Cunning, Baffling and Powerful

The Big Book of AA says in the How It Works section:

"Remember that we deal with alcohol--cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power--that One is God. May you find Him now!"

What do the words "cunning, baffling, powerful" really mean and how does this apply to alcohol? I looked the words up in the The Free Dictionary online and this is what I found.

cun·ning (knng)
adj.
1. Marked by or given to artful subtlety and deceptiveness.
2. Executed with or exhibiting ingenuity.
3. Delicately pleasing; pretty or cute: a cunning pet.
n.
1. Skill in deception; guile.
2. Skill or adeptness in execution or performance; dexterity.

baf·fle (bfl)
tr.v.baf·fled, baf·fling, baf·fles
1. To frustrate or check (a person) as by confusing or perplexing; stymie.
2. To impede the force or movement of.

pow·er·ful (pour-fl)
adj.
1. Having or capable of exerting power.
2. Effective or potent: a powerful drug.
3. Chiefly Upper Southern U.S. Great: "[Everybody had] a powerful lot to say about faith and good works and free grace and preforeordestination, and I don't know what all" (Mark Twain).

Alcohol is cunning because the power it holds over the alcoholic can be subtle and deceptive. Alcohol tricks the alcoholic into believing their life will be better if they just take that first drink--that all their problems will go away when actually the reverse is true. I know in my son's case, drinking just compounds his problems because he spends all his money and doesn't go to work. But alcohol tells him that life will be less boring and more exciting, if he will just drink it. Alcohol doesn't remind him that he will also be sick and hungover and broke.

Alcohol is baffling because the alcoholic can't figure out why they continue to drink something that in the end causes them so much pain and is ultimately destroying their life. My alcoholic son seems to feel that he doesn't deserve anything good to happen to him and continually sabatoges any good thing that comes into his life. If that is not baffling to him, it certainly is to me.

Alcohol is powerful because of the hold it exerts over the alcoholic's will. Because of alcohol's power, alcoholics will literally drink themselves to death. Alcohol is powerful in what it does to the body as well as what it does to the mind of the alcoholic.

But I must refer to the rest of the quote from the Big Book of AA. Alcohol may be cunning, baffling and powerful, but God is more powerful than alcohol. If the alcoholic will admit they have a problem, that they can't manage the problem themselves, and turn that problem over to almighty God, they will reduce the cunning, baffling and powerful effects of alcohol in their life.