In this message we intend to discuss briefly,
what ‘satanic bondage’ is and how we can receive deliverance from it.
My name is Professor Jacob Abraham.
Let us start the discussion reading few words
from our master as recorded in the Bible.
Luke 19:41 - 44
41 Now
as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
42 saying,
"If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that
make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
43 "For days will come upon you when your
enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on
every side,
44 "and level you, and your children within
you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another,
because you did not know the time of your visitation." (NKJV)
This deliverance happened when we accepted
Jesus as our personal savior.
This is actually a shifting of the camps, by
the Grace of God through faith in the spiritual victory achieved by Jesus on
the cross and confession of it by our mouth.
Satan and his followers are chased out of
heaven by God and defeated on the cross by the Son of God.
But the evil spirits are not yet destroyed
completely.
Chasing them out of heaven was not their annihilation,
neither was the defeat of the evil spirits on the cross.
Their annihilation is destined to another day
in the eschatological period.
Meanwhile they have the freedom to move about
on this earth and distract men from God.
Even God’s precious people are often tormented
by satan.
In the New Testament, there are examples for
backsliders in the church.
There are directions how to treat a backslider
or heretic.
Paul himself spoke of satan’s messenger who
tormented him frequently in 2 Corinthians 12:7.
In the first
epistle of Peter, he reminds us to be sober and vigilant,
because satan walks about us roaring like a lion, seeking an opportunity to
devour us.
And in the letter to Ephesians chapter 6, verse
12, Paul speaks of an enemy with whom we have a fight.
Paul explains that the enemy is not of flesh
and blood.
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (NKJV)
So it is certain that we have an enemy; he is
not physical; still we have a fight.
Since satan has freedom to move and work in
this present world, he will not spare any Christian.
We must be aware about his schemes as well as
the ways of deliverance provided by God.
In this message, the probable torture satan may
bring upon a Christian is called bondage.
An escape from the satanic bondage is called deliverance.
What is bondage and deliverance?
To know our deliverance, we must learn what is
bondage and how does it work.
No satanic bondage happens within a day, it is
a gradual procedure.
It is a long term scheme of satan that we
ignored at our peril.
To understand the slow and steady progress of
satanic binding on our life, let us read the verse spoken by our Lord.
As Jesus was approaching Jerusalem by the end
of His earthly ministry, it is recorded that, Jesus looked at the city and wept.
The city is ignoring “the things that make for
her peace.”
As result, a bondage or siege is going to
happen upon the city.
Jesus is prophesying the coming war and
destruction of the city of Jerusalem.
From this description of Jesus and the methods
of wars of the time, we can assume certain methods of bondage the enemy may use
against us.
We have to understand this on the background of
ancient fortressed cities and wars by the enemies.
Siege or blockade was a method used by the
enemy against strong and rich cities.
A fine example we may consider is the city of
Jericho which Joshua destroyed.
All important cities will have a wall around
it.
It will be wide, tall and strong so that no
enemy can climb over it and no enemy can destroy it.
The height of the wall protect it from arrows
of the enemy.
The cities usually have only one door which will
be tall and strong.
Once the door is closed, the city remain safe
from the enemy.
Four things that an enemy may do to siege
and defeat a city are mentioned here.
1. Enemies will build an
embankment around the city.
What should we understand by the term,
embankment, as used in the New King James Version?
In King James Version, the word
“trench” is used for embankment.
In the dictionary it is described as
“dam”.
In order to increase the protection, a
city dwellers may dig deep and wide trench around their city walls.
The trench will be filled with water
and may contain crocodiles or such flesh eating animals.
There will be a bridge across the
trench, which is the only way to enter into the city.
Some cities will have an advanced
system to withdraw the bridge whenever it is not in use or at the sight an
approaching enemy.
This increases the safety of the city.
But here the enemy creates a deep
trench around city.
What is the situation described here?
The people of city, seeing the
approaching enemy has withdrawn themselves into the four walls.
They would close the heavy and strong
door.
This is what the people in Jericho also
did.
Here it seems, the city had no extra
protection of a trench, because they were not afraid of an enemy.
And now the enemy creates a trench
around as the first step to siege the city.
The enemy starts its first step of
siege or blockade by creating a deep and wide trench around the self-confident city.
The aim of the enemy is not to allow
anyone of the city to go out and no one to go into the city.
As a result, food supplies and medical
supplies are blocked.
A rich city may have a good stock of
food.
