We have been looking at the Lord’s call to His body to awaken and contend for revival. We are to awaken from our sleep, come into alignment with God’s kingdom and our kingdom assignment, awaken to righteousness, the things of the Spirit, and an awareness of what the Holy Spirit is doing today (Romans 13:11 – 14; Ephesians 5:8-21; 1 John 1:5-7; Isaiah 50:4). Revival requires the purification of our hearts through repentance, confession, surrender, and walking in holiness, prayer, and fasting and worship and praise. We are to manifest Jesus and the kingdom of God on the earth.
Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean shall no longer come to you. Shake yourself from the dust, arise; sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! Isaiah 52:1-2 (NKJV)
God is calling for Zion to awake. We are Zion, which represents the place that God has chosen to dwell. His presence and the glory of God is there. It is a place of abundant provision, salvation, and Blessing (Psalm 132:13-16). God is calling us to awaken to our identity as Zion. Originally, Zion was a fortress or stronghold that King David captured, and he established it as the City of David, where he reigned (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1). God dwelt in the Ark of the Covenant located in the City of David then later moved to the temple in Jerusalem. God now dwells in us after we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord ( Romans 8:10; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 1:27; 2 Corinthians 4:6-7; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20). In the New Testament, Zion refers to the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-24; Revelation 21:10) and also the body of Christ (1 Peter 2:6).
We are to host His Presence and glory then release His glory into our sphere of influence until the glory of the Lord covers the earth. We walk with an awareness of His Presence through a lifestyle of worship, repentance (Hebrews 6:1; Acts 3:19), and prayer. We become like the One we worship. We pray from the Presence of God, not merely as a Christian discipline only. We partner with Him and pray with Him, not just pray to Him. Let the Spirit of God rest upon you and pray through you. Use your faith to discover the ever-abiding Presence of the Lord on your life. When your heart focuses on His heart and Presence, everything else falls into place.
The revelation of Christ unlocks the mystery of Zion. The spiritual nature of Zion dwells in us through our position in Christ. We are a stronghold and seated in heavenly places in Christ (Psalm 48:1-2; 12-14; Micah 4:8). We need a revelation of this. Christ is the cornerstone and foundation of Zion (1 Peter2:6; Colossians 1:27; Isaiah 28:16). A cornerstone is the first stone laid when constructing a foundation and is considered the most important stone in the building and determines the placement of all other stones.
Zion is a place of holiness and true worship, where the glory of God is. We must come to Zion, a place of liberty, freedom, protection, and restoration (Galatians 4:24-26; Hebrews 12:22-24). Zion refers to the heavenly and spiritual dwelling place of the Lord. We are the strength and beauty of Zion because of God’s attributes (Psalm 48:12-13; 50:2; 27:4; 96:6). Zion is beautiful because the glory of the Lord is there, and we wear the beauty of the Lord! His peace also dwells there. In previous blogs, we looked at heart issues. We must have a heart that desires and chooses what God desires. God desires and has chosen Zion.
Our scripture verses this week tells us some things we must do as Zion (Isaiah 52:1-2). We are to awake, put on strength and our glory garments, and to arise and brake off our shackles of captivity. Before we can do that, we must come out of Babylon, which represents spiritual captivity (Revelation 18:4). Babylon was an actual city mentioned in the Bible, but it also represents something in the spirit. Babylon represents the systems of the world and bondage where there is idolatry, sorrow, uncleanness, and religious control (Psalm 137:1; Revelation 14:8). Babylon refers to the flesh and the world.
And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:11 – 14 (NKJV)
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 (NKJV).
Here God is calling us to awaken to who we are in Him and put on our strength to stir ourselves from our sluggishness, complacency, and discouragement, etc. God is our strength (Psalm 46:1-3; Proverbs 18:10; Nehemiah 8:10; Isaiah 41:10; Hebrews 12:12-13). We are to walk in holiness as He is holy (1 Peter 1:14-16; Zechariah 14:20-21). We are to remember who we are in Christ Jesus and that we belong to Him. He is working for us, and as we cling to and follow Him, the enemy can’t have the victory because Christ has already won it for us (1 Corinthians 15:57; Deuteronomy 20:4). We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14) to reveal and reflect His beauty and glory to the world!
