A South African couple were visiting a national park when they saw a python slither out of the grass and under their parked car.
But the python did not come out.
Cautiously, the man looked under the car but the python had disappeared.
Then the man lifted the hood. There, the giant snake had made herself comfortable around the car engine!
Here is the message the Lord gave me about this story:
Addictions don’t belong in our brains any more than a snake belongs in a car engine.
The picture shows you exactly how the spirit of addiction operates!
A python kills through constriction. It wraps around the person, putting them in bondage. Each time the person breathes, the snake coils around them even tighter until the person can’t breathe anymore.
Here is the sad thing: Many people start treating that snake as a pet.
They keep feeding it and it deceives them into thinking that it is a part of who they are. They think they cannot live without it.
However, an addictive spirit is never satisfied.
No matter how much you feed it, it will always want more. It will keep feeding upon you until it takes your life.
Several years ago, I watched a documentary called “I eat 33,000 calories per day” about four people who were in bondage to food addiction.
Check out this 5-minute clip from the documentary. It is sad because you see how this lady’s food choices are squeezing the life out of her:
It was sobering for me to realize that I was on that same road that Lisa was on.
But it was God’s grace that showed me a better path to take. I can’t deceive myself in thinking I can go back to my old ways. All that will do is invite that “snake” to come back.
I have decided to choose life and blessing rather than death and cursing.
Breaking free from an addiction requires both prayer and practicality. Prayer is self-explanatory, but the practicality part requires protecting yourself from those things that feed the addictive spirit.
You do those things that nurture you rather than harm you. You find out what ‘need’ that addictive spirit was filling in a counterfeit way and you seek God’s wisdom to fill that need in a way that pleases Him.
It does hurt your flesh to say ‘no’ when it seems that your whole body is screaming for that addictive substance.
And yet, you are not willing to believe the lie that says: “I can’t live without it.” You declare instead,
I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord (Psalm 118:17).”
You choose life and make steps toward life rather than hiding out from it in an addiction, knowing that the Lord is with you every step of the way.
Jesus came so that we do not have to live in bondage and fear. Galatians 5:1 encourages us:
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”
Grab hold of the freedom that you have in Jesus. Make daily choices that build your health and you will have peace.
If a choice does not give you peace, then don’t go there. Trust in the Lord to strengthen you as you create new core health habits that empower you to be about your Father’s business.
Be Blessed with Health, Healing, and Wholeness,
Kimberly Taylor
Author/Christian Life Coach of the Take Back Your Temple Weight Loss Community
P.S. Do you struggle with overeating sugar? If so, you are not alone!
Overcoming sugar addiction was a key factor on my weight loss journey; I lost 85 pounds and dropped from a size 22 to an 8.
In our 14-day Sugar Detox Challenge online course (inside the Take Back Your Temple Community), you’ll get the same success strategies and support to gain peace in your eating habits and achieve lasting weight loss.
Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple Christian Weight Loss Community.
Wow the enemy is so subtle. We so easily give into those voices and nudges and urges inside us, but looking from the outside like us watching this video it’s so clear to see someone else’s addiction, someone else’s choices, someone else’s enabler in their lives. But either way we’re looking in a mirror and not seeing who we clearly are when we continue a dance with food addiction. It’s also challenging when you live with someone who is a food pusher and doesn’t truly support your healthy choices and is so quick to tempt me with some thing when he says I’m having an off day. Each of us can be tempted, each of us can be a saboteur for another or a-good example of self control. But only, each of us can do our own work with Christ. Lord please guide my heart and mind today and please help all the others on this website to keep clear and steady focus. And keep our eyes and forks and spoons on You. Feed me nourishing and sustaining substance in word, truth, and action. Thank you Kim. I so needed to see this today.
Thank you for your feedback, Myriah – I praise the Lord for shining the light on this dark issue and showing us the truth that makes us free. We get free not by our might or power but by your Spirit. In that way, You get the glory!
That was such a heart wrenching video to watch. So very sad for these people.
“ Dear Jesus, please make yourself known to these people who are in such bondage to food that their life has been stolen from them. Lord, You know their hearts, You know them well, please let them know Your presence and power of Your deliverance from bondage. It’s going to be long and hard, please help them. And Lord, please help all of us to not allow food to run our lives, we see these poor people and what the end result has become in their lives. So sad, so sorry to see. Jesus, being Lord of our lives in every area. We love you, Lord. “
Amen, Louise – I agree with you in prayer!
Oh wow Lord help me to be alert to the devil schemes.
Amen, Renee! It is important to open our eyes and discern what we are permitting to occupy our lives (allow to work)!
Wow! What a visual, satan the snake squeezing the life right out of me. Strength from Jesus can help me overcome this!
Yes, Sharon – He can and He will!
To God be the glory, I watch the 600 pound show to remind me that this could be me. Lord help us to keep our focus on you. Lord help us to look up from which our help comes from You.
Amen!
