LENT WEEK 5: DAY 33

The Glory of God says St Irenaeus is Man fully alive or if you like a man standing up or again man free. God created man in freedom and gave him authority over all created things (Genesis 1:26) but it’s been the wish and plan of the evil one to enslave man, taking away his freedom and keeping him in bondage (John 10:10). The Lord has come to set his people free and it is for that reason he gives this order “let me people go” (Exodus 9:1-3). There are many people out there who are under the power of the evil one, who have been trying to break free but to no avail, to such Jesus says “Unbind him and let him go” (John 11:44). Freedom is what we have in Christ Jesus (Galatians 5:1) and he wills for all who are in him to be free and not live in bondage and wherever his Spirit is there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). This supposes that where the Spirit of God the Lord is absent, there is bondage. Freedom is what Jesus came to bring and affirmed it when he declared that you shall know the truth (Jesus) and the truth shall set you free and that whoever he sets free is free indeed (John 8:32 and 36). He pushes this further when he takes to his account the words of Isaiah “The spirit of the Lord is upon me and he has sent me to bring liberty to captives and new sight to the blind, to free the oppressed”. Jesus has come so that he can destroy all that the devil has been doing (1 John 3:8) and give all he sets free life in abundance (John 10:10). He came to bring Freedom from every kind of possession, infestation, and manipulation. This ministry didn’t end with Jesus but he handed it over to his disciples so that they may keep setting men free and to them Jesus says whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever you unbind on earth is unbound in heaven (Matthew 16:19). He called them and gave them power over all kinds of unclean spirits and demons (Matthew 10:1). Notice the verse says over all kinds meaning there are diverse types. It is in this line that St Paul will act powerfully to set free the girl enslaved by the spirit of divination to the anger of her owners (Acts 16:18-19). This girl seemed free and good but she was inhabited by an unclean spirit that used her for money. How many of us know people out there whose lives are being sacrificed on the altar of money? People who work like elephants yet have nothing to show for it. If you fall under this category, you need deliverance. This is the same thing Jesus did with the possessed man living around the tombs (Luke 8:27-39). He did not care about the people and the herds of pigs but looked at the wellbeing of the man. God does not care about what people will think but cares about your welfare and for that, he is ready to give up countries and land just to set you free (Isaiah 43:3). Do not remain in that bondage because of shame, come out and be delivered. There are so many people out there living in bondage who are ashamed to seek help. If you are among do not be ashamed Jesus is ready to set you free whatever it may cost. For those who are believers, you have been given the power to cast out demons (Mark 16:17) and set those who are in bondage free beginning with yourself. Demons here stand for anything that oppresses the life of persons and keeps them in bondage. So many people out there today who are under different kinds of demonic oppressions are looking for solutions at the wrong places and applying wrong and temporal remedies. When you have applied diverse remedies to a problem and it has not sufficed, then you need to try to see if there isn’t a demon behind that case. A beautiful record of how sin can be caused by a demonic manipulation is Mary Magdalene from whom Jesus cast out seven demons and she became a holy woman (Luke 8:2). This simply tells us that she was possessed by a spirit that pushed her to that shameful act. How many other spirits are out there destroying the lives of people and even our lives while we sit by debating on futilities? Should we talk about the spirit destroying marriages and homes? We know about the biblical case of Sarah who saw her spouses die until God sent the Archangel Raphael to intervene and chase the demon that was in charge (Tobit 6:10-19). He said a demon loved her, this could also be the reason you were not married as a young girl or the reason many of your suitors back out easily. What if there is a spiritual man in your life or that of your daughter stopping her from getting married? Should we talk about the child who had epilepsy and showed all the symptoms but which turn out to he rather possessed (Matthew 17:14-18), or is it the man who had a mute demon and could not speak but who started talking after the spirit was cast out by Jesus (Luke 11:14)? Yeah, you will argue that some people are deaf and dumb by natural causes but others are because of mute demons to which Jesus says Ephphetha be opened (Mark 7:32-35). Should we talk about people who are unnecessarily violent that everyone avoids them just like the two men from whom Jesus cast out the demons (Matthew 8:28)? Or should we talk about people who like Judas for no reason betray close ones and regret after (Matthew 27:3-5)? Why will someone who does something freely be filled with so much remorse that he hangs himself? Such people at that very moment are possessed by a spirit that leads them to commit such evil (John 13:27). Maybe many of those in our society who go into depression and attempt suicide are pushed by some demons to commit such acts. There are many people out there who keep losing good friends because of their deeds and just can’t explain why they keep failing them. Others are like Cain whom the Lord warned that sin is lurking at his door striving to get him but he must control it (Genesis 4:7) it rather controlled him and let him kill his brother. Whatever crept in at that time had dominion over him and pushed him into that evil act. There are many people out there who struggle to control themselves but can’t, many men and women out there suffering from the spirit of lust and find themselves jumping from one partner to another but yet can’t control the urge they have, to such, be sure there is a demon behind pushing them to their own destruction. If you are in any of such situations there is a demon in charge and you need deliverance. That situation you may be thinking is natural but which has proven to be stubborn and resistant might just be the work of an evil hand and you need to go for deliverance. There are lots of people who are suffering from near-success symptom and who think it is just some sort of ill luck but I do believe lots of such situations are the deeds of some demons holding them back from excelling. Whatever you might be going through now relook at it with spiritual eyes and be sure the devil doesn’t have a hand in it and if he does go for deliverance. In Corda Matris.

Resolution

I resolve to go for deliverance when I feel evil gaining ground in my life.
I resolve to help others to be delivered from the powers of darkness.
I resolve to protect the freedom God has given me from every attack of the evil one.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for giving me freedom and for teaching me to preserve it from the power of darkness. Help me fight all the evil powers that seek to enslave my life in whatever way it may be. Give me the grace to be strong and to continuously cast out the power of darkness from my life and that of others, amen.