We are to shake ourselves from the dust and arise. Open our eyes to the sin and burdens we have allowed and decide we won’t tolerate this condition anymore. We are to get up and take our place of authority in Christ sitting at the right hand of the Father. We can then loose ourselves from the bonds of the enemy. It is from this position that the enemy is under our feet (Romans 16:20; Colossians 2:10; Ephesians 1:21). We can deliver ourselves (Isaiah 52:2; Zechariah 2:7; Luke 10:17-19)!
As we see in Luke 4:18, Jesus came to set the captive free (to deliver people from spiritual bondage). Lures or snares of the enemy that could lead to captivity and spiritual (demonic) oppression can be anything that hinders the abundant, Spirit-filled life that God has for us (Galatians 5:19-21). A born-again Christian can’t be demon-possessed because the Holy Spirit of God takes up residence in their spirit, or heart when Jesus becomes their Lord and Savior. However, we can be oppressed or influenced by the enemy and under spiritual attack in our soul and body. Jesus loves us and willingly laid down His life for each one of us on the cross to deliver us from the bondage of sin and to give us victory, favor, success, and abundant life (John 10:10).
The devil takes advantage of us, i.e., what we eat, betrayal by a friend, someone you love has died, trouble at work, sickness, our attitudes, self-reliance, etc. Because we have a blood covenant with God through Jesus Christ, He will set us free from whatever pit we find ourselves in, whether it’s been from our own making or from things that are outside of our control.
We can’t get out of the pit on our own, and we need the Holy Spirit’s help. Christ sets us free by the power of His Spirit, and then He helps us to maintain our freedom as we learn to live day to day with Him by the power of His Spirit.
Keys to Deliverance and Freedom
Ask the Holy Spirit for Revelation
We need to ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind those things where we need to receive deliverance or freedom and memories that He wants to heal.
Repentance
Once we recognize that we need help because the Holy Spirit has shown us problem areas in our lives, the nextstep towards freedom is to repent to God and others. Repentance means to change our mind, about our sin to turn from it toward God, about God who is loving and forgiving, and about ourselves that we are the righteousness of God in Christ. Daily repentance is helpful to receive the cleansing and forgiveness that He has already provided. You may need to ask forgiveness from those you have harmed and offer forgiveness to those who have hurt you as well.
Renounce the Lies of Satan
Next, we need to renounce the lies of Satan, since all bondage begins with a lie. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to expose the lies to see them for what they are, renounce them in the name of Jesus and to clear them from our minds by allowing our minds to be transformed and renewed by the Word of God; in other words, replacing the lies of the enemy with the truth of God’s Word.
Prayers for Deliverance
Next, we need to ask our Heavenly Father in prayer for our deliverance and receive His righteousness in Christ Jesus. We have been given all power and authority over evil spirits through the name of Jesus Christ (Luke 10:19).
We can be set free by Jesus and allow Him by the Holy Spirit to take us through the process of closing the doors and windows of evil in our lives. Part of closing doors and windows of sin in our lives may be removing things or stop doing something the Holy Spirit says to delete or stop doing because there are demonic spirits behind them or attached to them that can influence you. These include such things as certain types of music, pictures, magazines, TV shows you watch, collectibles, garage sale, and estate sale articles, etc. Ask the Holy Spirit, and He will show you then obey what He tells you to do.
Be Filled with the Holy Spirit
Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you in every place that evil spirits have left. Ask Him to fill you with His power and presence continually. Don’t let anything be in control of you except the Holy Spirit!
