Maintaining Your Freedom

God has set us free from under the rulership of Satan. He is no longer our master. Praise Him!!

Col 1:13 For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son;

Eph 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light

Once we were darkness !! Now we are Light!!

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

We were once darkness in a world of darkness, ruled by the rulers of darkness. Now we are light in a kingdom of light surrendered to the Lord of Light..the light Himself! We were lost in darkness , children of the devil, creatures of darkness under a cruel prince of darkness….but now we are light in the Lord…in His kingdom of Light…O Praise His name for what He has done my friend!!

Eph 2:1 And He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins,

Eph 2:2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience;

Eph 2:3 among whom we also had our way of life in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He loved us

Eph 2:5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

Eph 2:6 and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus,

O wonderful Jesus!! Look what He has done my friend.

We were all once dead in our sins….now He has made us alive(if you are a believer)!

We used to live our lives under the dominion and in the same way as the prince of the power of the air…the spirit called Satan!

We used to live our life according to the course of this world…..in other words, we were living our lives as if there is no God in heaven who will judge us according to His standard of righteousness.

We were by nature children of wrath. We were not good people who sometimes did bad things. No! Our very nature…all of us humans….are children of wrath. In other words we are all under God’s wrath and anger. Our very nature is anti-God. We are naturally opposed and at enmity with Him. If we have not been born again, or regenerated by God  then our master is Satan, we serve sin, we serve self, we live by the world’s standards!

If that is still the case with you , then you are still lost in your sins, still under Gods judgement and wrath, still in darkness, still have Satan as your Lord(even if you do not believe in a devil) and will still go to hell awaiting the final judgement ….The Lake of Fire!!

My friend, God saw you in your lowly state. He saw you in your willful rebellion. He saw you in your self righteousness. He saw you in your sinful, lustful cravings….and HE LOVED YOU!!!

Eph 2:4 but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Eph 2:5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, quickened us together with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),

Eph 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:

Do you see that? So often we read Ephesians 2:5 joined to 2:6…’even when we were dead He made us alive etc’

But there is no punctuation in the original Greek.

So read it as it is.” His great love wherewith He loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses……”vs: 4b & 5a

Because of His love He raised us up to sit with Christ in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Through Christ’s finished work on the Cross and through His bodily resurrection on the 3rd day we have been given so much.

We have been raised up from death in our sins.

We have been set free from the dominion of Satan our old master. Col 1:13

We have been placed into a kingdom of light Col 1:13.

We have been made anew, a new creation in Christ .2Cor 5:17.

We have been made one spirit with Him. 1 Cor 6:16

We have been freed from the tyranny of our fleshly nature. We no longer have to do the will of our flesh. Rom 8:12

We have been freed from the being condemned by the law. Rom 8:1-9

We have been redeemed …we once were slaves to sin, now we are sons of God! John 8: 32-36; Rom 6:13

Yes the work of Christ is complete. There are many more things we have been freely given by God because of His great love with which he loved us. You search the New Testament yourself.

Our old master wants to reclaim what was once his.

Though we have been given great and precious promises we still must guard what we have. Satan our old master was once able to move us by his suggestions in our mind to do his will.

This is where the battle field is .

The mind.

2 Tim 2:26 …and they regain their senses [and escape] from the Devil’s snare, having been captured alive to [do] that one’s will. (Parallel Bible)]

Notice in Ephesians 2:2 Paul says that the spirit of Satan works in the sons of disobedience. The result of satan working in the person’s flesh is listed for us and clearly seen in verse 3. Lusts of the flesh; doing the desires of the flesh;

Whereas a life lived in the Holy Spirit will bring forth good fruit as seen in Galatians 5.

The life lived in the flesh does not glorify God but Satan and self. This is what Satan loves to do. He wants your life to bring him glory and God shame. He wants you to be infected by his spirit NOT controlled by God’s Holy Spirit. In order for this to happen he will attempt to get you back under his control.

