Overcoming Addictions

I had promised an outline of some of the studies I had previously
done on the subject of overcoming strongholds of addiction.
So I am going to attempt a brief synopsis here.

1.) Overcoming the flesh by the power of the flesh is nonsensical and
one of the primary mistakes we can make. As human beings, we automatically
want to rely on our own power and the strength of our will to triumph over
difficulties.

(Mat 26:41)  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

(Gal 3:3)  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

(2Co 10:3)  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(2Co 10:4)  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
(2Co 10:5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

(Rom 7:22)  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
(Rom 7:23)  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
(Rom 7:24)  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

2.) Spiritual warfare begins in the mind.
We are under spiritual attack every single day. We war against our own
carnal nature, and against outside influence. Make no mistake about it;
satan will do everything in his power to keep you from being an effective Christian.
Especially if you begin praying strongly for others.

Sin begins in the mind as a train of thought. If allowed to linger, it builds momentum
and becomes difficult to expunge. Ultimately, we will act on the thought
if it remains long enough. These thoughts must be brought under control immediately.
Just as the previously quoted verse states:

(2Co 10:5)  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Here are some further verses regarding spiritual warfare taking place in the mind.

(Mat 12:35)  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

(Rom 8:6)  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(Rom 12:2)  And be not 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.

(Eph 4:23)  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

(1Pe 1:13)  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

(Pro 23:7)  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

(Jas 1:15)  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Where does lust begin? In the mind. This is why it is critical that our minds be renewed
by the power of the Holy Spirit and we begin the process of disciplining our thoughts.

3.) So how do we overcome the strongholds of the carnal nature?
The Scripture draws a clear and distinct contrast between the flesh and the spirit.

(Rom 8:1)  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

And most people know of this extended passage from Galatians, but it never gets old:

(Gal 5:16)  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
(Gal 5:17)  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
(Gal 5:18)  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
(Gal 5:19)  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
(Gal 5:20)  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
(Gal 5:21)  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
(Gal 5:22)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(Gal 5:23)  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(Gal 5:24)  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
(Gal 5:25)  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

4.) How do we walk according to the Spirit? It's my firm conviction that
one of the secrets of the Christian life in this area is total submission to the will
of God in our lives.

(Jas 4:1)  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
(Jas 4:2)  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
(Jas 4:3)  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
(Jas 4:4)  Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
(Jas 4:5)  Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
(Jas 4:6)  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
(Jas 4:7)  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
(Jas 4:8)  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you...

What's James saying here?
The source of enmity between us is the fleshly nature which prompts
us to seek for ourselves out of a base and selfish desire.
We can't have it both ways. We can't seek to satisfy ourselves every day and
the kingdom of God at the same time.

Jesus said: (Mat 6:33)  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Then James makes a reference to the jealousy of the Spirit of God in
regards to us; we are the living temples of the Holy Spirit.

(1Co 3:16)  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Verse 7 is written in the form of a logical syllogism.
This is the antecedant: 'Submit yourselves therefore to God'.
This is the consequent: 'Resist the devil, and he will flee from you'.

In order for the consequent to be true, the antecedant must first be true.
The one is a corollary of the other.

When we voluntarily relinquish our self-will and control of our daily lives
to the Lord, powerful things begin to happen. One of which is the process of absolution
from strongholds in our lives. This isn't an overnight process. There will still
be struggle involved. But if we learn to rely on the strength and power of the
Holy Spirit from moment to moment instead of leaning on our own power,
this is when we begin to truly overcome.

Subservience to God is the truest form of freedom!
It sounds like a contradictory statement, and indeed, most people who have
never experienced the type of freedom I'm referring to will think I am crazy
for saying so. However, the Scriptures support this concept.

(Rom 6:15)  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
(Rom 6:16)  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
(Rom 6:17)  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(Rom 6:18)  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
(Rom 6:19)  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

(Rom 6:22)  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
(Rom 6:23)  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(1Co 7:22)  For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.

(Joh 8:34)  Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
(Joh 8:35)  And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
(Joh 8:36)  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

That's all for now. It's not a comprehensive study. Just some sporadic thoughts.