Prayer of Repentance, Renunciation, and Filling (to be prayed out loud)
Heavenly Father,
I repent of and renounce all the lies of Satan in my life and every misuse of my body. I ask You to forgive me of my sin, and I ask you to set me free from every bondage in my life. I renounce (name them) by the blood of Jesus, and I cancel every claim I have given the enemy against my body and soul and every form of access to dominion over me that my actions have given him. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit now and fill me with Your Holy Spirit in every place that evil spirits have left. I want only You to be in control of me and only You in my life. Thank You, Lord, for setting and making me free.
In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NKJV)
Present Your Body to God
Lastly, present your body as a living sacrifice to the Lord since it belongs to Him and walk in the Spirit (Romans 12:1-2; 1Corinthians 6:19-20; Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:24-25).
If you would like to present your body to the Lord as a living sacrifice, pray this prayer out loud:
Heavenly Father,
I present my body to You now as a living sacrifice and rededicate my body as the temple of God. I consecrate my spirit, soul, and body to You now totally and completely. Thank You for loving me and setting me free. Thank You that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
What should you do if you have asked or received prayer for deliverance or freedom from bondage, but the problem continues?
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what is standing in the way, i.e., any unconfessed sin? Is there still something in your life that gives demons a legal right to influence you? Do you need to forgive someone? etc. He will show you. Act on what He shows you. You may need to fast and pray as some demons will only leave in this manner (Matthew 17:21; Isaiah 58:6). You may need to receive counseling and deliverance by a Pastor or Deliverance Ministry Team.
Walking in Freedom Daily
Walking in the freedom, we have received through Jesus Christ involves both deliverance and discipleship. Deliverance sets us free, and discipleship helps us to remain free. Discipleship is a process walked out with a mentor and accountability and prayer partner.
Spend time with the Lord daily in His Word, in prayer and praise and worship to Him. His Word will keep you on the right road and is for your good. Find scriptures that specifically address your issues and meditate on them, declaring them over your life.
The battle begins in your mind. The Bible tells us to replace thoughts that are against God and exchange it for His truth. Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Philippians 4:8; 2 Timothy 1:7) will renew our minds.
Guard against evil in what you see, hear and say, i.e., change that TV or radio station or the people you hang around (Matthew 6:22; Psalm 101:3; Philippians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 21:23; Psalm 141:3). Faith to live the abundant life comes from putting the Word first in your life! Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Christ) – Romans 10:17.
The power to walk victoriously comes from the Holy Spirit, and we can experience the Holy Spirit’s power today by being filled moment by moment as we yield to Him. Without His power, we will fail and fall back into bondage. We know this because the Bible tells us that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17), so only the Spirit sets people free and empowers them to walk in freedom. With the Holy Spirit, we have the power to fight sin effectively because He strengthens our inner man (Ephesians 3:16).
We are to walk in the Spirit, which pleases God (Romans 8:8; Philippians 2:13), and it is the Spirit of God that enables us to be victorious over the desires of our flesh. Our flesh is the old human nature that does not desire or value the things of God and prefers to do things independently of God and gets its pleasure from power and the characteristics of the world (Galatians 5:19-21). The flesh and the Spirit are contrary and opposite to one another. Giving in to the desires of the flesh is the opposite of walking in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-17). We are to crucify our flesh (Galatians 5:24).
To be led by the Spirit means to cooperate with Him and to follow His initiative and enablement. The Holy Spirit gives us desires for God’s will and ways and to obey Him. We are to put off the old man and put on the new man who is in Christ (Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans 13:14).
Get your praise and worship on! Praise is where God is and gives us access to heaven (Psalm 22:3; 100:4); it changes our condition and the atmosphere around us (Isaiah 61:3); it brings deliverance (Psalm 50:23); protects (Psalm 59:17; 2 Chronicles 20:22) and preserves (Psalm 71:6-8). Rejoice!
When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then her mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, and we are glad. Psalm 126:1 – 3 (NKJV)
Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, streaming to the goodness of the LORD – for wheat and new wine and oil, for the young of the flock and the herd; their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall sorrow no more at all. Jeremiah 31:12 (NKJV)
Living the Abundant Life 