Freedom! What a wonderful word to us. We all value freedom highly. We delight in being free. We long to live
in freedom always.
One of the most encouraging and recurring themes in the New Testament is that Christians are free in Christ
Jesus. This especially was good news to the Christians who first received this teaching from the apostles since
many of the first believers throughout the Roman Empire were officially classified as slaves. The freedom that
the apostles spoke about, however, was not a political freedom but, rather, a spiritual one. They spoke of an inner
freedom that allows a person to live above his present circumstances.
This is a freedom that is no less important in our world today, when many people feel trapped in the bondage
of addictions, depression, abusive relationships, and other oppressive situations. The world in which we live is
not a godly world, and we each must experience the freedom that Christ offers to us so that we can live in the
world, yet not be “of” the world.
To any person who feels as if he or she is in the clutches of something negative or evil, the encouraging word
is, “You can be free!”
The Foundation of Our Freedom
Our freedom in Christ is directly related to two main concepts in the Bible:
1. Redemption—we have been redeemed by Christ Jesus.
2. Service—we each are destined as human beings to serve one of two masters.
The choice to receive Christ brings about our redemption and puts us into the service of God. A failure to receive
Christ keeps a person from experiencing redemption and keeps the person in servitude to the “law of sin and death.”
Redemption
The word redemption in the Greek and Roman culture literally referred to the purchase of a slave from
the marketplace, with the purpose of giving the slave his freedom. In spiritual terms, the word means that the
blood of Jesus paid the “ransom” that was required for each of us to be set free from our sin nature and experience
the fullness of God's forgiveness and love. God provided a total means of redemption through the death of Jesus
on the cross. Revelation 5:9 tells us about Jesus, “You were slain, / And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
/ Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
Jesus taught His disciples that His very purpose was to provide redemption. He said, “The Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28, Mark 10:45). Paul also referred
to the redemptive purpose of Jesus when he wrote, “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man
Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5–6a).
Redemption is not a concept limited to the New Testament. The message of redemption can be seen from cover to
cover in the Bible: God planned for our redemption (Gen. 1–2); God required redemption (Gen. 3:11); God prepared
the way for redemption (Gen. 12–Mal.); God instituted His redemptive plan through Jesus Christ (the Gospels); news
of God's redemptive plan was spread (Acts); the redemptive plan was explained (the Epistles); and the redemption
of man will be consummated (Rev.). The entire Bible is the story of God's redeeming love.
Your spiritual freedom and mine has been purchased for us by God through His Son Jesus Christ. Just as no slave
could redeem himself, so no person can redeem himself spiritually. We are indebted forever to the One who paid
the price for our freedom, since there is no means by which we can pay Him back for what He has done for us.
Therefore, although we are free from sin, we are not really free to do solely as we please. We have a great
debt of gratitude; indeed, we “owe” our eternal lives to Christ Jesus, who purchased our freedom for us.
Service
A second important concept related to our freedom is this: As human beings, we will serve one of two
masters; we either will serve God and His system of righteousness or we will serve the devil and his system of
evil. Romans 6:18 says, “Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” Jesus said that no
man can serve two masters simultaneously. We will serve either one or the other.
The Nature of Our Freedom
When we put these two concepts together, we come to the conclusion that while we have been set free from the
bondage of sin and death, we are set free to serve God in righteousness. Our freedom is not unlimited, unbridled
freedom. Salvation is never a license to sin. Rather, our freedom is the freedom that allows us the great privilege
to live above the world's systems and the law of sin and death. We no longer are enslaved to sinful passions, lusts,
and desires. Instead, we are the bondservants of Christ.
As you read through the verses below, consider especially these questions:
• How do you feel about God's provision for you?
• How do you feel about God's claim upon your life?
• In reflecting upon your own life, in what areas do you have a need today to experience God's redemptive
freedom?
What the Word Says
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:13–14)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition
from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Peter
1:18–19)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether
of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you
obeyed from the heart … and having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.… For just as you
presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present
your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. (Rom. 6:16–19)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the
one and despise the other. (Matt. 6:24)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the
reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (Col. 3:23–24)
What the Word Says to Me
Freedom from Evil
The freedom we experience from the law of sin and death is manifested in one of these three ways:
1. We are set free from recurring temptation.
2. We experience deliverance from evil power.
3. We receive grace to trust God.
Each of these manifestations of freedom may be experienced in different times and situations.
Freedom from Temptation
No person is ever entirely free from temptation, but we can experience a release from a “season” or a siege
of temptation. We see this in the life of Jesus when He was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. The tempter
came to Jesus with three rounds of temptation, and each time, Jesus refuted him with the Word of God. In the final
round, Jesus commanded the devil, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him
only you shall serve’ ” (Matt. 4:10). At that, the Bible tells us, “the devil left Him, and behold, angels came
and ministered to Him” (v. 11). There was a definitive end to this season of temptation in Jesus' life.
