How to Find Freedom
The scriptures tell us Jesus’ mission statement in Isaiah 61. One Sabbath, in Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, he got up and read from Isaiah 61.
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:18-21 NIV
The good news that Jesus came to preach wasn’t just about salvation. It was also about “freedom for the prisoners,” recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and much more. Read Isaiah 61 for more.
However, many people who are Christians still suffer from the oppression of the devil.
Neil T. Anderson’s Steps to Freedom in Christ
Author and seminary professor Neil T. Anderson wrote The Bondage Breaker, a popular book that shares seven steps to freedom in Christ.
Step 1: Counterfeit vs. Real (1. Renounce past or present involvements with the occult practices, cult teachings, and rituals, as well as non-Christian religions. 2. Renounce wrong priorities.)
Step 2: Deception vs. Truth (Renounce lies. The truth shall set you free).
Step 3: Bitterness vs. Forgiveness (Get rid of unforgiveness and bitterness)
Step 4: Rebellion vs. Submission (Submit and pray for delegated authority)
Step 5: Pride vs. Humility (Renounce pride and pursue humility)
Step 6: Bondage vs. Freedom (Renounce sins and lusts of the flesh: Wrong sexual use of our bodies, divorce, homosexuality, abortion, suicidal tendencies, drivenness and perfectionism, Eating disorders or self-mutilation, substance abuse, etc.)
Step 7: Curses vs. Blessings (Renounce sins of your ancestors and curses which may have been placed on you).
Chip Ingram’s Steps to Freedom
In his book, The Invisible War, Chip Ingram shares the following biblical steps to freedom (deliverance).
1. Accept Christ
2. Repent of Known Sin
3. Renounce the works of the Devil.
4. Destroy occult objects.
5. Break unholy friendships.
6. Rest in Christ’s Deliverance.
7. Resist the Devil.
8. Renew your mind.
9. Pray with others
10. If necessary, exorcise.
The Ten Commandments
An easy and thorough pathway that I use to confess and find freedom in Christ is the Ten Commandments. In fact, it covers the same categories as Dr. Anderson’s steps. I use this approach in a course I teach at Servants University as well. I find it easier to remember at any time. The fact that it follows the Ten Commandments makes it powerful and memorable. I require all my students to memorize the Ten Commandments in order. I make it easy for them by giving them an easy mnemonic to do so.
Related article: Ten commandments mnemonic.
1.No other gods. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2.Idols. You shall not make for yourself an idol.. or worship or serve them.
3.Vain. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Sabbath. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. Murder. You shall not murder.
7. Adultery. You shall not commit adultery.
8. Steal. You shall not steal.
9. Testify falsely. You shall not bear false testimony against your neighbor.
10. Covet. You shall not covet.
Freedom in Christ through the Ten Commandments
After my students have memorized the Ten Commandments, I show them how each of the commandments represents an area where we can sin and so need to confess and seek freedom in Christ. The scriptures tell us that God’s law reveals our sin (Romans 7:7-25 NLT). So, let’s use the mirror of God’s law to examine ourselves to see if we have sinned against the Lord (James 1:22-25). It’s important to note that we don’t live under the law. We live under grace. God’s grace through the Holy Spirit empowers us to fulfill the law, something we couldn’t do without salvation and grace. However, his law (illuminated by the Holy Spirit) still remains the best mirror we have to help us uncover our sins. Remember that Jesus said the entire law can be summed up into two commandments. Once, a lawyer asked him, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus responded, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” You can roughly divide the Ten Commandments into two. The first five are about God, and the second five are about loving other people.
Summary of the Ten Commandments in question format.
- Do I worship other gods?
- Do I bow down to idols?
- Do I take your name in vain?
- Do I keep the Sabbath day holy?
- Do I honor my mother and father?
- Am I murdering anyone?
- Am I committing adultery?
- Am I stealing anything?
- Am I bearing false witness?
- Am I coveting someone or something?
1.No other gods. You shall have no other gods before Me
Do I worship other gods? If so, denounce all other gods.
What does it mean to have other gods? Having other gods includes participating in witchcraft, divination, occult practices, cult teachings and rituals, and non-Christian religions. Christ is the only way. If you don’t acknowledge that Christ came in the flesh, you are worshiping another God and so are breaking this commandment.
Actions. 1) Denounce all other gods. 2) Learn the truth about who God is and what he says about you. The truth shall set you free.
2.Idols. You shall not make for yourself an idol… or worship or serve them
Do I bow down to idols? If so, denounce all idols.
An idol is anything that takes the place of God in one’s life. Idols represent wrong priorities. Pride is a modern form of idol worship. Pride is exalting oneself. Pride makes you an idol. S. Michael Houdmann of Gotquestions.com says modern idolatry worships at the altar of self.
1) “First, we worship at the altar of materialism…”
2) “Second, we worship at the altar of our own pride and ego…”
3) “Third, we idolize mankind through naturalism and the power of science.”
4) “Finally, and perhaps most destructively, we worship at the altar of self-aggrandizement or the fulfillment of the self to the exclusion of all others and their needs and desires.”
“All idolatry of self has at its core the three lusts found in 1 John 2:16: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Sins under this category include idol worship, pride, drivenness, perfectionism, and ambition. They also include the idols of money, power, sex, children, spouses, etc. Abraham let Isaac become his idol until God rescued him by getting him to sacrifice the child in his heart.
3.Vain. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
Do I take your name in vain?
Don’t swear or take oaths (Matt 5:33-37).
4. Sabbath. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy
Do I keep the Sabbath day holy?
The Sabbath represents rest. Living under God’s Grace vs living under the law. Romans 7.
5. Honor your father and your mother
Do I honor my mother and father?
Honor your father and mother here, which represents a larger category of delegated authority. The authority of parents is an authority that comes from God. So does any other delegated authority, whether it is the government, civic leaders, or church leaders. Honoring and submitting to delegated authority is honoring and submitting to God. The only time to disobey them is when they are clearly causing one to disobey a direct command of God. Even so, one must tread carefully. Two books that I have found very helpful in this area are Watchman Nee’s Spiritual Authority and KP Yohannan’s Touching Godliness through Submission.
6. Murder. You shall not murder
Am I murdering anyone?
Murder here represents a larger category. Jesus equated anger to murder(Matt 5:21-22). Sins in this category include murder, suicidal tendencies, abortion, anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness.
7. Adultery. You shall not commit adultery
Am I committing adultery?
Adultery is the poster child for all sexual sins. These include adultery, fornication, divorce(Matt 19:9), homosexuality,
8. Steal. You shall not steal
Am I stealing anything?
Sins in this category include theft, greed, cheating, deception, etc.
9. Testify falsely. You shall not bear false testimony against your neighbor
Am I bearing false witness?
Sins here include bearing false witness, telling lies, exaggerating, omitting, faking, wearing masks. Acting like you are someone you are not. Not being real.
Action: Seek the truth, believe the truth, and live the truth. The truth shall set you free.
10. Covet. You shall not covet
Am I coveting someone or something?
The sin here is coveting anything.
So, instead of going through Anderson’s seven steps, I just go through the Ten Commandments from the beginning to the end. I find this easier to walk through in your head and also more thorough. It covers all the topics that Anderson’s book and more. However, because Anderson has some very detailed lists of specific types of sins and specific prayers, I often look at his lists and then say my own prayers when I find a sin.
References
https://www.gotquestions.org/idolatry-modern.html
Neil T. Anderson. The Bondage Breaker.
Chip Ingram. The Invisible War.
