The Trap of Liquor
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1)
Sin does many things in people’s lives, none of them good. It gives temporary pleasure. Hebrews 11:25 talks of enjoying “…the pleasures of sin for a season;” It also hardens people’s hearts against God and deceives them. Hebrews 3:13 warns, “...lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Sin also enslaves. “…Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” (John 8:34)
If anything good can be said about liquor, it is a great example of how sin works in people’s lives. It gives temporary pleasure. It also deceives people into thinking it won’t hurt them, even when they know full well it has hurt others. It also provokes people to harden their hearts against God by not heeding His warnings in Scripture against it. Liquor also enslaves. Not every drinker becomes a drunkard, but if you drink, you’re letting something into your life that has proven many times to be a deceiver and enslaver.
Liquor impairs judgment and loosens lips: “…thine heart shall utter perverse things.” (Proverbs 23:33) Esther 1:10-11 says, “…when the heart of the king [Ahasuerus] was merry with wine,” he commanded “To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty:” What kind of man would show his wife off for other men to look at and lust after? A man full of pride. And why did Ahasuerus do it? Because he was drunk. Liquor brought out the pride in his heart.
Liquor leads to foolish behavior. “Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not:” (Proverbs 23:34-35) The speaker in this verse says people beat him up while he was drunk. Why did they do that? Apparently he did or said something to provoke them! Now look at what he says afterward: “…when shall I awake? I will seek it [liquor] yet again.” He just doesn’t learn!
Proverbs 31:3-4 urges leaders to avoid liquor: “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” Vashti had refused to come at the king’s commandment, for which he basically divorced her. The Bible indicates he later regretted doing so, but it was too late. The law could not be altered. As a leader, you may make some unwise decision or judgment under liquor’s influence that you cannot undo.
Romans 14:7 says, “For none of us liveth to himself, and none dieth to himself.” How you live affects others. If you have kids, they hear what you say AND watch what you do. If you drink, you’re showing your kids it’s ok to drink, no matter what you tell them. You may not become an alcoholic, but how about them? Are you setting a trap for them by your example? If you are a Christian, also, do you want to use the money God has entrusted you with to support an industry whose product contributes to ruined lives?
How many people live with lifelong regret for something they had done and damage they had caused under liquor’s influence? If the liquor industry shut down today, how many deaths could be avoided, violent crimes not happen, prison terms averted, marriages saved, and lives and careers not ruined?
Psalm 119:105 says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” The Bible is our guide for life. Ephesians 5:11 also says, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,” Liquor is a work of darkness for Christians to avoid. Most importantly, the Bible tells us how to have our sins forgiven and eternal life by receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. To learn more, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 7/2/2025