This does not mean that Jesus was never tempted again. Rather, it means that Jesus functioned in full freedom
as He conducted His ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing. The issue of His loyalty to God alone had been
settled in a definitive way, and Jesus could never again be tempted on that point.
Each of us has a propensity to sin in certain ways. The devil knows that, and it is at our weakest point that
he comes to tempt us—sometimes in a way that seems unrelenting. How can we experience freedom from his steady barrage
of temptation? By using the same method that Jesus used: We can speak the Word of God every time the tempter whispers
his lies to us. For example:
• When the devil tells us that we are weak, we can declare, “God says I am strong” (Joel 3:10).
• When the devil says that we are doomed to failure, we can declare, “God says that I am more than a conqueror”
(Rom. 8:37).
• When the devil says that we can never change, we can declare, “God says that I am a new creature in Christ
Jesus” (2 Cor. 5:17).
• When the devil says that we are not worthy of God's love, we can declare, “God says that He loved me so much
He sent Jesus to die for my sins so that I might live with God forever!” (John 3:16).
Regardless of what temptation to sin you may experience, God has provided a passage of His Word that declares
such a temptation to be a lie of Satan intended for your harm. Find the portion of God's Word that applies to your
specific circumstance and use it as a “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17).
• In your life, is there a temptation that seems to reoccur with some regularity or frequency? What does
God's Word say about this temptation?
The Role of Prayer. When faced with recurring temptation, we must also ask for the help of the Holy Spirit
in withstanding the temptation. Jesus said that when we pray, we are to pray, “Do not lead us into temptation”—in
other words, do not allow us to get into situations in which we are subject to the devil's tempting (Matt. 6:13).
On the night in which Jesus was betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He had said to His disciples, “Watch and
pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). We are
not only to speak God's Word to the tempter, but to ask God for strength not to yield to the devil's temptations.
All Are Tempted. Many people seem to be discouraged at the fact that they still experience temptation
after they are born again. The fact is, all people are tempted, for all of their lives. We are never beyond temptation.
We must be very clear on two points, however: 1) God does not tempt us to do evil just to see if we will yield.
God has no association whatsoever with evil. 2) The Holy Spirit can help us withstand evil. We must never attempt
to justify our behavior by saying, “The devil made me do it” or “God made me this weak so He knows I couldn't help
myself.” The Holy Spirit is our strong ally in helping us withstand temptation. We can resist the devil and his
lies. And the good news is that when we resist the devil, he will flee from us (James 4:7).
What the Word Says
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which
the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God
cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his
own desires and enticed. (James 1:12–14)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
What the Word Says to Me
Deliverance
In some cases, as discussed above, God asks us to use our will, His Word, and to rely upon the Holy Spirit to
withstand temptation. In other cases, God chooses sovereignly to deliver us from evil and to wipe out the evil
force that is coming against us.
Moses experienced this at the crossing of the Red Sea. As he and the children of Israel were camped by the Red
Sea and the enemy armies of Pharaoh were approaching rapidly to take the Israelites back into slavery, the Lord
gave these words to Moses: “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom
you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Ex. 14:13–14).
That is precisely what came to pass. The Lord opened up the Red Sea before Moses so that all the children of
Israel could walk across on dry ground, and then when the armies of Pharaoh were crossing behind them, the Lord
closed the waters, and the entire army was destroyed. “Not so much as one of them remained” (Ex. 14:28b).
God completely delivered the Israelites from this enemy. They still faced other enemies and other challenges,
but Pharaoh and his army never came against them again.
Jesus had an active ministry of deliverance to those who were possessed or oppressed by the devil. Time and
again, He rebuked the evil spirits that kept men, women, and children in bondage. The spirits fled at His command
and did not return. The deliverance was definitive and complete.
If you know a person who is in need of deliverance from an evil spirit, there are five things they and you must
do:
1. Do not be afraid. God tells us plainly that the Holy Spirit in us is greater than the devil of this
world (1 John 4:4).
2. Ask other believers to join with you in prayer and fasting.
3. Speak against the oppressing spirit in the name of Jesus. There is no greater power on earth than
the Name of Jesus; His name is higher than anything that attempts to rule over us (Phil. 2:9–10).
4. Believe that God will act on your behalf. Firmly put your trust in God and believe that when you call
upon Him, He hears and answers you (Ps. 91:14–15).
5. Upon claiming deliverance from a problem by faith, seek immediately to fill the void left behind in the
wake of that addiction, problem, or spirit with a “solution.”
If the person's mind has been occupied with thoughts of evil, he must take all thoughts captive and turn his
attention to God's Word and fill his mind with thoughts of righteousness. This is done by reading and studying
God's Word, but, above all, by memorizing God's Word (2 Cor. 10:4–5).
