ARE YOU REALLY FREE?

 

I'd like to focus on the story of the possessed man in the tombs and how it relates to our lives as far as freedom is concerned. 

The man had been living there among the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him, not even with chains. For every time they attempted to chain his hands and feet with shackles, he would snap the chains and break the shackles in pieces. He was so strong that no one had the power to subdue him. Day and night he could be found lurking in the cemetery or in the vicinity, shrieking and cutting himself with stones!

Mark 5:3‭-‬5 TPT

For Jesus had already commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. This spirit had often taken control of the man. Even when he was placed under guard and put in chains and shackles, he simply broke them and rushed out into the wilderness, completely under the demon’s power.

Luke 8:29 NLT 

It's ironical how the demons empowered him to break free from the physical shackles yet they couldn't release him spiritually and mentally. Sure he could roam around freely but the wilderness was the farthest he could go. What the demons gave him was false freedom. 

In real life, we all have things that look like they are setting us free while the truth is they are only harming us even more. People around us may be noticing them and putting guidelines and restrictions to keep us out of harm's way as best as they can. Whether they are parents, leaders or friends, because our judgement is too clouded, we only see them as the enemy . We focus on breaking their 'chains' that we forget what the real issue is. 

It's sad but not surprising to come across people running to drugs or drinking themselves to stupor to 'drown' their sorrows. It doesn't necessarily have to be that but whatever we choose as a coping mechanism ultimately ends up dragging us down even further. Personally, I have never abused drugs but I could say I have an unhealthy addiction to anime. The moment I feel like shutting off from everything I find myself binge-watching anime or reading manga and what good does it do apart from consuming time that could be used more productively? While it feels good to engage in whichever activity that makes us 'feel alive' in the moment, the feelings of emptiness and dissatisfaction tend to linger afterwards. 

Something else that is worth noting is the direction in which the demons led the possessed man. They drove him into the wilderness and he only dwelt among the dead. The sight of Jesus was tormenting for them because they would not be able to control him and cause him physical, spiritual and mental torture again. 

I have made it a point to ask myself if my coping mechanism would happily surrender to the authority of Christ and most of the time the answer is definitely no. As long as the flesh can stop you from spending those ten minutes in prayer or the Word then it'll always find something to convince you with. That relationship we get into hoping it'll solve the loneliness issue ends up destroying us even more but the false hope of 'as long as I'm not alone' keeps us clinging onto nothing. Instead of setting us free, we find ourselves in a wilderness with nothing but self-inflicted wounds, shame and regrets but the cycle continues once we find the next high to keep us going.

While the demons had smoke and mirrors to offer, Jesus came with true freedom. Not only did He drive the demons out, but He also cured him of the madness completely. The man was made whole in every way and his nakedness (shame) was covered. The desire to live among the tombs was immediately overcome with the desire to stay at Jesus' feet (from death to life).

Then the people of the region came out to see for themselves what had happened. When they came to where Jesus was, they discovered the notorious madman totally set free. He was clothed, speaking intelligently, and sitting at the feet of Jesus. They were shocked!

Luke 8:35 TPT

To say that that the world that burdens us is the same world claiming to have the means to set us free is so laughable but that has been the chorus for far too long. While the freedom the world offers as a lifeline ends up drowning us, Jesus came to give us the ultimate freedom. His freedom doesn't leave us longing for the next high. It leads us closer to Him, not driving us into the wilderness. He doesn't dangle the keys of freedom in front us and tease us by giving us a false sense of liberty with hidden intentions. With Him, the chains hold no power whatsoever.

So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men], then you are really and unquestionably free.

John 8:36 AMPC

Who would have known that the man who did not want anything to do with Jesus would end up wanting to cling so tightly onto Him the end? But that's what tasting His kind of freedom feels like! Just a glimpse of it will have you coming back.

But the man who had been set free begged Jesus over and over not to leave, saying, “Let me be with you!”... 

Luke 8:38 TPT

The next time things get tough and you feel like taking a few puffs or joining those friends for a night out, why not ask yourself if that will really give you the freedom you so desire? As you hop from one relationship to another, filter your feelings and fears through the lens of the Word and weigh the consequences in the long run. Invite the Holy Spirit into every part of your life and witness the change that follows yourself .

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom].

2 Corinthians 3:17 AMP

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me To bring good news to the humble and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives And freedom to prisoners,...

Isaiah 61:1 AMP

Jesus came that we may have life in abundance but as long as we give the enemy the leeway to control us like puppets, then we can't see the full manifestation of the goodness our loving Father has bestowed upon us.

 As I conclude the article, here's something to meditate on. Not from a point of condemnation but from a heart full of love and compassion. Only you know what is keeping you in bondage and it's only you who can surrender it.

As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn’t have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you’re proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end.

Romans 6:20‭-‬21 MSG