Our culture is in crisis. Because of the moral anarchy that pervades society, decadence and self-indulgence surround us at every turn. But that is not all. We also face the constant pressure from the world to conform to its standard. We are being pressed into the corruption mold. Those who are in the church are not safe from these attacks because we still walk in the world. 

Sometimes there are those in the church who become entangled so deeply in the mire of sin and indulgence that they cannot get out. They taste the poison of sin and begin to convulse; they nibble on the bait of pleasure, become hooked, and cannot get free; they cut their own throats with the razorblade of excess and cannot stop the bleeding - they need help! 

Maybe you know someone like this. Maybe this is you. Edward Welch, a Biblical Counselor has absorbed the task of writing the definitive work to this day on dealing with what is most commonly referred to as "addictions." In our culture, psychologists have relabeled sin and given it a more soft and flowery name, like "diseases" and "disorders." Instead of drunkenness, it is called alcoholism (making the alcohol rather than the man the problem). Instead of lust, it is called sexual addiction. Instead of rebellion and disobedience, it is called Attention Deficit Disorder. Instead of selfishness and despair, it is called depression. Instead of fearing man, it is called co-dependency. Instead of sorcery (the Biblical name given to drug abuse), it is called chemical dependency. To give a fair name to a foul sin is to minimize the effect that God desires to have in the life of the sinner who must take up full responsibility for his actions. 

The term "addiction" is not really an appropriate description. "Life dominating sins" is better. Welch makes the point in his book that this label of addictions is the one that our society uses to describe the harsh and entangling struggles that dominate our culture and too often our churches. Thus he redefines addictions from bodily disease to soul dominion caused by sin, and uses the term redefined throughout the rest of the book. 

He says in this book that to become entrenched in a sin, particularly those sins that fall under the category of "lust of the flesh," is like digging for dinner in a graveyard. The gross imagery perfectly describes what sin is like, as contrasted with the banquet feast that we enjoy at the dining table of King Jesus' pleasures forever (Psa. 16:11). 

For those hurting, Welch offers sound Biblical help through the power of the Word of God in the hand of child of God enabled by the Spirit of God. He argues for a return to the power that is available through the Gospel to break through to those dominated by sins of self-indulgence. 

He also laments the sad reality that the church of today has relegated those so ensnared to the "professionals who are more qualified to deal with these issues." The church, in his estimation (and I believe he is correct) has defaulted in her responsibility to reach out to and help by not dealing with issues like drug abuse, drunkenness, pornography, etc. Therefore, the only helps people can turn to are institutions like AA, which lead them to a "higher power" rather than teaching them how to glorify the one and only God. Thankfully, some organizations, as an extension of the local church have taken it upon themselves to partner with the church in this task and provide Biblical help. A list of reputable ones is included in the back of the book. 

As far as helping the enslaved, Welch brings Biblical diagnoses to the sins themselves by showing that the problem is ultimately that of idolatry - and the disorder is not one of chemical problems, but of worship problems. Worship of self, pleasure, substances, approval, etc. all stand in the way of the true worship that the created was made to render to His Creator. Biblical descriptions of sin and its solution are given in chapters 1-3. 

Chapter 4 focuses on the descent into the sin, and how it captures and cages the sinner. One thing I appreciate about Welch is his detailed and practical descriptions of a person who is struggling. It gives things to look for in a person who is caught, how to help them if they are denying their problem, what you should do to help them in terms of love and consequence, and what to do if this person is a child, a spouse, or even you. Welch also includes sample role-play discussions to model how to approach someone in an "addiction." He gives practical examples and advice from his many years of dealing with such issues in his own personal counseling. 

As the book continues, Welch unfolds the Biblical process of change: the role of God, the church, Christian friends in the life; the proper heart motivation to change; dealing with the fallout of years of deceit and betrayal; and how to implement consistent patterns of righteous living that will keep you far from the sin forevermore. 

As I started to read this book, I found myself thinking I do not have life-dominating addictions, and so this will be a good one for the file. However, after further reading, I learned to take the principles of this book and import them into the daily struggles that all of us face, and found myself needing what he had to teach from God's Word. I also got the most double-takes and stares as I read in public, more than any other book I have ever read…. Makes me wonder how needed the help is, which Edward Welch offers in this volume. It is highly recommended to you as the definitive work on dealing with the lust of the flesh. Stop picking in the trash for breakfast, and start dining with Christ!

From the Back Cover

A Worship Disorder.  Will we worship ourselves and our own desires, or will we worship the true God?  Scripture reveals addicts' true condition:  like guests at a banquet thrown by "the woman Folly," they are already in the grave.  (Prov. 9:13-18).  Can we not escape our additions?  Following Jesus, we have "immense hope that God can give power so that we are no longer mastered by the addition."

About the Author

Edward T. Welch (M. Div., Biblical Theological Seminary; Ph. D., University of Utah) is a counselor at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation in Glenside, Pennsylvania, and professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.  He is author of Blame It on the Brain?  Distinguishing Chemical Imbalances, Brain Disorders, and Disobedience and When People are Big and God Is Small, and is a frequent contributor to The Journal of Biblical Counseling.