How To be Free and Remain Free

Norbert Lieht

I am continually meeting people who suffer from the fact that they are not really free, although they have been Christians for a long time. These people battle certain temptations, and when they succumb to them, they think that the Lord Jesus has not truly set them free. They pray for deliverance, hop from one counselor to another, repent, ask people to pray over them, renounce their sins and make new beginnings. Yet after a while, they begin to feel the weakness of their flesh, and everything is as it was. There are Christians who specialize in liberating other Christians.

I preached at one place where I met a brother who loved the Lord with all his heart. He confessed that he still had a problem with certain carnal things. He confided that he had been to a special “deliverance” ministry and was told by a “counselor” to repeat a prayer of deliverance several times each day. Finally, he was told that he must have been converted to a false Christ and that he must be converted to the real Christ! I advised him to stay away from this “ministry” because I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears that he would never achieve true liberation in this way. When children of God suffer under certain weaknesses and then hear how other Christians experienced immediate deliverance and now lead liberated lives, there is a good chance they will experience even deeper depression.

Various opinions exist on the subject of deliverance. Each proves its point with Bible verses, experiences and testimonies. Yet some Christians experience a continual battle and feel anything but liberated. Then maybe a certain temptation comes along and they read John 8:36, which says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” When a person cannot overcome a certain temptation, he may say to himself, “If I am not free in so many areas of my life, then the Son of God must not have really set me free. I must not be saved. I must pray again.”

Where “being” and “remaining” free are concerned, we need the simple, practical enlightenment contained in the Bible. The Word of God is much more practical than we often think.

Of course, Jesus can do everything and God is almighty and capable of performing any miracle at any time. But does He always do things as we expect Him to do or want Him to do? Doesn’t the Bible show us a principle that is much less spectacular and more practical? The following points show what the Bible teaches about deliverance:

The transformation of our natures and renewal of our minds
The attitude of faith
Self-control

The Transformation of Our Natures and Renewal of Our Minds

When is a person truly free? Is it after five, seven, 12 or more conferences or deliverance sessions? Is it when he or she “feels” free? Everything that is truly new begins with the rebirth described in 1 Peter 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” The new birth is the greatest miracle that can take place in your life, and it also consists of the greatest of all deliverances.

Many people think the greatest miracle is when a dead person is raised from the dead, such as the young man in Nain (Luke 7:11-15) or Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:41-43). But the new birth is a much greater miracle. According to Ephesians 2:1, the natural person is spiritually dead in trespasses and sins: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.” The person is separated from God, lost because of unforgiven sins. First Corinthians 2:14 explains that he or she cannot understand the Bible or anything else that is spiritual. But when God touches the heart of such a person through His Word, and if this person believes, is converted and receives God’s Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13 & 2 Corinthians 1:22 and 5:5), that previously lost sinner has been “risen from the dead” and is a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). That person is a child of the heavenly Father and has become an heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17) whose conversation (citizenship) is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). What could be greater than that?

Let me repeat: The new birth is the greatest miracle that can take place, and it simultaneously brings about the greatest deliverance. The one cannot be separated from the other. From the moment a person believes in Jesus Christ and His work of redemption on Calvary’s cross and is born again, he or she has become a “new creature,” whether it “feels” like it or not.

It is true, however, that the old creature still exists. The Lord demands our cooperation. If we have been redeemed and saved, then we must not think that we can sit back and do nothing but rejoice in our salvation or we will find ourselves face to face with the old things that caused us to sin. This is why we are told in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Let us note the practical things we are told here:

Put your body at the Lord’s disposal as a whole sacrifice. If you do not do this, you should not be surprised that you have eyes and ears for other things, and are treading paths that are not good for you.
Don’t be conformed to the world. I already hear the protest: “But I am living in the world!” True. But as a born-again believer, you do not belong to the world, but to the kingdom of God.
Be transformed in your being and allow your mind to be renewed. A bornagain person must learn how to think differently. I hear again, “But I have already become a new creature!” Certainly that is true. But now you have to work on being a new creature, transformed in your being and renewed in your mind. You must learn to better discern God’s will for your life.

As an example, consider people who have been released from prison. Often, someone is assigned to help the freed prisoners so they do not return to their old ways. The person assigned as watchmen need the cooperation of the former convicts in order to see changes in their behavior, habits and disposition. The released prisoners must be integrated into a new environment so that old surroundings and old “friends” do not catch up with them. They must find regular work, new tasks, new hobbies and new friends. The proximity and close cooperation with the helpers are very important. Lasting and complete freedom is promised if the former convicts cooperate. But if they refuse to comply with the instructions of the helpers, then it might be only a matter of time before they return to crime. All who are released from prison are free, but they must learn to live in this freedom.

