Set the Captives Free

The Hamas attack on Israel caught us by surprise. “How could people act so terribly, do such terrible things?” we ask ourselves. When a daughter or a son tells us they want a sex change operation and they no longer consider themselves to be what they were born, we wonder “What is going on? How can anyone disagree with their gender.” An active shooter is in the news again, this time in Maine, in a city that had only 2 murders in the previous year, and we realize it is everywhere. What is “it”? What is going on in our world today? What is behind all this insanity? Is this a new phenomenon or has the world always been this way? In 2 Timothy, Paul addresses this very issue, explaining it to us, and giving us godly advice on how to handle it.

“Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ²³ But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. ²⁴ The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, ²⁵ with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”   2 Timothy 2:22-26

Starting at the end of the verse, we are given the explanation of what is going on. Paul tells us that they have been snared by the devil, and are being held “captive to do his will”. The source of the insanity and evil that we are seeing and experiencing in the people around us is the devil himself. This understanding is further confirmed by Paul in Ephesians 6:12.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”   Ephesians 6:12

Peter warns us about this situation in 1 Peter 5:8.

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”   1 Peter 5:8

Before we are born again, we are being held captive by the devil to “do his will”, and most of us are not even aware of it – we are clueless. Somehow we have been snared by him, and he is using us to make the world a worse place. We are building the kingdom of darkness on this earth and think we are doing the right thing usually. History attests to this reality. So what are we to do?

“Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57) In Isaiah we read that Christ came to “set the captives free” (Isaiah 61:1). Firstly, we are to turn to Christ in faith that He may set us free. And for those who will not turn to Christ, they will continue in captivity, doing the devil’s will and building the kingdom of darkness.

Regarding those who have not turned to Christ yet, we are told in 2 Timothy to “refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.” We are “not to be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition”.  Our hope is that “perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil.”  This profound instruction from Paul tells us how we are to relate to the lost. Simply amazing.

Are you caught in a snare of the devil? Is he holding you captive to do his will? Or have you been set free by Jesus Christ? Are there people around you who are caught in a snare of the devil? Do you “quarrel” with them over issues, or are you skillful, patient, and gentle with them, praying for God to bring them to their senses that they may escape the devil’s captivity.

As a general rule, the lost have no idea this is going on, no idea that they are on the wrong side of a spiritual war. Hamas thinks they are doing the right thing, as hard as that is for us to understand. They took captives, just like their father the devil has taken them captive to do his will. They are liars, just like their father the devil is “a liar and the father of all lies” (John 8:44). Evil in most of its human forms believes it is in the right – they have no idea what is going on.

From the cross, Jesus acknowledged this captive condition, asking the Father to “Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing” in reference to those who were crucifying Him. (Luke 23:34) Our calling is to pray for the lost and share the gospel with them in the hope that they may come to their senses and escape their captivity and the kingdom of darkness that has its grip on them. Some will be delivered. Some will not.

At the end of World War II, many Germans woke up and came to their senses. They could not believe the horror of what they had done to the Jews. To this day, the German people struggle with this. Similarly, many of us individually struggle today with some of the things we did before we were born again as well. But in Christ there is forgiveness of sin. If we turn to Him in faith, and “confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Have you come to your senses yet? Have you turned to Christ in faith? If not, I urge you to do so know, that you may be delivered from captivity in the kingdom of darkness, and be set free to live in newness of life in Christ’s Kingdom of Light.

Lord Jesus, I come before you today and confess to you that I have sinned. I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died for my sins, was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead. I put my faith in Him, right now. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Deliver me from captivity. Cause me to be born again into Your Kingdom of Light, that I may walk in newness of life.  I pray these things in Jesus name, amen.