“I WILL” (Part Two) Live Free: Walking In True Freedom Through Christ
As the Bible tells us in John 8:36, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." Freedom through Christ is a central theme of the gospel, appearing again and again throughout the scriptures.
Freedom is a gift that Jesus came to give us. Let's embrace the liberty we have in Christ and determine that with His help, we will break free from anything that tries to bind us. We want to explore what it means to live free and where we must stand firm in freedom.
Jesus Died to Set Us Free
There are a few powerful verses about the freedom we have in Christ:
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)
“For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Ephesians 3:12)
These verses all communicate the same incredible message: Jesus died to set us free. When Jesus came to earth, his death on the cross and resurrection secured our freedom. He died to set us free from sin, condemnation, guilt, fear, shame - you name it. Freedom is the reason Jesus came.
Even though Jesus did everything necessary to grant us freedom, Satan will still try to keep us bound. As Ephesians 4:27 says, we must “give no opportunity to the devil.” We need to send the enemy a clear message: “Don’t even stop here. Keep moving. There’s no room for you in my life which is filled with God!”
Jesus Has Set Us Free!
The enemy subtly works to entrap us over time.
The Chains Satan Wants Us Bound By
Satan’s goal is to wrap invisible chains around our lives that restrict and weigh us down. These chains can take the form of:
Addictions
Loneliness
Debt
Fears
Wrong thinking
The enemy doesn’t show up with obvious chains but subtly works to entrap us over time. As the chains tighten, they begin to control and crush us.
Spiritual chains affect every part of our lives, making us irritable, depressed, discouraged, and, fatigued, robbing us of joy and purpose.
The good news is that Jesus has set us free! He did his part. Now we must do our part to walk in freedom.
Staying Delivered and Free
Once God delivers us, we must never go back to what we were freed from. Israel made this mistake after being liberated from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They turned back instead of moving forward into the Promised Land.
Let’s not surrender ground back to the enemy but press on into all that God has for us! Here are two forces we are determined not to surrender to:
1. Destructive Emotions
This includes things like anger, bitterness, lust, greed, bitterness, and more. God gave us emotions but never intended them to rule us. It’s okay to resist and push back against destructive feelings instead of being controlled by them.
Decisions lead, and emotions follow. When we submit our choices to God, our feelings will eventually align. Part of spiritual maturity is doing the wise thing even when we feel like doing the wrong thing. Let’s commit to rising above harmful emotions instead of being ruled by them.
“You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?” (1 Corinthians 3:3)
2. Strongholds
Strongholds are areas where the enemy has set up camp in our lives, repeatedly causing defeat. Ignored problems become breeding grounds for strongholds. Two kinds exist:
Spiritual Strongholds: These are demonic battles happening in the spiritual realm. They must be dealt with through spiritual warfare using the authority we have in Jesus. Just treating symptoms won’t work.
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:10)
We must lay the axe at the root by using the name of Jesus against demonic strongholds.
Physical Strongholds: These are simply addictions. Victory comes through setting healthy boundaries in our lives through God’s power.
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Let’s break free from anything that would keep us bound! Jesus died to give us liberty. Determine to live in the freedom only He can provide, one day at a time.
With God’s Grace, We Can Run Our Race With Endurance!
Running With Endurance
We want to live with passion and purpose. Most Christians go through life on spiritual autopilot with no urgency or fire. We leave ourselves open to the enemy’s attacks when we aren’t intentional about spiritual growth.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
We may not be the smartest or most talented, but by God’s grace, we can run our race with endurance! We will get up each day putting one foot in front of the other, pressing on by faith.
When military units deploy, they take everything imaginable with them - except a white flag. Surrender is not an option! This mindset should be ours as Christians. By relying on Christ’s power and not our own, we can break through every barrier the enemy puts in our way.
The Authority We Have in Jesus
An important key to spiritual freedom is understanding and using the authority we’ve been given in the name of Jesus. When we pray and declare “in Jesus' name”, we are invoking His power and supremacy behind our words.
There is authority to break strongholds when we come to God based on Jesus’ finished work on the cross. All believers must grasp this truth; we must pray under the anointing, making declarations we believe God will honor because His own Son's authority backs them up.
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)
Receive God’s Freedom!
Living Free Starts Today
As we conclude, we encourage everyone to give God control of any area He brought to mind today. Receive His freedom, set boundaries, and be determined to walk in the liberty that cost Jesus everything.
The book of Jude describes fallen angels who are kept in chains underground because of sin. It is sin that keeps us bound too. But praise God, Jesus came to break sin’s power and set the captives free! He took the punishment you deserved at Calvary.
Do you want to let go of your sins and be unchained through faith in Christ? You can become a new creation today by asking Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior. Now is the time! Determine today that you WILL live free!
