BE FREE and REMAIN FREE!

What does it mean to be free? Freedom is the ability and power to do as one desires without restrictions or restraint. For instance, when a prisoner is let out because the necessary conditions for release have been met (as in term served or bail paid), that prisoner will be considered free.

But what is he free from? He’s free from the restrictions and demands of the prison; outside the prison, he can do whatever he wants whenever he wants. He doesn’t have to answer to anyone.

Comparing the two ways of life, one can plainly see the advantages of being free. Unfortunately, some released prisoners don’t stay free for long; they become repeat offenders, ending up incarcerated multiple times. So, why do some people keep going back to doing the same thing that put them in prison in the first place?  Some have nothing to live for outside of the prison. Others have no willpower to not do wrong things.

The Bible tells us that every single one of us is a sinner (see Romans 3:23), slaves to sin and the devil. We often do the devil’s bidding because we don’t know any better. The devil is a slave master who will do anything to stop people from having a relationship with God or living godly lives. In fact, he wants to have as many people as possible go to hell with him. But thanks to God for His indescribable gift, Jesus Christ, His Son (see 2 Corinthians 9:15), who died in our stead. God laid the sins of mankind on Him; in other words, Jesus paid for the sins of mankind and made us acceptable to God. The sins that separated us from God were laid on Jesus, and so anyone who admits they’re a sinner and asks God for forgiveness is forgiven, and God’s Holy Spirit comes to indwell that individual (see 1 John 3:24).

The Holy Spirit's indwelling identifies the individual as a child of God. He also gives that person the power to live a transformed life: as the Bible says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This power will enable the person to hate sin and strive to be Christ-like. The Bible says, “God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them” (1 John 5:18).

The Bible again tells us to not go back to living in sin like jailbirds. As God’s adopted children, we are freed from sin to fear God and live to please Him. It’s possible to return to one’s former ways because the devil, our enemy, is always trying to get us to rebel against God. For this reason, the Bible cautions us to be watchful because our enemy, the devil, is like a prowling lion seeking someone to devour (see 1 Peter 5:8). 

We are in an on-going war with the devil; he will not stop at anything until he gets us to do wrong. God has therefore provided armor for us to ensure our safety and victory in the spiritual war against the devil. However, if we fail to use it, we will remain vulnerable. The armor includes different pieces to protect different parts of the body. Since we don’t know which body part will be a target at any given time, all the pieces of armor should be worn at all times: “Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil” (Ephesians 6:13).

The god-designed protective gear consists of a belt of truth, body armor as God’s righteousness, shoes of peace; in addition to the armor, a shield of faith is provided to stop the enemy’s arrows thrown at us. For a helmet you have salvation, and the final piece is the sword with which to slay the enemy, and that is the Word of God. When we prove to the devil that we know and understand, when and how to use the Word of God, he goes away; Jesus quoted Scripture when He was tempted to turn a stone into a loaf of bread, worship the devil, and finally, jump from a building top, to prove His sonship (see Luke 4:3-12). We need to do the same. We also need to develop a habit of praying, sharing our hearts, concerns, and prayers for others with God through the Son (see Ephesians 6:18-19).

The Bible is the instruction book by which every child of God should live the life that is pleasing to God. We need to read it, meditate on it, and obey it with the help of the Holy Spirit. We have to constantly depend on the Holy Spirit for strength, courage, and guidance. In addition, we need the support of other believers, because we’re all on our way to the same place: heaven. The devil is after every one of us, in one way or another. One person's experience today could be another person’s in the future. So, staying in a community is a benefit to all, and God commands us to not neglect to assemble together. As the adage goes, “There is strength in numbers.” It’s encouraging to study and pray together, and to be able to pray for each other.

Unfortunately, there are people who claim to be Christians but live contrary to the Bible; they keep getting re-entangled with habits from which they supposedly have been saved. Is this your story? If it is, then you have to search your heart and ask yourself if you’ve ever been saved. If your Christian claim is untrue, then take this opportunity to repent! However, if you’ve done this in the past, then ask for forgiveness for the ungodly way you’ve been living, take the Bible seriously, and obey it.

Be free and continue to live in freedom, because “If the Son sets you free, you are truly free” (John 8:36).