Captivity is defined as the state of being captured, imprisoned, detained or held against one’s will. In all cases the one that is being held captive, is being held or detain by some physical means such as: a prison cells, hand cuffs, shackles, chains, fetters or even by another person.
It was important that I expand on the definition of captivity because of our teaching today on spiritual captivity. I promise you that after this teaching it would cause you to re-evaluate the cause of your present state and make the necessary adjustments in terms of appreciating where you are and why you are not where you would want to be .
Even though the definition of captivity is defined as the state of being captured, there exists two types of captivity and they are the captivity that we see and the one that we don’t see. It is this one that we don’t see that can be the most challenging and frustrating. Challenging and frustrating, because we can not see what is keeping us from progressing and succeeding. There is nothing visible or has been presented as evidence to this imprisonment or detention, which we know we’re in because of our lack of progress.
I am certain by now you must have figured out that spiritual captivity is the state of being captured with out any tangible, physical or material evidence of that captivity. However your life displays all and more of the signs and evidence of one that has been detained or imprisoned due to the inability to succeed or make progress.
To be imprisoned, detained or captured, firstly, restricts or limits one of their freedoms. Better yet, they can see success, freedom, joy, peace and all things good they desire but do not possess the ability to posses or achieve it because of the obvious; they are being restrained or held against their will.
In the book of Job 42:10 my attention was without delay arrested when I read the following statement, “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job”. This raised eye brows for me because no where in the entire book of Job have I read or seen any evidence or anything remotely close to even suggesting that Job was being held against his will physically. After all, in essence the meaning of captivity is to hold one against their will physically.
So if Job was not being held against his will by any physical means, then what was preventing him from achieving or succeeding like any normal human being? Well, in order to grasp a clear cut understanding of this awesome revelation, let’s look at one of the Apostle Paul’s statements to the church of Corinth. “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” 2 Corinthians 4:18.
The Apostle is making it crystal clear here, that being physically attacked, restrained or challenged is far better than being spiritually attack restrained, or challenged, because at lest physically you can see what is attacking you and now you have an opportunity to set up some sort of defensive mechanism. On the other hand, spiritual attacks and challenges completely blind sides you, leaving you in a state of confusion and frustration, because you are at a loss as to the origin of this attack.
So, let’s go back to the beginning of Job’s dilemma to ascertain clarity of his captivity that was by non- physical means. According to the bible it states that one day the son’s of God presented themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them. The Lord began to inquire of Satan if he had noticed his servant Job and how perfect he was in the earth? Satan revealed something so interesting in his response to God, which speaks to spiritual things or things that we can’t see, but very much do exist.
Satan said, “Have not thou not made a hedge about him, and about his house, and all that he has on every side? Job 1:10. Hedge? What hedge is Satan talking about? Now, just as a reminder God and Satan are both spiritual beings with the ability to see in the spiritual and physical world. So Satan revealed what he saw around Job and all that concerns him. He saw in the spirit realm an invisible barrier that served mainly two purposes 1) to prevent all weapons that or will ever be formed against Job from prospering and 2) to protect, sustain and maintain all that is on the inside of the hedge such as Job’s blessings, talents, gifts, children, properties etc. As an insert here every human has been outfitted with this hedge, and this hedge can only be removed under two conditions. 1) In job’s case God removed his hedge and 2) Man’s disobedience to God’s word makes a break in the hedge allowing the enemy to get in Ecclesiastes 10:8.
Job’s life is now about to take a dramatic turn in events when God had decided to remove this invisible hedge and gave Satan power over everything that job had. Satan being given power over Job, suggest he had authority and dominion over him, meaning Job is no longer the head, neither is he no longer above only but instead beneath. I hope you are taking note Christians because this is where most of us are right now.
Question! Could it be that where you are in you life right now, no money, bills are over due, kids are sick, pains and diseases have invaded your body, marriage is a disaster, your job is the pits, being unemployed and the list goes on. You have prayed consistently, fasted over and over again, sent in monetary seeds to different ministries for that miracle, break through and ABSOLUTELY nothing has happen as a matter of fact things are getting worst and you feel as if God is ignoring you. Could it possibly be God has removed your hedge and allowed Satan to have power over all that you have so that you can be introduced to the real you? Or could it be your opposition to God’s rules has placed you in your current position.
