Lately I've been having dreams about prison and jail but I know for sure that they have nothing to do with a natural jail or prison. The thing about spiritual bondage is the fact that it can have so many faces, facets and sources. Think of those pretty winding topiary bushes that form animals, zig zag shapes, words, or even people. On the surface they look like one big bush or tree, but in reality they can have several sets of roots that end up growing together to create the fullness of the bush. The same thing happens with spiritual bondage. I can't say that all bondage is of the devil and all imprisonment is ungodly because Paul declared himself a bond-servant of Christ.
First let's look at what bondage means:
1. slavery or involuntary servitude; serfdom.
2.the state of being bound by or subjected to some external power or control.
3.the state or practice of being physically restrained, as by being tied up, chained, or put in handcuffs, for sexual gratification.
4.Early English Law. personal subjection to the control of a superior; villeinage.
So in the bigger picture, spiritual bondage subjects your spirit, the very essence of who you are, to the control of some external power and control, it ties the real you up, puts you in chains and handcuffs and limits what you have access to and where you can go. I hope you're picking me up in the spirit on this one.
Why is freedom so important? I'm glad you asked! When Jesus appeared to His followers (John 20:19–31) He didn't walk through the door, he just showed up in the room. At this time Jesus was in His glorified body, He was a spirit so He was not bound by the laws if this world... physics, gravity, or space. He had fully switched over to His God side and left humanity behind. Which in turn meant that He could be anywhere at any time, and everywhere all the time, know everything, see everything, etc...
The biggest reason the enemy desires to keep our spirit bound is fear that we'll discover who we truly are and the power we possess. People love to quite the scripture that eyes haven't seen and ears haven't heard what God has prepared for them that love Him, but the context is where the meat is...
But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.. 1 Corinthians 2:9-13
In other words, the plans that God has for us are only revealed through our spirit, which is from God. To take it a step further, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, it is God's spirit dwelling on the inside of you... His Spirit is in direct communication with your spirit, there's no middle man, no translator, no interpreter.. God's spirit speaks directly to the part of you that He breathed into you, which is a piece of Himself... comparing the spiritual with the spiritual...
The problems is, God's spirit cannot be bound. He is freedom! He paid the price for all of us to be free, so what happens when our spirit is in bondage but God want's to dwell and communicate with the part of Himself breathed into of each of us? The lines of communication are blocked, wires get crossed, the message is delayed or tainted, the word falls on stony ground, and we stay bound. The good thing is God always created a way of escape... TAKE IT!!
As I bring this post to a close let me offer you a way of escape today...
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