Avoiding Recapture

 

    

Gal 5:1

 

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

NKJV

 

Freedom is  a funny thing.  It is difficult to receive and just as difficult to keep.  If you have ever lost a significant amount of weight through dieting,  or if you have gotten out of debt, you know this to be true.  To  stay free, we have to keep doing the stuff we did to get free.  But once we are free, we like to go back to the old way and begin to live as we did before.  The way that brought bondage to start with.

 

Jesus paid the price that purchased our freedom.  This act was infinitely expensive for Him.  But it is free for us.  It is a free gift that we receive by simply accepting by faith what He has offered.  So in that regard,  freedom is very simple to receive.  So what is the hard part?

 

We still live in the world  even after we are free.  The enemy of our soul continues to launch campaigns against us to ensnare us once again.  He vehemently opposes our freedom.  We cannot afford to be ignorant to his devices or  schemes.  We must stand firm.

 

In addition, there is an internal war of the flesh.  The carnal side of us has to be renewed once we are born again.   Jesus saves us and makes us a new creation.  But there is still a part of us that leans toward an evil tendency.  That part can only be overcome in the Spirit.  We destroy our fleshly desires and tendencies by starving them to death.  This is only done as we renew our minds by spending time in the Bible.  The Bible has power to change us from the inside out.  In addition, as we pray, our Spirit man is strengthened and becomes stronger than our weaknesses.  Don't get me wrong. The Spirit of God is always stronger than evil.  But if we do not give it place in our life,  we stunt our own spiritual  growth.   Finally, we must have teaching and Christian fellowship.  That is where the church comes in.  We become like the culture that we immerse ourselves in.  If we are only spending time in the world, that is what we mimic.  But if instead, we are in the Church, experiencing the power of God firsthand, hearing other people share about the victory they have in Christ, and having positive support, we are given the resources we need to grow and stand in Christ.

 

It is so important to pray and be made free from your sin.   But after that prayer, we cannot go back to our old way.  We must follow a new path. We must be regenerated God's way.   Standing in your victory takes effort, diligence and intentionality.

 

A final note- sometimes when people are set free, they begin to feel "invincible", like they cannot be conquered by anything.  During those times Christians can fall into a trap and believe that now that they are no longer addicted, they can have an occasional social drink, a cigarette when they are stressed,  or one more peek at pornography.  It is a lie from the pits of hell! When we go around stuff that has mastered us before, we purposely choose to step outside of God's protective umbrella and open the door to sin and bondage once more.  I have often read that we do not have to be stronger than sin, just smarter.  Smart enough to avoid temptation. Smart enough to put ourselves in spiritual intensive care- massive loading doses of Bible study, prayer and church attendance.  We cannot win this fight on  our own.  God has given us the tools to succeed, but we have to avail ourselves to them.

 

Dear Lord, thank you for the freedom I have found in Christ.  I am so  grateful for this indescribable gift. Make me  wise, O God, to the enemy's efforts to once again ensnare me.  Help me to stand firm and be unmoved.  Help me to have fruitful time in prayer, Bible study and church attendance.  I acknowledge my dependence on You.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.