THE ENEMY PURSUES US

Remember the story of the exodus from Egypt friend. After Pharaoh gave in and conceded defeat to the God of the Hebrews , he changed his mind and pursued the Hebrews to recapture them. In his mind they were still his property, his slaves. After all , these Hebrews had been feeding upon the riches of Egypt for 420 years! They were accustomed to doing the will of their master Pharaoh.

Now God comes along and delivers them out from under Pharoahs tight grip.

“Let my people go! Let them come and worship Me!”

God delivered them from Pharaoh’s hand, just as He has delivered us out of Satan’s hand and rule. The people put their trust in the deliverer Moses and so in God.

Like Pharaoh though, Satan pursues us.  He will follow us around through the agency of his spirits looking for openings and ways of retaking us for himself. Like Pharaoh , Satan believes that within each of us is a love for the things of this world, the things of Egypt. And he is right of course. This is our problem. That is why we need a saviour!

The apostle John named these loves within us….

We must maintain our vigilance.

Jdg 16:17 And he told her all his heart, and said unto her: ‘There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother’s womb; if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.’

Jdg 16:18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying: ‘Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart.’ Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand.

Jdg 16:19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and had the seven locks of his head shaven off; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

Jdg 16:20 And she said: ‘The Philistines are upon thee, Samson.’ And he awoke out of his sleep, and said: ‘I will go out as at other times, and shake myself.’ But he knew not that the LORD was departed from him.

Jdg 16:21 And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house.

Samson was taken prisoner by the enemy. He failed to watch. He failed to be vigilant. He failed to be self controlled and reign in the desires of his flesh!

He certainly did not rely upon God through prayer but relied upon himself.

The enemy had schemed from the start to pursue his enemy. He knew Samson’ weakness was his attraction to the opposite sex.

Jdg 16:1 And Samson went to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.

God also knows our weaknesses friend. He knows all of our secret sins.  It was not a surprise to God when Samson fell into the hands of the enemy!

Right from the start the enemy planned to capture Samson.

Jdg 16:5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her: ‘Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.’ JBS

Their desire and Satan’s desire for you is that he may prevail against you and bind you and afflict you. He will entice you with the temptation that relates to your weakness. Whether it be riches, fame, reputation, illicit sex, whatever your bent is, Satan watches and waits for an opportune time to lure you into his snare.

Jdg 16:16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death.

Jdg 16:17 And he told her all his heart, and said unto her: ‘There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother’s womb; if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.’ JBS

As I said before, torture is for the purpose of weakening the will of the subject being tormented. Samson finally gave in to the enemy….and it cost him his strength and his usefulness to God. The bombardment of thoughts and images upon the mind by spirits is for the same purpose as Delilah’s questionings, to vex your soul. To force you to give your heart,  your affections to the sin that your flesh desires. The sin that Satan knows you love and hanker for. The sin that God and you know will leave you defeated and weak and ashamed!

Samson failed to resist these thoughts right at their entry point, right at the start. If he had of resisted and brought these thoughts into captivity he would not have ended up in captivity himself.

You may have fallen into the snare of the enemy friend. You may still be his captive. It has cost you your strength and your usefulness to God! God cannot use you effectively anymore. You must escape the snare of the devil. Others are depending on it.

And please don’t think that it is only the mighty men and women of God that Satan is after. No friend, he would love to capture anyone of us. We are all mighty in that we all have the Holy Spirit, we all have the Gospel to share, we all have some gift that can build and strengthen others in the Kingdom.

Next I want to look at how one can escape from the snare of the devil and be restored to our place of freedom and victory.

Samson sleeps on Delilahs lap

Jdg 16:18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand.

Jdg 16:19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

Jdg 16:20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself. But he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

Jdg 16:21 And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

The enevitable happened to Samson.

Jam 1:14 but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

Jam 1:15 Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death.

