Scriptures: Matthew 15 v 11 - 20: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
When we are carnally minded ie when we are not yet spiritually enlightened, we would say without hesitation that a drunk man is behaving in a very bad way because of the amount of liquor he has consumed. Similarly, that one who is erratic is misbehaving that way because he is hooked on drugs. Jesus says that it is not the substance one has taken that causes the bad behaviour but that which is within him that defiles him!
People generally shy away when one talks about demons or evil spirits. It does not fit into any scientific study or medical category. However, 70% of Jesus' ministry on Earth was casting out demons and healing people of diseases. Demons still exist today but their favourite party trick is to be invisible and pooh poohed by all and sundry. They are just Hollywood fantasies.
If we want to seriously deal with alcoholism and addictions then we need to know what we are actively dealing with. David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz of "The Cross and the Switchblade" book and movie started a ministry for addicts in New York called Teen Challenge way back in the 1960's. Nicky Cruz still runs it today. It has a 94% success rate of the addict still being free of drugs after 5 years. Most other rehabs have 15% success rate. This is because Teen Challenge sets the captives free of demons that cause them to take drugs and defile themselves.
James 1 v 13 - 16: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren."
The drugs or alcohol trigger the demons into action which can range from unconsciousness to deadly violence and all in between. The root demon in every case is Bitterness which triggers feuds, fighting, murder, hate, rage, rape, and other evil deeds. Some courts give leniency for being under the influence. They are under the influence of a demon.
To get to the heart of this person he/she needs to confront the bitterness and unforgiveness within their heart. When that poisonous thorn is plucked out the bondage to alcohol or drugs can be dealt with. Trying to wean an abuser is like putting bandaid on a gangrenous wound.
The bitter demon within thrives on bitter substances. It drives the person to drink (what's your poison?) or drug (take the bitter pill) to feed its own craving. It, the demon, now has full control over the person and proceeds to cause as much havoc and distress as possible. It calls in its friends and they work together to destroy the person's life and reputation.
It causes lies, thefts, mischief, car accidents, untimely deaths, overdoses, missing work, sexual sins, jail, and general breakdown of the personality.
Demons have one agenda towards humans - kill, maim or destroy. (John 10v10). Evil spirits can be inherited through the genes; they can be acquired by frequent sin and little discipline; they can be sent as a curse. You can collect demons through visiting psychics or fortune tellers; attending a seance; reading books on the Occult; engaging in occult or Eastern religions or martial arts or yoga. You open up to demons though glassy glassy, witchcraft - basically the control of other humans through the use of magic or evil spirits. Books, movies, videos invade your mind with philosophy, ideas, demonic thoughts, fantasies that demons impose upon you. Nightmares come from this too.
When Jesus died He conquered Satan and his demons and gave believer's power over them. The person should always accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour before any demons are bound or cast out of him. The demons have no legal hold on one who is born again.
Its not only substance abuse but other things too. Adultery, sexual sin, - people like Tiger Woods and Mick Jagger need deliverance from demons of lust. Swearing, cursing and bad language are also demonic manifestations. Cheating,fraud, lies and theft are all demons defiling us.
To live a victorious Christian life we need to overcome our base nature from being born in original sin and walk in purity of mind and body as Jesus did. He lives inside us to help and encourage us over the rough places.
Baptism in water removes our sinful nature and replaces it with the righteous nature of Jesus. Baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers us to testify of Jesus to others so they may walk in the light with Him free of demons, alcohol, drugs and other negative behaviour.
The Antichrist is rising and demons are becoming bolder and more demanding. We need to recognise our own problems and seek help. Many illnesses are caused by demons. Blindness, deafness, and mute people can be set free and see, hear and speak freely.
I was praying for a man who had a severe problem with drugs and alcohol. His girlfriend was visiting me that day when he suddenly appeared at my front door. He announces : I am a 3000 year old demon and I have come to kill you. I said okay if you can cross the blood line of Jesus across my doorstep, conquer the armour of God around me, remove me from inside the Rock of Ages, you can have me. He took two steps and collapsed on the floor. We did pray for him and that demon left him. His girlfriend was gobsmacked to this day. Almost twenty years later.
Our God is powerful and faithful and worthy of our praise and worship.
Prayer: Heavenly Father You made us and Satan hijacked us and warped us. You sent Jesus to remove the grievous damage the Devil did to us. We need to believe in the ability of Jesus Christ to set us free and keep us free. In Jesus' name. Amen.