Category
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."
At that time he will remove the burden from your shoulders and the yoke from your neck. The yoke will be broken because of the anointing with oil.
People say, “I'm free to do anything”—but not everything is appropriate! “I'm free to do anything”—but I will not let anything control me! People say,
So place yourself under God's direction. Confront the devil, and he will run away from you.
That's why anyone who is in Christ is a new being—what was old is gone, the new has come!
You won't experience any greater temptation than anyone else, and God is trustworthy. He won't allow you to be tempted more than you can bear, and when you are tempted, he will provide for you a way out so you can stay strong.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior. He is my God, my rock who protects me. He shields me from harm, his power protects me, he keeps me safe.
Stay awake and pray, so that you don't fall into temptation. Yes, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Since the Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.He gives me rest in green fields. He leads me towards quietly flowing streams.He revives me. He guides me along the right paths because that's the kind of person he is.Even when I walk through the valley dark as death, I'm not afraid of any evil, because you are right there with me; your rod and your staff protect me.
For all the things of this world—our sinful desires, wanting everything we see, boasting about what we've accomplished in life— these things don't come from the Father but from the world.
Put your trust totally in the Lord—don't rely on what you think you know!Remember him in everything you do, and he'll show you the right way.
But when his people call out for help, he hears them and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close beside those who are broken-hearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed.
For you, Lord, are good; you are forgiving and full of trustworthy love for all who come to you.
Don't be afraid, for I am with you! Don't be frightened for I, your God, will make you strong, and I will certainly help you. I will support you with my strong hand, acting for what is right.
Those who live under the protection of the Most High are kept safe by the Almighty.nothing evil will happen to you; no plague will come near where you live.For he will command his angels to take care of you in everything you do.They will hold you up with their hands so you won't trip and fall down.You will trample lions and snakes; you will tread young lions and serpents underfoot.I will save anyone who loves me; I will protect anyone who accepts me. When they call out to me for help, I will answer; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will save and honor them.I will grant them long lives, and show them my salvation.This is what I say about the Lord: “He is the one who defends and protects me. He is my God, and I trust in him.”
Let every part of me praise the Lord; don't let me forget the wonderful things he's done for me.Praise the Lord, you angels, you powerful ones who do what he says, listening to what he tells you!Praise the Lord, you heavenly armies who serve him and carry out his will!Praise the Lord, everything in his creation, everyone under his rule, and let every part of me praise the Lord!He forgives my sins, and he heals all my diseases.He saves me from death; he honors me with trustworthy love and mercy.
Then they called out to the Lord for help in their troubles, and he saved them from their suffering.He brought them out of complete darkness, he broke their chains to pieces.
Can you put fire in your lap and not burn your clothes?Can you walk on hot coals and not scorch your feet?
Wine turns you into a mocker, alcohol makes you aggressive; you're stupid to be deceived by drink.
Pay attention, my son, and be wise; make sure your mind concentrates on following the right way.and cut down if you have a big appetite. Don't join in with people who drink too much wine or who stuff themselves with meat.For people who get drunk and overeat lose all they've got, and they spend so much time dozing that all they have left to wear is rags.
Who's in trouble? Who's in pain? Who's arguing? Who's complaining? Who's injured for no reason? Who's got bloodshot eyes?Don't be greedy for his fancy food, for it's offered with deceptive motives. —those who spend a long time drinking wine, those who are always trying some new cocktail. Don't let the look of wine tempt you—how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smooth it feels as it goes down.In the end it bites like a serpent, it stings like a snake.
You will keep in complete peace those who keep their minds focused on you, because they trust in you.Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.
He gives strength to the weary and power to the powerless.A voice is heard calling, “Prepare the way for the Lord in the wilderness, make a straight highway for our God through the desert.Even young people grow weak and tired—they fall down when they're exhausted.But those who trust in the Lord will have their strength renewed. They will fly high with wings like eagles. They will run and not be tired. They will walk and not be worn out.
For I the Lord will grab you by the hand and tell you, “Don't be afraid! I myself will help you.
