Loose Yourself

I have noticed a problem with in the Christian culture that I believe many of you have noticed.

I see people who love Jesus, are filled with the Holy Spirit, but for whatever reason it appears that they constantly struggle to be free and stay free! How many of you have noticed this?

How many of you have noticed that there are some of the most godly men and women that you have met who have a constant war with being free?

I believe that not a single church has a congregation that is completely and totally free.

I also believe that this is a major issue because Jesus died to bring freedom and dominion back to man! When we have churches full of people who aren’t free what does that say?

It says that we can preach freedom, but we can’t live it. That is a hard pill to swallow.

I believe the New Testament contains an image of many people in our churches today.

John 11:40-44, “Then Jesus said, ‘Did i not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, Jesus called out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’”

How does this scripture apply to Christians today? Well, thats a great question and I’m glad you asked.

First off, we see that Lazarus was dead. You know that the scripture tells us whenever we were trapped in sin, before we came to Christ we were dead right?

Ephesians 2:1 says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.”

So, we are like Lazarus in the sense that we were dead, Jesus raised us and called us to come out of our grave. We have stepped out of the grave, but there is an issue.

This is the second way we are like Lazarus. Lazarus was resurrected, he was face-to-face with Jesus, but he was bound in grave clothes. These are things that were wrapped around his hands, feet, face, eyes, etc. to remind him and those around him of the death that he had experienced.

This is how we are like Lazarus. We have been called from the grave, raised to life, but there are “grave clothes” around us that have bound us and keep us from living the life that Jesus intended for us. A life of freedom, purpose, and development of the Kingdom of God.

How do these grave clothes get on us?

The Word of God tells us that there is one source of opposition in our lives.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.”

I am going to say something that many Christians are too scared too. The reason bondage comes into our lives is because of demons. Demons are the ones who bring bondage to our lives.

We must learn to recognize our enemy before we can take back the territory we have lost to him. That is all.

People are not your problem, your pastor is not your problem, God doesn’t hate you, people don’t hate you, the issue is simply that we have a very real enemy who desires to do some very real damage in our lives.

Don’t allow a tormenting spirit to cause you to turn against those around you when the word of God tells you that your enemy isn’t the people around you its the demons coming against you in the spiritual realm.

The reason they are coming against you is because they view you as a threat. You are covered in the Blood of Jesus, you have a relationship with Father God, and the Holy Spirit guides you and imparts power unto you to use you to destroy the kingdom of darkness. That should make you feel good about yourself. You are facing opposition because you have a purpose.

How do I know I am Being Oppressed by the Enemy?

Emotional Issues-anger, depression, fear, etc. These are reoccurring and nothing seems to help.

Relational issues- Does it seem like no matter how hard you try you can’t truly communicate with those around you? Do you feel like all your relationships are shallow? Do you feel as though there is no way to truly be yourself and that all your relationships seem to just break down over time?

Physical Issues- constant reoccurring sickness with no discernible origin is a pretty good indicator of oppression. Sexual issues, perversions, and addictions are a sign that you might be oppressed.

Three Doors of Entry Demons Use To Bind Up God’s People

1. Generational Sin

This is an area that a lot of people get twisted up on, so I am going to try to explain something to help us learn and grow.

In his book Slaying Dragons Daniel Kolenda says this, “Your epigenome consists of chemicals that tell your genes what to do. Among other things your epigenome is influenced by your behavior and environment, which regulate certain genetic expressions.” And in another location Daniel Kolenda says, “epigenetic expressions can be passed down from generation to generation. This means addictive behaviors, lifestyle choices, and activities can cause changes to the epigenome of one’s children. Interestingly, these changes can persist for two or three generations.”

Science isn’t the only thing that talks about generational behaviors being passed down from generation to generation. In Numbers 14:18 (ESV) it says, “The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

I believe the science of epigenetics has backed up and proven what the Lord promised in His word. That for those of us that live in sin and engage in certain lifestyle choices we open our children up to a world of hurt.

