September 2015 Knowing what the Word says on any matter in life helps us not be ignorant of the adversary s devices. II Corinthians 2:11: Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. One of the devices of the adversary throughout time has been to entice people with drugs and alcohol for recreational use. With the legalization of mind-altering drugs, such as marijuana, becoming more prevalent in our day and time, it is important that we understand God s point of view on sobriety and the misuse of drugs and alcohol so that we can heed His will and not allow Satan to take advantage of us or others because we are uninformed. Sometimes the laws of a land will help citizens restrain themselves from ungodly behaviors, but as the gap between what is truth and what is legal widens in any country, it becomes even more important for those of us who love God and His Word to understand the clear boundaries of godly behavior and to help each other stand on the truth. This becomes especially necessary when a culture becomes more tolerant of unbiblical behavior. What does the Word say about sobriety and the misuse of drugs and alcohol? Sobriety is the quality or state of being sober, and I Thessalonians 5 speaks clearly on God s will for His children to be sober. I Thessalonians 5:5-8: Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 1
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch [be awake, be vigilant] and be sober [nēphō]. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober [nēphō], putting on the breastplate of faith [believing] and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. Once we are born again of God s spirit, we are children of light, and we are exhorted to...walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). We are not of the night, nor of darkness; we are children of the day, and therefore we are not to sleep as others sleep. We are to be awake, vigilant, and sober. The Greek word for be sober in verses 6 and 8 is nēphō, which along with its meaning of to be sober is also defined as to be temperate (moderate, not extreme or excessive), to be circumspect. God is telling us who we are as His children. We are children of light, children of the day; and our corresponding behavior is to be awake and to be sober, putting on the breastplate of believing and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. I Peter 5 tells us why. I Peter 5:8: Be sober [nēphō], be vigilant [watch, be awake]; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. God tells us to be sober and to be vigilant because our adversary, the Devil, walks about seeking whom he may devour. We are in a spiritual competition with a formidable opponent, and in order to defeat our adversary, we need to stay spiritually awake. This involves staying in complete control of our minds and bodies. God wants us He needs us to be sharp, alert, focused, and ready to compete in the spiritual competition. As children of light, we steward our minds and bodies. We have a duty to discipline our minds according to His Word. We exercise self-control in all areas of our lives so that we can manifest the exceeding greatness of God s power as we believe. Ephesians 1:19: And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. 2
The adversary would like to steal away the control that God gave to us. It s important that we maintain a sound mind and self-control in all things. II Timothy 1:7: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. I Corinthians 9:24-27: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate [exercises selfrestraint, self-control] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway [rejected from the competition]. We run in the greatest competition in all of life, the spiritual competition; and on God s team, we run so that we may obtain an incorruptible crown. As competitors we need to exercise self-control in all things. Just as athletes who in preparing themselves for competition abstain from unwholesome food, wine, and other indulgences we too exercise self-restraint, self-control, in all things. We stay in complete control of our minds and our bodies. We house the gift of holy spirit in these earthen vessels of ours (II Corinthians 4:7). We need to be ready at any moment to operate our God-given ability via the nine manifestations, which we operate according to our free will. This requires our sobriety. The Word of God clearly shows us it is God s will for us to be sober and to be vigilant and to maintain sound minds and self-control in all things. What does it say about the misuse of drugs? The word drug(s) is not used in the King James Version of the Bible. The closest associated New Testament Greek word relating to drugs is pharmakeia, from which we get the English word pharmacy. Various definitions of this word from lexical aids include: the use or the administering of drugs; poisoning; sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it ;...primarily signified the use of medicine, drugs, spells; then, poisoning; then, sorcery... ; and enchantment with drugs. 3
In the King James Version, the word pharmakeia and forms of this word are translated sorceries, sorcerers, and witchcraft. By looking at these Biblical occurrences, we see the relationship between devilish practices and drugs. In Galatians 5, we see pharmakeia translated witchcraft in a listing of the works of the flesh. Galatians 5:16-24: This I say then, Walk in [by] the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft [pharmakeia], hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance [self-control]: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. God s Word exhorts us to walk by the spirit (which involves walking according to God s revealed Word); and in doing so, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. One of the works of the flesh listed is witchcraft, pharmakeia, which, as we have seen, embodies the concept of drug use in sorcery. This reveals a key way the adversary uses drugs to promote his devilish practices. In the Book of Revelation, which relates to future administrations after the gathering together, we see more occurrences of the word pharmakeia and its forms in the context of devilish people and behavior. Revelation 9:21: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries [pharmakeia], nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. 4
