“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].” – (2 Corinthians 3:17, Amplified Bible)
Yahweh is a deliverer. When God shows up in a place, bondage and captivity must bow. Darkness has no choice but to submit to the power and presence of the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth. At the mention of His name, demons tremble, storms of life cease, and seemingly immovable mountains are cast away. He has no rival and no equal. No one can battle with Him and win. He is the Almighty and unshakable, and there is nothing too hard for Him. He is our Great Deliverer.
Throughout Scripture, we see God’s nature as a deliverer. His resolve to set captives free indicates that deliverance is one of the many benefits afforded to God’s children. In Exodus, through signs and wonders, God evidenced the great extent of His might and power to save those whom He has purposed to set free. “The Lord is a man of war. The Lord is his name.” (Exodus 15:3, ESV). In the book of Judges, God raised deliverers like Deborah and Gideon to carry out His plans to deliver the Israelites from their oppressors. In the synoptic Gospels, Jesus’s ministry is characterized by His works of deliverance. He delivered people from all sorts of ailments, conditions, and demonic possessions. Why? To destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) so that people may worship the One who sent Him unhindered. All that Jesus did was intended to invite people into the freedom that God offers.
But what is deliverance? Deliverance is freedom from anything, whether physical or spiritual, that hinders our ability to serve and worship the true God. Reflect on your own life and answer the question: “In what areas of my life do I need to be set free?” Are you bound by addiction to substances, masturbation and pornography, or food? Do you struggle to overcome certain negative thinking patterns? Have you tried without success to kick long-standing debilitating habits? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are exactly the kind of person God wants to set free.
Until now, you may not have known that there is such a thing as deliverance, but Jesus died not only for the forgiveness of your sins but also for your freedom from sin and anything that ensnares you. Colossians 2:15 AMP says, “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.” So, you see, Christ died to defeat the things that have enslaved you, and even more, He has given you the victory.
God understands just how detrimental bondage can be not only to our well-being but to our fellowship with Him. When you are bound, your focus is elsewhere; you are unable to fix your gaze on the One who died for you. You become so distracted and drained that God is simply an afterthought. But the good news is that God is aware of your bondage and He wants to rescue you. In Exodus 3:7, NIV, God said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.” God’s response was then to raise a deliverer who would demand that Pharaoh let His people go. Why? So that they “may worship [Him]” (Exodus 9:1). Your deliverance is a priority for God.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.” (Hebrews 4:15, AMP). God isn’t disgusted or intimidated by your struggles. He is concerned about you and is strongly opposed to anything that would distance you from Him. He is a jealous God.
How then do you receive and maintain deliverance? The following steps are a beginning point for obtaining the deliverance God promises.
Cry Out to God
By “cry,” I do not mean a faithless or hopeless cry, but one that comes from your heart and expresses your trust in His ability to save. Lay before Him the afflictions, strongholds, and evil patterns that keep you bound. In the Book of Psalms, David continually cried out to God for deliverance from his enemies because he understood that the Lord is the only one who can truly save. In Psalm 18:2, NIV, David says, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” As you cry out, God promises deliverance. Isaiah 49:25 (NKJV) says, “But thus says the LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children.” God is mighty to save, and He goes to war on your behalf.
Confess the Word
The Word is living and active. I can testify to this. There was a time in my life when I struggled with sin and negative thinking. I did all I knew to do to break free, but I just ended up in a seemingly endless cycle. It was when I committed to reading and meditating upon Scripture daily that the chains began to break off. This change didn’t happen overnight, but with time I realized I was no longer bound by those destructive habits. I no longer had an appetite for old habits. My thoughts were renewed, and life transformed. The same can happen for you. As you read and reflect on the Word, you can use it as your weapon when the devil tries to convince you that you can’t be free. The Bible says, “We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5, AMP). Replace the enemy’s lies with the truth of God’s Word.
As you begin to utilize these tools, I believe God will not only hear you but show up for you in a mighty way. Freedom is indeed guaranteed, and it is a wonderful thing. It provides relief and rest. But more importantly, it allows room for your life to be filled with more of God. Therefore, as you cry out to God and apply His Word, believe that it is truly His desire to set you free so you may worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Prayer: Lord, I cry out to you today because I know that you are my Deliverer. I come boldly to your throne of grace to ask that you set me free from everything that has held me captive. From this day forward, may I walk in the freedom Jesus died for so that I can worship you wholeheartedly.