VERSES ABOUT VICES AND ADDICTIONS

Addiction and bad habits can be so destructive. Think about it, addiction is clinging to something—a behavior, a substance, an activity, even a person—that's actually harming you. So many of us struggle with these things, feeling trapped by a vice or an addiction. Sometimes, we feel like it's because of our past.

But here's the truth: in God, we're free. Christ set us free from all of that and forgave our sins. If you keep dwelling on the past, those chains can really hold you back. Sometimes, these struggles can even stem from negative spiritual influences, finding a foothold and coming to light when we unknowingly open a door, giving the enemy a legal right to step in.

You have the power to let go of what's binding you. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas of bondage you need to address. Receive God's forgiveness and His healing. He's there for you.

I pray that we all find freedom from anything that's hurting us and holding us back. Just like it says in John 8:36, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

On that day his burden will fall from your shoulders, and his yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because your neck will be too large.  ,

Jesus responded, ‘Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

‘Everything is permissible  for me,’ but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me,’ but I will not be mastered by anything.

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;  the old has passed away, and see,  the new has  come!

So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful;  he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out  so that you may be able to bear it.

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,  and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’

For everything in the world #– #the lust of the flesh,  the lust of the eyes,  and the pride  in one’s possessions #– #is not from the Father, but is from the world.

casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.

Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.

Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned?Can a man walk on burning coals without scorching his feet?

Wine is a mocker,  beer is a brawler; whoever goes astray  because of them is not wise.

Listen, my son, and be wise; keep your mind on the right course.and put a knife to your throat if you have a big   appetite; Don’t associate with those who drink too much wine or with those who gorge themselves on meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and grogginess will clothe them in rags.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has conflicts? Who has complaints? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has red eyes?don’t desire his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.Those who linger over wine; those who go looking for mixed wine. Don’t gaze at wine because it is red, because it gleams in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.

A person who does not control his temper is like a city whose wall is broken down.

You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.Trust in the Lord for ever, because in the Lord, the  Lord  himself, is an everlasting rock!

He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.A voice of one crying out: Prepare the way of the  Lord in the wilderness; make a straight road for our God in the desert. Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall,but those who trust in the  Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.

For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.

Now this is what the Lord  says – the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel   – ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. ‘You are my witnesses’   – this is the  Lord’s declaration – ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. No god was formed before me, and there will be none after me. I #– #I am the Lord. Besides me, there is no Saviour. I alone declared, saved, and proclaimed – and not some foreign god  among you. So you are my witnesses’ – this is the  Lord’s declaration – ‘and  I am God. Also, from today on I am he alone, and none can rescue from my power. I act, and who can reverse it? ’ This is what the Lord, your Redeemer,  the Holy One of Israel  says: Because of you, I will send an army  to Babylon and bring all of them as fugitives, even the Chaldeans  in the ships in which they rejoice. I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.This is what the  Lord  says – who makes a way in the sea, and a path through raging water, who brings out the chariot and horse, the army and the mighty one together (they lie down, they do not rise again; they are extinguished, put out like a wick  ) – ‘Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers  in the desert. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you.

I have swept away your transgressions like a cloud, and your sins like a mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment  for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.

Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?

Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are my praise.

For I know the plans I have for you’   #– #this is the Lord’s declaration #– #‘plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;  I will remove your heart of stone  and give you a heart of flesh.I will place my Spirit within you  and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.

Do not rejoice over me,  my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will stand up; though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.

And do not bring us into    temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.   ,

But seek first the kingdom of God   , and his righteousness,   and all these things will be provided for you.

‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,   because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.and asked him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? ’ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’

‘Daughter,’ he said to her, ‘your faith   has saved you.   Go in peace and be healed   from your affliction.’

For nothing will be impossible with God.’

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release   to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed,

He replied, ‘What is impossible with man is possible with God.’

For God loved   the world in this way:   He gave   his one and only   Son,   so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn   the world, but to save the world through him.

Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am   the light   of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’

You will know the truth,   and the truth will set you free.’

A thief comes only to steal   and kill and destroy.   I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Jesus told him, ‘I am   the way,   the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

‘Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.

I am the vine;   you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit,   because you can do nothing without me.

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.’

But God proves  his own love for us  in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

For we know that our old self  , was crucified with him  so that the body ruled by sin  might be rendered powerless,  so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey  its desires.And do not offer any parts  of it to sin  as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God,  and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone  as obedient slaves,  you are slaves of that one you obey   #– #either of sin leading to death  or of obedience leading to righteousness?But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin,  you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed  over,and having been set free from sin,  you became enslaved to righteousness.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation  for those in  Christ Jesus,  ,Now if Christ is in you,  the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit  gives life  because of righteousness.And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead  lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through  his Spirit who lives in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we are not bound to the flesh to live according to the flesh,because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,  you will live.For all those led by God’s Spirit  are God’s sons.For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear.  Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption,  by whom we cry out, ‘Abba,  Father! ’The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit  that we are God’s children,and if children, also heirs   #– #heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ #– #if indeed we suffer with him  so that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing  with the glory  that is going to be revealed to us.For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation  for God’s sons  to be revealed.because the law  of the Spirit of life  in Christ Jesus has set you  free from the law  of sin and death.

