Why You Can’t Break Free from Addiction – The Arrested Will

If you’ve never been addicted to something you hated doing but can’t stop doing, you may not be able to relate to this post. But I’ll advise you to read it all the same because it is going to help you help such people when you meet them.

Maybe I shouldn’t say when you meet them; I should say when you know about their situations. I say so because you’ve already met them; they’re all around you, you might even be one.

There are too many decent church boys and girls, men and women who are battling things too shameful to talk about; things like masturbation, fornication, adultery, incest, pornography, bestiality, homosexuality, drug abuse, smoking, unforgiveness, and so many other things.

They want to stop, but they can’t. They prayed, but nothing happened. Some were bold enough to go confess to someone, to seek counselling and accountability. But nothing has changed. It begins to seem God doesn’t care for you, or God made you like that; you call it your cross, your personal burden and problem. But deep inside you know it’s not true; deep inside you know it is sin and can take you to hell.

But you may feel like you’re already living in hell, you’ve lost confidence, and can’t trust yourself anymore, you don’t believe you can ever be free.

Some tried seeking help, but it only added to their problem as the person they went to for help took advantage of them.

Guys, this is happening in our congregations. I don’t even think there’s an assembly that’s free from these. Yes, we gather on Sundays and other church days; we hear the sermons, we pray, we usher, sing, or do whatever our duty is to do in church. But when we get home, another lord takes over; another master, a wicked one, a master that doesn’t care.

Why am I still struggling with this?

That’s a common question you ask yourself. Especially because you’ve prayed and you’ve taken practical steps to do what you were advised to do. So why hasn’t this left?

Well, let me say that drastic times call for drastic measures. Extreme situations call for severe actions.

And no, I’m not talking about cutting off your genitals, your hands, your tongue, or parts of your body. If you cut off your hands, which hands will you raise in worship?

By drastic and severe, I mean going beyond the practical things and positive confessions and declarations you’ve been doing but doesn’t work. Being practical is good, but if that’s all it takes, no one should be struggling with these things. But there are just too many people in bondage to keep telling ourselves to be practical.

Psalm 23 is a very popular Psalm, and I want to start from there, in verse 3 to talk about the arrested will or the arrested soul as the possible reason why nothing has changed.

Ps.23.3 – He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

To restore is to bring back into existence or to the former state, to return, to re-establish, to make amends for, to put in place of, to put back something that was stolen, destroyed, or seized.

So when he says the Lord restores his soul, he’s talking about returning what was missing from his soul.

Yes, it’s possible.

There are people who are alive and going about their business, but parts of their souls have been captured and caged.

And yes, our souls are in parts.

We’re spirit, soul and body. And just as our body is made up of flesh and bones, water and blood, our soul is also made up of will, emotions, intellect and consciousness. Even our spirits are in parts. But let me stay on my subject.

We as humans are caught up in a very fierce battle for our souls (will, emotions, intellect and consciousness); the kingdom of darkness will do anything and give anything to capture a single soul (wholly or partly). I won’t go into some details here. But understand that there are things we can do (or done to us) that make demons capture our souls (wholly or partly).

How do you know you’re captured?

Simple. When you’re not in full control of your will (ability and capacity to decide and do something), emotions (feelings), intellect (reasoning), and your consciousness (self-identity), it could mean part of your soul has been arrested somewhere.

I’m dealing with the human will in this post, but too many people have their emotions and reasoning (mental development) captured. They’re not in control, but something else has control of parts of their souls. But I must stay on my subject.

When your will is arrested, you may decide you won’t do a particular thing again because you don’t like it. But you’ll find yourself doing the same thing. And because demons (who are always involved in every case of arrested will) are abusive in nature, they can ensure you do that thing that very day or season that you said you won’t do it again. It’s an effort to let you know that you’re not in charge of your will, and also to make you lose hope for freedom and confidence in yourself, anything or anyone that promises freedom. That’s why they do it.

This experience of arrested will was exactly what Paul was talking about in Romans 7:15-25.

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Rom.7.15 & 19

Many people’s bondage was made stronger through the wrong interpretation and understanding of that passage in Romans 7. But we will deal with that in another post.

What’s important now is that if you’re currently experiencing this, you can be free. You know what Jesus said,

John.8.32 – And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

This truth I am telling you about arrested will can make you free.

If you don’t deal with the soul issue to have it fully restored, to have your arrested will released to you, there’s no point in dealing with the addiction because you can’t.

And how do you get back your soul (will and all)?

Rom.10.13 – For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved (delivered).”

You will call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ following my directive.

God is the one who can cause your soul to escape.

Ps.68.20 – Our God is the God of salvation; And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.

Ps.71.2 – Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me.

Ps.124.7 – Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

Today, if you believe, the snare will be broken, and you will escape.

Pray with me:

Lord Jesus Christ, I call on you to save me. Your word says whoever calls on your name will be saved. (Call out His name and ask Him to save you)

I have been struggling with (name the sin/addiction) for so long, and I can’t help myself. Now I understand that my soul has been captured by the enemy and that only you can set me free.

I am sorry for the sins that I have committed or inherited that gave the enemy power to capture my soul. I repent of all my sins and the sins of my fathers before me (name all sin that comes to mind), and I ask that you wash me clean with the blood of Jesus Christ.

You said in 1John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Please cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Please restore my soul, break the snare holding me captive and cause my soul to escape; set my soul free. Bring back my will, emotions, intellect, consciousness, and every fragment of my soul in the name of Jesus Christ.

Father, I thank you for restoring my soul. I commit my whole being, my whole spirit, soul, mind and body to you. Take charge, O Lord, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Now that’s it. But that’s not all; I will ask you to give your life over to God and become born again. If you have done so before, then rededicate yourself. It’s easy. Just say after me

Oh God, my Creator, I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son and that He is Lord. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is my Lord. I believe He died for my sins and that You, God, raised Him from the dead. Lord Jesus, save my soul and take charge of my life. I believe in You. Thank you for saving my soul.

Glory, hallelujah.

If you genuinely said these prayers, you’re saved. Congratulations.

The Spirit of God will direct and inspire your heart to do certain things. No matter how odd they seem, please do them without fail.

For example, you may be led to announce your salvation to certain people, to cut off certain things or people, delete and block certain contacts from your phone, to dispose of or destroy certain objects or things you have in your possession.

Another very important thing is water baptism because of its spiritual implications for salvation and deliverance from demons. I won’t go into details here. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been sprinkled as a baby or immersed as an adult before now; if the Spirit of God leads you in that direction, go and get baptized again.

The most important of all will be a little, almost faint, or huge, burning desire to read and study the Bible. Engage the word of God every day and pray every time.

I hope this post was a blessing to you. If it was, please share, please subscribe, please support. Thank you.