There are a lot of Christians, and many very strong Christians, who love the Lord, but still smoke and/or have other addictions today. Why? Because in their heart of hearts, they are numb to or don't recognize their addiction(s) as an act against God, or simply don't believe that their addiction is a sin. However, let us show you - in love - how smoking and other addictions might be a sin, okay?
If it is "Not" a Sin, There Won't be Consequences ...
The proof is in the pudding... For example: If smoking were "not" a sin, then there would "not" be consequences. Just as obedience has its rewards, sin has its consequences. Even if we sin, the Lord will forgive us (if we ask) and be there for us while we suffer those consequences, but we are always given a choice. Whether we submit ourselves to the correct choice now, or later, it is only then that we can turn it around by making the right choice. That's why we feel guilty in the back of our minds (actually, in our spirit; hence, our heart of hearts) and want to stop, because the Lord is trying to tell us that we need to quit whatever it is that we are doing that only quenches the Holy Spirit.
When we live a life of faith, and surrender to the Lord for guidance and direction on a daily basis, even hourly, or minute-by-minute in some cases, we are able to walk in peace, love and forgiveness, and personally experience how the joy of the Lord is truly our strength.
Completely surrendering to the Lord is not an easy thing to do. With all of the opposition in doing the right thing, in every circumstance, just because it is the right thing to do, it's just never easy, but it's right. We are not called to an easy life, but we are called to make every effort to walk in peace, intentionally, as a part of putting on the armour of God. We are to endeaver to love even unlovable people, and we are blessed just so that we can "be" a blessing. This walking in love through faith takes continuous effort, but the good news is that the Lord is always there to guide you, through the Holy Spirit who communicates with your Spirit, to give you the grace to do whatever it is that you are called to do.
There is Safety in Living a "Balanced" Life ...
No matter what your addiction may be, if it is any type of "addiction", it is a sin because it has a hold on you. 1 Peter 5:8 says that we need to be well balanced, or the devil, like a lion, roams about seeking whom he may destroy. The enemy loves excess and extremes. Because of this, if you are out of balance in your priorities, allowing things to control you rather than you controlling them, and doing what you know you should be doing, then you are leaving a door open, as they say, for the devil.
No one likes to think that the enemy has a foot hold on us in any way, but for those who are addicted to anything, we need to be aware of how to combat the enemy in that area. If it is at the top of your priority list, then you have your priorities mixed up. It could be smoking, shopping, worrying, overeating, undereating, or anything, for that matter. Remember, "extreme" is the devil's playground. We need to be responsible in setting our prioirities in our life, or else we won't have time for all of the important things, like spending time with the Lord, in prayer and in His word, for guidance, wisdom and direction.
With respect to smoking, for example, if you have to smoke before you spend time with the Lord in the morning, then you have your priorities mixed up. If you have to go to the bathroom, that's one thing... but putting anything else before the Lord is idolotry. If you don't believe me, then do the research yourself and ask the Lord to reveal to you the truth. If you conduct this research in a diligent fashion, He will.
The Word calls us to "pick up our cross (on a daily basis) and follow Him". This means to look to the Lord's will in your life, by spending time with Him in prayer and in His Word, so that He can be involved in and guide you concerning every aspect of your life. Anything that is important to you is important to the Lord - not only big, but small things, too - that's how much He loves you!
Smoking is "Not" in God's Plan for Your Life ...
See, the Lord created our bodies to breath in oxygen, our lungs to oxygenate our blood, and our blood to transport that oxygen to every major organ right down to the smallest of capillaries, alike. When we smoke, we are doing the opposite of what He created our bodies to do, i.e. breathing in the waste material that we normally breath out. Because of this, there are consequences, unfortunately, because it is in direct opposition of His will for your life.
Once you are aware of the truth surrounding your addiction -- whether it's smoking, overeating, not eating enough, working too much, being lazy, shopping too much, or anything that controls your mind or causes you to be off balance -- you need to know that this is possessing your soul. (Your mind is your soul, and when you are preoccupied with this obsession, it dulls your spiritual senses from hearing the "still small voice" within you). In other words, if it can control you as though you can't live without it, and it is something other than that which the Lord has ordained in your life, you are giving it the ability to control you, and this sin is commonly referred to as idolotry (anything you put before the Lord can be idolotry) and there is only one way to get out of it...
Surrender it to the Foot of the Cross ...
The Word counsels us to "Submit yourself to the Lord, rebuke the devil, and he will flee". (The operative word here is to "submit"). Whatever your addiction is -- whatever it is that you are having difficulties controlling or getting rid of in your life -- leave it at the foot of the cross. (The operative word, there, was "leave"). If you keep taking it back, then you are not surrendering to His will for your life. On the other hand, by leaving it at the foot of the cross, that means whenever you think of it, you visually can see that it is left at the foot of the cross, and you don't go back there to pick it up again.
Submitting to the Lord and completely surrendering to Him is not an easy thing to do. Again, the Lord requires effort on your part in order to prevail, even with His help, because it is you prevailing over the weak flesh in this area. Particularly, as with many smokers, they have allowed this addiction to control them for years and years. In the same way, many sinners have allowed their sin to control them for years and years, and at one point you just have to say to yourself "this is interfering with my relationship with the Lord" and make the decision to not allow it to control you any longer.
Perhaps you don't think that this particular sin is actually interfering with your relationship with God. If you don't know, then contemplate this in your heart of hearts... here's the test: Do you want to quit or stop doing it? Do you know that it is something -- even though you enjoy it and really don't want to quit -- that you know you need to let go of? Lastly, and most importantly, do you feel guilty when you think about it, or when you are doing it, knowing that you need to stop?
