Lesson 46 – When the Spirit Breaks Bonds

When the Spirit Breaks Bonds

Judges 15:14

"When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting against him. Then the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him; and the ropes that were on his arms became like flax that is burned with fire, and his bonds broke loose from his hands."

    Ever wish you had super hero strength? I sure do, and not just when a little boy. Just think about the good you could do with unlimited power! Let there be no doubt about it. With the Spirit on his side, Samson possessed that strength which has no bounds. Even ropes were no match for him, and neither were the thousand men who tried to bring about his arrest. With the Spirit's touch, Samson was able to break all bonds.

    I think it a fair analogy to suggest that the Spirit has always been in the business of breaking the bonds that try to hold us. Of course, I'm not talking about physical strength, but those bonds which stem from sin. While Satan would lead us into sinful disobedience so as for all of humanity to suffer eternal consequences of death, with the Spirit on the side of the believer, even this seemingly permanent bond is broken. With the Spirit's touch, we are set free from the power behind every bond which would hold us in death.

    Believers sometimes find themselves so deep into sinful practices they wonder if freedom is even a possibility. We identify these ropes that bind as habitual sins. You know these by now, with many of these related to sins of a sexual nature. The good news is that even these are not match for the Spirit within us. Sure, the road to recovery may be long as we shed the physical effects of sinful practices, but victory is possible with the Spirit on our side. Just as Samson received super human strength to break his binds, so does the believer who is surrendered to the Spirit's touch. With God on our side, sin's bounds are no match to victorious living.

    Does that mean we'll never sin? Certainly not, for we all know that when sin's temptations are laid before us, we too often choose to push aside the Spirit and voluntarily be bound by the pleasures of a season. But that's not the way it has to be. With the Spirit on our side, we can break those bonds, just as surely as Samson broke the ropes that bound his arms.

LORD JESUS

May I always remember to turn to you instead of the sin that desires to bind my life in every way possible. I believe your Spirit within me is truly the only way to be set free. Amen.