You Are Not Alone in This Fight
Have you ever felt that gnawing, overpowering craving for a drink, like you’re fighting a battle you just can’t win on your own? If you have, you need to know two things right now: you are not a failure, and you are not alone.
I’ve been there. I remember sitting on my kitchen floor, shaking, feeling like a prisoner in my own home. The lie that I was beyond saving played on a constant loop in my mind.
But by the grace of God, I haven’t had a craving like that in years. The chains of addiction were broken not by my own willpower, but by the power of Jesus Christ.
Today, I want to share with you the five faith-fueled strategies He used to set me free. These aren’t just tips; they are spiritual lifelines God provides to pull you out of the storm. They can replace the urge to drink with a spiritual strength you can actually count on when your own strength is gone.
Hack #1: Swap Your Thirst
That intense craving for alcohol often feels like a powerful physical thirst. But in truth, it’s almost always a symptom of a much deeper, spiritual thirst—a thirst for peace, for meaning, for a feeling of belonging.
In those moments of intense craving, the very first thing you can do is run toward Jesus through prayer and Scripture.
I’ll never forget one night when the craving hit me so hard I could almost taste the drink. My hands were literally shaking. But instead of reaching for a bottle, I grabbed my Bible. It felt a hundred pounds heavy with my shame. I didn’t even know where to turn; I just let it fall open, desperately pleading with God for a sign.
My eyes landed on Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
In that single moment, a wave of peace washed over me that alcohol had never, ever given me. It wasn’t a magic trick; it was the start of a new habit. When you get into the Word and pray, you start building a routine based on something real and positive. You’re trading the lie of the craving for the truth of God’s love.
This is about swapping a thirst for temporary relief with a thirst for what Jesus calls “living water”—the kind that truly satisfies your soul forever.
Hack #2: Find Your Fellowship
Addiction loves to keep you isolated, convinced that no one could possibly understand what you’re going through. It absolutely suffocates in community.
For the longest time, I tried to fight this battle all by myself, buried in my own shame. I honestly thought I was the only Christian in the world who was this weak.
The big turning point for me was when I finally worked up the courage to join a faith-based recovery group at a local church. I remember sitting in my car in the parking lot for twenty minutes, terrified. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to turn around.
But walking into that room was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and it saved my life. For the very first time, I was surrounded by people who got it. They didn’t judge me; they prayed with me. I heard a man share a story that was so similar to mine, and for the first time, I didn’t feel like a monster; I just felt human.
Being part of a community gives you a support system that offers compassion, understanding, and real encouragement. It’s a constant reminder that you are not alone and that there’s immense strength when we share our stories.
Hack #3: Replace the Void with Purpose
So often, we use substances to fill an empty space inside or to hide from a feeling of aimlessness. When you stop drinking, you’re suddenly left with a lot of empty space—empty time, empty hands, and an empty, hollow feeling.
If you don’t fill that void with something positive, the old habits will rush right back in.
Diving into purposeful, faith-driven activities like worship, serving at your church, or volunteering can completely redirect your focus. I started serving on the welcome team at my church. It was simple, just greeting people and handing out bulletins, but it gave me a reason to get up and get out of my own head.
It started giving me a new identity. I wasn’t just “the guy struggling with alcohol” anymore; I was a child of God who had a purpose, a role to play in His house.
When you start using your time to serve God’s bigger plan, you begin to see His work in your own life more clearly. Your purpose gives you a powerful reason to protect your sobriety.
Hack #4: Embrace Forgiveness
This fourth hack is a true game-changer: embracing forgiveness and healing through Christ.
A lot of the time, our cravings are fueled by a toxic sludge of guilt, shame, and anger that we just haven’t dealt with. It becomes a vicious cycle: you feel shame for what you’ve done, so you drink to numb the shame, which only leads to more shameful behavior.
I was carrying around so much shame for the things I had said and the people I had hurt. That weight was a constant trigger for me.
But our faith teaches us that forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools for healing. This isn’t just about God forgiving you; it’s about you truly accepting that forgiveness. Think of it this way: God offers you this incredible gift, but it does nothing if you leave it sitting on the table, unopened.
One of the most powerful verses for this is 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Letting that truth sink in from your head down into your heart helps release the heavy emotional burdens that so often lead to cravings. It replaces the weight of your past with the peace and stability you need for lasting sobriety.
Hack #5: Surrender to Win
Finally, hack number five: surrender to win.
I know it sounds completely backward in a world that tells you to have more willpower and to fight harder, but it’s the most important step you can take. It’s about surrendering your own will and your life over to God’s care.
For me, this became a daily, sometimes hourly, choice. In the morning, before my feet even hit the floor, I’d pray, “God, I can’t do this today, but You can. I give up. Please, take control of my sobriety, my thoughts, and my actions.”
It’s admitting that your own human power can’t fix this deep-rooted problem, but that God can and He will, if you just seek Him.
It’s in that moment of total surrender that you find real strength, because you’re no longer running on your own limited power, but on His infinite, perfect power. As it says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” The strength doesn’t come from you; it’s channeled through you from the one who has already conquered all things.
A Prayer for You Right Now
If you’re reading this, feeling the weight of this struggle, I want to pray with you. You really don’t have to do this alone.
“Father God, I lift up my friend who is reading this right now. You see their struggle, You know their pain, and You feel their exhaustion. I pray that You would meet them exactly where they are, in this very moment. Fill them with Your peace that surpasses all understanding and give them the strength and courage they need to take the very next step, no matter how small it feels. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Remember, this battle is not yours to fight by yourself. God’s plan for you is a plan for hope and a future, not for shame and despair. Addiction does not get to be your identity; your identity is a beloved child of God.
Through faith in Jesus, you can break free from the chains of cravings and step into a life full of purpose and real freedom. Trust in His power, lean on His grace, and know that with God, all things are possible.
You are loved, you are not alone, and with His help, you absolutely can do this.
Chris Mosser
Author of Grateful Truce & The AGI Dilemma
Grateful Truce 
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