And so a trench around the wall may not
trouble them all of a sudden.
They may even ignore it, expecting that
the enemy will discard their plan and go away.
Ignoring the enemy has a chance to win
the war.
The enemy also has to survive with the
food supply he has.
After creating a trench around the
city, the enemy will try to negotiate with city king for a settlement.
The settlement should be profitable to
the enemy.
Peace is offered by the enemy to the
city in lieu of a negotiated settlement.
A certain amount of wealth will be
given to the enemy; or a short or long term contract to pay regular tax to the
enemy will be signed.
The city will not attack the enemy and
enemy will withdraw its forces.
This is where many Christians surrender
to satan.
Negotiations and compromise may seem to
be a win-win formula.
But remember, satan is deceitful.
He comes to steal, destroy and kill.
He is never satisfied with a temporary
contract; he wants to see you destroyed and wiped out from the face of the
earth.
If the city does not accept any
negotiation with the enemy, the trench will remain there, blockade will
continue and the people in the city will die without food.
We need food regularly; we cannot live
without food.
Thus even the resistance to satan is a
fight against him.
The first step of satanic binding is a
blockade against us.
We feel that all doors towards us are
closed.
Satan may close our financial doors;
relatives and friends may leave us; we may realize that our health is
deteriorating; our husband, wife or children may fail to stand with us.
We see all doors closed; no way out and
no way in.
Still, do not worry, do not compromise
with the enemy.
There is way to defeat satan.
2. Surround you
Surrounding the city is the second step of satan to defeat and
conquer it.
The enemy has already created deep trenches around the city.
The people in the city is in fear.
Remember what Rahab said to the Israeli spies in Joshua 2:9.
The terror of the enemy outside will fall on the people inside the
city and the inhabitants of the land live faint hearted.
They are afraid, but still have food for some more days.
They have time to plan a rescue operation.
They have enough time to pray to their God for a rescue operation.
Still the situation cannot continue for long, because the food
storage is decreasing.
If they decide for a fight and not to surrender, they will hold on
expecting a divine intervention.
While this situation goes on, the enemy soldiers will surround the
city.
The enemy is showing its strength and determination that he will
not retreat without victory.
It is a preparation for a war, a direct attack on the city.
The inhabitants in the city are more intimidated; but still they
hold on.
They have huge walls and strong doors, all shut and safe.
No enemy can come inside the city.
They hear the shout and clamor of soldiers outside and around the
city.
The enemy is shouting and pronouncing curses upon the city and the
people inside.
Here is a chance to compromise with the enemy and enter into a
treaty.
It is not too late for a negotiation with the enemy.
The city people are afraid but still reluctant to surrender.
For all these activities, the enemy may take weeks or months.
This is a long processes.
The situation is out of control for the city inhabitants.
Their only hope is a divine intervention.
3. Close you in every side.
The soldiers will come closer and
closer.
They will build temporary bridges
across the trenches they have created.
The bridges will be in their control
and security.
Then the final war will begin.
In order to destroy the city dwellers,
the enemy has to enter into the city.
Trench cannot destroy the city;
soldiers surrounding cannot destroy the city.
Threats, shouts and curses from enemy
soldiers may frighten the city inhabitants, but cannot destroy the city.
At this situation, the enemy uses his
latest and deadly weapon: fiery arrows.
These are arrows tied with burning
torch at the end.
The enemy send these fiery arrows above
the high walls into the city.
It is difficult to stop it.
It flames instantly the places it
falls, and the whole city is burned down even while the city walls are closed.
Fiery arrows of satan are deadly
weapons.
They come above all fortress and
protection.
The only way to quench all the fire
darts of the wicked one is taking the shield of faith.
Ephesians 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (NKJV)
Battering the doors
The enemy may batter into your city by
breaking the city gate.
The city gate is the only opening into
the city.
The gate has a very strong, heavy and
tall door made with wood.
When the city people saw the enemy
coming, they have closed the gates.
It is not easy for the enemy to break
the city gate.
But the enemy is determined to defeat
and destroy the city.
So they decide to batter the doors of
the city gate.
Battering is breaking and shattering
the door.
Soldiers of the enemy will cut down
huge trees and cut away all small branches leaving the main trunk alone.
The main trunk of the tree is so huge
that one man cannot lift it.
Then they will fix sharp and pointed
stones or arrow shaped iron pieces at the bottom end of the trunk.
All the soldiers together will carry the
trunk and hit the city doors with it.
