My son started college at age 17 and he went out of state to a Christian College. While there, he became involved playing an online game called World of Warcraft. It is decidedly NOT Christian. He did not do well at this college and nearly flunked out after a two month bout of mono (and playing this game... )He also decided to change his major; no big deal. The school was extremely expensive and they did not major in what he wanted to switch to. So he transferred to a state school here.
We discovered over the summer that he plays this game at every opportunity. He says there are people in his 'group' that rely on him playing and he can't let them down. I did some research and came to the conclusion he is addicted to this game. I tried to talk to him about it but he got very defensive (I know, typical addictive reaction). When he started at the new college, he promised he would concentrate on his classes.The first semester he flunked two out of four classes. He is doing much better this last semester, or so he says. He knows if he does not pass all classes with decent grades, he is on his own paying for the rest of his education.
He comes home for the summer in less than a month. I want to ban that game from our home. No arguments, its gone. My husband said it wouldn't stop him from playing here when we are not home or playing elsewhere. We need prayer to do the right thing. He is now 19 and will be working this summer but living here. He does not have a car; he uses mine.
He admitted he has not gone to church more than once at school. He says the Christian groups at school are full of 'clicky' people. I know he is an adult; and we all must decide about Jesus on our own. He was saved at the Southwest Believers Convention when he was 6 and baptized in the Holy Spirit at a Creflo Dollar Convention when he was about 11, and rededicated his life to Christ at about 14. He has been grounded in the Word. He KNOWS. Any godly advice would be greatly appreciated. Needless to say, my heart is breaking.

Hmmm...tough situation. I wasted most of my high school career being addicted to video games, so I can relate to this problem. When I got to college (thank God), I got involved in a bunch of extracurricular activities and stopped playing games so much. I also got saved at that time, and God helped me curb my desire to play games.

I still game, but in moderation (maybe 3 - 4 hrs per week at most).

What I remember about playing games for hours and hours on end was the very empty feeling I had when it was all over. I would think about them all day; they did cause my grades to suffer a little (although not to the degree that your son is experiencing). There is a certain stimulus that games trigger--especially in men--that can make them strangely appealing and addicting.

I think banning the game from your home is a good start. Since World of Warcraft is an online game, you could shut of your Internet access or use a firewall router to shut of access at certain times of the day (in the evenings and throughout the night). I know this won't stop him from playing elsewhere, but it's a start. Your house, your rules right? If he wants to live there for free, he has to abide by your rules. That's how my parents did it anyway.

You might also not allow him to use your car until his grades improve...it sounds harsh, but "tough love" may be what he needs.

But anyway, I guess I would deal with it like any addiction: covering it in prayer, binding any demonic influences in his life...there is only so much you can do when he is an adult...banning it from your home and covering it in prayer are probably the two best things you can do to start. I am sorry I don't have more/better advice, but I empathize with your situation, and I'll pray for you and your son: that his addiction to WOW would be broken, and that he would get back on track in his walk with God.

Thanks for the input, Bisnut. This is pretty much what my husband and I have decided to do after we talked last night. I hadn't thought of the Firewall...however, since my son is majoring in Computers it might be easily done away with or bypassed by him.
He uses the car when he is home from school going to and from work. We can limit his use at other times if we need to. What concerns me so is that he does this to the exclusion of extracurricular activities; he was playing racquetball but hasn't all semester. He also loves snowboarding and campus has their own hill with lifts. He hasn't even gone over there and his excuses are flimsy. He sure can't say they haven't had enough snow! They have had over 20 feet of the stuff.
I am getting out my Prayers That Availth Much book and write out scriptures to cover this. I am going to war on WOW!!
Thanks for praying for us!

Also, thanks to the person who emailed me. I will get back to you soon as I can.

I just wanted to let you know that I prayed for you in one of my small groups at church tonight. Keep me updated on how this goes for you...I'm believing the best for your son!

Sounds like you going on the right road, just want to encourage you not to worry about him and the situation speak the word over him and believe that changes are taking place even when it don't look like it believe the best of your son say i trained him up in the way that he should go and now that he is grown he will not depart from it. Cancel the assignments of the devil over his life command the devil to desist his manuevers over your son's life every night for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against the enemy take your God given athourity over his life in Jesus name, claim the promises of God for his life and don't let up until you see change. Hope and pray this helps you keep us posted

I forgot to tell  you to read the book "the believer's authority" By Kenneth E. Hagin. and  "The Blood and the Glory" by Billye Brimm

Excellent advice! Both are great books...

Whoo-Hooo! Okay, you got me fired up with that reply!!! Yes, I do KNOW how to do that. Why do I forget? Here I just advised someone else to quit worrying about something and all along I was blind to the big worrying I was doing....forgive me, Lord!
Yes, those two books are GREAT! I have read them both. And others. But now I am not deceived or blinded, now I know my place in the heavenlies and know the place of my son in the heavenlies. My son is covered in the Blood of Jesus, from head to feet. He has the mind of Christ, he was chosen by God before the beginning of the world. My great God has good plans for my son, to give him a hope and a future and not to harm him.

Today at Wellspriing Worship (a group that meets every Tuesday to radically Praise the Lord) the worship was wild and awesome. A lady afterwards told us that she saw angels behind each of us. As we prayed in tongues about our concerns, the angels would first turn so we were back to back, and then leave, going to accomplish what we had prayed about. Not only did I pray about this situation, but for the godly wives my sons will have from the Lord. I saw one, I believe it was for my oldest son - she had red, long curly hair and was dancing before the Lord. When I mentioned this, another women said she had a vision of these praisers dancing like they do in Riverdance - and all the women had red hair. LOL, watch out, oldest son!!!