Revelation 18:23: And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries [pharmakeia] were all nations deceived. Revelation 21:8: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers [pharmakeus enchanters with drugs], and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 22:14,15: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers [pharmakos enchanters with drugs], and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Regarding sorcery, Vine s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words notes the following about its relation to the use of drugs: In sorcery, the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or patient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer. We can see why the sorcerer would combine the use of drugs with his devilish practices because drugs can alter the brain chemically, reducing inhibitions and affecting the brain s decision-making centers. He can then more easily impress his applicant or patient with his mysterious powers. This is one way the adversary gets people to worship him rather than the true God. Once people are born again of God s spirit, the adversary has no legal right over them. He cannot take away their freedom of will unless they give it to him. However, if people lose control over their minds and bodies due to their use of drugs, the door can open for the adversary to take control. Essentially they give up their free will. We are to be sober and vigilant as children of light because our adversary, the Devil, walks about as 5
a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Exercising self-control keeps us sober and enables us to walk by the spirit. Throughout time, the adversary has attempted to persuade men, women, and children that the recreational use of mind-altering drugs is logical. They add fun and zest to a normal, boring everyday life, he claims; however, God promises a more abundant life on a daily basis via Jesus Christ (John 10:10), and He gave us His Word to show us how to claim all He has given us. Drugs are not a part of that promise. The adversary asserts that when we heighten the senses with drugs, it can bring enlightenment; but God s Word teaches us that we control our minds and that our hearts are enlightened by His revealed Word (Ephesians 1:17,18). Satan s persuasion for the misuse of certain drugs is that they allow people to relax but that includes a stipulation give up control of your mind. God never controls a person s mind. Instead, He freely makes available His peace, which passes all understanding, to guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus as we pray to God (Philippians 4:6,7). Additionally, the misuse of drugs can often lead to addiction and the pressures related to supporting the addiction, so it s a fallacy to conclude that they bring relaxation. According to the pure logic of God s Word, the case for the recreational use of mind-altering drugs falls short every time. We have seen what the Word says about being sober and what it tells us about the misuse of drugs. What does the Word say about the misuse of alcohol? We will look at the concept of drunkenness. We saw drunkenness in the listing of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:21. This word can also mean intoxication. We see two other uses in the King James Version, both in the context of staying awake and watchful. Luke 21:34-36: And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting [intoxication and its consequences], and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch [be sleepless, keep awake, be attentive] ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass... 6
Romans 13:11-14: And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. In contrast to being drunk, we are to watch, keep awake, be attentive. We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand; we are to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. We are children of light, and we are to walk in the light. This involves walking honestly, as in the day, not in drunkenness. We have seen that we are in a spiritual competition and are to be sober and vigilant because our adversary, the Devil, walks about seeking whom he may devour. The misuse of drugs and alcohol or any other mind-altering substance hinders a person from staying mentally sharp enough to heed God s command to be vigilant and to be sober and this gives the adversary the advantage he desires. Just as an athlete prepares mentally and physically to win a competition, we are to control our minds and bodies to do what is required to compete and win in the spiritual competition. As Paul wrote in I Corinthians 9:27,...I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway [rejected from the competition]. We never want to allow the adversary to disqualify us from the greatest, most fulfilling competition in life. In the household of God, we are not ignorant of Satan s devices. We teach the accuracy of the Word in our fellowships and share it with others so they can stay informed of the truth. What does the Word say about sobriety and the misuse of drugs and alcohol? They stand in opposition to each other. If we want to stay in control of our minds and bodies, we abstain from substances that hinder our sobriety or control us in any way. To maintain the advantage in the greatest of all competitions in life, we stay sober and vigilant as children of light. To steward our gift of holy spirit and enjoy the awesome privilege of operating the nine manifestations of holy spirit decently and in order, we keep awake and in control, utilizing the power, the love, and the sound mind God gave us to glorify Him in all we do. 7
Each one of us has the power to continually direct ourselves to the fullness of life God has promised us through His Son Jesus Christ, but only as we control our minds according to God s Word. Those of us who are children of light and children of the day are to be sober, putting on the breastplate of believing and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. That s what the Word says! For more information, visit www.theway.org 2015 by The Way International. All rights reserved. 8