#196: Captives of The Mighty

Held bound by sin, fear and unbelief, it was evident that we couldn't make our way out. We, the captives couldn't set ourselves free. We were obviously incapacitated captives, imprisoned in the grip of a treacherous captor, who would not grant release just because we wished to be free. We saw our mess, recognised it but couldn't get out of it. Freedom seemed so out of reach, the more we reached for it, the more we reclined into our mess.

We were truly angry at our state, but that didn't help, the captor just had the pleasure of letting us sink deeper into the mess we had become.  The long nights of struggling with masturbation, pornography and all forms of secret sins, the clear days of struggling to get through without being dishonest or just " falling short" of God's standards, of making direct promises but falling back into the pit. The jailer stood by and watched with an evil smirk, watching us try and fail again and again. The chains had completely entangled us and he was sure having a good time watching us struggle.

The struggle went on, then we gave up, and we lost all hopes of freedom. We settled into this captivity and accepted our fate. We labelled ourselves hopeless captives who were damned.  Our captor relished the sight of our defeat, he couldn't have been happier. By now, it was evident we needed a Mightier hand if we would be delivered from this hell-bound fate. He was enjoying every bit of our hopelessness, having a great show, then the Almighty stepped in and vehemently declared;

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Isaiah 61:1)

With that great declaration from the Almighty, we knew our deliverance was at hand, "the Saviour would only give a decree and end all the captor's grip on us", so we thought. But God's way was different, it wouldn't just take a decree as we thought. But as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so also the Son of man had to be lifted up( John3:14), much more than the "serpent" that bit was the "venom" he left in us, that sinful, old nature that kept us in his grip. So this serpent had to be nailed to a tree alongside his venom so that while the blood cleansed us, the cross totally did away with the serpent.  Only the Cross could procure our deliverance and the Almighty took the crossway, regardless of his Sovereignty.

our mighty captor in his whims still tried to abort our redemption, our deliverance from his grip. He tried playing smart, he first attempted to Kill Emmanuell; Our Saviour, at birth, but God took him in his craftiness (1 cor3:19). He continued his failed attempts. He couldn't stop our deliverance because Jesus already knew he would try to create a scene if he wasn't bound, that's why he said;

 “No one can break into a strong man's house and take away his belongings unless he first ties up the strong man; then he can plunder his house." (Matthew 12:29)

And he indeed was bound, he helplessly watched our redemption become reality at Calvary. All his attempts fruitless, the bound loser who wouldn't accept defeat kept trying and just when he thought he would celebrate his win, just when he thought he killed the Almighty and destroyed our hope of freedom from his grip, just when he could say " it is finished" he realized it was him who was actually finished, his hold on us finished!!. Calvary, the very place where he thought he had finished us became the end of his rule on us. It was rather finished for him.

Then, it all came together, he realized at Golgotha that he had just taken part in the release of his captive. Our saviour declared; it is finished... It was indeed finished, our bondage and captivity over. (John 19:30)

And oh, on that glorious resurrection morning, Jesus descended to hell and took the keys to life and death, the rule of the Earth which was lost at Eden. (Ephesians 4:8-9, Revelation 1:17-18).

The captor was completely defeated;

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it" (Colossians 2:15)

The captor didn't know what to make of this, he had just been outsmarted, with this reality, he cried out in regret;

"Had I known, I would not have crucified the Lord of Glory" (1 cor 2:8)

But by now it was too late, we were free, free to live above his bondage. Indeed we are free, for whom the Son sets free is free indeed...

Written by Tartor Judith Onov