Are you struggling with recurring sins? Don’t give up—give your all to Christ. Through the Atonement, he can help you overcome addiction.
Have you ever heard the phrase misery loves company? Satan wants to see us indulge in sin and addiction so that we will feel miserable, frustrated, and hopeless like he does. But we are children of God, and we have a different fate. The prophet Lehi taught that our purpose is to “have joy” (see 2 Nephi 2:25). God loves us, and unlike Satan, he wants nothing more than to see us happy, free from the pains of sin.
In a general conference talk entitled “O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One,” Elder M. Russell Ballard explains that the Atonement is our ultimate tool in obliterating our weaknesses, sins, and addictions. God knew that when we came to earth, we would be tried and tempted by Satan’s cunning ways. Because of God’s overwhelming love for his children, he gave us a way to overcome through the grace of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Through prayer, we can access the Atonement and the Savior’s power to overcome Satan. Elder Ballard says that “fervent prayer is key to gaining the spiritual strength to find peace and overcome an addictive craving.” Even though we “may have to do this many times,” Elder Ballard testifies that “[our bodies], mind[s], and spirit[s] can be transformed, cleansed, and made whole, and [we] will be freed.”
As we put our faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ and turn to God in fervent prayer, we will feel the freedom that comes from overcoming sin, and we will know that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
Watch or read Elder M. Russell Ballard’s talk “O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One.”
Source: LDS General Conference
—Jessica Porter, Mormon Insights
Find more insights
Now is the time to overcome, and Christ will help you do it. Read a highlight of Brad Wilcox’s talk “His Grace Is Sufficient.”
Learn about the 12 Steps of the Addiction Recovery Program.
The parable of the prodigal son teaches about God’s love for us and his desires for us to come home, no matter where we are in life. Watch the Mormon Channel’s “The Prodigal Son.”
The choice to avoid pornography with the Savior’s help can have great influence on our future. See the Mormon Channel’s video “Watch Your Step.”
Sometimes I just need a reminder that the whole “misery loves company” thing isn’t of God. That reminder never fails to teach me that I can be happy and choose the right. Happiness isn’t out of our reach. Satan just wants us to think it is!
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