Is alcohol really that big of a deal? With the abundance and ease of access to alcohol, and the potential consequences, let’s examine what the Bible has to say on the issue. 

​

Alcohol is Not to be Desired

​

First, the Bible teaches that wine is not to be desired. Proverbs 23:31 says, “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright." It's not surprising that people recognize that a simple look can be tempting: “The color of wine gives you a first impression, a hint of what’s to come, an invitation to the glass.”¹ (emphasis added).

​

God issues a clear warning, however: when one pours out alcohol into their glass, they are also pouring out a poisonous snake: "31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” 

 

Consider here just some of the snake bites of alcohol:

​

   1. It Causes Woe (Proverbs 23:29)
   2. It Causes Sorrow (Proverbs 23:29)
   3. It Causes Contentions (Proverbs 23:29)
   4. It Causes Babbling (Proverbs 23:29)
   5. It Causes Wounds Without Cause (Proverbs 23:29)
   6. It Causes Lust (Proverbs 23:33)
   7. It Causes Sinful Speech (Proverbs 23:33)
   8. It Causes Bodily Harm (Proverbs 23:35)
   9. It Causes Addiction (Proverbs 23:35)

​

All of the warnings of alcohol the Bible has given have been proven to be true, and one need not look far to see just some of the consequences.

​

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities increased by 14 percent from 2020 to 2021 (Table 5), accounting for 31 percent of overall fatalities in 2021.”²

​

In the National Library of Medicine, in the article “Alcohol Involvement in Homicide Victimization in the U.S.” it records that: “In an influential study of homicides in Philadelphia, Wolfgang et al. found that 53% of victims had consumed alcohol prior to the violent event, and in 44% of cases, both the victim and the perpetrator had consumed alcohol (Goodman, 1986)”³

​

Additionally, found in the National Library of Medicine, in “Alcohol and Sexual Assault,” it records that “researchers consistently have found that approximately one-half of all sexual assaults are committed by men who have been drinking alcohol. Depending on the sample studied and the measures used, the estimates for alcohol use among perpetrators have ranged from 34 to 74 percent (Abbey et al. 1994; Crowell and Burgess 1996). Similarly, approximately one-half of all sexual assault victims report that they were drinking alcohol at the time of the assault, with estimates ranging from 30 to 79 percent (Abbey et al. 1994; Crowell and Burgess 1996)”.⁴

​

How many people would be alive or better off today had they never drank alcohol? The Bible calls these tragic alcohol instances “wounds without cause.” Yet, consider that not only does alcohol affect the one who drinks, it affects even the innocent—yes, those who have suffered abuse, accidents, divorce, violence, and more because of those that were under the influence. The Bible calls us to be wise, and, with all the snake bites of alcohol, we must seriously ask ourselves: is it really wise to drink something that causes so many "wounds without cause"? ​

 

The Bible Calls Wine a Mocker and Strong Drink Raging

 

“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1) Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines mock as: “To deride; to laugh at; to ridicule; to treat with scorn or contempt.”⁵ Why is wine a mocker? In part, often one will read all of these statistics and hear the warnings in Scripture against alcohol, yet still be tempted to think, "I won't ever be a statistic," or, “I can control it," when in reality, alcohol is what’s going to control them. 

​

Alcohol Could Ensnare You

​

Thirdly, consider that wine could very easily ensnare you. Often, a common justification for not drinking is to avoid offending others, or to avoid being the stumbling block for someone else. Indeed, all of that is biblical to say— 1 Corinthians 10:31 records: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God.” Avoiding drinking to avoid being an offense or a stumbling block is certainly a valid argument, yet that reasoning leaves out someone very important—you!

