Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. - Ps100:3
“…My eyes will weep bitterly and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive. – Jer 13:17
Amazing, is it not…how clear the Word is and makes so much sense when we really start to see it laid out before us like this?
We can get all theological and lofty all day long talking about symbolism and poetic language and Greek and Hebrew origins and culture and history.
But there it is right in front of you. God’s people are taken captive. And it breaks His heart because time and time again, He warned us. Do this, and you will live. Do that, and you will surely die. And that voice from the darkness has never stopped undermining God’s Word asking “Has God really said? That is not what God really meant” (Gen 3)
If I start to sound like I’m circling back and repeating things, it is for good reason, trust me.
Let’s take this nice and slow and break it down. Print this out, study it for yourself. And even more importantly, if God bears witness with your spirit/heart that what you are studying is legit, then put it into practice and then hold on because you will begin to experience a freedom you did not know was possible.
And it’s not because some person laid hands on you. “He sent His word and healed them.” Ps 107:20
Who or what, are we taken captive by, and how does this happen?
I’m glad you asked.
Paul encouraged Timothy to be gentle to all and patient and avoid quarrels and to remain humble with those who contested what he was teaching with the hope that God would grant them repentance that they might know the truth and come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil having been taken captive by him to do his will. (2 Tim 2:24-26)
Did you notice who took folks captive?
Paul shed light on this again in his letter to the Ephesians. He reminded us that we who WERE dead in our sins in which we ONCE WALKED (which means we don’t walk that way anymore) according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the SPIRIT WHO NOW works IN the sons of disobedience, among who also we all ONCE CONDUCTED ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just at others. (Eph 2:1-3)
Does he suggest that this ‘spirit’ is sitting on our shoulder whispering in our ear like they always did in cartoons or does he make it clear that this ‘spirit’ operates IN us?
And do you see what is his platform in which he does this? It is through the lust of our flesh and desires of the flesh and mind. In other words, our ‘old nature’.
In 1 John 5:19, who does John say is influencing or controlling the whole world? _______
And how does he gain ground to do this in our lives?
It’s through our sinful flesh nature. Everything regarding our sinful flesh nature, is sin. This is why we are commanded to put this old man/nature to death…not in a cage, not on a leash, not dialed down, but to death.
Does it not make sense now as to why Jesus tells us to ‘GO, and Sin No More!” (John 5:14; 8:11)
That is why we are tempted by the devil to sin, or break God’s laws. He wants access in to our lives (or wants to maintain control for those who have yet to be set free, which I would suggest is the majority of folks today)
I think I can hear people chuckling, asking: “Tony, do you believe this literally? To which I will respond: “Yes, Yes I do. I absolutely do. And I pray God will open your eyes that you may not only see the power of His truth, but experience it for yourself.
God meant what he said. And to those who receive Him/this, He gives the power to become the children of God. (John 1:12)
We’ve referred to Matt 12:43-44 of late. When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it begins to wander seeking a place to rest and when it finds none, it returns to the vessel from which it was removed. Jesus warned us that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broke into. (Matt 24:43)
Peter writes: “Be sober and vigilant; because your enemy the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him!” (1 Pet 5:8)
Remember when Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tested/tempted by the devil? Yeah, if we are following Him, we go through the same test. Because we are going to walk the same walk Jesus did. ( I John 2:6) Oh, and to borrow an often repeated phrase of warning: “Don’t try this at home by yourself”.
And if you want to walk in the power of the spirit like Jesus did, and do the things that Jesus did (and He promised that if we believed on Him that we would do those things and even greater things – John 14:12), then you have to pass the test just like Jesus did. It was after He passed those tests and proved that His heart totally belonged to God, that He then returned in the Power of the spirit and began to set captives free. (Luke 4)
Do you mind if I go longer this morning, since it is Sunday and I hate to leave you hanging on this one today. ;-) Thanks. Let’s read on.
If you turn to Jesus with all your heart, God will test you to see if you mean it. Don’t doubt me on this one. (Deut 8:2; 1 Thess 2:4) Go look those two verses up right now please.
Does Peter not tell us to ‘think it not strange” concerning the fiery trial which is to test us? (1 Pet 4:12)
Are we not told in James 1:2-3 to ‘count it all joy when we face these various trials/test knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience and that patience will have its perfect work and we will be made perfect and complete? Does he not go on to add in verse 12-15 that it is not God who tempts us with evil but that we are tempted when our own desires are enticed?
Now let’s stop right here and review.
The area of sin that has held you captive for so long, never seeming to allow you to overcome it completely, had another component to it that went beyond ‘flesh and blood’ and/or bad DNA or ‘chemical imbalances’. It was/is a demon spirit. And you are unable to overcome it in your own strength.
But when you repent and confess it by turning to Jesus with ALL your heart, it is at that moment that by faith, the blood of Christ cleanses you in that particular area. You are washed and the spirit has to go. Vamoose. He’s outta there.
And that is when he goes out looking for another place to inhabit. (Matt 12:43)
Just know that the biggest part of the battle has been won. You’ve gained that ‘piece of land’ back in your heart. Now you must stand your ground and defend it and prove to God that you truly love Him more than you do ___________.
That’s why James says ‘count it all joy. :- ) It’s an opportunity for you to prove to God you love Him more than that sin.
But this time, you have a much stronger covenant partner working on your behalf for ‘greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.’
Please know that when the test comes, there will be some ‘suffering in the flesh’ when you deny it. (are we not told to take up our cross and deny ourselves (the pleasure of fulfilling the lust of our flesh?)
Now examine these verses carefully the ones we tend to zip over when reading)
“We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb 4:15)
“For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid (assist) those who are tempted.” (Heb 2:18) ← Did you catch that?
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:16)
“He (Jesus) learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. (Heb 5:8-9)
It is in that moment of testing, (and you will know it) that you need to stop and ask God right then for grace…to stand and ‘resist’ the devil. Let me promise you that in that moment, if you are serious about overcoming this area in your life, that the power of God’s grace will fall on you and enable you to stand and resist. And what does scripture teach will happen when we resist the devil? (James 4:7)
Then we read in 1 Pet 5:10 – that after you have suffered a while, that the God of all grace will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you.
Peter also writes in the preceding chapter that “Since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has CEASED FROM SIN that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men but for the will of God. (4:1-2)
This is how we put to death the ‘old man’.
This is what it means to be ‘saved by grace, and not of ourselves’.
It’s All Him doing it. We just have to ‘stand and die’. ;-)
Lots to process and digest here this morning. I know. But I'm telling you, God not only wants to set his flock that was taken captive, free, but He wants them to Stay Free!
Then go out and do unto others as He has done for Us.
Comments
Post a Comment