Addiction and Demonization-Part Three

Addiction, Demonization, and Deliverance

If you have read the previous articles on Addiction and Demonization and if you know individuals that are battling with, struggling with, or have turned themselves over to addiction, it should be clear that there can be a demonization component in regard to addiction. Especially if someone has turned themselves over to addiction and allowed addiction to have full reign in their life.

The reality is if a person who has an addiction is being demonized they are being haunted by demonic forces at a minimum, or being controlled by demons. They need deliverance. To ignore this factor is setting the person up to failure without a miraculous intervention. The truth is the miraculous intervention may be the component of the casting out demons-deliverance. (It becomes immaterial of the location of the demons, immaterial if the person is being taunted, oppressed, possessed.)

Get to the Root
It should be clear that are sinful choices, actions, and behavior that can open up the door for an addicted person to become demonized. But there can also be root issues in the life of an addicted person that can open them up to demonization and addiction in the first place. These root causes can be bitterness, unforgiveness, resentment, hatred, uncontrolled anger, generational sin, bitter root judgments, inner vows, ungodly mindsets. Unless there is true repentance there most likely will not be freedom from addiction or any form of demonization.

Relapse
Relapse is the norm for many who battle with addiction. They seem to have the victory, even for some a long time, but then they relapse. Others relapse over and over and over again. Even Christians. Why? There are many reasons but I believe there are three main reasons:
a. Root Issues are never addressed or are never resolved. These are open doors. Until they are dealt with, truly repented of, they fuel addiction and the opportunity to demonization.
b. Lordship of Jesus Christ-As long as the addiction is allowed to be the lord of a person’s life instead of Jesus as LORD, there is the potential, and most likely going to be relapses.
c. Demonization. If a person is being demonized and never receives deliverance the demonic forces will have power over them, no matter how hard they try to resist the addiction. Drugs to manage addiction, recovery meetings, Bible studies, going to church is not deliverance. You cannot drug, drag demons to meetings and church services, or counsel out demons, you must cast them out.

It Needs to Be Said
Cruel and Unusual Punishment
There are individuals, especially Christians, who have a desire to live addiction free. They have dealt with root issues, they go to recovery meetings (even faith-based like Celebrate Recovery), they attend church services. But they are still tainted by addictive thoughts. They may stay sober, but there is still the monkey on their back. They just can’t seem to shake it off. They may be the ‘dry drunk’. Or they may try as hard as possible to be ‘normal’. But they are still taunted and haunted. The truth is they may be demonized and need deliverance. Until that happens it as if they are living a life of cruel and unusual punishment. I will go further and say it is cruel and unusual punishment to know a person has done all they can to be set free from addiction, and they are still battling it, and to never consider they need deliverance. To even go further and say “They are a Christian they cannot be demonized”, so deliverance is not an option, when everything is pointing to the fact they are demonized.

Demonization and Deliverance
It is time for the Addiction Recovery World, Christians, come to the place to acknowledge that demonization can occur when there is addiction. In fact, the demonization could have occurred before there was addiction. It is unjust, it is cruel, to totally ignore the demonization component when addressing addiction and recovery. Should it be the first thing to look at? Maybe not. But it certainly should not be the last thing looked at, or ignored completely.

Some individuals go to recovery meetings and then come to Christ and get free from addiction. Some individuals are Christians that go to recovery meetings and then get free from addiction. What matters is they become addiction free. But what about those who do not get free? Should they be left struggling and battling with addiction? Absolutely not! If they are still struggling they need deliverance, demons cast out.

It is time for those who call themselves Christians that are involved in Addiction Recovery Ministry to embrace the concept of Deliverance from Demonization. (I personally have repented before God for being slow to recognize this component.)

Holy Spirit Led Addiction Recovery
If we want to see more success in the addiction recovery realm, especially when it is faith-based, when need to have a more eclectic perspective. (Various styles and methods.) For some individuals it may mean they need demons cast out before anything else is going to work in their life to be set free. For others it may be they need to confess and renounce, and experience deliverance. For others it may be the renewing of the mind through Christ is enough for them to walk in freedom. For others it may be all hands on deck, the casting of demons, intensive treatment, etc.
BUT THIS WE KNOW. JESUS WANTS EVERY SINGLE PERSON TO BE TOTALLY FREE FROM ADDICTION. Thus we should cooperate with the Holy Spirit in how HE WANTS TO DELIVER INDIVIDUALS FROM ADDICTION.

I am going to write one more article in this series. Addiction, Demonization, and Christians. I am going to address the topic of Christians and Demonization-Can Christians Be Demonized?

PS There is a totally different component that can and is involved in addiction-mental health issues. The whole concept of dual-diagnosis. A person can have mental health issues and become an addict or become an addict and have mental health issues. There can be a demonic component in regard to mental health issues. Maybe at some point we will address the dual-diagnosis component of addiction. Or maybe is tri-diagnosis.

Addiction and Demonization-Introduction
Addiction and Demonization-Part One
Addiction and Demonization-Part Two
Addiction and Demonization-Part Three