Whatever the case maybe you have certainly met the qualifications for these events in your life. The word of God clearly states that God will not put more on you than you can bear. When he removed your hedge and allowed you to be spiritually caged by Satan, he knew you were and are able to bear what you are experiencing and in the case of others about to experience. At this point, there is no prayer, or fasting that can help you, no human being can assist you. Just like Job friends, they could not help him because God has designed it In such a way that no one or nothing can assist you. YOU HAVE TO WALK THIS ONE OUT ALONE! It is all apart of your destiny with a tremendous reward for your patience and faithfulness as you will read later.
Yes! Just like you I am tired of the God will bless you, God has something better for you, God only chastise those whom he loves and the all too famous one, your break through is right around the corner. The truth is these folks that are telling us these things, are very much right! However we have no other choice than to comprehend that, this same God that we said is good all the time, and all the time he is good is the same one who has given permission to our adversary to spiritually cage us that has resulted in us not being able to increase and succeed physically due to us being imprisoned spiritually.
Again, like Job friends, there are those who are convinced that there is sin in your life, or your wicked ways are catching up with you or there must be something you have done wrong! I am here to say to you today you have done nothing wrong or at least to deserve the pain and suffering that you are going through
Again, Job, just like so many of us has been placed in spiritual captivity. This captivity is the worst of its kind because our hedges has bin removed, allowing those weapons that were and is being formed against us to now prosper. Also, what the hedge once protected, sustained and maintained, has now become disabled, so as a result you lose the home, car, family, job, opportunities basically everything, but hold on this is not the end as a matter of fact this is the beginning of something new. Something if patiently endured will supersede your greatest expectation. Scripture tells us that Eyes have not seen, ears has not heard neither has it entered into the hearts of men, what God has PREPARE FOR THOSE THAT LOVE HIM. This scripture is speaking to a select group, and that group is those that love God. Question! Do you still love God in spite of your losses, disappointments, broken marriage, frustration and the reoccurring bad things that have been happening in your life that seemingly has no end?
Scripture reveals that after Job was informed of his losses including that of his ten children, he arose tore his clothes, shaved his head dropped to the ground and worship. How does one do that in the face of such difficulty? Only those God has chosen to walk a particular road, and simultaneously these same people value and appreciate their God above anything else in this world. As proof of this Job said, “Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave and it is he that has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord” wow!
Every time I read Job’s statement after his losses, especially concerning the death of his children I am almost moved to tears, to see the commitment and the resilience of this man in the midst of so much grief and agony. After discovering this truth of spiritual captivity and I realized that there is absolutely nothing one can do concerning this state other than praying for patience and endurance. My mind began to gravitate to the scripture that admonishes us to do exactly what Job did and that is, “In everything give thanks, for this is the WILL of GOD in Christ Jesus concerning us 1Thessalonians 5:18. It is a must that I make unequivocally clear that the word “everything” means the good and bad and not just the good as most Christian has been led to believe
Finally, as we’ve read earlier the same God that caused him to be in spiritual captivity was the same God that turned or released Job from his spiritual captivity and gave him double of what he originally had. Bottom line you do not have the privilege of suggesting what road God should assigned to you, all roads has been determine before the foundation of the world. You just have to patiently wait until God decides to turn your captivity. However he’s promised you that if you delight yourself in him he’ll give you the desires of your heart Psalms 37: 4.
Heavenly Father, your works, ways and thoughts are far beyond our understanding. You’ve said in your word that as far as the heavens are from the earth so is your ways and thoughts different from ours. This being the case Father, because I know that there is no compromise as it relates to your word. My prayer is that you furnish the readers of this article with a supernatural ability to be patient in enduring their assigned time of their spiritual captivity in the matchless and wonderful name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
Written by: Kevin L. A Ewing
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