Question
What does the Bible say about the use of drugs? Not only illegal drugs, but also legal drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.
Answer
Thanks for your good question. I will try to answer it in the best way that I know by pointing out several Scriptural principles by which we, as Christians, should live. Some of these principles will apply to all drugs you mention, tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and others that are implied and other principles will apply only to specific drugs. here are just a few biblical principles by which we should make judgments about these things.
First, in the bible, we are warned not to participate in drunkenness. There are many places where it is mentioned, but I will point out just two.
PRO 23:29 ¶ Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
PRO 23:30 Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine.
PRO 23:31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly;
PRO 23:32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.
PRO 23:33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your mind will utter perverse things.
PRO 23:34 And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.
PRO 23:35 “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.”
GAL 5:16 ¶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
GAL 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
GAL 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
GAL 5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
GAL 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
GAL 5:21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
GAL 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
GAL 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Second, we should live lives characterized by self-control, as mentioned just above in Gal. 5:23. That is, we should not destroy our ability to make sober judgments, based on thinking and reason. However, one of the great effects of alcohol is the confusion it brings to the mind and the lowering of inhibitions which can cause us to drop our guard against doing things that are wrong.
Third, and this would apply not only to alcohol, but to some degree tobacco and caffeine, we should not intentionally harm our bodies in any way. In the case of caffeine, this may depend more on how it affects each individual and in what ways, but with alcohol and tobacco, it seems to be more obvious. The Bible teaches us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, indicating a special relationship with God, where we submit our minds and bodies to Him and fulfill His purpose.
1CO 6:18 Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.
1CO 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
1CO 6:20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
Finally, we should not allow anything, including any drug, to have authority over us, where we serve it rather than it being of sound benefit to us. This would include even caffeine, if we are so addicted to it that we cannot do without it.
1CO 6:12 ¶ All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.
1CO 6:13 Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food; but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord; and the Lord is for the body.
1CO 6:14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
1CO 6:15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? May it never be!
1CO 6:16 Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, “The two will become one flesh.”
No matter what the drug, if, by taking it, we violate any of these principles, then we are disobeying God and bring dishonor to Him and destruction to others.
By Gary Hunt
