Yes! Truly, whoever the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36). This is the assurance from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, concerning our freedom from slavery of the devil. On the Cross at Calvary, our Lord bought us this freedom freely, but at times man finds himself in the slavery which he has been set free from. When God created us, He gave us the privilege to have desires and our desires/passions should be in unity with Him.
However, when our desires/ passions are not in unity with God but with things of this world then the desires become what our hearts are focused on. Which later becomes the gods of one’s heart, at this stage addiction is inevitable. This is slavery. Such a person is no longer free but enslaved by the desires of his heart. These desires that take the place of God in one’s heart, become addictions and addiction simply means worshipping one’s desire. Colossians 3:5 KJV says “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry”.
The Bible made it clear to us that, whatever we worship or that we run to for comfort is playing the role of God in our lives. There are so many things we run to today, to help take away the pains, boredom, loneliness and anxiety, instead of running to God who alone can take it away. Whenever we derive joy from these things we crave for than from God, then that very thing is playing the role of gods in our lives. This is a form of idolatry. Addiction is idolatry which means addicts are idolaters.
Therefore addiction is a sin. This means addicts are slaves to whatever they obey when that very thing calls on them. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Romans 6:12 NIV).
Every addicted person is enslaved by his passion. This has become a master that must be obeyed whenever it beckons. Romans 6:13 KJV also says, “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God”.
These addictions are types of evil practices and desires that the devil is using to enslaves humanity today. It comes in different forms as we can see throughout the whole world. Such as drug abuse, pornography, homosexualism, lesbianism, alchoholism, prostitution and all types of addictions.
Beloved, let the desires of your heart be on God, with Him you will be truly free from the slavery of the devil.