 

Perhaps a better case for abstinence, instead of just saying “I don’t want to be an offense,” is saying, "I don’t want to be a victim." Consider how 1 Corinthians 10:12 states, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” How much better would it be if more people would begin to say, "I don’t want to be the one mocked by wine!"​

​​

Christians are the Temple of the Holy Ghost

​

Further, when considering whether or not alcohol is permissible, remember Christians are the temple of the Holy Ghost. 1 Corinthians 6:19 records: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s." It matters what we do with and allow into our body. Drugs, alcohol,—or anything that can harm our body,—is to be avoided.​ On that note, consider these paragraphs from the World Health Organization’s article entitled, “No level of Alcohol consumption is safe for our health”: 

​

"The risks and harms associated with drinking alcohol have been systematically evaluated over the years and are well documented. The World Health Organization has now published a statement in The Lancet Public Health: when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health.”⁶ (emphasis added)

​

“‘We cannot talk about a so-called safe level of alcohol use. It doesn’t matter how much you drink—the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage. The only thing that we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is—or, in other words, the less you drink, the safer it is,’ explains Dr. Carina Ferreira-Borges, acting Unit Lead for Noncommunicable Disease Management and Regional Advisor for Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in the WHO Regional Office for Europe.”⁷

​

If even secular sources are warning about the dangers of alcohol to our body, would it truly be wise to potentially harm our body simply for recreational drinking?  

​

Alcohol is the Pathway to Drunkenness

​

Consider also that wine is the pathway to the sin of drunkenness. 1 Thessalonians 5:7-8: “7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation." God has called Christians to be sober. Just like a drunk soldier on the battlefield would be helplessly exposed to attack, so is a drunk Christian helplessly exposed to the attacks of the devil.

 

That's why 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us—not just in the case of alcohol—but in all cases to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” The wine of our day is the main gate to the land of drunkenness.  As Christians, we need to be sober so that we can defend the faith, our families, and those around us against the attacks of the world and the devil.  

​

Alcohol Could Make Provision for the Flesh

​

When considering abstinence for alcohol, remember Romans 13:13-14: “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (emphasis added) Ephesians 4:27 writes, “Neither give place to the devil.”

 

By drinking alcohol, we have made provision for the flesh to sin and given a wide-open opportunity to the devil. Though one could say (and rightly so!) that TV, internet, and more are provisions for the flesh as well, consider that alcohol often just has one purpose: to get a buzz or to get drunk. 

​

Final Thought: Do You Have Peace About Drinking Alcohol?

​

Though more arguments could be made in favor of abstinence, one should remember that if they cannot get the Holy Spirit's peace on drinking, then they should not. The Bible says, "It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14:21-23)

We are called to be confident Christians by having our daily decisions in life backed up by the Word of God. If you’re struggling to find biblical backing for drinking, and you do it anyway, the Bible calls it sin. And, finally, as with any issue, remember to always seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, which has promised to "guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).

​

Endnotes: 

 

1 Shannon, Eleanor. “What Gives Wine Its Color?” Uncorked in Italy. c. 2012. https://uncorkedinitaly.com/what-determines-the-color-of-a-wine/

 

2 Stewart, T. Overview of motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2021. Report No. DOT HS 813 435. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, April 2023. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813435. Accessed October 22, 2025.

 

3 R. Goodman et al., “Alcohol Use and Interpersonal Violence: Alcohol Detected in Homicide Victims,” American Journal of Public Health 76 (1986): 144–149, quoted in Timothy S. Naimi et al., “Alcohol Involvement in Homicide Victimization in the United States,” Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research 40, no. 12 (2016): 2614–2621, https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.13230

 

4 Abbey, A., T. Zawacki, P. O. Buck, A. M. Clinton, and P. McAuslan. Alcohol and Sexual Assault. Alcohol Research & Health 25, no. 1 (2001): 43–51. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4484576/. Accessed October 22, 2025.

 

5 Webster, Noah. An American Dictionary of the English Language. 1828. “Mock.”. http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/mock

 

6 World Health Organization. “No Level of Alcohol Consumption Is Safe for Our Health.” WHO Regional Office for Europe. January 4, 2023. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health. Accessed October 22, 2025.

 

7 Ibid.