Here's my view on alcohol: alcohol is not a sin; it is not an awful aspect of life; it is not of the devil. However, alcohol is a razor - when you partake in it, you are walking its edge; on one side is a God-filled and God-controlled life, where you, through intense self-control and willpower (and with the help of God), are able to keep alcohol in check and enjoy it in decent quantities. On the other side is a dark pit of despair where alcohol, through slow, unnoticeable, marching advance, grows to such importance that it takes the place of God.
Alcohol is not of the devil, but it is a powerful tool of his. Drugs, sex, and power, as well as other things, join alcohol in the group of items that are not necessarily evil, but powerfully and frequently used by the Devil for his work.
I'm not saying that Christians should abstain from alcohol. I know many very healthy Christians who partake in it, but control their drinking. I am simply saying that if you decide to start drinking alcohol, you had best be in the Word and on your knees very often. Because if you don't, the desire to drink more and more will begin creeping up on you, and you won't have the relationship with God that you need to overcome it.
What I'm saying isn't just constricted to alcohol. it can be extrapolated to apply to other things in your life that have the possibility of becoming addictive. Things like video games, Facebook, friends, your boyfriend/girlfriend, shopping, coffee, or food can become just as destructive and damaging as alcohol and/or drugs can be.
Basically, what you need to overcome any addictive behavior to make it controlled and benefiting to you is a personal, deep relationship with Jesus Christ and the Trinity. Only by God's strength can you hope to have the self-control needed to control these things. A human's will is weak, but God's will is strong. So go out, get a drink with friends; enjoy a glass of wine. But be careful - you're playing with fire... just make sure you're ready to dump the Water on it, should is start getting out of control.
