[Pastor Ralph]

Q3. (Ephesians 5:17-18) What is the primary temptation involved with drugs and alcohol? How can drug or alcohol use substitute for the "high" of the Spirit? How can being filled with the Spirit help us fend off the temptations of drugs and alcohol?

[Commissioned]

Q3. (Ephesians 5:17-18) What is the primary temptation involved with drugs and alcohol?
The primary temptation involved with drugs and alcohol is to get "high." Users of drugs and alcohol take these to escape reality. They put themselves in a false sense of paradise where all is well with their world only to come down and face the fact that the problems are still with them.

How can drug or alcohol use substitute for the "high" of the Spirit?
Drug or alcohol can never be a substitute for the "high" of the Holy Spirit. However the "high" of the Holy Spirit can be the substitute for the "high" of drugs and alcohol.

How can being filled with the Spirit help us fend off the temptations of drugs and alcohol?
Being filled with the Spirit help us fend off the temptations of drugs and alcohol by giving us the strength to resist and breaking the yoke of the bondage to the drug.

[cct1106]

Drug and alcohol is devastation to us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. You feel like you can do anything and that even means being able to handle anything without God. The high from drugs and alcohol is no substitute for a spiritual high. The high from drugs and alcohol wears off and sometimes to even get a higher high you have to do more but a spiritual high does not wear off and will always be with you.

[Ken7]

Drugs, alcohol, and sexual addictions stem from the pain and loneliness of NOT knowing God intimately!

The high from stimulants is an inadequate substitute for the Peace and Joy of God through our Holy Spirit.

[charisbarak]

The primary temptation involved with taking drugs and/or alcohol is that it deadens our minds so we cannot think clearly & easily fall into sexual sins.

Drugs & alcohol only give a limited/short time of being "high." It can be a substitute for the Holy Spirit when we allow the drugs & alcohol to take over our minds & bodies.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit gives you a high you'll never come down from! Instead of allowing these other things to take over our bodies & minds, we know they belong to God and we are led by the H.S. We have the freedom to say no to those things which would try to destroy us. Know for certain God gives you the strength you need--stay close to Him!

[Stan]

Q3. (Ephesians 5:17-18) What is the primary temptation involved with drugs and alcohol? How can drug or alcohol use substitute for the "high" of the Spirit? How can being filled with the Spirit help us fend off the temptations of drugs and alcohol?

The over use of them to dull our senses to the problems around us. It takes away our ability to deal with the world around us and gives us false hope that Hope that we only have through Christ and His power over our lives.
Being filled with the Spirit leads us to always give praise to God in all things eeven the difficult times and allows Him to work in our life to grow us up in the Spirit so that we become stronger in the faith and in allowing Him first place in our lives. As we give Him praise even the hard things become easier to deal with. The struggles get further apart and our true Hope begins to shine through, I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me should be our crutch instead of drugs and alcohol.

[Yvonneevonne]

The primary temptation of the use of drugs or alcohol is to feel an immediated high.
These are used to try to dull the pain or forget what you are dealing with or yet still a feel of utopia...
However these feelings are not real and end suddenly with more pain and hopelessness to face.
But PRAISE THE LORD He has provided someone that will give us hope and a feeling that is real and not artifical. The HOLY SPIRIT.
The Holy Spirit dwelling in us may not elimate the problem but will give us GRACE and HOPE to not only face but walk us though lifes ups and downs.
And knowing the real and true answer will help us not to rely on the fraud of satan's highs...
PRAISE THE LORD HE IS OUR ANSWER.

[Lynnely]

Q3. (Ephesians 5:17-18) What is the primary temptation involved with drugs and alcohol? How can drug or alcohol use substitute for the "high" of the Spirit? How can being filled with the Spirit help us fend off the temptations of drugs and alcohol?

The primary temptation of drugs and alcohol is to be like most of your friends...doing something that you know is forbidden by most people, more importantly, God. It's that first step of "disobedience" that catches people. How would you know that being drunk or high will transport you from a world of reality to a world of haze, immorality, timelessness, etc? It's that first step of disobedience...something we're all subject to. But one has to decide as a young (and it's getting younger all the time) person that they are NOT going to take that first step.
There is nothing any more demoralizing than to come to the realization that you've disappointed God by disobeying Him. Next comes the parents...how as a child, you've let your parents down, unless they've led you into the situation themselves! And how as a parent, you've let your children down, teaching them it's OK to escape in a world of nothingness!

