Imagine being a POW (prisoner-of-war) who is held captive in some cage, deep in the jungles of enemy territory… with little hope of ever being rescued and making your way home again. Then one day, just like in all those ‘Rambo’ or Chuck Norris movies, your ‘bigger than life’ super-hero liberator arrives on the scene and breaks you out of that prison, taking out slews of enemy soldiers who were assigned to guard you. No doubt it would be a glorious day of liberation for you and your comrades.

But…But…But…make no mistake about it: while you may have been ‘set free’…you are not ‘home’….yet. [long dramatic pause]

You probably remember those genre of movies where Rambo led those men out of the jungle with the enemy in hot pursuit of them. There was all kinds of ‘action’ and gunfire and excitement as they made their way back to a waiting boat or small plane that would eventually get them home to the good ole USA. And oftentimes, there were a few of those liberated soldiers who did not make it back alive for one reason or another; sometimes because of poor choices they made along the way. Friends…there is some insightful truths woven into this ‘plot line’ that closely resembles what this walk of faith entails, and we would do well to sit up and take note, asking the Holy Spirit to ‘open the eyes of our understanding’ (Eph. 1:17-18)

We know it is ‘through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of heaven’, and that we have a legitimate ‘enemy’ in hot pursuit of us which is why we need to remain vigilant and alert, ‘giving him no place’ …’lest we fall in the wilderness’. Are we not told to ‘follow Jesus’…and those who ‘endure till the end shall be saved’? (Acts 14:22; 1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 6:12; 4:27; Matt. 24:13; 1 Cor. 10:4-12)

Yes, I realize that for some of you who continue to read here, you may be asking where I might be going with these illustrations of action movies and head lice; and you are free to dismiss my analogies as ‘baseless’. But please don’t do that with all the scriptures I share here with you as I continue to make the case that we are living in some dark times where many in the ‘church’ have …’fallen asleep; and God is trying to ‘wake us up’ for ‘the days are evil….therefore do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is’. (Eph. 5:8-21). Why did God say His people were being ‘destroyed’? (Hosea 4:6)

Many a sincere people over the years…have been drawn or even ‘coaxed’ to a church altar at the close of a service under the influence of that beautiful hymn we all know: “I surrender all…”. And with genuine tears streaming down their faces, and their broken and defiled hearts sensing some hope in the promises they have heard pertaining to all that God has done…and will continue to do…provided they do ‘surrender all’ …have indeed ‘laid it all down’ at His feet. In that moment, they most likely are not fully aware what they have ‘signed on for’ when it comes to taking up a cross as they ‘give their heart’ to Jesus; but they experience what the prodigal son did when he returned to his father, or what Zacchaeus experienced when Jesus said ‘today, salvation as come to your house’. (Luke 15:17-24;19:9) 

Lets’ not forget what our role is in protecting this ‘house’ after we have been ‘liberated’ either. (Matt. 12:43-45; 24:42-44)

Coming on the heels of their genuine repentance, they (or even you perhaps) experienced that ‘time of refreshing that came from the presence of the Lord’ (Acts 3:19; James 4:7-10).

Now believe this or not… prior to you ‘running to Jesus from afar’ (Mark 5:6), you were indeed under the influence and power of ‘another spirit’ that was not God’s spirit. (1 John 5:19; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Acts 26:18; John 3:36; Eph. 2:1-3). And there were probably ‘multiple spirits’ involved if we want to be candid here. Let’s not forget there were multiple ‘nations’ on the land of Canaan that needed to be dealt with and removed when the Israelites went in to possess the land.

But once you ‘come to Jesus’ and surrender to His Lordship, you now have a ‘new Master’ and you need not ‘fear’ anyone or anything else. Any and all other ‘influences’ in your life have now been ‘disarmed and neutralized’ since there is …a ‘new Sheriff in town’, as the saying goes. And as long as you follow His lead/voice and do what He asks of you…you are going to be just fine. (Luke 6:46; John 10:27; Heb. 5:9) You will also learn pretty quick, hopefully... the importance of listening to and obeying Him as well. (Heb. 3:7- 4:1;12:5-14; John 5:14)

Now here is what you need to take to heart: Even though you have been ‘liberated’ (busted out of prison) and had all those pesky, living ‘head lice washed away dead’…you are ‘not home, yet’. There will still be an ‘active enemy’ in pursuit and ‘nits’ that need to be removed from the hair’, or can I say ‘neutralized spirits that still reside in your heart/land…that need to ‘come off’? We call this the ‘sanctifying work of the Spirit’. One would be foolish to dismiss the importance of this process as it is God’s will for us to be ‘sanctified’ wholly, in spirit, soul, and body; for ‘without this holiness’…no one will see the Lord’. (Heb. 12:14; Matt. 5:8).

I'll be back tomorrow...Lord willing.