The Spirit of Bondage
The Spirit of Bondage
(Galatians 4:1)
Introduction
The concept of unclean spirits represents the reality and activity of demons.
And we have talked much about the prince of demons, also known as Satan
Now, Satan’s name as a created being was not Satan.
He is named Satan after the fall, but as a created being his name was Lucifer.
Lucifer is a very beautiful name (son of the morning)
He is a created being, as are all angels.
He is the angel of angels (He is the anointed Cherub)
Cherubim is the highest order amongst the ranks of angels
So if he is the anointed Cherub (Then he is the highest of the highest order of angelic beings)
Point:
There are nine ranks of angels
The cherub is God’s angel of retribution. If you tread upon the law of God
The wrath of God would come to you by virtue of a cherub.
Illustration: Adam & Eve (Cherub / Flaming sword)
Cherubs protect the integrity of the throne of God.
Then there was the messenger from the throne of God. His name is Gabriel
Gabriel is that angel that looks steadfast in the face of God.
Waiting for God to give the order
Illustration: Daniel praying (starting praying / God dispatched Gabriel)
First start praying God sent me to answer your prayer / Before he finished
Then there is another rank of angel called the Seraphim
(Seraphim) – 6-winged angels (2 hide his face / 2 hide his feet / 2 he did fly)
They have an interesting ministry (dispatched to fly around the throne room of God)
(Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord of Host…)
Church, I am that they can sing about heaven, because one day I want to go to heaven
And I hope some of us will live together on the same street in heaven
That you don’t mind living next door to each other in heaven (get it together down here)
Illustration: Be so important to go to heaven (If they had one ticket)
And I want to talk about some things that we need to be aware of if heaven is important
(This world is not my home…)
Point:
But, the devil is trying to keep you out heaven.
Now, one of the devil’s name is
The god of this world
The prince of power of the air
That means he is in control with the world’s philosophy
And that’s why it is important that we appreciate these different unclean spirits.
Point:
Unclean Spirits are the evidences of demonic activity.
Satan is not omnipresent. He is not like God and can be everywhere at the same time.
(God is omnipresent) / But Satan is not.
So what he has to help him cover the entire territory are demons.
These are fallen angels and they manifest as unclean spirits in our lives
Which is the evidence of demonic activity.
A couple of things that we learned about unclean spirits is they are territorial / generational
Point:
When they get somewhere, they like to stay there.
If they get into your life, they like to stay in your life.
If they get into your house, they like to stay in your house.
If they get into your marriage, they like to stay in your marriage.
If they get into your family tree, they like to stay in your family tree
So, they are territorial. And they are generational
You can pass them from one generation to another.
Generational:
Some children are dealing with things in their life because you dealt with them.
And you passed it along to your son or your daughter.
Now, last week with dealt with an unclean spirit that is primary to the unclean spirit
That we are going to discuss today. And the primary spirit is the spirit of fear.
Point:
And we learned that the spirit of fear will
- Paralyze you
- Stop you from doing things that God has given you the courage to do
Because you are afraid to put in place the gift that God has given you.
Point:
In fact, some of us would be further down the road in our personal life (relationship / health) if you had the courage to do what God has called you to do.
But the spirit of fear has paralyzed you.
But we learned that the antidote to the spirit of fear is (mature love / perfect love)
Perfect love will cast out fear.
So, now we are at another unclean spirit and it is embedded in the spirit of fear
And that is the spirit of bondage.
Point:
The word bondage is associated with slavery. It identifies what you are a slave to.
Whatever you are a slave to, you are in bondage to that.
But the essence of what I want to share with you is that Jesus died to set you free from bondage.
Point:
Yet, the concern is, while the Lord has set you free, some of us are living lives
That is driving us back to the bondage that Jesus died to set you free from.
That’s why we are looking at Galatians 4
Body:
In Galatians 4, there are some people who have been delivered and they know they are delivered and yet they are trying to go back to the elemental things of the world.
Now, if you are going to go back to the elemental things of the world
Who are those things controlled by? They are controlled by the god of this world.
What does he use to do that? He uses demons.
And demons will leave the residue in your life of their activity
Which is called “Unclean Spirits.”
Read: Galatians 4:1 (But he is immature. He is a child)
As a child, even though he will have the inheritance he won’t receive it now (mess it up)
Illustration: 1million dollars to a child ($1000 of candy) / Waits until he matures
Read: Galatians 4:1-2 (people will mentor him)
(As a parent) – You can’t let children do what they want to do
They don’t just need a friend (need a parent) / Tell them what is right/wrong
That’s why God put you in that role. To help guide them until they are mature.
