aOne minute you think you’re free from the chains that held you bound; the shame that took you captive, the addictions that controlled you; the secrets and lies that had you insecure. You feel free and liberated; confident about your life. Then one day, it slowly creeps in like the darkness, uninvited. You fall so hard, you can’t get up. Whatever happened to your freedom? Was it all smoke and mirrors? Is there really no way out of this pit?

The lies begin to seep in. ‘You will never be free’,’ You can’t tell anyone about this’. No one knows you struggle with this ‘weakness’. Yes, you call it a weakness because you’re scared to call it what it is- SIN.

It eats so deep into your system, wraps its tentacles around you, clogging your intake of God’s light through His word. Slowly you begin to distance yourself from people who love you, especially people who love God. Nah, you don’t need the judgement from church folks. Nobody does.

Soon enough you begin to feed the sin without complaining. Unconsciously, subconsciously you give your body what it demands, being a slave to it’s bidding. ‘I want more food!’ ‘Yes master!’ sounds familiar? Nobody chooses to be a slave. But as soon as you sign the sin contract, you begin to avail yourself to your body’s beck and call.

Slave to sin, slave to the flesh. Heck! I don’t want to be a slave no more! I want to be able to put my body under subjection and say; ‘hey, body! You’ve gotta fast for 3 days!’ And it obeys without complain. Once you begin to plead with your body, beg your body- you’re bound! You can’t play with sin and remain unharmed. You can’t feed sin and think it wouldn’t grow and multiply. FYI sin is a living thing. It co-habits with the flesh and takes over your entirety; your thoughts and your mind. It blurs your vision from what was once distinctively black and white. You begin to see various shades of grey instead. The poor little conscience you once had gets so stifled by your constant refusal to listen.

You live in an illusion of freedom when in reality you are bound by shackles to your own body and the substance (sin) you’re feeding it. I would know, because I’m talking about me.

I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. –Rom 7:24-25

There is definitely a way out and you haven’t run out on your ‘Grace Express Card’ yet. Withdraw from it in true repentance. Turn to the one who has the key to the cuffs that hold you bound. He’s the only one who can save you. I know you may feel, ‘hey, I can still control this’. But you really can’t. Soon enough, the sin grows and multiples and keeps having babies on your inside. All pulling you to do the things you ‘don’t’ want to do. Oh yes! A little part of you doesn’t. But sin doesn’t care. It does a hostile takeover!

So take in a deep breath (evidence that you’re still living). Good. Please say this prayer from the depth of your heart.

Dear Lord. I believe in you. I believe you died and rose for me. I have been struggling with this sin (mention it) for some time now. And I want to be free from it. I know you can set me free and I believe that I am free. Please forgive me for my sins and take me back. I can’t do this on my own. Thank you for hearing and answering me. In Jesus name, Amen!

So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.-John 8:36

It’s my desire that you live victorious lives! Go ahead and live young and free!

Lots of love,

© Mfon Etuk, 2016

22 thoughts on “Young and Free”

  7. I know this, because I myself was held captive to an addiction that I couldn’t tell anyone about, but like you just said I did think I could do it on my own but I needed Jesus and He has set me free. that does not mean the desires magically disappeared, matter of fact it comes on stronger than ever but the difference now is that I get to call on Jesus and tell Him that His strength is made perfect in my weakness and just like that the battle is won and I also try to remove myself physically from the situation. Thanks for this post! God is good, and I am free,,,

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  8. Amen! That was the exact Scripture I was looking for when I started reading this divine piece…John 8:36.
    God bless you Sister…We are indeed free, through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen!

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  11. Its painful most times when we fall back to things we confessed not to ever indulge in. We find ourselves in a solitary state, saying and listening to the voice of the deceiver ‘Don’t kill yourself over this little sin, Its just in your nature, even God knows, there is nothing you can do about it’ after this words of deceit, we begin to realise that sin is our nature and we are preys to it. But we must remember that God is a spirit and we are also spirit beings as well. Therefore if God wants to give to any man,He gives in the spirit realm and that manifest in the physical. The spirit of man gives command to the soul of man but when the spirit of man is not joined to the spirit of God that man is left to live under the subjection of the old man. Whatever the soul wants the body gives, no objection. but when my spirit is now tuned to the spirit of God, then the power to control my soul is now come unto me. When the soul needs something contrary, the spirit calls it to order and the body responds to the spirit. It will take time for the soul to surrender fully to the spirit of God in man but the soul must be nurtured, the soul must grow and be fed, must be kept under subjection as BRO PAUL put it. that’s why the word was so emphatic when it says the soul that sinneth shall die Eze 18:20. The soul consist of the mind, will and emotions. The soul and the spirit are mysteriously tied together and make up what the Scriptures call the “heart.”
    The writer of Proverbs declares, ” Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” ( Prov. 4:23)
    Let us all try to fill and feed the spirit man the word and food of the spirit that it deserves then we can be on a smooth journey enjoying the peace and joy of living in heaven on earth. The kingdom life.
    Though it won’t be easy for the soul to obey but with time and desire it will pay. A man who is 20years old who gave his life to Jesus Christ , now the man is 30 which means The man is 20yrs old in flesh and 10yrs old in the Spirit and the Kingdom of God. A 10yrs old boy can’t control a 20yrs old man that’s why we must put in all the effort to bring the old man down.
    ❇God bless you M.❇♥
    I Lov£ This.

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    1. Thank God for this! Oh my! I love how you dissect the scriptures to provide clearer understanding. I learnt a whole new lot from this! I like the analogy at the end. Wow! Thank you so much for taking the time out to break this down. God bless you!

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