I speak in tongues yet I’m addicted to something else is a message to all believers who are truly saved, blood washed, spirit-filled, tongue talking and hell raisers yet they are struggling with habits that have become an addiction. As unfortunate as it looks the truth is many Christians including leaders are struggling with addictions; church leaders, youth presidents, campus fellowship leaders, ministers, church workers and members.
Secret struggle with addiction is one of the beasts waging war against the spiritual growth of a Christian.
Secret struggle with addiction is one of the beasts waging war against the spiritual growth of a Christian. Many have sought for solution with tears and they are able to overcome while many are still crying in the secret just to have solution to this. I understand your plight, I can relate with your struggle against addiction. I know you have tried all you could to break off; you have prayed and fasted yet no result but the good news is you can overcome. Many people who are struggling with secret habit are able to overcome it with the grace of God, yours will not be an exception.
You need to know that people with an addiction do not have control over what they are doing, taking or using. Their addiction may reach a point of which it is harmful. Addictions do not only include physical things we consume such as drugs and alcohol but may include virtually anything such abstract things as gambling to seemingly harmless products like chocolate.
Many Christians are struggling with alcoholic drink. Many church leaders and workers are struggling with lust. Many youth presidents and campus fellowship are struggling with masturbation. It’s easy to hide and You can’t know because they are struggles in the secret. Are they born again? Yes. Are they spirit- filled? Yes. But they are addicted to the old way of life that it seems impossible to break. Addiction may be substance or behavioural dependence. A consistent habit may eventually develop into an addiction. With a habit you are in control of your choices with an addiction you are not in control of your choices.
Many Christians can not engage in long prayers because they are addicted to gisting with friends, they are addicted to social media to the extent that their phone has become the priority in their lives. They can spend hours on social media yet 10 minutes with God is a mirage. Many cannot fast because of their addiction to food. They can’t do without eating. Even if they are not eating something must be in their mouth to chew. Many can’t engage in midnight prayers because too much of sleep have become their addiction.
What do you need to do?
- God for deliverance: most people will recommend meeting the pastor for counselling which is very good but my number 1 recommendation is to go for deliverance. Can you count how many times you have met a man of God about your addiction and yet no result. When it comes to handling addiction, there is a place of counselling and there is a place of deliverance. Counselling will provide you useful tips on how to break and handle addiction while deliverance will deal with the stronghold that is influencing you to go against your wish. The truth is when you lack control of your life and activities then something else (another entity) stronger than you is controlling you. You must break this influence and get back your ability to control your life and appetite. This is the first thing to do or else no matter the effort you put in to set boundaries, you will always fall. Deliverance will get this done not counselling.
You can go on a personal deliverance retreat of 3 days with fasting. Make sure it’s a place where you won’t have distraction. It can be in a church, prayer mountain, a church camp even in your room (in as much as you can shut out distraction). Or you can locate a ministry or a man of God with a deliverance mandate. If you notice the urge is no more there for some time, please don’t stop and relax, make prayer and fasting part of your life. This every many are failing, they relaxed after noticing some relief from that which held them back but in no time are back again doing that which they don’t want. Whatever gives you victory is what you need to sustain it.
- Examine yourself: you really need to be honest with yourself. Thorough examination is needed to find out what went wrong, to see what usually trigger this, the environment (some environment are breeding place for evil things), you thought pattern, your association and so on. Ask yourself, if am alone will I still do this? What if am alone but engage with something? What if am with friends? Some addictions are aided in the privacy. Some are aided by association. Find out what aid your addiction.
- Block off/set boundaries: once you have done through examination about your addiction then you need to take action. Withdraw from every breeding environment. Block off every association aiding it. Set boundaries to how far you can go with friends especially opposite friends. Can you keep fire in your bosom and not be burnt? When you know you are addicted with lust yet 90% of your friends are opposite sex, my brother/sister you are not ready to break off. When you know you can’t do without anything in bottle (either green or brown bottle, once it is bottle anything goes), then why tempting yourself hanging with friends at the bar or taking you evangelism to the bar. You own maybe anything associated with smoke, you must inhale it. Then best thing to do is avoid places and friends that will introduce you to that. Don’t deceive yourself no matter the speaking in tongues, if you don’t set proper boundaries you have successfully give the devil the window to tempt you and fall you. You need determination to do this. If you are not determined you can’t set boundaries.
- Engage in other activities: If David was on the battle field, he won’t fell for the lust after that woman. The truth is yielding yourself to the desire and pleasure of sin brought you under the dominion of sin. For you to totally break off the dominion of sin and influence of addiction, you must yield yourself to a superior power above that which influences your life to do that which is against your will. Yielding yourself to God is non-negotiable for you to experience total victory against addiction. Make God and His kingdom your priority.
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service” Have you ever wonder how many people fall and rise under the anointing yet they are still the same people that will fall and rise next time? Truly they are delivered but the problem is many of them were relaxed thinking that one experience is all that is needed. They didn’t yield themselves to the supreme power (God).
The scriptures affirm it that if a demon is being casted out and goes into the wildness but finding no place to rest, he will come back to the former place and check if it’s still vacant. Now you are delivered; good. Now you have set proper boundaries, better. But you need to engage yourself with the things of God.
When you are alone and less busy, make speaking-in-tongues to become your hobby. Pray in tongues at all times, there is no rule against it. Become so use to it that even when you talk with friends it flows out without you thinking of it. As you engage in tongues, it will break off all strongholds and build up your faith to give you dominion over the flesh.
In conclusion, in your struggle against addiction never forget to make the bible your friend. The bible is not a special book you must keep and use only for Sunday service but a manual for everyday living. Never forget that the battle against addiction is also a battle of the mind. You must store your mind with God’s word to always attack evil and negative words. “and be not be conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” Romans 12:1
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There is a beginning to every end.
©Oladimeji Olayinka Joseph