Addiction and Demonization-Part Two

Addiction Recovery and Why is Demonization Ignored?
If anyone has been around those with addictions for any length of time at all, they have most likely seen actions/behaviors/characteristics/mindsets that can certainly be open doors to the demonic. Some may have even seen demonic manifestations from individuals when their addiction is confronted. A person would have to be very naive, blinded, or their biblical doctrine prevents them from acknowledging that a person with addictions can be demonized.

So why is the potential for demonization ignored by almost every recovery program, secular or faith-based?

Addiction is a Disease
There are those who believe that Addiction is a disease alone. That there is no spiritual component to it and that various forms of addictions are not sinful since they are just diseases like cancer or diabetes. There are things that do take place psychically in the life of an addict that reveals there is a dis-ease component. But addiction is much more than a disease, it is a life of poor decision making, embracing sin, rebelling against God, and opening up doors to the demonic. Besides the bible blatantly calls some sickness/disease spirits. Spirit of infirmity, deaf/dumb spirit. Is there not the potential of an addictive spirit or some other spirit behind the addiction. Addiction is not just a disease. It is sinful choices and actions.

Christians Cannot be Demonized
Some believe Christians cannot be demonized and since there are many addicts who call themselves Christians then these addicts cannot be demonized, even though they manifest the same ungodly behavior as non-Christian addicts and have some of the same open doors. For the sake of argument say Christians with addictions cannot be demonized, what about those who are not Christians? Are they just left to deal with their demons on their own?

Denial
Certainly within the secular world the concept of demons, demonic oppression/demonization is totally ignored. But sadly there are many Christians that deny the realm of evil spirits/demons, that a person can be demonized. Somehow they have a mindset that appears to be believe after the 1st Century demons just disappeared off the earth or they went into hiding. There is no biblical basis for this and is contrary to Scripture. If Christians are told to resist the devil, the devil and his cohorts are still active on this earth. If Christians are to resist the devil, imagine how much influence he must have on non-Christians, but there appears to be denial taking place.

Excesses-Swing of the Pendulum
Because there are excesses by those who believe in demonization, the devil is the cause of everything, there are those who ‘throw out the baby with the bath water’. They overcompensate and make the devil into a non-influential force. Totally non-biblical.

Lack of Compassion
If you know someone struggling with addiction and you know there are demonic influences over them, and you have compassion you are going to be burdened for them to experience deliverance. You are not going to care what others think, or what other people’s doctrine may be, you see someone bound up and want to see them delivered.

Lack of Teaching
There is overall a total void of teaching outside of, and within the body of Christ, in regard to demonization in general and specifically addiction and demonization. How many churches ever have sermons on deliverance, casing out of demons? How many recovery programs have classes on delivering addicts from demonization? There is a drought in regard to addressing the demonic.

Some will argue there is no need for teachings on deliverance in the Church because Christians cannot have demons. Even if that was true, what about the fact that an overwhelming majority of people on earth are not Christians. Thus there are many addicts who are not Christians. What about them? Again the issue is there very little teaching on deliverance regardless of who may be demonized.

Will Power
There seems to be two mindsets when it comes to addiction recovery. One is it is a disease so various forms of medication is the answer. That is not addiction recovery. That is replacing one substance with another substance.

The other mindset is all about Will Power. It is all about making right choices. It is all about saying no to the addiction. Now of course in faith-based programs it is that you turn yourself over to Jesus and He gives you the strength, the grace to say no to addiction. It is the mindset that Jesus can absolutely set you free from addiction. He does the work. But we all know that addiction recovery is not that simple. There are choices, decisions that need to be made every day. We have to Resist the Devil for him to flee.

Resisting Demonic Powers
Addicts find it hard enough to resist addiction and all the sins that come with addiction, (for some even with Christ in their life) and we are asking them to also resist demonization when the easier solution is for us that are sober to cast out demons. Look at all the examples of demonization in the Bible. Did Jesus and the disciples tell them to resit the devil or did they cast out the demons? Lets look at those who had the spirit of infirmity or deaf/dumb spirit. Does anyone actually believe if they had read more books, gone to more meetings, gone to more church services, gone to more doctors they would have been set free? It was the casting out of demons, not some drug or self-help program, or claiming Bible verses.

Bottom Line
The bottom line is if someone is an addict and they are being demonized by evil spirits they need deliverance, not drugs, another meeting, a Bible Study. The deliverance may or may not completely deliver them from an addiction but will certainly help them on their road to recovery. It will certainly make them stronger to resist the devil, since he will not have a foothold (If there is confession, repentance, and renunciation.)

Our next article will be Addiction, Demonization, and Deliverance.