Breaking the Shackles of Spiritual Bondage
Bondage to the “flesh” and its desires (lusts) is impossible to escape in the power of the “flesh.” This is what Paul addresses in Galatians 5:13-26. Escaping the shackles of bondage of a fallen, corrupt, and carnal nature is the first front of our spiritual battle ground. The believer must learn to be habitually victorious on this battle front in that victory here is the essential necessity to being used of God for spiritual purposes.
“13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Galatians 5:13-18).
Jesus spoke of this in John 8:30-32 by using the words “continue in my word” to describe what Paul describes as walking “in the Spirit” in Galatians 5:16. Jesus uses the words “continue in my word” as a defining descriptor of what it means to be His “disciple.” In other words, it is a contradiction to consider yourself a disciple of Jesus and not live habitually according to the teachings of Jesus.
“As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:30-32).
Most of us are aware of the repeat criminal who spends sentence after sentence in prison. This is life pattern known as recidivism. In other words, this person continually returns to destructive life patterns. These individuals live in a bondage to a lifestyle framed into their personalities that never allows them to be freed from their own carnality. The reality is that even when they are not behind the physical walls of a state institution, their lives exist in a prison of their own corruption.
Many Christians live in similar spiritual bondage. Even though they may not commit the crimes that would put them behind bars, they constantly live in the shackles of sin; spiritually dysfunctional in every real way. They want to be used of God, but cannot escape the bondage of their own depravity. They tend to destroy the lives around them rather than build others up in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
Moment by moment of each day, we choose to what we will be in bondage. Not all bondage is bad. Some things to which we are bound are good and righteous. A man who is committed to his wife and family is bound to them. That is a good bondage. A person committed to obedience to God is bound to Him. That, too, is a good bondage. These are good bondages because they are honorable and righteous things that benefit everyone involved. Yet there is a bondage that is totally self-occupied. This is a matter of a choice of the will; to whom we will yield our will. The Apostle Paul said:
“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness” (Romans 6:19).
Bondage to what is right is a noble position. Yet the important truth here is that we can choose to whom or to what we will be in bondage. That choice is a gift of God. Again this is about what Paul elaborates in Romans 8:15-21.
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15).
“Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).
“3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain” (Galatians 4:3-11).
The truth is that we will always be in bondage to something; “uncleanness” and “lawlessness unto lawlessness” or “righteousness unto holiness.” The former imprisons us. The latter sets us free. The only way we can be sure of what is right and what is wrong is to have an absolute standard - a proven standard. Therefore, righteousness must be determined solely on the basis of understanding the Word of God. If that is not our final standard, we will ultimately reduce ourselves to our own authority. In that case we will determine our own morality and immorality. That is called Secular Humanism. Unfortunately, the Scriptures record many individuals who claimed to be God’s people, but actually were functionally Humanist.
God warned the nation of Israel: “Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes” (Deuteronomy 12:8). Why would God give such a warning? He gave this warning because He knows that such a mindset will result in spiritual bondage that imprisons. Was this warning heeded? We need only look a little latter in their history to find the answer.
“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).
The problem was not that they did not have an earthly king. The problem was that they failed to recognize and submit to their heavenly King. This submission is what defines our understanding of the Lordship of Christ. Lord is not a title given to Jesus by His subjects. It is a position of authority which He possesses. To be right in your own eyes makes you king or Lord. That is a decision of the will that will always cause you to end up in spiritual bondage.
To recognize God as the supreme authority in our lives, is to recognize He rules by the instruction of His inspired Word (II Tim. 3:16-17). To live by this revelation is to put ourselves in bondage to Him. Such bondage actually proves to be freedom.
What has happened to our society as it has decided to abandon, reject, and castigate the absolute moral values of God’s Word? Here are some statistics from years ago in an article entitled The Way It Ought to Be by Rush Limbaugh:
1. After World War II, 80% of children grew up in intact families with two biological parents who were married to each other.
2. By 1980, only 50% could expect to spend their whole childhood in an intact family.
3. According to social and scientific evidences, children in families disrupted by divorce and out-of-wedlock birth do considerably worse academically, socially, and economically than children with intact families.
4. Children of single parents are 600% more likely to be poor and will usually stay poor.
5. These kids are two to three times as likely to have emotional and behavioral problems. They are more likely to drop out of school, to get pregnant as teenagers, to abuse drugs, and to get into trouble with the law.
6. Children who grow up in these environments tend to be less successful as adults-particularly in love relationships and in the workplace.
This is the type of bondage that Secular Humanism produces. Secular Humanism does so while preaching freedom and personal liberty. The reality is that this giant social experiment with the lives of millions of children is a complete and absolute failure. Yet, even with the overwhelming evidence against it, people continue to place themselves and their children into the hands of those who want to continue the experiment. God has made a concluding statement for all of this:
“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up” (Hosea 8:7).
Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at: http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/
Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.
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