Here are 7 of my favorite Bible verses for those who want to quit smoking. What ones could you suggest?
Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
What seems impossible to do without God’s help? Overcoming sin; and pretty much everything else! We can do all things through Christ who will strengthen us but the opposite must necessarily be true; we can do nothing without Him unless He strengthens us. If you think you can overcome on your own, you are sorely mistaken. I know of many who have needed God’s power through His Spirit to overcome smoking, drugs, pornography, alcohol or any other number of addictions but I have yet to meet one who did it successfully on their own. Paul said that we can do all things but it must be through Christ, which means that it must be done through His power, because that is where the true strength lies…the power doesn’t lay within me to overcome anything. This is why God is glorified; because it is through Christ and not through ourselves, that we can do all things because He is the One Who strengthens us because we don’t have that kind of strength within us.
Matthew 19:26 “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
I realize that the context of this is about the rich being able to enter heaven but the principle remains the same. With human strength, it is impossible to overcome certain sins or addictions that have such a stronghold on us but with God, all things are possible. With us, nothing is possible, but with God, all things are; at least in the context of it being in God’s will and we know that God’s will for our life is to live a life that is as free from encumbrances as possible.
John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
If we are abiding in Christ that means that He’s abiding in us and when we are, we can bear much fruit but apart from Christ, we can’t do just a little or just a bit; we can do nothing apart from Him. There is power in the Word of God (Rom 1:16; 10:17) and there is power in His Spirit (Acts 1:8) but apart from abiding in Him and in His Word, there is no power. Jesus is proclaimed to be the Word (John 1:1, 14) and by abiding in Him and in the Word of God, you can faith because faith comes by hearing the Word (Rom 10:17) so if we are attached to the vine, that is Christ, we can bear godly fruit; if we’re not abiding or attached to the vine, Jesus says “you can do nothing” and that doesn’t mean “a little something.”
1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything.”
How many times when I was struggling with overcoming my addiction to marijuana, did I feel dominated by it? All the time! This verse never really made much sense to me until I realized that I was being dominated by a substance. I was using marijuana and I had possession of it but it really had possession of me. All things like smoking and drinking might be legal but that doesn’t mean it’s helpful. Abortion is lawful but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s right! Pray for God to release you from the bondage of nicotine addiction. Perhaps you can ask your doctor for the patch or whatever else he or she might suggest. It might be lawful but is it helpful?
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
I used to run track in high school but during practice, we had to wear ankle weights. These built up our leg muscles and our endurance but we never ran a race with them on. We are in a race today…and we need to lay aside every weight that “clings so closely” to us so that we can “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” This “weight,” whether it’s smoking, drinking, pornography, gambling, or any other addiction, can slow us down in the race and it can take away our testimony. It can also make us feel so guilty that we won’t be witnessing for Christ because we’ll feel like hypocrites. At least that is what many tell me.
1 Corinthians 10:23 “I have the right to do anything, you say–but not everything is beneficial. I have the right to do anything–but not everything is constructive.”
As I wrote earlier, even though we are under grace and not under law, we can’t use our liberty as a license to sin. I am not saying smoking is sin. For some they feel no guilt about it and I will not judge them if they don’t think it’s sin for them because we are all at different stages in our life and sanctification takes a lifetime. Jesus did say “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person” (Matt 15:11), although He was certainly not talking about smoking, but the principle is close to the same thing.
Ephesians 4:22 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.”
We are new creations or creatures in Christ and that means “The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Cor 5:17) but it doesn’t happen overnight. God will give us new desires and make us want to avoid sins but remember that Paul struggled with his human nature, writing “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Rom 7:19). There are many so-called spiritual giants but they too struggled with sin and overcoming is always difficult but the good news is that you’re in a struggle because those who are not saved see no reason to struggle to overcome because they’re not convicted of their sins.
Conclusion
Peter said “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us” (Matt 19:27)? Jesus said “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life” (Matt 19:29). Focus on one thing at a time. There are many Christian recovery programs that can help us overcome drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, and addictions to nicotine. I am not classifying smoking in the same category with these other things but I am only suggesting that you can have the power of God’s Spirit, abiding in Christ and in His Word, the Bible, and joining a Christian addiction recovery group because all of these taken together can really help you. When you do all these in combination, truly you can do all things because Christ Himself will strengthen you (Phi 4:13).
Here is some more encouragement for you: With God All Things Are Possible
Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Bible verses about smoking
Many people ask questions such as is smoking a sin? Can Christians smoke cigarettes, cigars, and black and milds? There are no Scriptures that say thou shall not smoke, but smoking is sinful and I will explain why below. Not only is it sinful, but it is bad for you.
Some people are going to make excuses. They will literately search the web to find out if it is a sin, then when they find out it is a sin they will say well pollution and gluttony is bad as well.