Samson was captured as a result of giving into his sin nature. The temptation that Jesus said would come to the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane came…and they fled away…for they had not the inward strength gained through prayer in the Spirit. Samson hung around in the temptresses lair too long. He treated his enemy lightly. He treated his flesh lightly.

It overcame him and now he is blind and fettered…a prisoner of the enemy …a broken man.

Like Jonah in the deep. Jonah with weed wrapping around his neck…sinking down into the depths of darkness…the end result of his rebellion against the will of God to himself.

Like Peter the unregenerate believer…who boasts in pride that he will follow the Lord wherever he goes, even to death! Then denies three times ever knowing Him! Weeping bitterly…

Like David at home in the palace when he knew that he should be out in the field of battle resisting the enemy….finds himself loitering on the balcony, ogling the naked wife of another man…..Finds himself committing adultery…murdering…living a lie…

Thank God that He has recorded these failures , for they are for our learning and our benefit.

What did Jonah do? Repented.

Jon 2:7 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

What did Peter do? Repented.

Joh 21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

What did David do? Repented.

2Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

Back to Samson though…it says that the Phillistines

,” bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. ”

Here was the free spirited Samson…who had gone wherever he wanted to go..had sex whenever and with whomever he layed his eyes upon …now in fetters of brass , blinded and grinding!

That is what happens to many men of God!

Here was a man who was used to doing extraordinary things, used to having adventure, emotional highs, ….now he is daily grinding away…no more extraordinary adventures…grinding in prison instead.

You do not need to be in an actual prison to relate to this. Just your daily grind ,a nine to five job, family, bills, mortgage,could be just the grind you are in.

How long did Samson grind before he fully repented? We are not told.

But one thing is sure..he had time to think. Pushing that millstone around and around and around…

He was humiliated, and laughed at by the enemy…and rightly so.

But God knows when enough is enough.

Samson cries …

Jdg 16:28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

Jdg 16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines.

Samson let his cry come before God…O Lord God, remember me!! Strengthen me!!

He is humble now…he realises that he is weak and God is his strength…he calls upon God.

Before Samson was strong in himself…now he is broken, penitent , contrite.

Which is just what God likes is it not?

Isa 66:2b”..but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.”

Jonah also was repentant after his soul fainted within him…his soul life…his strength…it was then that he cried out to God…it was then that he was delivered from the darkness of the depths!

Jon 2:5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me; the weeds were wrapped about my head.

Jon 2:6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars closed upon me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.

Jon 2:7 When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

If you have been captured by the enemy, the flesh, the devil…or if you have been going your own way, doing your own thing….trusting in your own strength and wisdom….and have fallen into the snare of sin and rebellion as a result…then you must let your prayer come before up to God!

God will hear the prayer of a repentant heart…a broken heart. He will restore you to a place of usefulness so you may strengthen your brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember Peter?

Luk 22:31 Then the Lord said, “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan himself asked for you* to sift [you*] like wheat.

Luk 22:32 “But _I_ implored [in prayer] for you, so that your* faith shall not fail; and _you_, when having returned, strengthen your brothers.”

See dear one,the Lord said, ” when you return” ….He is that sure of your future too…He has not left you alone in your prison, in your grinding…He is praying at the right hand of the Father for you…He has not left you alone..His Spirit is with you…if only you will acknowledge your sin and turn to God in prayer …He is waiting for prayer from a broken and contrite heart….a surrendered heart…

Make David’s prayer your own

Psa 51:1

<For the Chief Musician.

A psalm of David: when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath–sheba.>

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Psa 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight: that thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Psa 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Psa 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Psa 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Psa 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Psa 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Psa 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and uphold me with a free spirit.

Psa 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Psa 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

Psa 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

Psa 51:16 For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering.

Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psa 51:18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Psa 51:19 Then shalt thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Acknowledge , confess and forsake your sin. Deliverance is sure if you will do this from the heart.