Now the mindset of the flesh  is death,  but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead  lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through  his Spirit who lives in you.

We know that all things work together  for the good  of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you  to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,  holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters.  Take the lead in honouring one another.Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit;  , serve the Lord.Rejoice in hope;  be patient in affliction;  be persistent in prayer.Share with the saints in their needs;  pursue hospitality.Bless those who persecute you;  bless and do not curse.Rejoice with those who rejoice;  weep with those who weep.Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud;  instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Give careful thought to do what is honourable  in everyone’s eyes.If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,   , says the Lord.Do not be conformed  to this age,  but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,  so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will  of God.

The night is nearly over, and the day is near;  so let us discard the deeds of darkness  and put on the armour of light.Let us walk with decency,  as in the daytime: not in carousing and drunkenness;  not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarrelling and jealousy.But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,  and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires.

Don’t you know that your body is a temple  of the Holy Spirit  who is in you,  whom you have from God? You are not your own,Or don’t you know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the trivial cases?for you were bought  at a price. So glorify God with your body.

Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’

And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols?  For we  are the temple of the living God, as God said: I will dwell and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.   , Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you.   , And I will be a Father   to you, and you will be sons   and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.   ,

For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh,since the weapons of our warfare  are not of the flesh, but are powerful  through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish argumentsand every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge  of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I now live in the body,  I live by faith in the Son of God,  who loved  me  and gave himself  for me.

For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm,  then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

I say, then, walk by the Spirit  and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Now the works of the flesh are obvious:  sexual immorality,  moral impurity,  promiscuity,Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you have yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all.idolatry,  sorcery,  hatreds,  strife,  jealousy,  outbursts of anger,  selfish ambitions,  dissensions,  factions,envy,  , drunkenness, carousing,  and anything similar. I am warning you about these things #– #as I warned you before #– #that those who practise such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit  is love,  joy,  peace, patience,  kindness,  goodness, faithfulness,gentleness,  and self-control.  The law is not against such things.

to take off  , your former way of life,  the old self  that is corrupted by deceitful desires,to be renewed  in the spirit  of your minds,and to put on  , the new self, the one created  according to God’s likeness  in righteousness and purity of the truth.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light  in the Lord. Walk as children of light   #– #

And don’t get drunk  with wine,  which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.Put on  the full armour  of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.

I am sure of this, that he who started a good work  in you  will carry it on to completion  until the day of Christ Jesus.

For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which surpasses  all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally  brothers and sisters, whatever is true,  whatever is honourable,  whatever is just,  whatever is pure,  whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable #– #if there is any moral excellence  and if there is anything praiseworthy #– #dwell on these things.

I am able to do all things through him  who strengthens me.

He has rescued  us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom  of the Son  he loves.In him we have redemption,  the forgiveness of sins.

Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity,  lust,  evil desire, and greed,  which is idolatry.

For this is God’s will,  your sanctification:  that you keep away  from sexual immorality,that each of you knows how to control his own body  in holiness and honour,

So then, let us not sleep, like the rest, but let us stay awake and be self-controlled.For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled  and put on the armour  of faith and love, and a helmet  of the hope of salvation.

Stay away  from every kind of evil. Now may the God of peace  himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit,  soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming  of our Lord  Jesus Christ.

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear,  but one of power,  , love,  and sound judgement.

Flee  from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace,  along with those who call on the Lord  from a pure heart.

instructing us to deny godlessness  and worldly lusts  and to live in a sensible, righteous,  and godly  way in the present age,

For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are,  yet without sin.Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.

Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful.

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses  surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance  the race that lies before us,For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness.No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit  of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees,and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated  but healed instead. Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness   #– #without it no one will see the Lord.Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.And make sure that there isn’t any immoral  or irreverent  person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for a single meal.For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, even though he sought it with tears, because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance. For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm,to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them,keeping our eyes on Jesus,  the pioneer and perfecter  of our faith. For the joy that lay before him,  he endured the cross, despising the shame,  and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God #– #who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly #– #and it will be given to him.

Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown  of life that God  has promised to those who love him.

No one undergoing a trial should say, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn’t tempt anyone.But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire.Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.

Therefore, with your minds ready for action,  be sober-minded  and set your hope  completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation  of Jesus Christ.As obedient children,  do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance.But as the one who called you  is holy,  you also are to be holy in all your conduct;for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.   ,

Be sober-minded,  be alert.  Your adversary the devil  is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.Resist him,  firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive  us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Prayer