Freed Prisoners Of War
God wants us to experience full freedom (Gal 5:13, Berkeley). He sent Jesus Christ to make this possible. Yet, all believers are, to varying degrees, freed prisoners of war who are learning how to live without shackles (WPNT note on Lk 4:18).
When we receive Christ, His Spirit lives in us and seeks to control us totally. He wants us to fully submit our wills to His so that we are Holy Spirit-possessed. None of us ever reach this point at every minute of our life. Hence, we are all somewhere on the continuum which ranges from fully under our own or demonic control to fully under the Holy Spirit’s control. When we allow ourselves to willfully sin, we have given Satan a base of operations to work to control us in that area (Ps 19:13, Moffatt with Lamsa); when we allow ourselves to be controlled by others, we are also compromising our freedom because we are yielding to a different source of control than that of God’s Spirit. Hence, in letting others control us, we act like those who disobey the Lord and, so, have the evil one working in them (Eph 2:2, NCV).
Legally, we have been forever freed (Col 2:13-14). Experientially, we need to more fully embrace the freedom that is already ours. Thus, we should have compassion on ourselves and others when we aren’t as far along the continuum toward being Spirit-possessed as we would like. In addition, we should appreciate, protect, and enjoy the opportunity to better learn how to submit to His good will (Eph 4:30, EVD).
Comforting others is costly but worth it.