But now this is what the Lord says to Jacob, the one who created you; to Israel, the one who formed you: “Don't be afraid! I have saved you! I have called you by name; you are mine!However, you are my witnesses, the Lord declares, and my chosen servant, so that you can think about it, and believe me and understand that I am God. No god preceded me, and none will come after me.I, yes I am the Lord, and there is no Savior apart from me.I predicted what was going to happen, then I saved you, then I announced it—there was no foreign god among you that did this. You are my witnesses that I am God, declares the Lord.I am God from the beginning. No one can snatch anybody from my hand. No one can reverse what I do. This is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, says: For your sake I will send attackers against Babylon and bring them down. All the Babylonians will be like fugitives, escaping in the ships they're so proud of.I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, and your King.This is what the Lord says, the one who makes a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters;the one who brought out a great army with its horses and chariots and laid them down, never to rise again, snuffed out like a burning wick.But don't dwell on the past; don't concentrate on what happened back then.Just look at something new I'm going to do now! In fact it's started already. Can't you see it? Yes, I'm making a way through the wilderness, rivers in the desert!When you walk through the water, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they won't flood over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you on fire.
I have wiped away your acts of rebellion as if they were like a cloud, your sins as if they were like the mist. Come back to me, for I have set you free.”
But he was wounded because of our rebellious acts, he was crushed because of our guilt. He experienced the discipline that brings us peace, and his wounds heal us.
No, this is the fast I want: set free those who have been unjustly imprisoned, untie the cords of the yoke used to burden people, set free those who are oppressed, and get rid of every form of abuse.
Please heal me, Lord, and I'll be healed; save me, and I'll be saved, for you are the one I praise.
I know what I intend to do for you, declares the Lord. I plan good things for you and not bad. I'm going to give you a future and a hope.
I will give you a new mind and I will put a new spirit inside you. I will take away your stubborn mind and I will give you a loving mind.I will put my Spirit inside you so you will follow my laws and remember to do what I tell you.
Don't gloat over me, my enemies! Even though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light.
Seek his kingdom first, and his way of living right, and everything will be given to you.
Come to me, all of you who struggle and who are burdened down. I will give you rest.Accept my yoke, and learn from me. For I am kind and have a humble heart, and in me you will find the rest you need.to ask on his behalf, “Are you the one we were expecting to come, or should we continue to look for someone else?”For my yoke is gentle, and my burden is light.”
“My daughter, your trust in me has healed you. Go in peace. You have been completely cured of your disease,” Jesus told her.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to announce good news to the destitute. He has sent me to proclaim that prisoners will be released, the blind will see, the oppressed will be freed,
For God loved the world, and this is how: he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who trusts in him shouldn't die, but have eternal life.God didn't send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Jesus spoke again to the people, telling them, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me you won't walk in darkness for you will have the life-giving light.”
The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I've come to bring you life, life full to overflowing.
Jesus replied, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I'm giving you. The peace I give you is nothing like what the world gives. Don't be anxious, and don't be afraid.
I'm the vine, you're the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce plenty of fruit—for apart from me you can't do anything.
I've told you all this so that you may have peace because you are one with me. You will suffer in this world, but be brave—I have defeated the world!”
But God demonstrates his love for us in that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
We know that our old self was crucified with him to dispose of the dead body of sin so that we wouldn't be enslaved by sin any longer.
Don't let sin have control over your mortal body, don't give in to its temptations,and don't use any parts of your body as evil tools of sin. Instead dedicate yourselves to God as those who have been brought back from death to life, and use all parts of your body as tools to do something good for God.
Don't you realize that if you make yourselves someone's slaves, obeying their orders, then you are slaves to the one you obey? If you are slaves of sin, the result is death; if you obey God, the result is you are made right with him.Thank God that though you once were slaves to sin, you whole-heartedly chose to follow the truth about God that you learned.Now that you've been freed from sin, you've become slaves of doing what is morally right.
