When You Need To Break Free from Addiction

Hey friends, let's talk about something real today. Addiction. It's a word that carries a lot of weight, a lot of pain, and a lot of struggles.

Addiction to porn.

Addiction to drugs.

Addiction to alcohol.

…anything…

Addiction is akin to a strong chain that binds you, and the more you exert your own strength to break free, the tighter the chain grips you. It’s like a cruel slave master. This chain causes abrasions on your skin, which slowly turn into painful wounds and bruises. These abrasions symbolize the guilt, condemnation, and shame that further torment your heart, adding to the torture of the addiction.

But here's the good news: you already have the victory. Yes, you heard me right. You already have the victory through Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:17 (NKJV) says, “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

This verse is a game-changer. It tells us that righteousness is not a reward; it's a gift.

It simply means, no matter hard you are trying with your own strength, to be good or to stop your addiction, you will fail. We cannot be righteous by our own good intentions and strength.

Righteousness can only be received as a gift. Why? Because Jesus has paid for us on the cross with his death and resurrection. And the greatest way to honour what Jesus did at the cross is to stand tall and own the fact that you are righteous in Him.

When you believe and confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ,” you receive these two gifts: the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.

And guess what? The key to reigning in life is receiving the abundance of God’s grace and His gift of righteousness. When you reign in life, the devil doesn’t. When you reign in life, your addictions don’t. When you reign in life, your bad habits will not dominate you.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, God’s word emphasizes it again:

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Our key to breaking free does not lie in our willpower but in our faith that we are already made righteous with God. God has forgiven us!

And that chain of bondage? It can only be broken by the power of Jesus Christ! True change happens from within. The gospel is not about behaviour modification.

It is about heart transformation. It is as if you have a heart transplant, and Jesus Christ does that surgery and changes your heart. God’s grace, and not the religious law and regulation, empowers us to overcome every sin and transforms our hearts. Not your guilt, willpower, or self-condemnation will change you. Only Jesus can and will.

Over the years, many people have been being delivered from years of bondage to addictions. Years of trying by their self-efforts and willpower to kick the habit only resulted in failure time and again. But when they started to believe and confess their righteousness in Christ, even during their struggle, they began to see God’s grace transform that area of their lives effortlessly.

One of my mentors had a rough start in life. He fell into the grip of drug addiction at a young age and ended up in prison. He tried everything to break free—different methods, various religions—but nothing worked. His life seemed like a never-ending cycle of failure and despair.

Then, one day, he met someone who introduced him to Jesus. This person told him that Jesus could deliver him from his addiction. Desperate and willing to try anything, he believed in Jesus. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. He had a profound encounter with Jesus, and his craving for drugs vanished. It was as if the chains that had bound him for so long were broken by external power, not his own willpower. Today, at the age of 70, he is still faithfully serving in prison ministry in Southeast Asia, helping others find the same freedom he experienced.

Our part is to receive this grace and this gift of righteousness. The next time you are tempted to give in to your addictions again, declare with your faith that you are the righteousness of God in Christ! Focus on His grace, not your failures. Remember, grace is not just the starting point. Grace is the whole journey from start to end. Stay on the path of grace!

Let us pray!

Thank you, Jesus, for what you have done on the cross. You showed Your love for us by dying for us while we were still sinners. Now that I believe in You, moreover that I am justified by Your blood and forever saved.

I now receive the abundance of Your grace and the gift of righteousness. I declare that I am the righteousness of God in Christ. Not because I am good but because of what Jesus had done for me.

I surrender my heart now to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.

I cannot change myself on my own.

But You can.

Thank you, Jesus, that there is now no condemnation for me. Only your unconditional love embraces me.

In Jesus’ name, I pray and worship You, Amen.