Even Samson was addicted. He was hell-bent on pursuing Deliah, the woman who conspired with the Philistines to plot his capture.
Let’s start by saying the word addiction isn’t always a terrible thing; “an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something.” For example, someone can be addicted to their pursuit of God. But where addiction becomes problematic is when the subject of our compulsion is vain.
In this light, the bible views addiction as the habitual, patterned, or repetitive pursuit of something other than God to meet a specific need.
Moreover, there are many bible verses about addiction that we can learn from and apply to our lives to help us recover from addiction.
These scriptures are relevant, practical, and of course, the inspired words of God. Use them to teach, guide, inform and help you fight and recover from addiction. That said, let’s look at what the bible says about addiction.
What Does the Bible Say About Addiction
Based on scriptures, addiction is a vain, unproductive, woeful practice that we must all flee. Addiction, as we know it today, is centered around substance abuse. The scriptures speak expressly about substance abuse. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise (Proverbs 20:1).
However, since I want to focus more on encouraging you to break your bad habits and recover from your harmful addictions, I will point out the power of God and the grace given to you to overcome any addiction common to man. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 makes it very clear that no matter how dire or severe your addiction maybe, God has given you the grace to escape it.
Your victory lies with you; God has given you victory “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (Romans 8:37). All you need to do is to follow this instruction “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them (Mark 11:24). And make daily confessions ” For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation (Romans 101:10).
These confessions must follow faith “But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).
The key to these confessions is to declare what God has done through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who you are, and who God is to you.
You can use scriptures like:
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13).
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36).
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2)
“And, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18 ESV).
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14 ESV)
There are many more scriptures to fight, overcome and recover from addiction in the bible, but the ones I’ve highlighted are good ones to start with and confess daily with bold, confidence, and expectancy.
For those who are only looking for bible verses about addiction, the following are ideal to add to your journal and bible study notes.
Bible Verses About Addiction
Proverbs 20:1
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
Isaiah 5:11-17
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.
Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 6:12
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 15:33
Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
2 Peter 2:19
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
1 John 2:16
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Psalm 50:15
And call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Titus 2:12
It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Hebrews 4:15-16
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Psalm 95:8
“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,
Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Power in Your Corner – Your Sufficiency is in Christ
Let first look at what Ephesians 1:17-19 says, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.”
What does all of the above mean to you? Well, for a start, you should get down on your knees before the Father, the mighty God who parcels out all heaven and earth. Ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not physical strength, but his boundless, glorious, inner strength that was made possible through the finished work of Christ. Ask him to shower you with his love, to embrace you, and to manifest himself to you so that your feet can be rooted and planted firmly in his love.
God can do anything—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us by his spirit.
Moreover, if you are now coming into a life of faith, it may sound spiritual to say that you’re going to trust God to overcome all your addiction problems, doesn’t it? But may I remind you that Matthew 11:28-30 talks about giving all your burdens to Jesus, and in other places in the Bible, God is always saying not to worry or be afraid.
But let’s be honest, for most of us, when it comes down to our sin issues, whether it’s our bad temper, our runaway sex drive, or in this case; addiction, can we trust God? Sure, we can, and you should too. In God, you will find all the strength and grace you need to overcome and recover from addiction.
It may even seem like an impossible situation that you’re facing. You might feel that you just don’t have it in you to beat your demons – but the truth is, God has given you the strength, tools, and power you need to overcome every situation. As you trust God and face your addictions, you have weapons at your disposal: prayer, Bible truths, worship, thanksgiving, and having accountability with other Christians. You will not fail; take back your family, faith, and life in God.