So there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.However, if Christ is in you, even though your body is going to die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you're now right with God.The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. He who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your dead bodies through his Spirit that lives in you.So brothers and sisters, we don't have to follow our sinful nature that operates according to our human desires.For if you live under the control of your sinful nature, you're going to die. But if you follow the way of the Spirit, putting to death the evil things you do, then you will live.All those who are led by the Spirit of God are God's children.You were not given a spirit to enslave and terrify you once more. No, what you received was the spirit that makes you children in God's family. Now we can shout out, “God is our Father!”The Spirit himself agrees with us that we're God's children.If we're his children, then we're his heirs. We are heirs of God, and heirs together with Christ. But if we want to share in his glory we must share in his sufferings.Yet I'm convinced that what we suffer in the present is nothing compared to the future glory that will be revealed to us.All of creation is patiently waiting, longing for God to reveal his children.The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.
The sinful human mind results in death, but having the mind led by the Spirit results in life and peace.
The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. He who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your dead bodies through his Spirit that lives in you.
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, those whom he has called to be part of his plan.
So I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, because of God's compassion for you, to dedicate your bodies as a living offering that is holy and pleasing to God. This is the logical way to worship.Be completely dedicated to each other in your love as family; value others more than yourselves.Don't be unwilling to work hard; serve the Lord with an enthusiastic spirit.Remain cheerful in the hope you have, put up with the troubles that come, keep on praying.Share in providing for the needs of God's people, and welcome strangers with hospitality.Bless those who persecute you—bless them, and don't curse them.Be happy with those who are happy; cry with those who are crying.Think about one another. Don't consider yourself more important than others; live humbly. Don't be conceited.Don't pay back anyone evil for evil. Make sure you show everybody that what you're doing is good,and as far as it's up to you, live at peace with everyone.My dear friends, don't seek revenge, but leave it to God to execute judgment—as Scripture points out, “‘It's for me to dispense justice, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”Don't follow the ways of this world; instead be transformed by the spiritual renewal of your mind so you can demonstrate what God's will really is—good, pleasing, and perfect.
The night is nearly over, the day is almost here! So let's get rid of our dark deeds and put on the armor of light.Let's behave properly, showing that we're people who are living in the light. We shouldn't spend our time going to wild parties and getting drunk, or having affairs and acting immorally, or getting into fights and being jealous.Instead put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and forget about following your sinful desires.
Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit that is within you, that you received from God?Don't you know that Christian believers will judge the world? If you're going to judge the world, are you not fit to judge in the most minor cases?You don't belong to yourself—a price was paid for you! So glorify God in your body!
What compromise could the Temple of God make with idols? For we are a temple of the living God, just as God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”“So leave them, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don't touch anything that is unclean, and I will accept you.”“I will be like a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
Even though we live in this world, we don't fight as the world does.Our weapons are not of this world but God's mighty power that destroys fortresses of human thinking, demolishing misleading theories.Every high wall that stands tall and proud against the knowledge of God is knocked down. Every rebel idea is captured and brought into obedient agreement with Christ.
I've been crucified with Christ— so it's no longer I who lives, but it is Christ living in me. The life I now live in this body, I live by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me, and who gave himself for me.
Christ set us free so we could have real freedom. So stand firm and don't get burdened down again by a yoke of slavery.
My advice is to walk by the Spirit. Don't satisfy the desires of your sinful human nature.
It's clear what the sinful human nature produces: sexual immorality, indecency, sensuality,Let me, Paul, tell you bluntly: if you rely on the way of circumcision, Christ will be of absolutely no benefit to you.idolatry, sorcery, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, dissension, heresy,envy, drunkenness, feasting, and similar things. As I warned you before so I warn you again: nobody who behaves like this will inherit the kingdom of God.
But the Spirit produces fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trust,gentleness, self-control—and there's no law against these kinds of things!
So get rid of your former lifestyle, that old nature that ruins you through deceptive desires!Let yourselves be remade spiritually and mentally,and put on your new nature that God created so you will be like him, right and holy in the truth.
At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. You are to live as children of light
Lastly, stay strong in the Lord, and in his mighty power.Put on all the armor of God so you can withstand all the devil's attacks!
I'm absolutely sure that God who began this good work in you will continue working and bring it to a successful conclusion when Jesus Christ returns.