If the person's time has been spent in sinful activities, he must find something new and righteous to
do with his time. Time spent pursuing sin can be turned into time spent in prayer or in service to others.
If the person's associates have been themselves associated with evil, he must find new friends, colleagues,
or coworkers. He must get involved in a Bible-believing church and stay involved in the church.
To fail to take a positive step forward is to invite evil to return (Matt. 12:43–45).
What the Word Says
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in
the world. (1 John 4:4)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. (Phil. 2:9–10)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation. (Ps. 91:14–16)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments
and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to
the obedience of Christ. (2 Cor. 10:4–5)
What the Word Says to Me
Trust in God's Grace
At still other times, the Lord provides freedom for us not by bringing an end to a season of temptation
or sovereignly delivering us from evil, but by giving us more of His grace to withstand the trial. Paul experienced
this. Three times Paul prayed and asked God to free him from what he called a “thorn in the flesh” that had been
given to him as a “messenger of Satan.” Rather than remove this thorn, however, the Lord said to Paul, “My grace
is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9a).
God's higher purpose—one of trust, a stronger faith, and a more potent witness—was worked in Paul's life. Paul
came to the point where he declared, “I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest
upon me.… For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9b–10).
Did Paul experience freedom in his spirit? Most definitely. It was not the freedom from the thing that
plagued him, but it was a freedom to trust God to be sufficient in all things and at all times.
If God does not remove a temptation from you or does not deliver you sovereignly from an evil situation, God
may very well be calling upon you to experience a freedom to abide in His presence and to trust Him in spite
of an evil situation, circumstance, or trial.
The Means Are up to God
We are not in a position to choose which means God might use to bring us into a new dimension of freedom in
Christ Jesus. The encouraging news, however, is that the Lord promises us a “way out” of the evil that comes against
us. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to withstand a temptation. He assures our redemption.
We will not remain bound or captive to an evil situation, circumstance, addiction, person, or relationship if we
turn to Him and ask for His help.
What the Word Says
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to
be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be
able to bear it. (1 Cor. 10:13)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
[Jesus said]: “The one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37)
What the Word Says to Me
• In thinking back over your life, reflect on times when God “freed” you from evil by giving you these three
gifts:
1. the power to withstand temptation;
2. deliverance from evil;
3. grace to trust God even more?
• What new insights do you have into these three means that God uses in providing freedom from evil oppression
to those who trust in Him?
• In what ways are you feeling challenged to take this encouraging message to others? Is God dealing with
you to take this encouragement to a specific person?
Two Freedoms We Enjoy
As Christians, not only do we enjoy freedom from the oppression of sin and evil, but we enjoy these two freedoms:
1. Freedom to fully know our purpose in living and to fulfill it
2. Freedom to serve
These are freedoms we must claim by our faith and pursue. They do not happen to us automatically, but they are
ours for the asking.
Freedom to Fulfill Our Purpose
God has made each of us with unique talents and gifts, which are to be used for a unique role in furthering
His kingdom on earth. We are His workmanship, and He desires for us to know both the talents and the role for which
we have been created (Eph. 2:10).
Ask God to reveal to you His purpose for your life. The person who discovers his talents and knows why and how
God intends for him to use his talents is a person who is not plagued by self-doubt or low self-esteem. There is
great freedom in knowing that you are valuable and important to God and that He is guiding your steps and preparing
you for even greater blessings.
The encouraging word is that God has a design for your life. He has a means for you to experience great satisfaction
and fulfillment.
What the Word Says
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them. (Eph. 2:10)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. (Gen. 1:31)
What the Word Says to Me
• In your life are you experiencing the freedom that comes from knowing who God created you to be and what
He has called you to do?
• In what ways are you feeling challenged or encouraged today?
Freedom to Serve Others
When we know who we are in Christ Jesus—the redemption that we have experienced in our salvation, the talents
we have been given, the role we are to fill—we then experience a great freedom to serve others. We lose our self-conscious
pride. We are willing to take risks in showing love to others. We know we are saved, we know who we are, and we
know we are called to be God's people on the earth!
The person who has his identity clearly in focus is a person who has very few emotional or spiritual barriers.
He feels utterly free to speak whatever God leads him to speak, to do whatever God leads him to do,
and to go wherever God leads.
The encouraging news is that God has work for you to do! He has someone who needs what you have to give. He
has a purpose for you, and He wants you to be fulfilled in life.
What the Word Says
[Jesus said]: “As you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,
raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matt. 10:7–8)
What the Word Says to Me
What the Word Says
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through
love serve one another. (Gal. 5:13)
What the Word Says to Me
• In your life, are you experiencing the freedom to serve others?
• In what ways are you being challenged or encouraged in your spirit today?
• In what ways is the Lord dealing with you to take this message of encouragement to others?
From Sharing the Gift of Encouragement
by Charles Stanley. Copyright 1998 by Charles Stanley.
