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Pathways to Freedom
Lesson One


Invisible Chains


The Spirit World

This course is called Pathways to Freedom. In this first lesson, we will discover what it is that we need to be set free from. There is much more to our world than what we can see with our eyes. There is also the spiritual realm: the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light, consisting of spirit beings, both good and bad. The spirit world affects us and our world in ways that we can only understand through the study of God’s word. In this course, our focus will be on the kingdom of darkness, on Satan and his hordes of demonic beings. We will learn how they constantly war against us, binding us with invisible chains and how to get free from all the bondages of our enemy.

We can see the effects of these invisible chains all around us. We see people in bondage to fear, sickness and disease, depression, mental illness, anger, hatred, abuse, addictions, poverty and prejudices among others. Satan is behind all evil in our world. He is the god of this world, and he hates God’s creation (2 Corinthians 4:4). He will stop at nothing to destroy us. The problem is that most people don’t even know that they have an enemy that wars against them. Satan likes it that way; it makes his job easier. In this war, knowledge is our first line of defense. God’s word says that we will be destroyed without knowledge. (Hosea 4:6) The beginning of our pathway to freedom is knowledge.

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11 KJVR)

Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil's tricks. We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. (Ephesians 6:11-12 CEV)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8 KJVR)

Questions for thought. Read Luke 13:11-16

How did Satan bind this woman with invisible chains?
Do you think she realized that it is was Satan who had her bound?
Do you think most people today realize Satan is the one that has them bound?

 

The Garden of Eden (Genesis 1-3)

To understand how Satan got a foothold on God’s beloved creation we must go back to the Garden of Eden. In the Garden, man was in perfect fellowship with God. Adam and Eve didn’t even know anything about evil. They had never experienced sin, sickness, pain, death or destruction. God created a perfect world and gave them dominion or authority over every living thing. God owns the earth but Mankind was to rule the earth under God’s supreme authority. (Genesis 1:27-28)

God tested Adam and Eve by giving them one rule to follow. He told them they could not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil that was in the center of the garden (Genesis 2:15-17). Any other tree they could eat all they wanted from. They had one simple choice, either to obey God or to disobey Him; thereby, honoring or dishonoring Him as their supreme authority.

Eve, listening to the lies of Satan speaking through a serpent, was deceived by Him and disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden fruit. She then offered the fruit to Adam and He willingly ate it too, thus choosing to follow Satan rather than God! What a mistake, now everything changed. Adam had committed high treason against God! He had willingly formed allegiance with His sovereign’s enemy, overthrowing his own government.

High Treason: 1. Violation of allegiance toward one’s country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one’s country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies. 2. A crime that undermines the offender’s government.

Eve was deceived by Satan’s lies, but Adam was not. Adam made His choice knowing what he was doing (1 Timothy 2:14). By doing this, sin and death entered the earth (Romans 5:12). Just as there are natural laws, there are also spiritual laws that govern this world, including the spiritual realm. There is a spiritual law that says, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), both physical and spiritual death.

The moment Adam and Eve sinned, they died spiritually and they became destined to die physically as well. Their spirit had been eternally alive, in perfect communion with God their Father. After they sinned, their spirit was dead in trespasses and sin with Satan as their master.

Humankind still had their God given dominion over this natural world but now rather than God being their sovereign or ruler, Satan was. Satan became the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Sadly, Adam and Eve’s mistake didn’t only effect them but it effected all of humanity after them. All people born into this world are born into Satan’s kingdom of darkness. Mankind then, had the very nature of their father, a sinful nature.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12 KJVR)

 

Satan’s foothold in the world

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. (1 John 3:8a KJVR)

Jesus replied: I tell you for certain that anyone that sins is a slave of sin! (John 8:34 NKJV)

God had nothing but good planned for His beloved creation. He never wanted us to experience sin or the bonds that sin puts on us. He had a never-ending life of joy, peace and love planned for us, a life where we know no sickness, pain, poverty or death. He desired to have a family with which He could love and spend time.

Remember that God gave man dominion (supreme authority) over the natural realm of the earth. Satan could not take that away from man. Spiritual dominion however changed from God to Satan due to Adams choice to follow Satan. Even after the fall, Satan could not force man to do anything because God had given man a free will. However, because of man’s sin nature he could easily be manipulated and influenced by Satan and his hordes of demons. Man without God, is putty in Satan’s hands. Sinful man obeys the dictates of Satan daily, most without realizing whom they serve and with whom they will spend eternity.

