginning of His ministry, He preached: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (See Matthew 4:17.) Well, what did that word “repent” mean when Jesus used it here? According to the Amplified Bible, when you repent, you “change your inner self - your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
We often forget that Christ’s kingdom is “at hand.” We think to ourselves, I have all the time in the world to get right with God. It’s not urgent enough to us that we choose to live for Christ now and not pursue our fleshly desires.
We have to understand that we are listening to the lies of the enemy when we choose our addictions to try to fulfill us instead of the bread of life that Jesus has and IS to offer.
We must remember the gospel when faced with temptation and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Romans 6 reminds us that we are in union with Christ. Jesus’ death for my sin of idolatry is my death to that sin. Because of my union with Christ, I am dead to sin, and alive to Christ because of His resurrection. Romans 6 reminds me that sin is no longer my master. I am not to let sin dominate my thinking or my actions in succumbing to my addictions. Romans 6 in its entirety is great to study and meditate on as we think about how to go about overcoming temptation, addiction, and sin.
We must ask ourselves: what am I feeding on? Am I feeding myself with lies (such as, this addiction can fulfill my heart’s desire) or with the truth of the bread of life, Jesus? The truth of God’s Word always trumps the way that I feel. Look what Jesus says about Himself being the bread of life in John 6:47-48, 57-58:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.””
Jesus is the answer. We must behold Christ as supreme if we are going to overcome our addictions. As we behold Him in the first place, we are being transformed. As we behold Him and have the mind of Christ, He will help us see how to serve Him and serve others, taking the focus off of our self-comfort and self-pleasure. (See Philippians 2:1-13.)
I leave you with this Scripture which has been such a comfort and hope for me: Psalm 16:8, 11
“I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
Editor’s note: This post is intended to offer gospel-hope for all of us who deal with sin and addiction, but we recognize that some addictions cause more severe physical and mental harm. We believe that the gospel is the power of God for salvation and that it transforms every area of life, and we also praise God for His common graces that help us in our darkest moments.
If you are experiencing an addiction that is causing serious harm to you or your loved ones, we encourage you to seek help. Whether that is talking to a counselor, a trusted friend, or seeking medical care, God is good to give us tools and practices that help us walk in the freedom He offers in Christ.