Lesson 3: Process of freedom
Luke 14:28 - For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

There is a process we must follow to become free, for freedom would have very little value to us if it was done in an instant and with no effort on our part. So for the rest of this study I will encourage you to keep a journal. Write every day what success you have as well as what failure you have had that day in your journey with Jesus. It is important to this process that you begin to understand your own inability to make this freedom work. Freedom will only come as you exchange your slavery to this addiction for a new walk with Jesus. We are weak and we are short sighted so that we cannot see what is about to come to us. We cannot see even in the next few minutes how temptation will come to us. But we can know it will come because we have an enemy who is determined that we must fail. Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us we cannot see this enemy even though he is very real. This is why we call it spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is a battle for our mind.

As a result, we cannot trust ourselves (Romans 7:23). But we can trust ourselves completely to Jesus because He has told us He will be our guide and our strength and our wisdom and anything else we need as He takes us through this process of healing that we might be set free. Again I repeat, this process of freedom is rarely an instant freedom because then we would not understand the serious nature of our addiction, nor would we fully appreciate His help and work in our life.


 I repeat this from Lesson 1 - Time is needed for the physical affects of your addiction to leave your body. The brain recreates itself every 2.5 to 3 years so given time and the right circumstances it can and will heal and return to normal. Determination is needed for you to consciously and intentionally change habits you have formed. One of the best ways to change your habits is to see where you are or what time of day you are most likely to do this thing you are addicted to (what triggers the addictive behavior) – and either do not go there or change your pattern of what you do when you are there. For example, if smoking is your addiction, and you most often smoke right after you eat a meal, then change what you do after you finish eating. Do not just sit where you usually sit to smoke, but find something you especially enjoy and do that instead. I am here to help pray for you and encourage you.

Verse to memorize: Ephesians 6:12

Prayer today: Dear Jesus, I know I cannot overcome my addiction by myself, I need Your help. Just as our verse for today says, I have looked at my life, at my strengths, at my weakness, and I know I can never be set free by my own effort. I need Your help every day, every hour, every minute. So I give myself to You and ask You to guide me and give me strength for this battle for freedom. Thank You, Jesus, for being with me all the time.