The Bible's Warning About Addiction (And How To Take Back Control)

Episode Summary
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Most Christians have been told addiction is a failure of willpower. Scripture says something far more serious: addiction is slavery. In this solo episode of the Faithful Fitness Podcast, Coach Alex VanHouten dismantles the shame-based, slogan-driven approach to addiction and replaces it with a biblical and neuroscience-grounded framework for freedom.

Drawing from Scripture, modern brain science, and personal loss, this episode explores how addiction hijacks agency—and how embodied Christian stewardship restores it. You’ll learn why shame worsens addiction, how the brain actually changes under compulsive behavior, and the four God-designed interventions that reclaim dominion over mind and body: exercise, community, awe, and rhythm This is not theory.

This is lived conviction—and a call for the Church to do better.

Main Discussion Topics

• Why addiction is enslavement, not weakness
• How shame accelerates relapse and destroys agency What neuroscience reveals about the addicted brain.
• Why exercise restores executive function and self-control
• The biblical and physiological necessity of community How awe interrupts compulsive behavior and expands meaning
• Why structure, rhythm, and routine are required for grace to take root
• Stewardship as an act of love—not legalism

Key Scriptures Referenced
1 Corinthians 6:12, 19–20 — “I will not be mastered by anything… your body is a temple”
1 Timothy 4:7 — “Train yourself for godliness”
James 5:16 — Confession, witness, and healing
Proverbs 9:10 — Awe and the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom

Quick Research Reference List
Lynch et al., 2013 — Exercise and substance use disorders
Wang et al., 2014 — Physical activity and dopamine regulation
Heilig et al., 2016 — Addiction, stress, and social bonding Kelly et al.,
2017 — Recovery capital and community
Stellar et al., 2017 — Awe and prosocial behavior
Walker, 2017 — Sleep and executive function

Timestamped Outline
00:00 – Why slogans and shame fail
00:30 – Addiction as loss of agency, not moral collapse
01:45 – The brain science of enslavement
02:30 – Exercise as a non-negotiable for freedom
03:00 – Training as embodied obedience
03:45 – Isolation vs healing community
04:40 – Awe as a neuro-spiritual intervention
05:18 – Order, rhythm, and structure in recovery
06:15 – Stewardship, dominion, and the mission of Faithful Fitness
07:24 – Final charge: one faithful act at a time

Core Takeaway
Your body and mind are not the enemy—but they are the first territory that must be reclaimed. Addiction is not overcome by trying harder. It is overcome by training wisely, living in truth, and ordering your life under God’s design.

Calls to Action
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