If you are dealing with prolonged life challenges, whose sources seem mysterious, you might be in spiritual chains. Examples of this condition could be prolonged stagnation in your life, feeling like you are locked up and without progress. If you feel like you are investing your best efforts but experiencing no fruits, you might be in spiritual chains. Unless you take the right spiritual actions to liberate yourself from these chains, this condition may linger a lifetime. In part 1 of this article, I gave six gateways that are often the sources of spiritual chains. In this part, I will discuss three more significant areas that deserve consideration as sources of chains or spiritual bondage: personal wickedness, disobedience to laws, ignorance. There are natural and spiritual laws that the creator designed to guide the universal systems; humans often do not understand this truth. However, ignorance of the laws does not preclude you from the effects of violating these laws. When you cooperate with the laws you sail safely in life; when you break the laws, they will break you. When you attempt to short-circuit them, the consequences will wait for you in the future. Before discussing these three gateways, let me first give a recap of how chains work which I also stated in part one.
How Chains Work
A chain is a symbol of bondage. It is used to describe the condition of a person in prison, slavery, or captivity. Such condition can be physical or spiritual, but in this article, my focus will be on spiritual chains. Like in physical imprisonment, the evidence of spiritual imprisonment is prolonged limitation which could last a lifetime. An individual locked up in the physical prison has a significantly limited freedom of movement, as his freedom is mainly confined to the prison facility. Though he may have many dreams and aspirations to better his life, his prison condition limits him from realizing them; this will be his condition for the duration of his imprisonment. Here are three reasons for his limitation: first, he is locked up, second, he is monitored by prison guards to prevent escape and third, he is subjected to do only those things dictated by the authority that has locked him up. This is the condition of people in spiritual chains.
This explanation should help you understand that innumerable number of people that appear to be enjoying physical freedom are indeed chained spiritually; though they may have dreams and aspirations, these are mere illusions as the efforts they make to realize them end up in unexplained futility. Although some of these people may be hardworking, they nevertheless enjoy little or no progress in life. They may appear happy externally, inwardly they grieve and have no peace within. They wish they could jump out of themselves, but they cannot because they are bound. They may watch their lives helplessly waste away unless steps are taken to unravel the mystery behind their condition and how it may be reversed. This mystery is often connected to the source of the bondage which I would like to call a gateway. As I stated in section one above, I isolated six areas in part one that are especially important to consider as you examine your life for possible gateways: prayerless life, covenant, consultation of fortune tellers, household wickedness, living in a cursed territory, and partnership. In this part, I would like to uncover three more gateways: personal wickedness, disobedience to laws, ignorance.
Personal Wickedness
Personal wickedness is another way that people enter bondage. Spiritual and natural laws have a way of returning to man the good or evil he does to another. We live in a time when people seem to have lost value for the rights and lives of others. A common saying is that what goes around comes around; this is a natural and spiritual law which governs sowing and reaping. In the bible, Galatians 6:7 states, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Matthew 7:12 has this to say, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Though it may delay, just as it happens to a seed that is sown, both the good and evil a person does to others will always return to them. This article space will not permit me to give biblical and modern instances of people who were affected by the good or evil they did to others. When Cain killed his innocent brother Abel, he was hunted by Abel’s blood and his life wasted away as a vagabond. When you forcefully take away what rightfully belongs to another, or when you forcefully oppress them in any manner, the consequences will certainly return to you. I personally learnt this lesson the hard way. Like the effect of covenant, your challenges in life may be the result of a curse invoked by your own wickedness or that of your ancestors. Examine your life for signs. In your prayer, ask God to forgive you, and set you free from the curse of personal wickedness you have directed against others. Ask Him also to lose you from every power taking advantage of this to oppress you and to release the inheritance you have lost as a result.
