Most addicts and alcoholics who have tried running on sheer willpower and defiant rebellion sooner or later discover they lack the internal strength to change, especially if there’s a Jackal on the loose. 
The Jackal, wearing me down, bracing me up, hardening me, softening me, worrying me, confusing me to where I could no longer pinpoint the basis of my being or direction, plays a deadly game of manipulation, of aggressive control, of parasitic reliance, a game mastered because of its cunning and persistence. It seems there is no way to out maneuver it. During the brightness of day or the darkness and chill of night, the beast stealthily creeps in against the close warmth of cleanliness and sobriety. At other times, it confronts me, making no attempt to conceal itself. The Jackal possesses a rancid aroma of smoke and scorching chemical and is worn like a rash. It devours my spirit and tears at my flesh, for I am wounded prey and a defenseless meal. Grimaced with invisible and obvious fatigue, I am left with nothing but my interpretation of how life should and should not be.
The serpent won over Adam in the Garden, and he is convinced that he can claim the souls of Adam’s descendants for himself through the services of his many demons.
There is not a person in today’s world who has not wondered about the existence of Satan. But there is no doubt that he does exist. We see his power and influence everywhere. The Devil was already present on Earth before God made Adam and Eve.
Evil already existed, else God would not have made a tree whose fruit gave knowledge of good and bad. That being said, I believe that when Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge, an army of demons were released into the world.
One of those demons came into our world in the form of addiction – I call him the “Jackal”. He speaks to us personally – by name. He knows us inside and out. He knows our thoughts before they enter our minds. He knows our words before they’re formed on our tongues, and our emotions before they are felt. And when he speaks, it is at our weakest of moments. Truthfully, the Jackal is a creature of vastly superior intelligence gifted with infinite resourcefulness. Being an instrument of Satan, his plans are ingenious, his reasoning is brilliant, and his logic is irrefutable. His agenda is to destroy us with drugs and alcohol, and without a doubt, it will be a battle to the death – a battle that will give no quarter – a battle that will make no allowances or exceptions.