Freedom in Christ is an incredible reality! I’m so passionate about it that I wrote a book about it. It breaks my heart to see people who are saved yet still struggling with strongholds that disrupt their joy and impede their progress. It does not have to be that way. In Christ, you are free! (Romans 6)
In his letter to the Romans, Paul has outlined our need for salvation and how faith is the key. Now he begins to tell us about the process of sanctification. We’ve been forgiven for our sins. All of them. Past, present, and future. But that does not make sin any less serious. And since the ultimate goal is for us to be like Jesus, the Holy Spirit is actively working within us to sanctify us and make us holy.
When you put your faith in Jesus, you received all the benefits of justification. Peace with God, undeserved privilege, joy no matter what, endurance, confident hope, and the love of God poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit. You have God’s wonderful grace and the gift of righteousness. You have victory over sin and new life. You are in right standing with God and promised eternal life. Since all this is true, why would you choose to continue in your old ways, still stuck in sin?
The grace we’ve been given is not a license to sin! It is liberation from sin.
Sadly, many Christ-followers believe that since no one is without sin, they are destined to fail and unable to kill the sin that lurks within them. They do not believe that total victory over struggles and strongholds is possible. Instead, they believe the cycle of regret, repent, and repeat is inevitable.
But you are not powerless to break the strongholds of sin in your life. The reality is you have the power of the Holy Spirit. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. You have the Armor of God. You have been equipped and empowered not just to do battle, but to be victorious in it! When you say, “I can’t help it,” or “It runs in my family,” or “Well, everyone sins,” you’re just giving in to sin’s power. But in Christ, sin has lost its power! He forever broke sin’s dominion in your life.
Sin no longer has power over you, but the enemy does not want you to realize that!
Do not relinquish control of your lives to sinful desires and Satan’s lies. In Christ, you have been redeemed and justified. You are God’s child now, under His grace and His control. Your sin debt has been paid and your freedom secured. God has given you everything you need to live a godly life.
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God…use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. – Romans 6:12-13 NLT
Give yourself completely to God. If you do not surrender your whole life to Him, the enemy will keep dragging you back into the pit with the pigs, and that is not where you belong. To stay on track in your Christian walk, you must keep your eyes on Jesus. The Word of God must be your guide and the Holy Spirit your Helper.
When the devil plants invading thoughts or seeds of temptation, immediately speak truth into the situation. When you slip up, don’t give up! The prodigal son could’ve spared himself a lot of hurt and shame if he would’ve turned around sooner. The moment you realize you’ve meandered into a mess, you have the power to get out of there.
Victory in Christ is a done deal, so live free!
After the American Emancipation of slaves in 1863, it took two and a half years before slaves in Texas heard they were free. For two and a half years they continued to live as slaves, oblivious to the incredible truth that they were free to walk away. For two and half years, babies were born into slavery, people died still enslaved, and opportunities were missed because they did not know they were free. Freedom was their position, but not their reality. How many followers of Christ are living that way today? Stuck in slavery to the sins and strongholds that Jesus died to set them free from.
The scars of your old life may not disappear overnight, but bondage to it does! Sin no longer has dominion over your life. Christ is your Lord, now. He is the authority, owner, and ruler of your life. He is the One who has influence and power over you. If you have trusted in Him to eternally save you, why would you not also trust Him to presently set you free?