Satan is a cruel taskmaster, along with sin comes many bondages; sickness, disease, addictions, mental illness, fear, anger, hatred, unforgiveness, depression, worry, violence, jealousy and guilt among many others. Behind each bondage, there is a demonic spirit that brings us great torment. As we go deeper into sin, Satan gains an even greater foothold in our life. Because of much sin, he has a great foothold in our world today. He is able to bind people with many things. See appendix A for a list of some of Satan’s bondages that enslave humanity.

 

They were in perfect fellowship and union with God.

God provided everything they needed.

They had eternal life both natural and spiritual.

They knew no sin, guilt, shame, sickness, pain, hatred, violence, death or any other thing from darkness.

Humankind was God’s appointed ruler over everything living on the earth, without any evil dominance or interference.

Man had a free will, given to him by God.

Man had God’s holy nature

 

After the fall

Adam, Eve and all their future descendents belonged to Satan while on this earth and afterward unless God did something to intervene.

Satan was now the god of the world and he gained a much greater foothold in the lives of humans and of this world. However, Satan did have limitations.

Humankind lost their perfect fellowship with God.

Humankind would have to work hard to make a living, and to take care of the earth that God had given them dominion over.

Adam and Eve immediately died spiritually and were doomed to physical death as well.

When they died physically, they would be the total possession of Satan, with no free will remaining, unless God did something to intervene.

They now had the sinful nature of their father Satan.

They now knew sin, death, pain, confusion, guilt, shame, jealousy and every evil thing.

Man still had free will while alive. They still had physical dominion over the earth.

 

God loved his creation and from the beginning knew that Adam and Eve would fail. God had another plan to give each human being an opportunity to re-enter God’s kingdom choosing Him as their God over Satan. God’s ultimate answer to this world’s sin and death problem was Jesus.

The Kingdom of God re-enters the earth!

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8 KJVR)

God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, who forgives our sins and sets us free. (Colossians 1:13-14 CEV)

God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. (Romans 3:25a CEV)

Death ruled like a king because Adam had sinned. But that cannot compare with what Jesus Christ has done. God has been so kind to us, and he has accepted us because of Jesus. And so we will live and rule like kings. Everyone was going to be punished because Adam sinned. But because of the good thing that Christ has done, God accepts us and gives us the gift of life. Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God. (Romans 5:17-19 CEV)

Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:3-5 MKJV)

You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God's people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins. God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory. (Colossians 2:13-15 CEV)

Because God, the creator of all things, gave us dominion over this natural realm we call earth, we may think we are our own god. The truth is that everyone has a spiritual authority he will answer to when he leaves this world, Jehovah God who is our creator, or Satan. When we leave this world, our personal dominion (authority or free will) ends. We will have no power over anything including ourselves, but will totally belong to our Lord. If we belong to Satan, we will go to hell until the judgment at which time Satan and all who follow him will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. Everyone who follows him has freely chosen that path, because God made a way for every human to enter His kingdom and serve Him as Lord. The way is Jesus (John 14:6). God has nothing but good things in store for those that love Him.

Changes that occurred when you received Jesus as your Lord:

Your sins were forgiven and you were brought into right standing with God. You became righteous and holy.

By spiritual law, you were set free from Satan’s bonds.

You entered into God’s kingdom by an act of your will and faith.

God became your father and Lord.

You left Satan’s kingdom. He is no longer your father.

Your now have eternal life. Your spirit will never die.

Satan no longer has a right to bind or enslave you to anything as long as you don’t allow him to through sin or ignorance.

You will be under the Lordship of God after you die as well. Satan cannot touch you.

God has given you spiritual authority under His Lordship, in addition to the natural authority He gave to all humankind in the Garden of Eden.

You now have angelic help and protection.

You now have the Holy Spirit living inside you to help you in many ways.

You now have supernatural gifts given to you by God to help you and to enable you to help others.

You have every tool you need to overcome the evil one in this world.

Things that did not change when you received Jesus as your Lord:

• Your body will still die because you have sinned.
• We are still in this world and have to deal with it evil influences.
• Satan can still tempt us, bind us and torment us if we allow him to through sin or through not understanding spiritual things.

The victory over the kingdom of darkness has already been won through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Satan’s legal right to hold humankind in bondage has been overturned. God’s kingdom has come to us so that we may freely enter in by faith in Jesus, but God’s kingdom has not fully come to earth yet as it was in the day of Adam and Eve. In time, it will. Satan has not yet been locked away; he will be, as is prophesied in the word of God. What a day that will be!

Until that time, the battle rages between darkness and light. As long as we are still in “enemy territory” we are in the center of this war. The world we live in is evil and dark forces still work to tempt, deceive, oppress and bind us. Until God’s kingdom fully comes and Satan is locked away, we must war against dark force with the weaponry and authority God has given to us. To do this we must learn about our enemy and his tactics. In our next lesson, we learn more about the leader of the dark world, Satan.

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