Bound Unlawfully

Isaiah 49:24-26 says, “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save they children?” That scripture gives a powerful illustration of our God's awesome power and deliverance. He has promised to deliver the lawful captive – individuals who, due to their actions, deserve the bondage they have subjected themselves to. 1 Peter 2:20 buttresses the point further, “For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.” There is indeed no glory when you suffer for your faults because, at that point, you merit whatever you get. This article, however, looks at the other angle – people suffering unlawfully.

One can have a conversation on the level and volume of punishment that should be meted out to individuals when they suffer for their wrongdoings. In that situation, the fact that they did wrong isn’t in question; the plea to temper justice with mercy hinges on the punishment they deserve. Conversely, what happens when one suffers unjustly? When people are locked up for crimes they did not commit? There are numerous legal projects aimed at fighting for the liberty of those wrongly incarcerated. History, and even our present world, is replete with stories of individuals who were killed for crimes they did not commit or for collateral damages. People cannot wrap their heads around that act of man’s inhumanity towards fellow man. Unfortunately, it is often beyond man’s volition, action, or inaction. There are demonic and devilish undertones at play that cause individuals to be bound unlawfully. The challenge is that waiting and hoping for a change or for people to come to your rescue does not bring change. Many lives have been lost needlessly, individuals bound recklessly, and people oppressed for generations, all while in hope for a change that never came, and going by history, probably won’t come. What is the spiritual basis for this, and what can we do then? Let’s examine two instances in the scriptures that shocked me when I first encountered them.

First, in 1 Kings 9:16-17, “For Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burned it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.” And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the nether.” A man, in a bid to give a present to his daughter who married King Solomon, burnt an entire city with fire and killed everyone there, just for his son-in-law to build. What manner of disregard for human life is this, that a man destroys the livelihood of an entire city to present a gift to his daughter? The bible didn’t tell us if the daughter lived in the city for the rest of her life, but this is inexplicable, yet, it was allowed to happen. Unfortunately, it still occurs regularly. Innocent people are cut short un-lawfully for the unsustainable pleasure of Satan.

The second instance is from the pool of Bethesda. In John 5:3-5, “In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.” What a dismal situation you find here. A great multitude, powerless, waited for the movement of the water, for they didn’t know when the water would be troubled; the perimeter of that water limited their lives. It was a race for the fastest and the most alert to get into the pool. We don’t know how long people stayed, but a man was there for 38 years without it getting to his turn. Imagine what he could have accomplished over nearly 40 years of his life, yet he was helpless, waiting for someone to assist him. The fact that this anomaly is pervasive should be a concern for every true believer who knows God’s desires for his children. After creation, God looked at everything created and saw that it was very good. It is not very good when people are held captive.

What was Jesus’ reaction when he encountered someone bound? Luke 13:11-16 tells the story of a woman who had been bent over with infirmity for 18 years and was healed by Jesus. When they questioned him, Jesus’s answer in verse 16 is telling: “And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?” The deliverance was so pressing that even on the sabbath day of rest, Jesus went to work. A closer look displays a contradiction of some sort. A daughter of Abraham was bound by Satan. Satan had no right to bind the daughter of Abraham, yet he found a reason to. That’s the problem of many believers. The devil does not have the right to do a lot of the things he does in our lives, yet he takes advantage of reasons and wreaks havoc. That is also why complaining about the illegality of the situation doesn’t change anything. The devil trespasses daily and continues to do that because we allow him to. Jesus did not negotiate with Satan when delivering the woman; he enforced the change by power.

Understanding that the devil is a rebellious spirit and would not be appeased on compassionate grounds would prevent you from pitying the situation. Ecclesiastes 8:11 says, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” The phrase “fully set” mirrors the mindset of Satan in afflicting those under captivity. This is why people can be in a state of addiction from the age of 10 until they are 72 years old, hoping for deliverance, which will never come until they die in that state. Don’t think that you will outgrow your bondage or become used to it or that it will fizzle off as you grow older. Instead, it will become worse and worse with spiritual wickedness afflicting you progressively. Many people are suffering from different forms of medical infirmities that they cannot explain and have accepted to manage or live with, hoping that the universe or the devil would have pity on them and that things would change one day. Things do not change. Newton's first law of motion states that a body will remain at rest or in constant motion unless acted upon by an external force. I can’t emphasize this enough: Things don’t change! You have to change them!

In John 9:1-3, “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” If the man had been diagnosed at this time, there might have been a medical justification or a name given to his condition, but we see that neither the man nor his parents were at fault for his blindness. The devil had no right, yet he took any reason to afflict the family. The same is true for hereditary diseases that are passed down through the bloodline. Please don’t explain it away or decide to live with it since you didn’t cause it. Jesus came and delivered them, setting the family free from oppression. The blind man’s eyes were opened, and he saw. If you read the later parts of the text, the Pharisees questioned him, and his parents weren’t confident in their support of the miracle, but he persevered, and it was permanent.

Ecclesiastes 10:5-7 says, “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth”. Believers, who ought to be princes, are walking, while unbelievers, have the upper hand, riding upon horses. What can we do to counter those acts? First, examine the reasons you give to Satan that justify his action upon your life. Anything other than outright rejection and holy indignation based on God’s word is tantamount to allowing him to hold sway in your life, family, and ministry. Second, have extensive knowledge. Proverbs says, “Buy the truth and sell it not, and also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.” Hosea says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Ignorance, especially spiritual ignorance, is not bliss. Instead, it is death, bondage, and oppression. Stories were told of people who remained slaves after slavery officially ended in the US or those who were still fighting and hiding after the Second World War ended. Thus, God’s word in 2 Timothy enjoins us to “study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the words of truth.”

Third, view every action or inaction through the lens of God’s sight. There is a way that seems right to a man, but that is the way of death. Evaluate your actions not based on how lawful they are, but rather on their expedience in achieving your eventual freedom and living in the fullness of God’s deliverance. Finally, if anything is not in agreement with God’s word, find out God’s word concerning that matter and tarry there unfailingly until you receive the deliverance that you so desperately need. Don’t wait for the day to come, lest you wait for 38 years. Make today that day, and insist on God’s word. Recognize that life is a battleground, and you must emerge victorious. Also, note that it is normal for the enemy to fight. What is abnormal, however, is for them to prevail.

ACTION POINT

Do not give place to the devil, lest he takes advantage of it and wreck evil in your life. Ensure you tackle every experience outside God’s will for your life with God’s word and prayer. We shall overcome by the blood of the Lamb in Jesus' name (Amen).