Seven Areas of Breakthrough This Year:
- Faith – your personal walk with God
- Family – family situations, with children, spouses.
- Finances – managing our money, etc.
- Freedom – areas of our lives that we have strongholds
- Fun – we need to enjoy life
- Field of Endeavor – your job or vocation
- Friendships – social relationships outside of family
We are going to move to the area of having a breakthrough in the area of freedom. Jesus wants us to be free in every area of life!
Correction of thoughts: As a Born Again child of God, we cannot be possessed by the devil because we are owned or “possessed” by God.
That being said, as a Christian, Satan can still deceive us in areas of our lives and those areas can become areas of bondage.
Deception is the only weapon that Satan has that he can use against a child of God.
He is a liar and a very good liar.
John 8:44 | NKJV (44) You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Satan comes to believers and tells you that if you will part from God (or His Word) in an area of your life you will have something that you already have.
Genesis 3:2-3 | NKJV (2) Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. (3) For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Remember, he told Eve that if she would eat of the fruit then she would become like God. She was already like God and couldn’t be any more like God.
John 8:31-36 | NKJV (31) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (33) They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” (34) Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. (35) And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. (36) Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
It is possible for a believer to be in bondage.
Bondage – any compulsive or impulsive behavior that restricts us from walking in freedom and enjoying the blessings that Jesus died to give us.
Do you have chronic behavior in your life that you just can’t seem to break?
John 8:34 | NKJV (34) Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits (on a continual basis) sin is a slave (in bondage to) of sin.
Bondage is behavior that you want to change and you can’t. The Bible calls it a stronghold. It is compulsive or impulsive behavior.
Compulsive – a strong, usually irresistible impulse to perform an act or behavior.
These bondages come into our lives as we yield to the influence of the enemy and his cohorts and they then begin to control areas of our lives.
Bondage is the inability to change behaviors, habits, and thought patterns.
It’s difficult to admit that you are in bondage.
John 8:33 | NKJV (33) They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
These people had been in bondage to everyone. When they made this statement, they were in bondage to the Romans.
Christians say the same thing. We have areas of hatred, bitterness, immorality, yet we don’t see it or want to admit it.
We don’t like for people to point things out in our lives that could be a bondage.
Why is it so hard to admit you’re in bondage? Most of the time, Satan will package that area of bondage in a shroud of fear, shame, guilt and condemnation.
Remember what Adam said in the garden after he had sinned?
Genesis 3:10 | NKJV (10) So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
It may be difficult to admit that you are in bondage, but it is easy to get free from bondage.
The reason that it is not difficult to get free from bondage is because freedom does not depend on you; it depends on Jesus.
1 John 3:8 | AMP (8) [But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].
Luke 10:18-20 | NKJV (18) And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (19) Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (20) Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
Mark 9:17-23 | TPT (17) A man spoke up out of the crowd. “Teacher,” he said, “I have a son possessed by a demon that makes him mute. I brought him here to you, Jesus. (18) Whenever the demon takes control of him, it knocks him down, and he foams at the mouth and gnashes his teeth, and his body becomes stiff as a board. I brought him to your disciples, hoping they could deliver him, but they were not strong enough.” (19) Jesus said to the crowd, “Why are you such a faithless people? How much longer must I remain with you and put up with your unbelief? Now, bring the boy to me.” (20) So they brought him to Jesus. As soon as the demon saw him, it threw the boy into convulsions. He fell to the ground, rolling around and foaming at the mouth. (21) Jesus turned to the father and asked, “How long has your son been tormented like this?” “Since childhood,” he replied. (22) “It tries over and over to kill him by throwing him into fire or water. But please, if you’re able to do something, anything—have compassion on us and help us!” (23) Jesus said to him, “What do you mean ‘if’? If you are able to believe, all things are possible to the believer.”
What is our point here? Jesus is not impressed with the devil because He knew that He had the authority and the power to cast the spirit out.
The question is not whether Jesus can do it. The question is, “Can you believe that you can be free?”
Bondage is a bully because Satan will try and convince you that you can never be free.
Steps that will lead to freedom:
- Come in contact with the anointing. (Come to Jesus)
Isaiah 10:27 | NKJV (27) It shall come to pass in that day That his burden will be taken away from your shoulder, And his yoke from your neck, And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.
- Confessing that bondage to someone else and letting them pray for you
James 5:16 | NKJV (16) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
This is why it is so important that you get around a believer that loves you and can help you. It is easy to get free when you are willing to shine a light on it and believe that you can be free.
- Develop an intimate relationship with God’s Word and that will lead to freedom.
John 8:31-32 | NKJV (31) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
- Be willing to address the wrong thinking or the deception that opened the door to the bondage.
Ephesians 5:13 | TPT (13) Whatever the revelation-light exposes, it will also correct, and everything that reveals truth is light to the soul.
- Renew your mind to the Word of God and what God says about you and that area of your life.
Romans 12:2 | NLT (2) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.