I couldn’t see straight. My mind was swirling like a rollercoaster. Time came to a standstill, but I couldn’t stand still at all. In a moment of youthful genius, I popped a big ol’ pinch of chewing tobacco into my lip after my friend asked, “You ever had Copenhagen?” Refusing to look like a wimp, I cleared my throat and said, “Had it? I love this stuff.” 

Plot twist: it did not love me back. Within minutes, I looked less like Clint Eastwood and more like a nauseated youngster who swore off carnival rides forever. Nicotine surged into my bloodstream, and I couldn’t think or speak clearly. I saw stars like Bugs Bunny and promptly plummeted off the back of my friend’s four-wheeler. That was the first time I experienced any kind of intoxication, and it taught me a valuable lesson: when your mind is fuzzy, your body follows. 

The Scripture also teaches this invaluable lesson: a clouded mind leads to a careless soul. That is why the Bible repeatedly commands believers to be “sober-minded” (Titus 2:2; 2 Tim. 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13). And this means much more than abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Biblical sobriety is about keeping your mind alert, clear, and free from spiritual intoxication. When intoxicated, a person is out of touch with reality—and when we are spiritually inebriated, we become out of touch with what is holy.

One sip from the bottle of lies sold by sin, Satan, and society is all it takes to start seeing double. A few breaths of the smoke of worldliness makes it impossible to walk a straight line on the path of righteousness. The potent pills of constant distractions can impair your conscience, making you desensitized to sin and numb to spiritual danger. For this reason, Paul warned, “Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning” (1 Cor. 15:34a). Soul-intoxication fogs your senses and leads to sin, and the antidote is snapping out of it through sober-mindedness. 

Spiritual drunkenness also hinders your readiness for Christ’s return. Thus, Paul exhorted: “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober (1 Thess. 5:6). Peter likewise warned that the devil targets Christians who are half-awake, bleary-eyed, and mind-numbed (1 Peter 5:8). He even stated that spiritual inebriation stifles our prayers: “Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7b). Hence, being sober-minded is indispensable for conflict against Satan and communion with the Son.

Do not wait until you are spiritually slumped over to learn this lesson the hard way. Resist spiritual sedatives and let God renew your mind through His word (Rom. 12:2). Don’t allow spiritual toxins to captivate your mind—let Christ take your thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5). Be sober-minded because sin is seductive, Satan is stalking, and the Savior is soon to return.

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