The Devil of Addiction


'There are demons she fought privately and publicly for many years... She's been on a downward spiral for a long time and when you have those people around you that enable the behaviour ... she couldn't shake those demons.'


That is the quote of a music insider about the life and death of Whitney Houston...I am pretty sure that the intention in the use of the word "demons" is generic with not the belief in the actual supernatural origin of demons tormenting her. 


A couple of years ago I was in conversation with a parent about a situation regarding another person and he used "demons" in the same way, but I had to ask to make sure. For I believe that demons are fallen angels and the Bible is quite clear that they exist and are a malevolent presence in the world.  I am no Medievalist. The world thinks anyone who actually believe in the demonic to be backwards and backwoods. So be it. 


The battle between good and evil is cosmic in scope. Satan fell from heaven, and from the way Scripture tells it, he and his demonic minions are on earth, actively doing destruction.  That is what they do. Hell is just home base. Although the conflict between God and Satan is across the universe, it is also is raging in the hearts of every person alive.  Jesus said about the Devil in John 8:44 



“You are from your father The Devil, and the desire of your father you are willing to do; from the beginning he has been murdering men and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him; whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from what is his, because he is of falsehood and is also its father.”


The primary lie Satan proffers is his non-existence. Or if that doesn't work, he tries to deceive humanity that he is actually a benevolent being, just trying to let men have fun in the face of a killjoy God. When the supernatural origin of addictions--what the Bible calls the sin nature, is discounted--it leaves people in a very unfair fight against evil that they are just not equipped for. And very much alone, over-matched. While God is Satan's superior, Satan in terms of power over unregenerate human nature is dominant.  


I don't know what Whitney Houston believed about such things in the end.  There are some tormented souls who know the Truth but who struggle greatly. All of us Christians live in Romans 7 somewhere-- and our consciences cry out against our depravity. We crawl sometimes to get to Romans 8:1 as a man in the desert to a wadi. There is ultimate victory in the Christian walk, but there are also battles lost.  


None of us can shake those demons. They are like a snake fastened by its fangs to the human heart. The Cross crashes into the addiction cycle and says "Go no further. Release your captives evil one." But let us not pretty up what it cost Christ to intervene. His very life. When our addictions looks lovely let us remember of what awful consequence they were to Christ. Only then do they lose their allure. We rise with Christ with that realization. For it is Truth.           


        

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