Read: Galatians 4:3 (When we were immature / bought into the elements of the world)
Who controls the elements of the world? / Satan.
They are controlled by the god of this world and there are things happening in the world
That should cause all of us to wake up.
Point:
This world is changing and it is under the control of the god of this world
(World is different than older world) /
Children of God should be able to tell that time is winding down.
Illustration: (Largest glacier / past 100 years has decreased over 92%)
Ice caps are melting
(Global warming) – That’s real. The ocean is getting closer to the inlands
Explain: Malaria in the high elevations in Africa (mosquitoes don’t live in cold)
Weather patterns are changing. Diseases that they haven’t even named yet.
And church, we should be concerned about what is happening in the world
Children are growing up without discipline / Parents wanting to be their friend
They learn that they don’t have to mind anybody (don’t submit to anyone’s authority)
But God’s people need to be under a different system.
Point:
And here are the people of Galatia. God has made them free.
But they don’t see the signs of the times.
Reference: (Met some Pharisees / Matt. 16 / Give us a sign / Sky is red)
You can discern the face of the sky but when it comes to the signs of the times
You act like you can’t figure out what’s going on.
Point:
Church, we can do a lot of smart things but we need to be able to read some of the signs of the time.
It is getting worse and worse, and we are getting weaker and losing the battle
To these demonic spirits. And they have us in bondage.
Point:
The concern in Galatians 4 is God had set them free and they are trying to go back into
The bondage that God delivered them from.
Illustration: Children of Israel (Egyptian bondage) / Black slave (fear – won’t run)
Read: Galatians 4:4-6 (That’s a relationship with God)
And against the background of all that is happening, you and I were made free
And are supposed to have a relationship with God.
And that relationship prevents us from acting like people driven by the world.
He says your relationship is even made evident by the way you address God.
(You can say) – Abba Father
(Abba Father) – describes intimacy with God. It is about relationship
God and I have a relationship. And this relationship allows me to say Abba Father
Teaching Point:
(Abba) – means I can call Him daddy.
But be careful when you do that. Because there are terms of endearment that I use
With people I love in our intimacy. In our private relationship that I don’t use
When I’m doing a public prayer.
Illustration: Names you have in your relationship / Introducing people
(Introduction – Father / Daddy)
So what Paul is saying that your relationship is so intimate with God that He is like your daddy.
That means you have somebody that will stand up for you (stick closer than a brother)
And the reason you don’t have to be afraid and be in bondage
Is because I have a relationship with Him and I can call Him Daddy.
I may not call Him that in public, but in my relationship, in my intimacy
I can say, O, Daddy.
Read: Galatians 4:7-8
If they present themselves as gods, but are not gods, they are demons (idols)
Point:
In the beginning thread of this study, I taught you about idolatry.
And when you are not mature, you will substitute the real God for a false god
(V8) – You served them (And if you served them you are in bondage to them)
Read: Galatians 4:8-9
God has freed you and now you want to go right back into slavery?
Conclusion:
Just like they were in bondage. Jesus died to set them free. But they want to live like they are in bondage.
The concern for you and me, is there are things that we get caught up in
That are controlled by the god of this world (means there is demon activity)
And we have gotten caught up in it, and live by it, seduced by it
And it is as natural as reading. And that is what is putting some of us in bondage.
But church, there is this radical statement that David opens the 23rd Psalm with
(The Lord is my Shepherd, and I have all that I need)
Now, we walk around quoting this, but we don’t truly live it.
And what makes it difficult to live is the culture we live in.
Explain: Shopping Mall Mentality (Shopping Center – face out / Mall – inward)
(Many options & choices) / Shopping has become like a religion
(Mall has done) – I always have a choice / Restaurants to choose from
So it is a challenge to believe (The Lord is My Shepherd) – Convinced we need everything
We live in the culture of Unmet Needs – Whether those needs are legitimate or not
And when you want everything, it breeds greed and covetousness
And then it leads to addiction. We become addicted to having our needs met.
And it is really not about needs, it’s about what we want
That’s demonic activity. And that is the spirit of bondage.
Read: Galatians 4:7-9
(When we grow from our immaturity to spiritual maturity we can truly appreciate our salvation)
And when I appreciate my salvation, I cast out the spirit of fear through perfect love
And when I cast out the spirit of fear. I break the chains of bondage
Not seeking to be bound anymore.
For if the Son sets you free, you free indeed. And in Christ you are free.