[The Bondage Breaker by
Neil T Anderson Dave Park is a book that has helped me so much and opened up the Bible for me and helped me to see God, me and life for what it really is. I am still learning, but I have learned a lot already and I highly suggest you get and read this book. This excerpt I am sharing with you is not from the exact version I am reading. Mine is The youth edition (which is what you should get) but this is from the normal version because it's what I could find. It's generally the same. ]
{3 Sections from chapter 7}
Running the Gauntlet of Evil
How do these evil spirits interfere with our lives? Let me answer with a simple
illustration. Imagine that you are standing at one end of a long, narrow street lined on
both sides with two-story row houses. At the other end of the street stands Jesus Christ,
and your Christian life is the process of walking down that long street of maturity in Him.
There is absolutely nothing in the street which can keep you from reaching Jesus. So,
when you receive Christ, you fix your eyes on Him and start walking.
But since this world is still under the dominion of Satan, the row houses on either
side of you are inhabited by beings who are committed to keeping you from reaching
your goal. They have no power or authority to block your path or even slow your step, so
they hang out of the windows and call to you, hoping to turn your attention away from
your goal and disrupt your progress.
One of the ways they will try to distract you is by calling out, "Hey, look over
here! I've got something you really want. It tastes good, feels good, and is a lot more fun
than your boring walk down the street. Come on in and take a look." That's temptation,
suggesting to your mind ways to serve yourself instead of God. We will discuss
temptation in greater detail in Chapter 8.
As you continue your walk toward Christ you will also have thoughts like "I'm
stupid. I'm ugly. I'll never amount to anything for God." Satan's emissaries are masters at accusation, especially after they have distracted you through temptation. One minute
they're saying, "Try this; there's nothing wrong with it." Then, when you yield, they're
right there taunting, "See what you did! How can you call yourself a Christian when you
behave like that?" Accusation is one of Satan's primary weapons in his attempt to distract
you from your goal. We will consider his ploy of accusation more fully in Chapter 9.
Other remarks which are hurled at you as you walk down the street sound like
this: "You don't need to go to church today. It's not important to pray and read the Bible
every day. Some of the New Age stuff isn't so bad." That's deception, and it is Satan's
most subtle and debilitating weapon. You will often hear these messages in first-person
singular: "I don't need to go to church today, pray, read my Bible," etc. Satan knows you
will be more easily deceived if he can make you think the thought was yours instead of
his. Satan's strategy of deception will be more fully explored in Chapter 10.
What is the enemy's goal in having his demons jeer you, taunt you, lure you, and
question you from the windows and doorways along your path? He wants you to slow
down, stop, sit down, and if possible, give up your journey toward Christ. He wants to
influence you to doubt your ability to believe and serve God. Remember: He has
absolutely no power or authority to keep you from steadily progressing in your walk
toward Christ. And he can never again own you, because you have been redeemed by
Jesus Christ and you are forever in Him (1 Peter 1:18,19). But if he can get you to listen
to the thoughts he plants in your mind, he can influence you. And if you allow him to
influence you long enough through temptation, accusation, and deception, he can control
you. We'll talk more about the extent of demonic control in a Christian's life in Chapter
11.
Levels of Bondage
There are several levels of spiritual freedom and bondage between the apostle Paul,
whose Christian life and ministry were exemplary despite his battle with sin and Satan
(Romans 7:15-25; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9), and the Gadarene demoniac, who was totally
controlled by demons (Matthew 8:28-34). Nobody loses control to Satan overnight; it's a
gradual process of deception and yielding to his subtle influence. It is my observation that
no more than 15 percent of the evangelical Christian community is completely free of
Satan's bondage. These are the people who are consistently living a Spirit-filled life and
bearing fruit. The other 85 percent are struggling along fruitlessly at one of at least three
levels of spiritual conflict.
First, a believer may lead a fairly normal Christian life on the outside while
wrestling with a steady barrage of sinful thoughts on the inside: lust, envy, greed, hatred,
apathy, etc. This person has virtually no devotional life. Prayer is a frustrating experience
for him, and he usually struggles with interpersonal relationships. Most Christians in this
condition have no idea that they are in the middle of a spiritual conflict. They would not
identify with the concept of hearing voices, but would readily admit to a problem-filled
thought life.
Instead of recognizing that their minds are being peppered by the fiery darts of the
enemy, they think the problem is their own fault. "If those foul thoughts are mine, what
kind of person am I?" they wonder. So they end up condemning themselves while the
enemy continues his attack unchecked. I see about 65 percent of all Christians living at
this level of spiritual conflict.
The second level of conflict is characterized by those who c
an distinguish between
their own thoughts and strange, evil "voices" which seem to overpower them. "What am I
thinking?" they wonder with alarm when a barrage of sinful 1(ieas, thoughts, and fantasies
floods their minds. They experience no victory and wonder if they are cracking up but
they are so frightened by the prospect that they won't share it with anyone. Yet the
majority of Christians at this stage still fail to see their struggle as a spiritual conflict.
They seek counseling and try to discipline their thoughts, but they experience little or no
improvement. I estimate that about 15 percent of all Christians fall into this category.
Most of these people are depressed, anxious, paranoid, bitter, or angry, and they may
have fallen victim to drinking, drugs, eating disorders, etc.
At the third level of conflict, the individual has lost control and hears voices
inside his mind which tell him what to think, say, and do. These people stay at home,
wander the streets talking to imaginary people, or occupy beds in mental institutions or
rehab units. Sadly, about 5 percent of the Christian community falls victim to this level of
deception and control
When an individual gives in to the inner voices long enough, he is subject to
severe oppression by demonic powers, as exemplified in the Gadarene demoniac. The
evil spirits exert such control that the individual's personality can be largely bypassed for
long periods of time.
Just Say No
There are three ways of responding to the demonic taunts and barbs being thrown at you
from those second-story windows during your daily walk with Christ, and two of these
ways are wrong.
First, the most defeated people are those who consider demonic thoughts and
believe them. A subtle thought is shot into your mind: "You don't pray, read your Bible,
or witness like you should. How could God love you?" That's a bald-faced lie, because
God's love is unconditional. But you start thinking about your failures and agreeing that
you're probably not very lovable to God. Pretty soon you're sitting in the middle of the
street going nowhere.
These Christians are totally defeated simply because they have been duped into
believing that God doesn't love them, or that they will never be a victorious Christian, or
that they are a helpless victim of the past. There is no reason why they can't get up
immediately and start walking again, but they have believed a lie and they can't go
anywhere.
The second response is just as unproductive. You try to argue with the demons: "I
am not ugly or stupid. I am a victorious Christian." You're proud that you don't believe
what they say, but they're still controlling you and setting your agenda. You're standing in
the middle of the street shouting at them when you should be marching forward.
We are not to believe evil spirits, nor are we to dialogue with them. Instead, we
are to ignore them. You're equipped with the armor of God; they can't touch you unless
you drop your guard. With every arrow of temptation, accusation, or deception they shoot
at you, simply raise the shield of faith, deflect the attack, and walk on (Colossians 2:6).
Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Choose truth in the face of every
lie. As you do, you will find your maturity and freedom increasing with every step.