The spirit world knows us. Demons know what has been able to keep those in your family bound in the past and I believe that they desire to establish those same patterns in our lives.

Some of you are thinking I am being too spiritual.

As a child I lived in a home that had been completely ravaged and destroyed by addiction. I hated my mother, I hated the father I never met, and I vowed that I would never allow drugs or alcohol to touch my lips.

I moved to Arkansas. It was my 10th or 11th school. I can’t remember anymore. I got new friends and it was a completely crazy situation. There is NO WAY I should have ever been connected to these people. They invited me over to their house. I went and about 30 minutes in they were passing a blunt around a circle. I was aggravated. I hated drugs and everyone that did them, but after the first time that blunt came around these thoughts started entering my mind. “Since your whole family does drugs don’t you think they’re a little fun? Maybe you wouldn’t be so depressed if you would just smoke it with them. One time won’t kill you.” So the third time that blunt passed me; I grabbed it and took a big ole hit. It was loaded with Kush and I was stoned out of my mind.

I tell you that story to tell you this: Demons speak to us. We don’t realize it because they are spiritual beings and it seems like its just a crazy thought that pops into our mind. I’ll tell you that my connection with those people, and the thoughts that were coming to my mind were because a demon had been working behind the scenes.

Some people will tell you that demons interfere because they know your future. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. The Devil don’t know your future. He isn’t God, and he is not anywhere close to God. The truth is, that the devil and the rest of the demons that were once God’s angels have no other choice but to drag as many people as they can down to Hell with them. This is all they are trying to do. When they fail at that, they will attack you and come against you to make sure you can’t pull anyone to Heaven with you.

2. Trauma

The second way that demons gain access through your life is trauma.

Every single human has experienced things that caused them a lot of emotional and physical pain.

It is these events in our life that demons use to weave a net that keeps us trapped and tormented.

This is something that is not your fault, but nevertheless the devil doesn’t care. He will use anything to keep you from being who God called you to be.

3. Personal Choices

The third door demons use is through our own dumb decisions.

My mentor says something that I will never forget, “Don’t put something in front of you that you don’t want in you.” That is so true.

Whatever you surround yourself by is what will begin to grow and develop inside of you.

If you listen to music that is full of depression, fear, anger, addiction, adultery, sex, etc. these things will begin to develop inside of you.

If you watch tv shows that are full of fear, suicide, anger and violence, and sex then all of a sudden you will begin to grow in these things. Jesus said that if our eyes-which are the lamps to our souls- become corrupt, then everything else within us becomes corrupt as well.

Our decisions cause us to live with guilt and regret.

What Is Required For Me To Be Free?

1. Repentance

It is very simple. Whenever you confess your sins and repent you open the door for God’s forgiveness and grace to come and cover you. Scripture says that when we confess our sins the Blood of Jesus cleanses us.

This means that there is a process that takes place with repentance.

First you confess your sins- this means that you acknowledge to God that what you did was wrong.

Second, when you communicate this to God and you decide that you aren’t going to do that again, the Blood of Jesus removes that record from you.

Third, when this happens, whatever door was opened to the enemy from personal sin is closed. He no longer has a right to harass you any longer.

2. Forgiveness

When you choose to forgive those who hurt you, you will begin to experience healing in your life.

Matthew 18 says that the unforgiving servant was thrown to the tormentors. I believe this is what happens to the person that holds unforgiveness in their heart. When they choose to hold on to the wrong that was done to them, they are denying God access to do the healing work He wants to do, and giving tormentors an open door to continue to torment and oppress them.

If you will forgive those who have hurt you- NOT FOR THEM, BUT FOR YOU - God will drive away the tormentor’s and He will begin to work on healing the woundedness in your heart.

3. Calling out to Jesus

Joel 2:32 says, “Those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

When you have done all that you know to do, just call out to Jesus and He will come to your aid. He will rescue you without fail because He is the great deliverer.