Freedom Starts Today预览

Naming the Lies 

Satan wants to sell you a false bill of goods. You may have trusted in Jesus for eternal salvation but are not experiencing daily salvation—here on this side of eternity, you have succumbed to defeat in one or even a few areas. Satan whispers in a voice that sounds all too much like your own, “This is just your lot in life. It’s who you are. If God really loved you, He would have taken away these desires. You’ve struggled with this for a decade or more, and nothing will ever change.”

Those are lies. The truth is God longs to see you free and set you free. He lived, died, and rose again for that truth and for you to live in the reality of that freedom found only in Jesus. This isn’t a focus on sin (that doesn’t help anything); this is a focus on Christ and His power to heal everything. It’s replacing an addiction of sin with your affection for Him—tasting freedom daily feeds your hunger for Him.

Christ freed me from what I couldn’t free myself from. Your freedom is personally appropriating the power and promises of God and infusing them into your daily life. You walk with God, and God does the work. Period. There is no other way. Aren’t you ready to be free?

So, pray this: “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23– 24). Pray and ask God which struggle He would have you war against first.

Really, stop and pray. Ask Him.

Then prepare yourself for battle. And if you fall, fall forward, kneeling in confession of sin. Ask God to give you freedom one day at a time (one hour at a time, if necessary) in surrender to your Master and in humble thanksgiving, being certain that He isn’t mad at you, He loves you, and He longs to walk with you daily.

Now that you’ve chosen which struggle to war against, you need to pick a person to journey with. Choose someone of the same gender who is a faithful Christ-follower. And don’t bounce around from person to person; prayerfully choose someone and go deep. One day at a time. And may the war against sin start today. 

Admit to your trusted friend the lies you have believed. Pray together. Ask God to replace those lies with His truth every day.

Text and let that same person know if you stayed free from your struggle by God’s strength for the past 24 hours. Also let them know if you want to go another 24 hours without giving in to your struggle by God’s strength.