And you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free. John 8:32 NLT
Houdini was a master of escape, who
thrilled audiences from 1891 until his death in1926. He freed
himself from handcuffs, straight jackets, and prison cells. He
allowed the police to fashion custom handcuffs which he unfastened
from his wrists. He even freed himself from shackles while he was
underwater and upside down. Some of us have become accustom to
spiritual prisons. We try and try to break free but to no avail.
When Jesus walked the earth, he
liberated those captive to sin and demonic oppression. Although he
did this when He cast out demons, he also brought freedom to people
by preaching and teaching the word. The word of God has power, power
to free us from the plans and strategies of Satan.
We can find our way out of any dark
spiritual prison by feeding on God's word. First, we need to allow
the Holy Spirit to give us understanding of His word. We can
meditate on Bible verses that center on who we are in Christ. We can
also hide God's word in our heart in the area of our sin. Second, we
will need to resolve to obey the Scriptures – to follow the word
through the power of the Holy Spirit. Last, we can speak God's word
over our lives in the light of the victory that Christ has won for us
at Calvary. Jesus spoke the word when he was tempted and, we can do
the same. We truly can have victory over any trap we may be
caught in.
Here is an example of how a person can
find freedom. I will choose the bondage of lust as a type of prison
we can find ourselves in. The first step would be to meditate on
Scriptures such as, “Flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness,
faith, love and peace along with those who call upon the name of the
Lord with a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22. Here is another helpful
verse: “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to
God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11.
Next, we are to choose to obey God's
word regarding lust. We must flee from it and from anything that
tempts us in this area. If pornography is something we turn to
either frequently or infrequently, we must run away from it
altogether. Cease from looking at it. We also may need to become
accountable to a friend regarding our weakness.
Finally, we can declare victory over
our sin and oppression by quoting the word of God in the light of our
standing with Christ. We can say, “I flee youthful lusts, and I
pursue righteousness along with those who call upon the name of the
Lord with a pure heart. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, I am
dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. I am a new creation in
Christ, and I am the righteousness of God in Christ. Lust has no
power over me!”
These steps are found in God's word.
They are powerful, and they work. Before I came to Christ and while
I was a young believer, I struggled with the sin of lust, but God set
me free by following these principles. They work in any area of temptation. They can
bring us freedom over sinful patterns such as: anger, depression,
condemnation, fear, compromise, and deceit.
We must submit to God and resist the
devil. No matter how many times we fail, we must not give up. The
Scripture says a righteous man falls seven times, but he gets back up.
God is extremely merciful to us when we set our hearts to obey him
even when we sometimes fail.
Let's invite the Lord to search our
hearts. If there is an area that he shows you regarding a pattern of
temptation you are caught in, offer it to him and commit to follow
after Him in the way I prescribed. Then you, like Houdini, will
break free from your bondage. It may take time, but as you follow in
this way you will experience complete victory. Praise the Lord God who always causes us to triumph!