For it's God who is working within you, creating the will and the ability to do what he wants you to do.
Don't worry about anything, but take everything to God in prayer, explaining your requests to him and thanking him for all he does.Then the peace that comes from God, which is better than we can ever imagine, will protect your thoughts and attitudes in Christ Jesus.
Lastly, whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, beautiful, commendable, whatever is truly good and deserves to be praised, think about these kinds of things.
He rescued us from the tyranny of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,through whom we have been set free and our sins forgiven.
So kill your worldly nature—sexual sin, immorality, lust, evil desires, greedily wanting to have more—this is the worship of idols.
What God wants is for you to live holy lives. So stay away from sexual immoralityin order that each of you may control yourselves in a way that is holy and respectful,
So then we shouldn't be sleeping like everybody else—we should stay awake and keep ourselves clear-headed.For it's during the night that people sleep; and it's at night that they get drunk.But since we belong to the day we should keep our heads clear. We strap on the breastplate of trust and love. We put on the hope of salvation as a helmet.
keep away from every kind of evil.May the God of peace himself make you completely holy, and may your whole being—body, mind and spirit—be kept blameless for when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
God didn't give us a spirit that makes us fearful, but a spirit of power and love and good sense.
Run away from anything that fires up the desires of youth. Run after what is right and trustworthy, run after love and peace along with those who are true and pure Christians.
It teaches us to reject a godless way of life with the desires of this world. Instead we should live thoughtful, self-controlled lives that are right before God in the present world
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.
For the high priest we have isn't one who doesn't sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in all the ways we are, but did not sin.So we should go confidently to God on his throne of grace so we can receive mercy, and discover grace to help us when we really need it.
So let us hold onto the hope we're telling others about, never hesitating, for God who promised is trustworthy.
For that reason, since we are surrounded by such a great crowd of people who gave evidence of their trust in God, let's get rid of everything that holds us back, the seductive sins that trip us up, and let's keep on running the race placed before us.They disciplined us for a short while as they thought appropriate, but God does so for our benefit in order that we can share his holy character.When it happens, all discipline seems painful and not something to be happy about. But later on it produces peace in those who have been trained in this way so that they do what is good and right.So strengthen your feeble hands, and your weak knees!Make straight paths to walk on, so that those who are crippled won't lose their way, but will be healed.Do your best to live in peace with everybody, and look for holiness—if you don't have this you won't see the Lord.Make sure that none of you lack God's grace, in case some cause of bitterness arises to give trouble and end up corrupting many of you.Make sure there's nobody who is sexually immoral, or irreligious, like Esau was. He sold his birthright for a single meal.You remember that even when he wanted to receive the blessing later on he was refused. Even though he really tried, and cried hard, Esau couldn't change what he had done.You haven't arrived at a physical mountain that can be touched, that burned with fire, to a stormy place of black darkness,where the sound of a trumpet and a voice speaking was heard—and those who heard the voice begged never to hear it speak to them again.We should keep on looking to Jesus, the one who begins and completes our trust in God. Because of the joy ahead of him Jesus endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God's throne.
Happy is anyone who patiently endures temptation, for when they've proved that they are trustworthy, they will receive the crown of life which God promises to those who love him.
Nobody should say when they're tempted, “I'm being tempted by God.” For God is not tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone.Temptations come from our own evil desires that lead us astray and entrap us.Such desires lead to sin, and sin, when it's fully developed, causes death.
Make sure your minds are in gear. Be clear-headed. Fix your hope exclusively on the grace you'll be given when Jesus is revealed.Live like children who do what they're told. Don't allow yourselves to be shaped by your former sinful desires when you didn't know any better.Now you need to be holy in everything you do, just as the one who called you is holy.As Scripture says, “You are to be holy, for I am holy.”
Be responsible, and stay alert. The devil, your enemy, is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.Stand firm against him, trusting in God. Remember that your fellow-believers around the world are going through similar troubles.
But if we confess our sins, he is trustworthy and right so that he can forgive us our sins and make us clean from all that is not right in us.