Disobedience to Laws
Life is governed by spiritual and natural laws. It is incumbent on every individual to learn the laws that govern whatever actions they plan to take before proceeding with them, else they may be treading in the path of failure. Life is predictable and the outcome of one’s actions can be predictable. God, the Creator never expected man to travel life journey blindly. He tells us in Psalms 37:23 that “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord….” He also says in Proverbs 14:12, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” God, who is the author of life has promised to lead man in the right path of life, which only Himself knows. He states this clearly in Psalms 32:8-9, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding….” Life journey requires wisdom and understanding. Amidst the confusions of ways, there is always the right way to travel to realize your dreams. These ways are called the spiritual laws of God. In the bible, spiritual laws are also called, among other terms used, the ways of God, the word of God, the life of God, the wisdom of God, the voice of God, the light of God, and the keys of the kingdom. In circular term, it is called principles of life. Spiritual laws are given us by God in His infinite love, to protect us from breaking natural laws which are no respecter of persons. For example, by nature, if you jump from a tower building without using any support, the natural law of gravity would pull you down and break you, regardless of your race, or religion, rich or poor. But God’s spiritual law warns and instructs you not to embark on such suicidal mission. This is the difference between natural and spiritual laws. Natural laws are different from spiritual laws. They are the laws that govern the universal system and operation – they do not change. Because natural laws are unchangeable, God gives us spiritual laws to help us cooperate with nature and to protect us from the consequences of breaking them. The danger and strategy of Satan is that he offers counterfeit ways to lure man away from following the right way; his options always end up in disappointments and misery because they set you against natural laws. Attempts to violate spiritual and natural laws will end up in frustration. If you break these laws, they will break you, even if you are ignorant of them. A wise person would study these laws and cooperate with them so he can enjoy success, peace, and joy. As sure as the law of gravity, there are laws that govern marriage, financial success, spiritual fulfillment, health and wellness and all areas of life. These are not obtained by miracles, but by following God’s principles. When you pray, ask God to set you free from the errors of life, and the grace and wisdom to discern between His ways and the ways of Satan. Also ask Him to help you recover all that you have lost as a result of violating His laws.
Ignorance
Your level of success and freedom is a function of your level of knowledge. Life cannot attract what it does not know. Ignorance is an extraordinarily strong spiritual chain which has locked up multitudes in the prison of life misfortune. Ignorance is a chain which binds the mind, and it can only be loosed by knowledge. Hear what Jesus said to the Jews, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) As already stated in the previous section, life is governed by laws. You may understand this by looking at the land in which you live. Every land is governed by a set of laws; this is necessary to make the process in which things work orderly and smooth for the general good of all citizens and so that the ultimate vision of the land can be realized. If you break the laws of your land, you will receive the consequences including imprisonment where necessary. In the same way, the spiritual realm is a higher reality than the physical.
The spiritual realm governs the physical and its laws govern the universe as the Creator drives things in the direction of His overall purpose for the earth. His words are called the truth as against the lie dished out by the evil forces seeking to enslave man. Hosea 4:6 tells us the following, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you….” Natural law is no respecter of persons regardless of your status. The bible is a book of principles that govern man’s existence. It is called keys in the bible as expressed in the following statement Jesus made to Peter, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matt 16:19) God created the church and gathers people in it as a place where He can give them these keys by teaching them knowledge and wisdom. The church is a place you can learn spiritual laws which affect your life (spirit, soul, and body). If you can find the right one, you will receive knowledge and wisdom that can transform your life, set you free from spiritual chains and imprisonments, and make your life fruitful and fulfilled. When you pray, ask God to give you wisdom, revelation, and the grace to follow the right path leading to fruitfulness.
Conclusion
No matter how difficult the circumstances might be, God has a solution. This is the confidence that we have that with God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37). Although God can do all things, He will not intervene unless we purposely involve Him. The way to involve God to help us is through an act of prayer. God makes this clear to us in Luke 18:7-8 “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” I encourage you to turn to prayer today.
sam
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