Free Indeed!Sample

FREE FROM THE ENEMY

Tallis Dumbleton

The Bible is very clear that we have an enemy in the devil. Ephesians 6 says we do not fight against flesh and blood (humanity), but instead our fight is against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm - which can be a lot to wrap your head around!

In 1 Peter 5:8 it says that we must be watchful of this enemy for he prowls like a lion, ready to devour - which is great advice. However, being watchful is not the same as being afraid. The enemy is not someone we should fear. Because of the grace of Jesus, we have the victory through what he did on the cross - just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, God has given us the victory through Jesus Christ.

So being watchful doesn’t mean being fearful, but it also doesn’t mean being ignorant. We must partner with God and submit to Him, allowing us to resist the devil, so that he flees. Jesus wants us to live freely in his will - which is the best way we can live. But the enemy would want us to believe that our way is the best way, and when we fall into a lifestyle of living for ourselves - we fall prey to his scheme and leave ourselves open to being devoured by the prowling lion.

Through Jesus we have been given the opportunity to be free indeed from the enemy, and being watchful means not wanting to participate in ongoing, habitual sin that the enemy would use to bound us - and it also means actively fighting against it. Ephesians 6 describe the Armour of God, the things we can use to actively fight against the enemy and his schemes.

The belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, readiness of the gospel, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit and prayer are all examples of armour and weaponry we have against the enemy, the flesh and the world. All these tools were only made possible through Jesus, who is our great victor and the one who prepares us and equips us with all we need to fight.

We must not fear the enemy - but instead we must be prepared to fight, but do not fight for victory - we fight from victory won by Jesus. He alone has set us free indeed from the power of the enemy, that we might not hear him but instead fight against him united with Christ.

Take heart, Jesus has overcome! Through him, you are free indeed.