"Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive;..." Psalm 68:18
Whenever God repeats a verse to me in my quiet time, He has my attention. Sometimes I don't always recognize it's significance immediately. I suppose that's why He has to speak it again to my heart. *smile*
Christ has led captivity captive. The state, place or period of being imprisoned is being held restrained through Jesus. Confinement by sin becomes impossible as He declares forever our liberty.
Think of it...captivity is captive. If something is held or contained, bound or behind bars, it has no access. Through His Son, the Lord has made freedom possible to us all. Any opportunity for imprisonment, whether in body, soul or mind, is being held by nail-scarred hands declaring that we can live without sin's control. We are not bound by evil, nor can it impose boundaries of fear, insecurity, worry, anger, etc... We are no longer servants to sin.
So, if we are no longer servants to sin, why is it still such a struggle? If Christ has declared captivity captive, why are we not walking in liberty? Why are days spent in despair? Why is sin rampant? Satan is the captor, and he is unwilling to see anyone free from sin. Christ destroyed sin's power over us at the cross, as well as the effects of sin, death and hell, but it's presence is still palpable. As a believer, sin cannot bind us for eternity, but as it rattles the prison doors and shakes it's chains it sure can distract us.
What has tied a rope around you? What is holding you prisoner? Is it a feeling...a circumstance...a habit..what is making you feel captive?
There are choices we need to make daily. We can be lured by evil's enticement or we can be held by the One who holds captivity and be captivated by Him. May He alone capture my heart today.
1 comment:
Somehow reading this reminded me of what Beth Moore said in Daniel. When Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the fiery furnace the only thing that burned where the ropes that bound them. It was because Jesus was walking along with them. He set them free even in the middle of that trial.
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