All of them join in this huge task.
Using the strength of a battalion of
army, they hit the city doors with the end of the trunk with sharp and pointed
stone or iron pieces.
Thus they break the city doors.
4. Level you and our children to the
ground
The fourth step of satanic bondage is
the final defeat of the city.
The city is conquered and the enemy
will steal, destroy and kill all the inhabitants.
The enemy will make sure that no human
live and that the city is destroyed beyond any recovery.
All the rivers and other water sources
will be destroyed so that no habitation will be possible there.
All farm lands will be destroyed by
fire so that no food will be available.
The temple of the city, the center of
their spiritual life will be looted and destroyed.
Nothing is left alive.
The city is left for the wind and rain.
It should never come back, even the
memory of it is wiped off.
These were the war methods used by the
ancient kings and countries against their enemy.
This is the fate of all who does not
defeat and chase away the enemy.
The fall is complete and final.
Way out
Now I hope that you have understood what satanic
bondage is and how does it work.
Or rather we have seen through the words of our
Lord how the enemy satan will create a bondage in our life step by step.
Jesus revealed how satan build a siege against us,
as a warning to be alert.
Now, let us think about 6
methods of spiritual warfare against a scheming and attacking enemy.
1. Do not give space to the devil
Do not give space to devil.
Do not give a chance for the devil to stand against you.
The Greek word used for ‘place’ in Ephesians 4:27 “nor give place to the devil”, is “topos”, meaning a
geographical area.
It is a tiny spot of area.
If you give a tiny spot to the devil, he will conquer the whole city.
Precaution is an offensive method.
Offense is better than defense.
Offence is attacking the enemy who is scheming to destroy you.
It is giving no chance to the enemy even to scheme against you.
Defense is not attack, it is only an attempt to protect yourself from the
weapons of the enemy.
Psalm 1 is advising us to be offensive.
Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the
ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the
scornful; (NKJV)
A wicked place, a wicked friendship or a wicked activity may give space to
the devil to scheme against you.
It is better to keep away from wickedness than a wise participation.
In truth, participation in wickedness is an invitation to the devil.
2. Be sober, vigilant and watchful
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil
walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (NKJV)
As we have discussed above all strong and rich cities will have a wide and
tall wall around it.
At certain places on the wall they build taller towers as watch tower.
Or some cities may have watch towers inside the city.
Armed soldiers with poisonous arrows and spears are also posted on top of
the wall and in the watch tower.
Keen soldiers will be posted in shifts in the watch tower.
Their duty is to watch out for potential enemies.
They will look far and wide into the surrounding area of the city.
They will stretch out their neck as far as possible to look into far
distances.
There are many examples for these kinds of watchmen in the Bible.
If they happened to see far a potential enemy, they will inform the king
and the inhabitants by way of a trumpet sound.
As soon as they get orders, or with standing orders, they will attack the
enemy with their arrows and by throwing spears.
Thus they protect the city from potential enemies.
They are watchmen, who are not permitted to sleep in day or night.
A sleeping watchman is threat to the city more than the enemy.
The safety of the whole city depends on him.
They are always sober, never drinks intoxicating wine that may affect their
eyesight or wisdom.
Their only thought is to protect the city by chasing away the potential
enemy.
If they fail, the city has failed to safeguard itself.
Their failure is the first step to defeat.
Their failure or unfaithfulness is the first step of victory to the enemy.
So be sober, vigilant and watchful against the enemy.
It is better to fight against the enemy in his land.
Do not permit him to come near us, do not give an opportunity.
Prevention is better than cure.
3. Submit to God and resist the devil
James 4:7 therefore submit to God. Resist the
devil and he will flee from you. (NKJV)
Apostle James advocates to resist the devil to the point
of deliverance.
He also instructs us to submit to the Lord.
Submission to the Lord and resisting the devil are not
passive attitude.
It is not inaction and idleness.
Submission to the Lord and resistance to the devil are
active responses to the threat of the enemy.
This is the third stage of deliverance from the evil
oppressor.
We come to this point because we have ignored or failed
to act according to the first two steps.
We failed not to give space to the devil.
We failed to be sober, vigilant and watchful.
So the enemy has come closer to us and may have surrounded
us.
Still we are not inactive and trembling.
The city dwellers will try to send arrows and spears over
the wall to the enemy.
The city inhabitants are in the closed city wall; while
the enemy is in the open area.
If we do not lose courage, we still have the advantage of
protection.
