In my last two articles “He Touched Me” and “Freeze Tag” I wrote about being frozen in life and using drugs, and drinking to numb myself. This article is about what happened after “day one”, how I remained free from drugs.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1 NKJV
It certainly felt like the enemy was trying to discourage me before I had even begun my new walk with Christ. By God’s grace, I quit a 23-year marijuana addiction on a Tuesday. The next day I went to a Bible Study, and while I was there, someone broke my car window and stole my CD player.
I returned to the building and made a police report. I cleaned up the glass on the driver’s side and went home to vacuum the rest. When I got there, my neighbor across the alley came over. He was drunk, hugging me, and trying to kiss me (he was married with 5 kids!). I had to fight to get out of his arms.
I went in the house and realized I was in a war!
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 NKJV
The first thing I did was to speak out loud to the enemy. I don’t remember my exact words, but I basically told him I knew he had challenged me to war, and I was ready to fight! I said I had Jesus Christ and His blood on my side. I had heavenly weapons and armor, and he was already defeated!
I gathered my stash of pot, pipes, papers and other drug paraphernalia, bagged it up and put it by the door. The next morning, I disposed of it and put a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) bumper sticker on my car.
“Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 NKJV
On TV Joyce Meyer (Bible teacher) was doing a series “The Battle Belongs to the Lord”. I recorded the show and watched it after work.
Every day I tried to do what I had just learned from II Chronicles 20. It’s the story of King Jehoshaphat who was in a battle with the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Meunites; I was in a battle with the “addiction-ites”.
King Jehoshaphat sent the choir out singing praises to lead them into battle, so I did the same thing. I sang praises to the Lord constantly all day long. When I was alone, I sang out loud and when I wasn’t, I sang in my head.
Every evening after work I re-watched “The Battle Belongs to the Lord” teaching. I read II Chronicles 20 at least three times a day during that first month. If I wasn’t reading Scripture, I was singing praises.
I intentionally saturated my mind with God’s Word until His truth became stronger than the lies I had believed.
“You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem! Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” II Chronicles 20:17 NKJV
I am here today to tell you it works!
Praise is a very powerful weapon against the enemy. Praise shifts our focus away from fear and back to God’s character. The temptation didn’t instantly disappear, but praise reminded me Who was fighting for me, and that I wasn’t fighting alone.
“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke apart the bonds that held them. For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart.” Psalm 107:13-14, 16 AMP
Steven Curtis Chapman has a song called “Remember Your Chains”
“Remember your chains, remember the prison that once held you, before the love of God broke through. Remember the place you were without grace, when you see where you are now, remember your chains, and remember your chains are gone. Imagine what your life would be, if Jesus had not set you free.”
This is a great message. No matter how far I’ve come, I always want to remember where I started.
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