In my estimation, the "highs" of external intakes can NOT substitute for the wonderful "high" of knowing God is well pleased with you! Nothing can top that! Nor should it!

The person who has made up their minds early on...and said 'no' to alcohol and drugs... should be so proud of themselves. Show me pride in a slobbering, gibbering drunk or addict. It's not pride that you are better than the other, but pride in knowing you have made the right decision. And it's pride in knowing that one day you won't have to go through the hell of getting sober or clean!

I know addictions to anything is hard to break...we all have addiction to something.

[kiqstart]

Q3. (Ephesians 5:17-18) What is the primary temptation involved with drugs and alcohol? How can drug or alcohol use substitute for the "high" of the Spirit? How can being filled with the Spirit help us fend off the temptations of drugs and alcohol?

It sometimes makes people believe the ones who are drinking and doing drugs are the cool people, when in reality the ones doing those things are really hiding something or trying to find a substitute for somethiung they don't have. If we had more people explaining what Christ has done for them and what a wonderful feeling it is to be high on Christ, it might not be such a problem.

[ElizabethTX]

Q3. (Ephesians 5:17-18) What is the primary temptation involved with drugs and alcohol? How can drug or alcohol use substitute for the "high" of the Spirit? How can being filled with the Spirit help us fend off the temptations of drugs and alcohol?

Satan is here to lie, steal and kill. Satan's purposes for drugs and alcohol are meant more for the destruction of the unseen even though we are more aware of the seen. He knows that we know we are dead without the Holy Spirit, so he uses drugs and alcohol to deceive us into believing we are in some blissful place with him. We see the effects of drugs and alcohol use on our bodies and minds; can you imagine the effects on our spirits? Satan tempts us with lies about what benefits we are receiving from drugs and alcohol. We use an artifical means to achieve false happiness and greatness if only for a moment, one tragic moment, one fake moment to imagine that we are somebody else other than who we really are without God and without hope. Satan tempts our children into believing that this is the way to have fun and excitement in their lives. Satan tempts adults into believing that drugs and alcohol help them become more of what they want to be or not to be in this life.

I know it is insane to watch this happen and you think how on earth does satan trap us into such a bazaar lie, but he does because we are weak in the Spirit. People that want to be controlled by their emotions and minds will use drugs and alcohol. People that want to be controlled by the Spirit will call on the Blood of the Lamb to open up the Heavens to pour out the blessings of the Holy Spirit. Praise Jesus and His New Covenant with us.

The Old Law was very clear about the clean and the unclean. If the clean came in contact with the unclean then the clean would become unclean and would be taken from the presence of God. But now, Praise Jesus! Precious Jesus! The clean can cleanse the unclean!

"Jesus reversed this! When Jesus touched a dead body (like the girl on the bier) Jesus did not become unclean – rather the girl rose from the dead! And when Jesus touched a leper He did not become leprous or unclean – rather the leper became clean and whole and healed. And when Jesus was touched by a woman with the issue of blood or came across a demoniac, He was not defiled, rather the person was healed and the demon cast out! Jesus taught and demonstrated with great clarity and frequent repetition that the power of the Holy Spirit was not diminished in any way by the impure, the unclean, the diseased, the demonic or the insane!"--John Edmiston

The power of Holy Spirit heals! The Holy Spirit is here in the presence of the Blood of the Lamb to reconcile, cleanse and purify us to bring us into the fullness of Christ here on earth and in heaven. We die, so that Christ will live in us. Where Christ is, satan is defeated! The Holy Spirit will grow us into the maturity of Christ. We can receive His Promises and the Fruits of the Spirit NOW!

Believers, let us pray! Satan! We draw a Bloodline of Christ's supernatural Blood between you and us. We draw a Bloodline around us, our families and our possessions. You cannot crossover. You cannot harm us. We are protected by the Blood of the Lamb in Jesus Name. You have no power in our lives. We are free from your curses, your lies, your sicknesses, your temptations, your addictions. We are free from death and with God Now. We are set apart for God's Glory Power. In Jesus' Holy Name. Amen!

Believers, I pray that we grow in knowledge of the Spirit to increase our faith in the power of the Word. I pray we do not limit the power of the Word by our ignorance of it. I pray for the Holy Spirit to come and reveal the Word to us. I pray not to call on our minds to understand, but that we call on God to fill us to overflowing with His blessings of the Holy Spirit and He does it now in Jesus Name.