Thanks Kimberly … it’s taking a while, however, I’m 13 kilo’s lighter than I was 12 months ago … slow and steady wins the race … that slimy snake is releasing it’s grip because Jesus holds me, and my future in Him, up 🙂 x
Wow, right on!!! This is so much truer than most of us realize!!! Recently I realized that spirits are ETERNAL, and currently evil ones like addiction have access to us through trauma and other vulnerabilities. When I am tempted, I have started to remind myself that “I” am not the one who is hungry! If it is not I that need fuel then I decide to not feed the snake! Like a nasty spirit does, it will run all types of games with you to get you to give in (like a spoiled child with a parent). It will run the gamut of guilt, consultation, etc. And then make up some new ones…but once you know what your dealing with and “let your no be no”. It must flee.
Praise God! We have an amazing Savior. My first remembered prayer: age 5 asking God to help me loose weight! I was not even heavy! Well a couple of years later I am using the authority God has given me to make short order of submit to God, Resist the devil and he must flee from you!
Amen, Karen – we must keep speaking the truth so other Christian brothers and sisters realize that this spirit is never satisfied. I agree completely with everything you wrote. All glory to God!
Thank you Jesus that we can always return to you in repentance and experience your unconditional love.
Amen, Cathy!
I am about 150 lbs overweight. I feel so hopeless. I’ve been on diets and have lost large amounts of weight only to gain it back. I know God can deliver me but its been years of praying and still…..
Please pray for me & my needing a place to go. My husband told me last night that either I lose weight or he us going to go & get a skinny woman. We have been together for 19 years & he has never threatened to go get a skinny woman. This is my 2nd marriage, so I feel God us giving me a ticket out by his more or less kicking me out. (In a round about way)
I will pray that the Lord’s will be done in this situation and for His wisdom to guide you in this situation. I can’t imagine how painful this must be for you.
Thank you for your challenging but on point Bibilcal truths. Very convicting and needed. Thank you again.
Blessings
Thank you so very much for this & your ministry. This article hit me right between my eyes & spot on my heart. On Sept 14 I started my “healthy lifestyle living”. I begain with 10 day green juicing, increased my physical activity with water aerobics. I lost 10 pounds in the first month. Then I injured my back got a terrible Upper Respiratory Infection that was slow to respond to antibodies. This knocked me down. I recovered but struggled again with my eating. It’s a constant battle.
Thanks for writing, Joyce. It is a battle, but one you are destined to win if you do not give up 🙂
I needed this reminder today. This past summer I refrained from eating sugar. However, when I was “done” with my break from sugar, I found myself returning to my old ways, justifying eating more sugar and other food than necessary. I was letting the snake return! I like how you say “It will keep feeding upon you until it takes over your life.” and ” do those things that nurture you rather than harm you”. God did not intend for us to be in bondage. When I allow anything, but in this case, sugar, to rule in my heart, I am in essence telling Christ that what He did on the cross wasn’t enough to free me from the bondage of sin. How heretical! How idolatrous! Oh, this goes beyond food. May Christ rule our hearts and our lives ONLY. He is all we need, He is enough! Praise Him!!
Thank you, Michelle, for the wonderful way you put that into words. I’ve started a Celebrate Recovery step study, and I’ve realized the exact same thing – my idolatry.
Very true, Michele! God put this word on my spirit this morning: “We choose to restrict some things now so that we won’t be constricted later.” This is not only true in exercising self control in the eating area. For example, you may choose to restrict spending money now, so that you won’t be constricted later (debt). Or if you are married, you restrict yourself by staying faithful to your mate so that you won’t be constricted later (divorce).
I tried to sign up for your program in the last week but got stuck when I wanted to choose Visa or my debit card and not Pay pal.
I’m going to be 69 this week and need to lose at least 100 to 120 lbs. I have diabetes. I’m a Christian, believe in Jesus as my Savior. I have lost over 100 lbs two times but gained it back both times. I find my self very resistant to controlling accountability. What I have read on your E-mails gives me hope…I want what you are writing about.
I have visited a Food addiction recovery group but I don’t think my food problem is a disease; part of it is a sin problem. I retired (2012) and moved back to Michigan to my mother’s house. She says if she needed help I might not be able to help her because of my weight and knees.
Sometimes she questions my food choices and other times (like on Halloween) when I said I wasn’t going to eat any of her donuts she made that day,,she said not even one?
Hi Sandra – I’ll respond to you privately about this also. PayPal is the payment processor I use to process credit and debit cards. You do not need a PayPal account to order. Simply click the Pay with Debit or Credit Card option once you get to the order page.
To move forward, the first thing you’d need to be clear about is that you are ready to change and believe you can change. Check out this article for more information: Do you have the faith to change?
Right on time! God bless you and thank you for this post Kimberley. An awesome reminder that there is always a way out of the temptations of wrong food choices and God will protect me through it.
You know it, Anja – God’s got us!