Born-Again Christians: Once Criminals and Prisoners of Satan

We were imprisoned by our trespasses and sins. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John 8:34). Then Jesus came into our lives and bought our freedom with His precious blood. Now, as our liberator, He wants to be our helper so that we are transformed in our being. He wants to see that our behavior and habits are changed and that we learn to live in freedom.

Whoever thinks that Jesus’ redemption and forgiveness of sins means automatic freedom from the inclination to sin is wrong. Where would the fight of faith be (1 Timothy 6:12), of which Paul wrote, “I have fought a good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7)? And why did he write to the Hebrew Christians, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin” (Hebrews 12:4) if everything was perfect after we are converted? A person who has stolen and lied for a lifetime who is born again most certainly has been redeemed. But living in a sinful body requires the person to learn to renounce those sins. We have to work on this and on ourselves. We must remain close to Jesus. The Lord’s work in us is very important. Our will and willingness to be transformed is required. This means fighting the good fight of faith in order to abide in Him, the Victor over hell, death and the devil. This is why the Lord Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

How does this transformation of our being and renewal of our mind take place in practical terms? What can you do to overcome your old nature and have a new one that pleases the Lord? This happens through reading the Bible and prayer. We would prefer something more spectacular like a miracle or the help of an angel. But those who are not prepared to concern themselves with the Word of God and to pray to Jesus and have fellowship with Him will not be transformed. The Word of God is the Bread of Life; it offers us strength and provides growth. What we concern ourselves with will gain power over us. Someone has said, “The Bible is not a book as man would write it if he could or could write if he wanted to. The Bible is a bestseller which has changed the world, which still has the power to change lives today.” Many Christians are on a diet today as far as Bible reading is concerned. When Jesus said to His disciples, “Will ye also go away?” (John 6:67), Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.” If we do not read our Bibles regularly, we will miss the best we can possibly have. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16), which is why the Bible says of him, “Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight…When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed” (Acts 20:7 & 11). The psalmist wrote, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9), and “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (verse 105). The exalted Lord also speaks of keeping the Word of God, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth” (Revelation 3:10). The world will be tempted and deceived when the Antichrist appears in the first half of the Great Tribulation: “even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). Only God’s Word has the power to build us up, “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up” (Acts 20:32). When the devil tempted the Lord in the wilderness to turn the stones into bread, after He had fasted for 40 days, Jesus said to him, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4). What good is it if we are physically well nourished but spiritually starved?

Another example from our daily lives illustrates this point. People say we never should go to the supermarket when we are hungry because then we will end up buying all sorts of things that we don’t need. We’re much more likely to fall prey to temptation in a grocery store when our stomachs are empty. But we are much more likely to stick to our shopping list if we go to the store after we have eaten. It is the same thing spiritually. If we do not nourish ourselves with God’s Word, then we will be hungry for all sorts of things, even things that are harmful and rob us of our strength. We become much more susceptible to deception when we are spiritually hungry and not nourished with the Word of God.

Therefore the admonition contained in Proverbs 6:20-23 is not an exaggeration: “My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee. For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” Then we read, “My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman” (Proverbs 7:1-4). The Word of God helps transform our way of thinking, our behavior and our habits into how God wants us to be.

The Attitude of Faith…

…is as much a part of the Christian’s life as Bible reading and prayer. Concerning the power of darkness, the Bible says, “who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14). Has Jesus overcome the power of darkness? Has He overcome the devil? Is He the stronger One who has robbed the devil of his prey? Is the One who is in us stronger than the one who is in the world? The words “hath” and “have” are in the original Greek text of the Bible in the aorist tense, meaning an act that has taken place once and for all. We were born again the moment we received the Lord Jesus into our lives. We were delivered once and for all from the power of darkness and were brought into the kingdom of His dear Son. You were redeemed and your sins were forgiven. Now by faith we must claim the accomplished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The Apostle Paul attached great value to the inner attitude of faith of a bornagain Christian. In Romans 6:11 he wrote: “Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” He adopted this attitude of faith and testified in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Jesus told the two blind men who came to Him in faith that He would heal them, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matthew 9:29). To the woman who had suffered from a loss of blood for 12 years, and who had touched the hem of His garment in faith, He said, “Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague” (Mark 5:34).