Ordinary arrows from the enemy cannot fly above the city
walls and harm the inhabitants.
4. Shield of faith
Remember what we said about fiery darts or fiery arrows.
This is the final stage of war against us.
The enemy has surrounded us and has started to attack
with an intention to destroy us completely.
Though the wall around the city is safe and the doors are
closed, the enemy will send fiery arrows over the city walls.
Nothing can stop it.
It burns everything, wherever it fell.
No man can stand against it.
No water can quench it.
The city loses its peace, comfort and hope.
But, apostles says that a Christian believer still has a
weapon to resist and defeat every fiery arrows of the devil.
The advanced weapon with the believer is faith.
It is not just faith in something or someone; it is faith
in Jesus and the truth that He has defeated the enemy on the cross.
Ephesians 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (NKJV)
Faith in Jesus is a shield that quenches all the fiery
darts of the devil.
That means, we are never without a weapon to defeat and
chase away satan.
Whatever the situation is in our life, whatever be the
condition of satanic bondage in our life, we have an effective weapon against
the devil.
Faith in Jesus and his victory is a shield that quenches
all the fiery arrows of the enemy.
5. The Word of God
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God; (NKJV)
The sword mentioned here is not long swords to attack the
enemy at far distance.
It is a short sword, usually two-edged, and resembled
very much a dagger.
Though it can cut two edges, it cannot be used on an
enemy at a far distance.
The sword of the spirit is used in a face to face fight
with the enemy.
As we said above, the enemy soldiers battered the city
door and has entered into the city.
It is another method for the enemy to enter the city, than
burning the city with fiery darts.
The enemy may have plans to kill all men, catch all women
alive and ransack the temple in the city for gold and silver.
Even at this point of bondage and war, a true Christian
is hopeful of victory.
The situation has become so worse because the city failed
to attack, defeat and chase away the enemy.
Even in a similar situation, a true Christian has hope
for victory, if he has the “sword of the Spirit”, that is the Word of God.
Jesus used this sword against satan in a direct fight in
the desert while He was tempted.
Jesus continuously used the Word of God and defeated
satan.
Satan had to run away from Jesus.
This is an example for us to follow.
Use the Word of God to defeat and chase away satan.
6. Strengthen in the Lord
This is the most important weapon against the
devil.
Or this is the firm ground for a Christian soldier
to stand for a fight.
Without the strength of the Lord, no weapon will
work for us.
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the
power of His might. (NKJV)
All those who stood at Mount Calvary saw Jesus
on the cross, bleeding to death.
But one man, apostle Paul, later had a
spiritual revelation of it.
He saw what really happened in the spiritual
realm while Jesus was crucified in the physical realm.
He is sure that what happened in the spiritual
realm is the ultimate truth that will influence the world thereafter.
Apostle Paul has recorded his revelations about
the crucifixion of Jesus in Colossians 2:14
& 15
In the spiritual realm, satan was defeated,
nailed to the cross, his weapons were taken away and Jesus Christ became
triumphant over the enemy.
So Apostle Paul shouted at another occasion, “thanks
be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ”.
This truth about the ultimate victory of Jesus
over satan, is the source of the strength in the Lord.
Without the strength that we receive from this
truth, we cannot defeat or chase away the enemy.
This is the strength that helps us to protect
our area of life.
This strength can enable us to be sober,
vigilant and watchful.
This is the truth that helps us to resist the
devil to the point of death.
This is the faith that shields us from the
fiery arrows of the enemy.
Without the strength in the Lord founded on the
truth about the defeat of the devil and the victory of Jesus on the cross, we
are nothing.
So understand that bondage is real, but need
not necessarily happen in our life.
Satanic bondage happens not in a single day.
It is a gradual process that may take a period
of time.
If we fail to realize the schemes of the devil
against us and chase him away, he will come closer to us and ultimately steal,
destroy and kill us.
The Word of God has sufficient instructions or
commands for a spiritual warfare.
The Word of God provides us with spiritual
weapons.
We should live carefully so that the devil get
no place in our life.
Live a sober, vigilant and watchful life.
Resist the devil.
Use the shield of faith against the fiery
arrows of the enemy and the word of God in a direct face to face fight.
Finally, relay in the strength of our Lord
Jesus Christ and in the truth about His victory over satan.
Let me wind up this discussion.
I hope that this discussion has been a blessing
to you.
By His Grace, we may meet again with another
inspiring message.
Thank you for reading.
May God bless you! Amen.
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