Holy Spirit peace, love and joy. God bless and protect through the Blood of our Lord and Savior. Where the Blood is so is the Spirit. Amen!

[Lisa Rupert]

Q3. (Ephesians 5:17-18) What is the primary temptation involved with drugs and alcohol? How can drug or alcohol use substitute for the "high" of the Spirit? How can being filled with the Spirit help us fend off the temptations of drugs and alcohol?
The primary temptation involved with using drugs and alcohol is debauchery are wickness, sin, corruption, evil, crime, wrongdoings, etc....
When we use substitues for the replacement of the high that the Spirit provides we're not receiving God's goodness, instead we believe that such stimulants such as alcohol and drug use provides us with a feeling of happiness and joy but it is deceiving because it is a temporary fix. A spirtual high is everlasting, it's sustaining, it's powerful and pleasing to the inner being. It promotes healthy growth where stumulates that provide temporary pleasures only provide temperal satisfactions and damaging effects to the body, heart, and the soul. Being filled with the Spirit can ward off the desires that accompany such addictions as alcohol and drug use because it fills you with a different kind of high. The spiritual high is fullfilling, sustaining, all powerful, all hopeful, loving, supportive, gratifying, rewarding and pleasing to us spiritually, mentally, and physically.

[PCHRIS]

To them it is a release from the troubles of this world, it gives them a buzz and a 'false' high and usually when they come back 'down' they are usually depressed even more so they get back into it to get back on their 'high'

They might think its better but theirs is only a temporary solution while they are 'high' they are tough and do whatever they want but it is only temporary.

As for being filled with the Spirit it is a supernatural gift and the strength we gain to combat the evil one's plan. To resist the temptations of this world we need to be strong in the Lord.

PS I didn't mean to use the 'us' and 'them' terminology, all who have different addictions need our constant prayers and Christ in their lives to give a spiritual high

[June]

Debauchery. This leads to a place where only God's grace & power can save them. Alcohol numbs the mind of truths. The Holy Spirit can give a high that is God's Will for our lives and enables us to speak in tongues and can empower us to do works for Christ. The Holy Spirit knows what pleases God and will remind you of godly, holy and righteous things.

[haar]

The primary temptation of drugs and alcohol is the wrong belief that they will cause us to forget our problems, make us happy and so on. This is however false because the great negative effect of these substaces destroys our health, peace, joy, testimony, puts off our light and prevent us to be careful to take advantage of oppotunities that come our way.

The use of these substances can actually impede the work of the holy sprit in us. Instead of the Holy spirit to find place of abode in us, the acts of darkness that follow after getting high with these substances drive the Holy Spirit away because light can never coexist with darkness.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we will be controlled by Him, our wants will be directed by Him and we will seek to do only those things that are spiritually motivated, directed and are pleasing to God.

[JustJeff]

Drugs and alcohol are sought after to satisfy emotional and physical desires that cannot be fulfilled by fleshly means. Use of these stimulants causes a false and temporary sense of euphoria always requiring greater need to satisfy unsatiatable desire.
The Holy Spirit occupies the void inside of each of us, a place reserved for God by God to fill us with the love and hunger that our human spirit longs for. The filling of His Spirit fills that place that we try to occupy with artificial means, namely drugs and alcohol. His high is a free high with an everlasting effect causing us to never want to use again.

[masika]

Alcohol clouds the mind and lead to injustice and poor decesion
-Wine produces temporrary " high"
-Holy Spirit produces lasting joy.
-Holy Spirit will lead us in good decision if we submit to it.

[Helen Williams]

WE WANT TO BE HIGH ON THE SPIRIT! Drugs and alcohol lead to debauchery. It also stops us from taking advantage of every opportunity. We are to be high on the spirit that leads us in all truth. The spirit is intelligent and will not lead us into temptation or to error from God's word. When we are tempted, the way out is always provided. The spirit will lead us in that direction. The decision to follw the spirit is our choice to make. We pray we are wise in our choices.

[BJB123]

1) People drink alcohol or take drugs to get on a high (a feel good). They think it helps them after a stressful day or forgetting their problems.

2)There is no substitute for a high in the Holy Spirit.

3) If a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, they will not want to use drugs or alcohol.