With the right amount of motivation, determination, and support, successful rehabilitation can be achieved in many areas in the earthly environment by both Christians and non-Christians alike. The key word in this statement is “many.” I say this because although there are many areas in which rehabilitation that can be achieved through human effort and ability, n-o-t-h-i-n-g in the spiritual realm can be accomplished if God and or the things of God are not in the picture (John 15: 5). An atheist or a non-Christian can experience the benefits of rehabilitation in his or her personal relationships, wealth, health, and social life. But what can not be achieved by human means is the rehabilitation of one’s spiritual life. On the other hand, spiritual rehabilitation can become the driving and enabling force behind rehabilitation in both the earthly and the spiritual scenarios. Successful rehabilitation is in view when the person is able to restrain himself or herself from re-engaging in the negative activity that brought on the need for the rehabilitation in the first place. Rehabilitation without deliverance will result in one finding himself or herself in a revolving doorway going in and out of rehabilitation facilities or treatment. Identifying, removing, and or avoiding whatever it is that triggers the desire or perceived need to return to the negative activity can go a long way in maintaining the ability to restrain oneself. These triggers can be physical, psychological, or spiritual in nature, and or a combination thereof. Choosing not to place oneself in an environment or situation that is likely to provide one with an opportunity to re-engage in the negative activity is a key factor in maintaining the progress that the rehabilitating individual is making. As in dieting, one can not eat the wrong type or amount of food or drink if it one does not bring it home or make it available in the first place. One does not have to worry about taking the wrong ride if one stays out of the devil’s playground (2Cor.6: 17). The devil’s playground is anywhere an individual can be ensnared by the schemes of the devil. The devil’s playground can be as close as the space between one’s ears if one does not have a Biblically edified soul structure (Matt. 7: 24-27) with a sensitive alarm system. This alarm system detects the incoming fiery darts (Eph. 6:16) being launched by advocates of the kingdom of darkness. A newly born-again believer was sarcastically asked if he thought he was better than everyone else because he no longer went out drinking, partying, and picking up one night stands with his buddies (1Pet. 4: 3, 4). He responded, “Not at all. It’s because I know that I am NOT better than anyone else that I now choose to avoid such temptation (John 8: 11). The fact that one would have to go out and get or make arrangements to have the substance of his addiction brought to him may provide one with the time to re-think his or her choices and avoid a setback (1Cor. 10: 13). Our success or failure to rehabilitate and to experience deliverance will primarily be the result of the choices made by the one we face in the mirror. “No temptation has overtaken you but such that is common to man (who have recovered); and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able (to resist), but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it (1Cor. 10: 13 NASB parentheses mine).” A coach or sponsor available 24-7 to whom we can be accountable to, and has the means to empower one not to cave into temptation is a tremendous asset. This coach or sponsor must also be there for us when we fail and face setbacks along the way. Losing a game does not have to be start of a losing streak. Born again believers have such a team of coaches, aka The Trinity, on board, indwelling their physical bodies (1John 4:15/Eph.4: 6/1Cor.3: 16). Rather or not one will make use of this team is a choice WE make. Against spiritual advice, so-called Christians make negative choices every day (1John 1: 8). This team is primarily interested in one’s spiritual well-being. Accordingly, this team will send or allow physical and psychological pain and suffering in order to secure a divine objective. In many cases, there will be a need to replace the source of one’s temptation and bondage with an appropriate alternative. But in doing so, one is on a slippery slope if one merely substitutes one source of destructive activity for another (Matt. 12: 43, 44). Quitting smoking by starting up drinking is not an appropriate alternative. “Now when (not if) an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came”; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven more spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in an live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse…(Matt.12: 43, 44 NASB parentheses mine).” This is what can take place when the empty soul structure is swept clean of evil, but it not then filled with the principles of the Word of God. Born again, Spirit-indwelled (1Cor. 3:16) believers can not be “possessed,” but can); spiritual influenced and deceived (Gal. 3) by their own fallen nature (Romans 7); the devil (1Pet.: 5:8); worldly-minded people who do the devil’s bidding (John 8: 44); spiritual beings that make up the Eph.6: 12 forces of evil; and wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt. 7: 15). By listening the wrong voices, we set ourselves up for the fall (Gen. 3). Deliverance is view if and when one no longer has an interest or desire to engage in the former activity. Concerning spiritual matters, deliverance comes from God (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11). “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God (1Cor. 6: 9 – 11 NASB).” At the moment of salvation, we are accepted just the way we are (Romans 5: 8), but God calls those He saves to continue to be more and more conformed to likeness of Christ (Romans 8: 29). There are times when we feel that WE just can’t do it. God agrees (John 15: 5). WE can’t, but HE can (Luke 18: 27)! The truth is we just don’t want to give up whatever it is that we feel we are getting out of doing whatever it is we do. There are many things that can contribute to the way we feel. Many poor decisions are made on the basis how we feel at any given time. Don’t ever buy the devil’s lie that we are born “that” way, therefore we can do nothing about it. Like most of the devil’s lies, they contain the bait of some truth. The truth is that we WERE born that way, but with the enabling power that God supplies, the desires of our fallen nature can be overcome. “But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God (Luke 18: 27 NASB).” In context, in Luke 18: 27, Jesus was speaking of salvation, but under the principle that he who can do the greater can do the lesser, this Luke 18: 27 principle applies to everything. The God that saved us from a future eternity in Hell, can deliver us from the evil we encounter while we remain here on Earth. Many who experience successful rehabilitation for a period of time continue to struggle with his or her area of weakness and or the potential of set-backs because deliverance is never achieved. When the need for rehabilitation and deliverance is spiritual in nature, there is a program outlined in Scripture for the child of God (1John 1: 