What Is Bondage?

FREEDOM IN CHRIST

Week 2: What Is Bondage?

Key Text: Romans 6:16–18

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart… and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Big Idea

Bondage is anything that gains control of the heart, influences the mind, weakens obedience, and keeps a person from walking in the freedom Christ has provided.

Introduction

Last week, we learned that true freedom is found only through Jesus Christ.

Freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want. Freedom is the power to live the life God created us to live.

This week, we must answer another important question:

What is bondage?

Bondage is not always visible.

A person can look successful and still be bound.

A person can attend church and still be bound.

A person can love God and still struggle with something that repeatedly controls his thoughts, emotions, choices, and behavior.

Bondage exists whenever something has gained mastery over an area of your life.

The issue is not simply whether something is present in your life.

The issue is:

Does it control you?

I. BONDAGE OFTEN BEGINS IN THE MIND

Foundation Verse: 2 Corinthians 10:4–5

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

A. A stronghold is a fortified way of thinking.

A stronghold is more than a passing thought.

It is a pattern of thinking that has become deeply established.

It influences how a person sees God, himself, and his circumstances.

It causes a person to accept something false as though it were true.

B. The enemy attempts to establish bondage through deception.

Every form of bondage is supported by a lie.

The lie may say, “You will never change.”

The lie may say, “You need this to survive.”

The lie may say, “This is simply who you are.”

The lie may say, “There is no way out.”

C. What controls your thinking will eventually influence your living.

Thoughts produce beliefs.

Beliefs influence decisions.

Decisions become repeated actions.

Repeated actions develop into habits.

Habits can eventually become bondage.

D. Bondage grows when thoughts are left unchallenged.

Not every thought deserves to be accepted.

Not every feeling deserves to be followed.

Not every desire deserves to be satisfied.

Every thought must be brought under the authority of Jesus Christ.

Key Truth

Before bondage controls your behavior, it usually establishes agreement in your mind.

II. BONDAGE IS BEING CONTROLLED BY WHAT YOU OBEY

Foundation Verse: Romans 6:16

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey?”

A. Bondage is a matter of mastery.

Bondage exists when something begins to rule you.

You may have started the behavior, but eventually the behavior begins controlling you.

What was once occasional becomes necessary.

What was once a choice begins to feel like a demand.

B. Repeated obedience creates increasing control.

Every time we obey a sinful desire, we strengthen its influence.

Bondage often develops gradually:

A thought becomes a desire.

A desire becomes a decision.

A decision becomes an action.

An action becomes a habit.

A habit becomes a controlling pattern.

C. Sin promises freedom but produces slavery.

Sin tells you:

“You are in control.”

“You can stop whenever you want.”

“This will make you feel better.”

“Nobody will ever know.”

“This is not hurting anyone.”

However, sin always demands more than it originally promised.

D. The real question is not, “Can I do this?”

The real questions are:

Is this mastering me?

Is this weakening my obedience?

Is this pulling me away from God?

Is this becoming difficult to surrender?

Is this controlling my thoughts, emotions, time, or decisions?

Key Truth

Whatever you continually obey will eventually attempt to rule you.

III. BONDAGE PRODUCES DESTRUCTIVE PATTERNS

Foundation Verse: John 8:34

“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.’”

A. Bondage is revealed through repeated sinful behavior.

The word “practices” points to something repeated and ongoing.

Bondage is not merely making a mistake.

Bondage is becoming trapped in a pattern that continually pulls you away from God.

B. Bondage may appear in different areas.

1. Mental bondage

Negative thinking

Unbelief

Constant suspicion

Obsessive thoughts

A victim mentality

Thoughts of defeat

2. Emotional bondage

Uncontrolled anger

Bitterness

Jealousy

Fear

Shame

Unforgiveness

3. Behavioral bondage

Sexual sin

Substance abuse

Gambling

Compulsive spending

Lying

Gluttony

Destructive relationships

4. Spiritual bondage

Condemnation

Legalism

Idolatry

Occult involvement

Spiritual deception

Habitual disobedience

C. Bondage weakens a person’s ability to obey God.

It makes obedience increasingly difficult.

It causes people to hide.

It produces guilt and shame.

It damages relationships.

It interferes with spiritual growth.

It keeps people repeating the same destructive cycles.

D. Bondage thrives in secrecy.

What remains hidden often grows stronger.

Secrecy gives bondage room to survive.

Exposure to truth begins to weaken its power.

Key Truth

Bondage is anything that repeatedly controls your life and keeps you from fully obeying God.

IV. HOW IS BONDAGE BROKEN?

Bondage cannot be defeated through denial, excuses, or willpower alone.

Freedom requires surrendering the area of bondage to Jesus Christ and learning to walk under His authority.

A. Acknowledge the bondage honestly.

Psalm 32:5

“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity.”

You cannot confront what you refuse to acknowledge.

Stop minimizing it.

Stop defending it.

Stop blaming others for it.

Call it what God calls it.

Healing begins when honesty begins.

B. Surrender completely to God.

James 4:7

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Submission comes before resistance.

We cannot resist the enemy effectively while resisting God’s authority.

Partial surrender produces continued struggle.

Complete surrender gives God access to every hidden area.

The question is not simply, “Do I want to be free?”

The question is:

“Am I willing to surrender what keeps me bound?”

C. Replace the lie with God’s truth.

John 8:31–32

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Every bondage is supported by a lie.

Freedom grows when the lie is exposed.

God’s Word must become greater than your feelings.

Truth must be believed, spoken, and practiced.

You cannot merely stop thinking the wrong thing.

You must replace it with the truth.

D. Refuse to continue presenting yourself to sin.

Romans 6:12–13

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God.”

Stop giving sin access.

Remove the opportunity.

Change the environment.

Establish new boundaries.

Present your body, mind, time, and desires to God.

Freedom may require you to change what you watch, where you go, who you communicate with, and what you allow into your life.

E. Bring the struggle into the light.

James 5:16

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

Confession breaks secrecy.

Accountability weakens isolation.

Prayer invites God’s power into the struggle.

Mature believers can help you remain strong.

You do not have to tell everyone, but you should tell someone who is spiritually mature, trustworthy, and able to help you.

F. Stand firm and do not return.

Galatians 5:1

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Old patterns may attempt to return.

Familiar temptations may call you back.

Freedom must be guarded.

Do not romanticize what once destroyed you.

Do not return to the yoke Christ removed.

Key Truth

Bondage is broken through truth, surrender, repentance, accountability, and continued dependence upon Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Bondage is not merely having a weakness.

Bondage is when that weakness begins to rule you.

Bondage begins when a lie gains agreement in the mind, develops into repeated obedience, and becomes a controlling pattern.

However, bondage does not have to be permanent.

Through Jesus Christ:

Strongholds can be demolished.

Lies can be exposed.

Sinful patterns can be broken.

Minds can be renewed.

Hearts can be healed.

Lives can be restored.

The same Jesus who revealed your bondage is the Jesus who has the power to break it.

Closing Statement

Bondage says, “You will always be this way.” Jesus says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Whatever has mastered you must surrender to the authority of Jesus Christ.