No one is denying that, but pointing out another sin like gluttony doesn’t make smoking any less sinful. Let’s learn more below.
Quotes
- “Every time you light up a cigarette, you are saying that your life isn’t worth living. Quit smoking.”
- “Rather than you smoking a cigarette, the cigarette is really smoking you.”
- “Self harm isn’t just cutting.”
Smoking in no way honors God’s body. Your body is His and you are just borrowing it. In no way does smoking glorify God.
There are no benefits of smoking. Cigarettes don’t make you healthier they make you worse. They are dangerous. They are terrible for your health and they will harm your lungs.
I’ve seen people with their face deformed because of it. Some people have to smoke through a hole in their throat. Smoking has led to a loss of teeth and it has caused blindness. Nothing good comes from it.
1. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.
2. 1 Corinthians 3:16 -17 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
3. Romans 6:13 Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.
Check out two things in this first verse.
First, is it profitable in any way? No. Is it profitable for your health, your testimony, your family, your finances, etc. No, it’s not. Now the second part is that nicotine is very addictive. Everyone who is addicted to tobacco has been brought under the power of that addiction. Many people lie to themselves about this, but if you can’t stop then you are addicted.
4. 1 Corinthians 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.
5. Romans 6:16 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.
Smoking kills. It is the main cause of lung cancer. Many people consider smoking to be slow suicide. Slowly you are murdering yourself.
You might not be putting a gun to your head, but it will result in the same thing. Take a look at this first verse for a second. People desire, but do not have so they kill. Think about the main reasons why people smoke. One of them is peer pressure.
People desire to be loved. They desire to be accepted. They desire, but don’t have so they smoke with a group of bad friends and they slowly kill themselves. Look at the end of the verse. You don’t have because you do not ask God. They can get true love and contentment from the Lord, but they don’t ask the Lord.
They take matters into their own hands. Another reason that people smoke is stress. They desire to be stress free so they slowly kill themselves. God can give you a peace unlike any other, but they don’t ask.
6. James 4:2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.
7. Exodus 20:13 You shall not murder.
Can you honestly say that you are smoking for the glory of God?
8. 1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Why die before your time? Longtime smokers can expect to lose about 10 years of life expectancy. Sometimes it is more than double this amount.
Is it really worth it in the end? It’s not that God ends people’s lives early. It’s that people’s lifestyle and sin ends their life earlier. We forget that obeying Scripture will protect us from a lot of things.
9. Ecclesiastes 7:17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
10. Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.
Will smoking cause others to stumble? The answer is yes.
There is a greater chance of a child smoking when he gets older if one of the parents in his household smokes. How would it look if we saw our pastor smoke after a sermon? It just wouldn’t look right. I would feel uneasy because something tells me that is not right. Smoking looks negative to even many unbelievers. Sometimes we have to stop things not only for ourselves, but for others.
11. Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
12. 1 Corinthians 8:9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.
13. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Secondhand smoke can cause various diseases and even death.
If we love others we would not want to harm others. I want to add that you are not only harming them by the smoke they inhale. You are hurting them because they love you and no one wants to see someone they love kill themselves slowly.
14. Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
15. John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
Why waste your money on meaningless things? Some people would save thousands if they would just quit smoking.
16. Isaiah 55:2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Smoking hurts all parents. No one wants to see their children smoking.
The same child that was in a mom’s womb forming. The same child that you watched grow up before your eyes. When a parent finds out that their child is smoking it will bring them to tears. They will be hurt. Now imagine how your heavenly Father feels? It hurts Him and it concerns Him.
17. Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
18. Psalm 139:17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!
Am I going to Hell for smoking cigarettes?
You don’t go to Hell for smoking. You go to Hell for not repenting and trusting in Christ alone.
Many believers say I struggle with smoking, I am addicted is their hope for me? Yes, salvation has nothing to do with works. You’re not saved by what you do.
If you are saved it is by the blood of Jesus Christ alone. Jesus drank your Hell. Many Christians struggle with this and many have overcome this. The Holy Spirit is going to work to remove these things.
When you are saved by Christ you won’t want to do the things that displease Him. We must confess our sins and struggles daily and go to Him for strength to overcome.
19. 1 Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
20. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Don’t say to yourself I’ll get help tomorrow, you already said that. Tomorrow turns into years. There might not be help tomorrow.
Stop today! Pray and ask the Lord to deliver you. Wrestle with the Lord in prayer day and night until He delivers you. Don’t give up. Sometimes you have to fast and cry out for God to change your life. God has given us power. Fall upon Christ. Allow God’s great love for you to drive you like it drove Christ. He knows the damage that smoking is doing.
21. 2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
22. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me”.
23. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
Sometimes you have to go see a doctor or professional to break this bad habit. If that is what is required, then do it now. With God’s help you can remove this from your life.
24. Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
25. Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
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