9/John 8: 11). Becoming a child of God has got nothing to do with one’s chronological age. It is not achieved by participating in the religious traditions of men. It is not achieved or retained by being good enough, or by doing good deeds. Here in the Church Age, one becomes a child of God in a Father and son/daughter relationship on the day he or she is born again. On THAT day, the saved soul is permanently sealed (Eph. 4: 30) as a child of God by the baptizing (identifying) Work of God the Holy Spirit. God will not remove this seal (2Tim. 2: 13) and there is no other power anywhere in the universe that can remove this seal. That being said, that does not mean that there are not going to be regrettable consequences (Heb. 12: 6/1Cor. 3: 15) for the post (after) salvation sins that born again believers commit. When functioning under the influence of one’s fallen nature (Romans 7), we will desire to be independent of anything or any one (including God and the things of God) that gets in the way of the independent plan or desires that we set for ourselves. Any sin, and any activity outside of the plan that God has in mind for us as an individual believer is an expression of our seeking independence. The sin of independence was what was behind Satan’s rebellion, and behind every rebellious thought entertained by Fallen Man. Only a fool can think he or she can walk the road of independence, as did the devil, and come out ahead for having done so. When under the influence of the fallen nature, Man is not inclined to submit to any form of authority (Romans 13: 1), unless by doing so there is something in it (e.g., health, wealth, safety) for himself. Christians and unbelievers alike spend moments of each and every day submitted to the influence of the fallen nature that remains within (Romans 7) all of us. This is evidenced by the sins that we continue to commit (1John 1: 8). At any given moment of time on any given day, born-again are functioning under the influence of God the Holy Spirit or under the influence of our fallen nature. Many of us try to keep one foot in the devil’s world and one foot on the road to Heaven, but the width of median strip between the two does not allow for it. There is no neutral zone in the spiritual realm, and one cannot travel in opposite directions at the same time. Which direction we are headed in is a choice we make! After being born-again, the believer is permanently indwelled by God the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 3: 16), but rather or not we submit to His leading are moment to moment, daily, are choices that we make. When we choose to listen to another voice, we choose NOT to listen to Him. At that point, sin is inevitable. This what it means to grieve God the Holy spirit (Eph.4: 30). The inevitable sin results in a loss of fellowship (not salvation-Romans 8: 1) until the breach in fellowship is resolved through spiritual rehabilitation. While out of fellowship, the believer is subject to divine discipline (Heb. 12: 6). The purpose for divine discipline is to call the wandering sheep back into the fold to receive the care, protection, and guidance of the Shepard. The wandering sheep, while “out from under” will desire to decide for himself what is good or bad for him or her, and will have no desire to change. Leaving God and or the things of God out of the decision-making process is a recipe for disaster. Perhaps if it were only one's own well-being on the line, this would result in total justice, as each one of us would individually receive either the great blessings or the sad consequences of the choices we make. But one’s choices bring on blessing or consequences that are going to impact the lives of many others, as well. God gives us free will, but freedom without consequence is an illusion. Be they good or bad, we are all slaves to whatever masters (2Pet.2: 19) us. Freedom from one thing means bondage to another. Note that Jesus taught His disciples to pray that they would not to be led into TEMPTATION, and to pray for the DELIVERANCE from evil (Matt.6: 13). Most Christians recite this prayer, but many fail to do anything on their part to reduce the temptation or to secure their deliverance. Prayer is not the means to avoid the inevitable consequences of the choices we make (Gal. 6: 7). The truth is, that at least for the moment, we do want to experience the momentary fulfillment or seasonal pleasures (Heb. 11: 25) that certain sins have to offer. This is the sin nature within us in operation (Romans 7). This sin nature does NOT go away when we are born again (John 3: ,5, 7). Paul, in his letter to the believers in Rome (Romans 7: 14 - 22), spoke of his ongoing battle with his own sin nature nearly thirty years after he was born again (Acts 9), and towards the end of his earthly ministry. Not only does this sin nature remain with us after we are born again, but increases its pressure of negative influence on our soul, keeping pace with whatever progress we make along the road to spiritual maturity. This same sin nature manifests itself differently in each one of us. What is an area of great temptation to one person is of no interest to others, and vise versa. The same sin nature that would encourage some to engage in sexual immorality is the same sin nature that would encourage others to lie, cheat, steal, gossip, etc.. Human nature rationalizes or justifies his or her own type of sin by taking the erroneous position that his or her own sin isn’t as bad, in type or quantity, as others. James 2: 10 clearly states otherwise. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become (just as) guilty of (as the one who breaks them) all (James 2: 10 NASB parentheses mine).” Call it what you want, but the perceived need for rehabilitation itself confirms that something is in need of correction. Anything that is incorrect is wrong. Anything that is wrong is evil, sin, or both. Satan uses both to destroy his intended targets (1Pet. 5: 8). Fallen Man entertains evil for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is to fulfill an ungodly desire or a perceived need that we have. Sometimes the reason is the desire to experience or possess something that we don’t have, deceiving ourselves that this is the only way to secure it. Sometimes the reason is to, at least momentarily, escape from the things we do have. There are many different triggers that need to be identified if rehabilitation and deliverance is going to take place. These triggers can be psychological, physical, and or spiritual in nature. There is a time coming when born again believers will no longer have any mental, physical, or spiritual needs, but as long as we are in these earthly bodies, whatever impacts us mentally, physically, and or spiritually will effect our total being. I am not a physician, psychologist, or psychiatrist. I make no claim to have the text book answers to questions that people may have concerning such issues. But I am an ordained pastor teacher, trained to provide the necessary Biblical information enabling others to address their spiritual needs. I do believe that when one gets his or her spiritual act together (Matt.6: 33), God will directly or indirectly provide him or her with the guidance, assistance, and enabling power to address all of his or her other needs (Phil.4: 19), as well.