Of course, it can happen that some people who come to Jesus are instantaneously freed from bondage. Recently, I was with a man who was converted. Although we did not pray for anything specific during his conversion experience, he later told me, “The moment I gave my life to Jesus I was delivered from a terrible addiction.” He has remained free of this addiction. This can happen, but it is not the rule. Therefore, the Bible also speaks about self discipline.

Self Discipline

The transformation of our being and maintaining an attitude of faith are necessary in order for us to remain free, but so is self-control. In 2 Timothy 1:7, the Apostle Paul wrote: “For God hath not
given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The NIV translates this, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” The Holy Spirit gives us power, love and self discipline. He urges us to live our lives as conquerors.

Second Corinthians 3:17 explains, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” This does not mean, as some people suppose, that Christians can do anything they
please. On the contrary: if the Spirit of the Lord is in us, then we are free; we stand in the liberty of the New Testament. Only when we live in the Spirit will the liberty that has been given us in Jesus will become a reality. Born-again Christians have received the Holy Spirit, and are now new creatures in Christ: “old things are passed away” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are also awaiting a future redemption because our bodies have not yet been redeemed (Romans 8:23). Both things are possible: to live in the old, dead life or to walk in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is true: those who have received Jesus into their lives and have been born again are liberated. But the inclination to sin has not been taken away. No, most of us remain weak in the areas where sin played a large role before
our conversion.

I know of an evangelist who led many people to Jesus. Before his conversion, he was a thief who had spent many years in prison. When God saved him in prison, he was liberated. He married and had a happy marriage, and was an example to many, especially to young people. He was a highly sought-after speaker and knew no fear. He was away for much of the time and was devoted to serving Jesus. He was a blessing to many people. But from his own testimony, I learned that the temptation to steal was still very real for him. He once confessed that although he was already an evangelist by then, he had stolen something because “it just happened to be there.” Afterwards he apologized, which would not have occurred to him before his conversion.

We must always be on guard in the areas in which we were weak before we were born again. For this reason, the Holy Spirit wants to become the Spirit of self control or self discipline. The believer
must learn to overcome, to flee from sin, to exercise control, to be disciplined, to “crucify” the flesh, to be at the Lord’s disposal, to walk and live in the Spirit, to renew every thought, to read the Bible, to pray, to believe, to fight and to have fellowship with other Christians. Those who only spend time with their unbelieving colleagues, read the Bible sparingly, pray when they are in trouble, and rarely attend church will be open all the more to temptation and deception.

The Bible does not say to the liberated Christians in Ephesus, “Now you are free and nothing can happen to you,” but “Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more…let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth…and grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:27-32).

A nobleman was looking for a coachman once and tested each of the three applicants with the question, “How close to the edge of a ditch can you drive without falling into it?” The first one answered, “Half a metre.” The second one said, “20 centimetres.” The third replied, “I keep as far away from the ditch as possible!” The third one was given the job. Keeping far away from sin is self-control that the Holy Spirit supports. Speaking about greed, Paul did not write to Timothy that he should try to overcome it, “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness…fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:11-12).

This is why the Lord Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, after He had forgiven her, “Sin no more” (John 8:11). Did He tell her that because she could not be sure of her forgiveness, because she was not really liberated, or because the Lord had not really helped her? No. He told her that because, in spite of the fact that she had been delivered, it was still possible for her to sin.

In Galatians 5:1 we read, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Christ has liberated us, but in spite of this freedom, it is possible to come under a yoke of bondage. Therefore, we must stand fast in the liberty we have by putting ourselves under the yoke of the Lord Jesus.

We can pray for deliverance for days, weeks, months or even years, but if we are not prepared to do the simple things the Bible requires of us, which belong to freedom, we shall not be truly free. We need to renounce the things mentioned in Colossians 3:5-8, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience; in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.” The Apostle Paul is simultaneously testifying two things to them:

That they are liberated, “in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.”
That in spite of the deliverance they had experienced, they needed to renounce the sinful things: “But now ye also put off all these.”

If you are a born-again Christian, then you have been liberated, but you must strive to remain free by renouncing all sinful things.

Further, it says in Colossians 3:9: “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and put on the new man.”

You are still capable of lying even though you have become a new person. What can you do about this? Stop lying! True liberation can only be experienced in bondage to Jesus Christ. Only He has the power, through the Holy Spirit, to bring us through in a world of lust and deceptions, to keep us from falling and to present us, “faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24).

MidnightCall Magazine

August 2010

News From Israel Magazine

August 2010

How To be Free and Remain Free

Born-Again Christians: Once Criminals and Prisoners of Satan

The Attitude of Faith…

Self Discipline