5 Bible Verses to Believe for the Freedom of Our Addicted Children

At first glance, it might appear as though this verse was written solely for the nation of Israel. We read the Old and New Testaments as two separate books from the perspective that the Old Testament was intended for the Jews only, while the New Testament included the Gentiles. However, when we read the Bible in its entirety, we witness God's love, mercy, protection, and deliverance throughout all its pages. The Lord has faithfully cared for His children throughout thousands of generations.

Like Israel, who cried out to the Lord in their days of trouble, as followers of Jesus Christ, we can look to Him for help when our families need freedom and deliverance.

Enemies have always waged war against the nation of Israel and against God’s children. So, while the nation of Israel was held in bondage by other nations, believers in Jesus contend with enemies of darkness who are determined to destroy their families.

Your family may be enduring extreme hardship right now. The trial may seem as though it will never end. One of your children may be bound to substances or a behavioral addiction. They may be suffering with mental health problems. You have been praying for them to be free, but feel helpless as the years go by and their condition worsens. You cry out to the Lord but wonder if your prayers will ever be answered.

Be confident of this—God is in control. He hears and answers our prayers. He has not forgotten you or your child. Do lose faith or cease praying. Because He is with us in our battles, we can believe for the freedom of our addicted children...and for the healing of our families.

Opposition to Freedom for Our Addicted Children

When I considered the opposition I face as the parent of someone who struggles with addiction and mental health issues, I came to the desperate realization that I need a Contender mightier than these forces of evil waging war against my child and my family.

Headline news around us shouts that this foe is too strong for us to contend with. Social media blasts that more people are dying than can be saved. No one knows what to do or how to help. Drugs deadlier than ever before are flowing through our borders daily, reaching the hands of those desperately craving more. Our children are inundated with the message that their lives are of no value, so why not just give up and end their misery?

No wonder we are afraid. The enemy is fierce and will settle for nothing less than total obliteration of this generation. We are educated to believe that addiction is an incurable disease rather than believing God can set our children free from the chains that bind them. Instead of fighting this battle in faith, we believe the lies perpetrated by an enemy claiming to be more knowledgeable and powerful than the Creator of the Universe. It’s time we stop listening to the lies and enter this battle armed with truth.

The Lord has fully equipped us to fight for our families on our knees. The Bible teaches us in Ephesians chapter 6 that our struggle is against powers of darkness and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The problem is that we have been fighting this spiritual battle with earthly weapons. We have placed our hope on a secular model of recovery or getting the proper diagnosis and treatment rather than in the hands of a mighty God who is able to save and deliver His children. Instead of believing for their freedom, our only hope is that our loved one will find help with a twelve-step program, costly rehab, medication-assisted treatment, or a secular model of therapy. We can believe for their recovery, but believing for their complete freedom is almost impossible.

Now before it seems like I’m negating the benefit of these programs, please hear me out. My son has accessed all the resources available to “treat” his addiction. I am grateful for the support and compassion these professionals and support groups have shown him. But as Christians, we have to guard against accepting a message that says true freedom through Jesus Christ is impossible.

Why do we believe that science has the final say? Why are we convinced that the addiction experts, medical professionals, and Big Pharma have all the answers? Why are we accepting the message that recovery is as good as it gets when we should be inclining our ears to the voice of truth found in the Word of God?

Your child may not be in bondage to substances. They may be struggling with a mental health diagnosis. Perhaps they are overwhelmed with anxiety or depression. Or, they may be rebelling against God and making choices that will only lead to misery in their lives. Resist believing the word on the streets. Remember the Lord is in control, and He will always have the final say when it comes to His children. Our choice is to decide if we will hold fast to our faith or if we will believe the voices causing us fear, worry, and dread.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul exhorts us not to fight with earthly weapons. We are commanded to take our thoughts captive to make them obedient to Christ. Instead of just believing what we read, let us ask ourselves, "What does the word of God say about my child, about our situation? Does it tell us to give up, or does it tell us to activate our faith?"

When we enter into spiritual warfare for our families, we must believe that although we are fighting in the spiritual realm, our prayers of faith are effective in all areas of our lives. God has proven repeatedly that He is the faithful protector of His children—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He will never abandon us to fight our battles alone. He has equipped us with the weapons we need for warfare. Begin by putting on the armor of God (see Ephesians 6:12-18) as you prepare to enter into spiritual warfare for your family.

If God Is For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?

The Bible is filled with stories of God delivering His people. David’s victory over Goliath. Daniel unscathed in the den of hungry lions. Shadrach, Meschach, and Abnego unharmed in the fiery furnace. Moses and the Israelites unstoppable exit from Egypt when being chased by Pharoah’s army. How about the enemies of blindness, paralysis, and demonic possession that were powerless in the presence of Jesus? Every enemy must take a bended knee to His mighty name.

‬‬In order to be people of faith who will not back down when the forces of evil wage war against our families, we will need to recognize our enemy’s tactics. More importantly, we need to know the character of our Lord. We must challenge our thinking about what we accept as truth. To do so, we will first need to reject the lie of “once an addict, always an addict.”

Jesus has come to set His children free. He set people free from sickness, from demons, and from sin. He offered salvation to those who asked for it. How can we stop short of praying and believing for anything less for our families?We must never give up because we serve a God who will never give up on us—or them.

As we pray, let us be mindful that we live in a fallen world. Sickness and death are a part of life on this planet. As parents of children who are bound to life-destructive addictions, we face the painful reality that not everyone wins their battle on this side of heaven. This awareness can deflate our faith if we do not guard against it. Instead, I encourage you to put your hope in our almighty God, and leave it there. He loves your son or daughter more than you can imagine. You can trust in His unfailing love.

It is my prayer that we will no longer sit in opposing camps in our view of addiction. One stating that addiction is a disease or the other claiming it’s a moral failure. I believe that if we were to ask Jesus this question, He would not answer our “why,” but instead would explain to us “how.” When we ask why someone became addicted or bound to life-destructive behaviors, it places us in the seat of judgment, reserved only for an all knowing God. When we ask how to help, how to pray, or how to encourage them, it seats us in a place of compassion.

Jesus is the only righteous judge. Only He can discern why someone fell into such a desperate condition. And only Jesus knows what it will take to truly set them free from the bondage and pain they are suffering.

It is our responsibility to stay in faith and keep our eyes on Jesus, our Protector, who fights for our freedom and for the freedom of our families. Until we see Him face-to-face, let us fight these battles in faith, with a trust that is immovable and steadfast.

Dear Lord.

We admit our faith has become small. Our enemy is a mighty foe. He has worn us down. Contend for our loved ones. We pray for a faith that moves mountains. We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You. We stand on the promises that You are for us and not against us. We believe you have the answers to the freedom your children so desperately need. We praise you.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Beautiful Blessings. Dawn

Are you a mother trying to cope with the painful reality of your adult child's addiction or self-destructive behaviors?

From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children offers guidance to mothers grappling with the anguish of their child’s addiction. Through Biblical truths and personal insights, you will discover the lies keeping you trapped in guilt and shame and experience the transforming power of God’s grace to set you and your loved ones free.

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