Unchained

May 6, 2022

I read the following statement in J.C. Ryles’s book, Holiness. “The worst chains are those which are neither felt nor seen by the prisoner.” He referenced 2 Timothy 2:26 which challenged me to think about the meaning of these words and receive an answer to the question of how should I be talking to someone who is entangled in bondage.

What if someone is chained but he or she does not see the chains? The person may be blind to the bondage the enemy has imprisoned them with. So how can someone fight to release themselves from something they are not even aware that they are imprisoned by. Imprisonment can take varying forms such as becoming a slave to sin, missing out on the riches that belong to the child of God in Christ, being plagued with guilt and fear, missing the peace and freedom that is ours in Christ and more.

We must not rest secure without putting on the full armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:10-18. This is the only way we can overcome temptation, resist the devil and be victorious in the battle we fight as Christians. Jesus overcome the temptations of Satan by the Word of God in Matthew 4:1-11. Satan left Him after his 3 attempts to get Jesus “off course” had been refuted by the truth of God’s Word. We, too, need prayer, the Word of God and all of our armor to resist the enemy and not allow him a foothold in our lives and homes.

But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the

truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. 2 Timothy 2:23-26

These verses instruct us how to conduct ourselves to return someone to the truth. We must be gentle, able to teach, patient and humble. In David Jeremiah’s Bible note, patient is defined as bearing evil without resentment. That also means with judgment or a self-righteous attitude. These character traits can only be possible by prayer and relying on the Holy Spirit within us to display them. We can only correct those in opposition in humility and only when God grants the person repentance. Notice that it is God who grants repentance so we can pray for His mercy and that He will do this to free the person.

John Piper explains how the shield of faith blocks Satanic arrows in his short devotional video. Satan aims to destroy the believer’s hope, faith and life not so much by circumstances but by deceiving the believer to believe lies. A believer must stand firm on the truth in God’s word to quench the flaming arrows of the evil one. By believing the true promises of God, the lying arrows that fly at your shield will be quenched.

… above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. Ephesians 6:17