The answer is found in the Word. There is no condenmation to those who love the Lord. He is not here to condemn you or to judge you, but to love you and help you in whatever your need might be. He already suffered mentally, physically and spiritually on your behalf (see "Communion" link), and right now, He is seated at the right hand of God and has been annointed to forever be our personal High Priest - who ensures that our prayers are answered - at least those that are faith-filled, as He states in His word that the prayer of the faith will raise the sick, in other words, a prayer of faith can do anything!
Control "It" Rather than "It" Controlling You ...
Whether it is smoking, over-eating, over-spending or drinking too much, we need to get to a place where we are in control of "it" rather than "it" being in control of us. This is why God calls us to be wise stewards, so that money does not control us. In the same sense, we should be wise in everything we do, and careful not to allow it to control us in the temptations of our pleasure of eating, drinking, spending, etc. As long as you are mindful and asking the Lord to help you in this area, He will. If you make an effort, He will give you the strength and wisdom that you need to come against it. Your job is to believe in His ability, and He will do the rest. If you don't control the addiction, it can control you. As a child of God, we are given "the mind of Christ" and have the right to "come boldly to the Throne of the Grace" and make our requests known to Him. Alone, we can do nothing, but everything is possible through Christ Jesus.
You Can't Quit in Your Own Strength ...
You say over and over again: "I can't, or I don't know how to stop myself". That's true. "You" have given control over to your addiction, and are unable to get away from it on your own. This is where you must submit to the Lord, rebuke the enemy (addiction) and the it will flee. Speak to the problem and rebuke it in Jesus' Name! The enemy will keep coming back putting thoughts in your mind to continue to do it, and this is why you need to submit to the Lord on a daily basis, and in the beginning, it might be on an hourly basis, remembering that you put it at the foot of the cross. This is your test in life, and there will be many other tests that will come along, but until you pass this one, you won't be able to graduate to the next.
Remember: Jesus doesn't ask you to do anything on your own. In fact, in His Word, He states that you can do nothing without Him. On the other hand, He also states that "you can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens you." Philippians 4:13. Look it up to see for yourself, don't take my word for it. Ask the Lord to reveal the truth to you, and He will. Meditate on that scripture day and night, until He gives you the strength to surrender that addiction to Him, and leave it forever at the foot of the cross.
By leaving it at the foot of the cross, you are trusting in His ability and His strength, not yours. This is an act of faith. When you act in faith, and give Him Lordship and control over your life in this area, through His strength, you will be victorious (through Him). On the other hand, if you leave it at the foot of the cross, and ask Him to help you, and in your weakness you just keep doing it, then you are not trusting God, but in essence you are giving control to the enemy, who wants to destroy your life. It's like this: You can quit a thousand times, but you never quit until you quit for good. If you leave it at the foot of the cross and keep taking it back, you never fully leave it with Him until you actually leave it there, in His capable hands, and "never take it back up again".
After you leave your addiction at the foot of the cross, speak faithful words (out loud, so the enemy can hear you) whenever those thoughts come back to you. For example: "No, I gave that to the Lord;" "I left that at the foot of the cross;" "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me;" "greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world"; "that is not the Lord's will for me and I'm not going to do that again;" and (if it makes you feel any better, you can use your Christ-given authority by stating): "I rebuke you in Jesus' Name"; "I don't need you"; "I don't want you"; "Christ is the Lord of my life and I will only submit to Him"; "my flesh is weak but my spirit is strong - He will give me the ability to get through this".
Consider Fasting for Strength, Wisdom & Answers to Prayer
You may want to consider a fast, in order to gain strength or insight, or to break down the strongholds of the enemy. Seek the Lord for instructions, and maybe start out with a short-term fast, like one day. You may graduate to a 3-day fast (with much prayer) from "whatever" it is, and allow the Holy Spirit to help you extend it to a 7-day fast, to a 21-day fast, to a 40-day fast, until you will have better control over it - instead of it having control over you.
A word on fasting: When we fast from anything (food or addictions), our spirit becomes stronger as our flesh becomes weak. God honors our fasting by breaking down the strongholds, and giving us the ability, through Him, and through the power of the Holy Spirit to conquor the enemy in every area of our lives. In order to gain victory in overcoming your addiction, you may want to go on a fast as described above, starting out slowly and working your way through longer periods of time.
If you are fasting for answers, from food, everyone is different. First, pray about it. To know what kind of fast to go on, seek the Lord's direction, because not everyone can go without food and water. Some cannot go just on water, and the Lord knows this and will guide you accordingly. Whether He leads you to fasting one or two meals a day, from sunset to sunset, or on a juice fast, or on a total water fast, or no food or water, everyone is different. God knows your limitations, so ensure that you first inquire of the Lord in how He wants you to conduct yourself during this time of fast. It is through listening to His voice and following in obedience to Him that God will honor your faith with victory and the strength to overcome your addiction or gain wisdom or answers in an area, is not by might, nor by power, but by the Holy Spirit.
If you need prayer, we are always here to stand in agreement with you. Always remember that all of God's promises are there for you because He wants you to live a life of abundance. Look them up; study the Word; make a list; speak them in faith; memorize them; store them in your heart; and through His strength, you will be enabled to leave the past behind and feel good about your future, in Him. Read Jeremiah 29:11 and see what God says that He has in store for your future, for He has a future already planned for you, to prosper you and to give you hope.
