Today I share what I have found to be a simple yet profound process of bringing the freedom of the Lord into very specific areas of our lives.
Receiving Jesus Christ as Savior is the first step towards this freedom. And then as we continue to walk with Him we can begin to bring His freedom into very specific areas of our life, increasing His light within our own hearts and lives, experiencing freedom and the lightness of the Lord in increasing measure.
Freedom in any area of life comes about through a process before the Lord.
We start with 1) Confession. Confession is where we say “I did it”. Confession admits to something that has gone wrong, and by our own heart and hand.
The ability to confess comes when we see clearly our sin. Those things that offend, deny, or outright attack the character of God.
“I did it”
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” James 5:16
The next part of freedom comes when we are repentant. When our hearts find remorse and sorrow for our sin. Repentance comes as a gift from the Father. The Bible is pretty clear that without the revelation of the Holy Spirit over our hearts we will not understand or even see a need for repentance.
2) Repentance is the place where we declare our sorrow over actions, thoughts, words, whatever it may be, that contradicts the glory and nature of God.
“I am so sorry”
It is quite possible to have confession, “I did it”, without repentance, “I am so sorry”. But to have full freedom we must have both. First the acknowledgment of wrong-doing, and then the grief and sorrow regarding that.
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret” 2 Corinthians 7:10
Next comes 3) Renouncing. This is where we declare, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I say NO to this in my life.”
“I renounce (the name of the specific sin) in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is where we hold our hand out so to speak, against the sin, against the stronghold, and declare “No More!”
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and wordly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” Titus 2:11-12
After 1)Confession, 2)Repentance and 3)Renouncing, we then 4) Break the hold of the sin upon us.
This, all of this, can only be accomplished in our lives because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross some 2000 years ago. He did the work, we merely bring it specifically into and over our lives.
Breaking the hold of the sins over us goes something like this:
“I (name of self), stand in the name and the blood of my Lord Jesus Christ and I declare the stronghold of (the specific sin) broken off of my life. Where it has woven itself into my life, today I say ‘no more’ in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. I remove its grip from my life, I break its hold, I sever its grasp, all in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ.”
Breaking the sin, using whatever picture the Holy Spirit gives us, can only be done through the authority of Jesus. It is why we keep saying His name so many times. ONLY the name of Jesus Christ has any power to break us free from sin’s death grip.
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:5-7
Once we have broken the specific grip of sin off of us, we can then 5) Cancel the accompanying things of the enemy, that most likely have come along because of the sin.
For instance, when we sin we agree with the enemies plans over our life. When we sin we enter into an agreement with Satan. This is like a legal document in the spirit realm, that then plays out in life-debilitating ways.
Cancelling the assignments and curses and authority of the enemy is as simple as declaring it so.
“I (insert your own name) stand in the name of my Living Lord Jesus Christ declaring that all assignments, authority and curses of the enemy be cancelled this day. I declare all things of the enemy in relation to this sin silenced and bound to ineffectiveness, No More! Today I declare a new contract written, this one unto the Lord with all glory and honor to him, all in the name and the blood of my Living Lord Jesus Christ.”
“God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14
6) Claiming comes next. It is the place where we receive from God’s heart and hand that which replaces the sin.
*If there were something to replace the sin in your life, what might it be? (remember, forgiveness is already a given based on the work of Jesus Christ). Here we receive into our lives all that is beneficial, to replace the stronghold of sin that is now cancelled. We then give God the thanks.
“In the name and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, I receive _______________ from the heart of the Father. Thank-you God for this gift. I press it through my whole being, heart, mind, spirit and body in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. Thank-you for making a way for me to glorify You God.”
“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant,” 2 Corinthians 3:5-6
Once we have 1)Confessed, 2)Repented, 3)Renounced, 4)Broken, 5)Cancelled and 6)Claimed we now 7) Seal this work. Covering it and protecting it with the presence of the Lord, sealing ensures that the enemy cannot muck about with the work done. It claims the work as part of the Glory of God and not anyone else.
“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare this work sealed and kept for the glory of God and God alone.”
Language is powerful, and speaking God’s heart into our lives is powerful. Speaking and declaring in the Name and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is powerful.
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
It is because of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ that we can stand in the same authority and declare freedom. We do this verbally, out loud for ourselves.
“Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
This has been but a short summary of the process of bringing specific freedom into specific areas of our lives.
We can do this because of the authority given us in Jesus Christ when we believe on Him.
And when we do this for ourselves, out loud with our own mouths, we participate in the power of the Kingdom of God come to earth.