Materialism: This is all there is. There is no spirit. There is no God.
Spirituality: There is more than this. What is here must be dealt with, and here's where the work is. But there is waaaaaaaaaay more than this, and the more than this is more fundamental, more real than this.
AA's solution is spiritual.
Sometimes people try to 'do' AA and construe the Higher Power in purely materialistic terms: common sense, information, encouragement of others, AA meetings, etc. That will get you some of the way. They're channels, but they're not the thing itself.
If it stops there, it's dead in the water. I don't really see this working long term. I see people with this approach to the Higher Power continuing to be frightened and touchy.
For alcoholics like me, something more is needed than purely material assistance.
The resources are not there for me to avail myself of.
I am there for the resources to avail themselves of.
They're not there for me.
I'm there for them to use me, ultimately for God's purposes.
It's not, My sponsor, my meetings, my programme.
It's: I cannot live this like. I surrender completely to God.
God: do what you want with me. I don't care. I am yours.