# What does the Bible say about addiction? > What the Bible says about addiction and being mastered — verses on not coming under a power, the fruit of the Spirit, and freedom, plus one next step. Source: https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/addiction By Andrew Kittridge, Founder of Lumin · August 26, 2026 · Updated October 2, 2026 Verses are chosen for the question being asked. Scripture on this site is quoted from the Lumin Translation, the same text as the public reader and the iPhone Bible tab: Lumin’s own translation, drafted with AI from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, checked verse by verse against them, and approved by Lumin. Glosses in answers are original summaries, not a second Bible. Open the named passage; AI is not the interpreter. [How we cite Scripture](https://www.lumin.faith/about#how-we-cite) The Bible does not use the modern word addiction, but it knows enslavement: a lawful thing that begins to master a person, a desire that conceives, a body at war with the Spirit. Scripture treats this as a heart and body problem that needs truth, community, and often skilled help — not a slogan about trying harder in private. - [Ask with Scripture you can open](https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md) - [Make room to pray](https://www.lumin.faith/pray.md) - [Can AI replace a pastor?](https://www.lumin.faith/can-ai-replace-a-pastor.md) ## Bible verses about addiction - **[1 Corinthians 6:12](https://www.lumin.faith/read/1-corinthians/6#12)** — Not everything beneficial is to be done; Paul refuses to be mastered by anything. - **[Romans 6:12-14](https://www.lumin.faith/read/romans/6#12)** — Do not let sin reign in your body; present yourselves to God as people brought from death to life. - **[Galatians 5:16-23](https://www.lumin.faith/read/galatians/5#16)** — Walk by the Spirit; the fruit includes self-control, against which there is no law. - **[John 8:36](https://www.lumin.faith/read/john/8#36)** — If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. - **[Titus 2:11-12](https://www.lumin.faith/read/titus/2#11)** — God’s grace trains us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled lives. - **[James 5:16](https://www.lumin.faith/read/james/5#16)** — Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. - **[1 Corinthians 10:13](https://www.lumin.faith/read/1-corinthians/10#13)** — No temptation has overtaken you beyond what is common, and God provides a way out. - **[2 Corinthians 12:9](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-corinthians/12#9)** — God’s grace is sufficient, for his power is made perfect in weakness. ## Highlighted verse > All things are permitted for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are permitted for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. > > — 1 Corinthians 6:12 (Lumin Translation) ## Reflection Freedom in Scripture is not the absence of desire. It is no longer being owned by a desire. That usually requires more than a private resolution: confession to people who can actually help, sometimes medical or recovery care, and a community that will not confuse secrecy with holiness. ## One next step Name the thing that is mastering you in one honest sentence. Tell one trustworthy person this week, and ask for a concrete next step — a doctor, a recovery meeting, a pastor, or a friend who will not look away. ## FAQ ### What is a key Bible verse about addiction? 1 Corinthians 6:12: not everything lawful is helpful; do not be mastered by anything. Romans 6:12-14 refuses to let sin reign in the body. John 8:36 promises that if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. ### How should Christians respond to addiction? Tell the truth to people who can actually help — a doctor, a recovery meeting, a pastor, a friend who will not look away. Scripture treats enslavement as a heart and body problem, not a private slogan about trying harder. ### Does the Bible use the word addiction? Not the modern clinical word. It knows a lawful thing that masters a person, desire that conceives, and a body at war with the Spirit. Those texts are the right starting place. ## Related questions - [What does the Bible say about temptation?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/temptation.md) - [What does the Bible say about lust?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/lust.md) - [What does the Bible say about hope?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/hope.md) ## Related guides - [Ask with Scripture you can open](https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md) - [Make room to pray](https://www.lumin.faith/pray.md) - [Can AI replace a pastor?](https://www.lumin.faith/can-ai-replace-a-pastor.md) --- Ask, Bible Coach, Pray, and Sermon Week are the four jobs in Lumin. The app is for iPhone and iPad. App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumin-bible-ai-companion/id6754889412 Ask on the web: https://www.lumin.faith/app Browse answers: https://www.lumin.faith/answers.md