Bible Reading: Romans 6
Key verse: “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).
In prison I discovered that men can be free even though they are bound. I went to prison each week for Bible studies, and there I found incarcerated men who were free in spirit and soul.
The opposite is also true. There are men who are free to live at home, but are bound by the chains of sin. Humans shackled in a physical prison can sometimes escape by their shrewdness, but those who are bound by the chains of sin cannot escape, neither by their strength nor craftiness.
People may make a new year’s resolution to stop indulging in pornography. But in only a few weeks they may again be enslaved by these chains of immorality. Others may try to kick a drug or alcohol habit with sheer willpower, only to find that the habit returns with a vengeance. When a marriage is on the rocks, a husband or wife may decide to work on their anger and frustration problem, only to blow up again in just a few days.
Sin and its consequences bind tighter and tighter. The chains get stronger and harder to break. But thankfully there is a remedy for this problem.
The Scriptures say, “Forasmuch then as [people] are partakers of flesh and blood, [Jesus] also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:14-15). We as humans are in bondage to sin and Satan. The only way to be free from a lifestyle of sin is to call out to Jesus to be rescued from this terrible prison.
God knows exactly where you are physically and spiritually, and He longs to help you today. You can kneel or stand where you are and acknowledge, confess, and repent of your sins. He will forgive, cleanse, and deliver you from the chains of sin and Satan. He will give you a new heart and life.
How free you are from the chains of sin will depend on your faith and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus over your life. Jesus died on the cross, shed His precious innocent blood, and resurrected from the grave the third day to completely destroy the works of Satan in your life. The power to be free is available. Total surrender to Jesus means freedom from sin, beginning a new life, and victoriously walking in His ways. Praise God!
—Harold R. Troyer
