When the Lord takes our ‘captors,’ CAPTIVE— we are ‘set free.’
____________________________________________________
Matthew 11
“And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his 12 disciples, he departed thence— to teach and to preach in their cities.”
____________________________________________________
In this first verse we can see the ‘context’ of this chapter— he is TEACHING LESSONS here; he is ordering the ‘steps,’ the learning and the walk— to his disciples— his students of his ways.
____________________________________________________
2 “Now when John had heard— in the prison— the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 and said unto him— Are you he [the one] that should come [that is supposed to be our Messiah] — or do we look for another?”
____________________________________________________
The first lesson we learn, as we too are students of him, his teachings here, and his way— is that— John, was in doubt and fearing he was following the ‘wrong guy,’ in Yahshua; he was under ‘spiritual warfare,’ from the enemy.
You see, many people do not
truly understand spiritual warfare.
And the longer I walk life out with the Messiah, and his Holy Spirit, and walk the scriptures with him— I understand that the ‘battle,’ is in the SOUL of man.
The demonic lives in, and out of— the CARNAL NATURE of man; so, we CRUCIFY THAT; and we do that— by not allowing the SOUL-MAN to participate with it.
When we do that— the demonic ‘operators,’ MUST GO.
Folks, THAT IN ITSELF— is ‘deliverance’ of evil presences; for deliverance essentially means— to be set free from the presence and influence of the enemy.
When we SHOOT DOWN the enemy attributes, and activities from BEING ALLOWED TO BE LIVED OUT through our lives— we ERADICATE THE ENEMY from ‘within.’
Self deliverance with God is as easy as having a GENUINE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, allowing him to REFORM YOUR INNER MAN, and then WALK IT OUT WITH HIM, as he ‘detailed’ in scripture— to ‘be.’
When we do this sanctification clean up, and when we get refined, which is REFORMED INTO HIS VERY PERSON’S LIKENESS— the enemy IS CAST OUT, literally— as we choose to ONLY LOOK LIKE, ACT LIKE, and find our being— BEING AS— God is.
They are quite literally OUSTED FROM WITHIN, and their KINGDOM IS ANNIHILATED; and God’s Kingdom, ‘within—’ is UPHELD.
The longer I do life with God, and walk it with him, allowing him to teach me, and reform me— the more I see the battle isn’t with entities coming at us on the outside, not even the body— it is the enemy ‘ALIGNMENTS’ within man— inside his ‘beliefs, principles and conduct—’ that are the BIGGEST THREAT.
Because, if the inner man, of each human— does not align with God, his ways, and his nature, attributes and conduct— then, that man— aligns with, is in conjunction with, is in cahoots with, is in COVENANT WITH— the enemy realm, and their kingdom is ‘found upheld,’ within that man: and their kingdom is of DEATH and ESTRANGEMENT.
We WIN AGAINST THE ENEMY— when we no longer welcome him inside of us any longer— in allowing our person to operate like him, believe his lies, or live in his conduct of person, eating from his options.
John— one of the closest to Christ, even a relative of his, and highly regarded by him— is suffering warfare, and in that— the enemy has ‘gained ground’ in him; and Jesus will send his representatives, back to John— to remind him of who he is, what he’s here for— and just how the KINGDOM OF GOD— deals with ‘captivity,’ and warfare— coming against his children.
This, is called— ‘building him up in the Lord,’ again— just as David had to be encouraged in ‘the Lord,’ again; which truly means— RECALL THE TRUTH OF WHO GOD IS, and HOW HE IS ALL POWERFUL, ALL RULING HIGH KING— and ‘decimates’ ALL THINGS ‘evil,’ as he is HIGH PRIEST— the HOLY ONE.
____________________________________________________
4 “Jesus answered and said unto them— Go and show John again— those things which you hear and see:
5 The blind— RECEIVE THEIR SIGHT, the lame— WALK, the lepers— ARE CLEANSED, the deaf— HEAR, the dead— ARE RAISED UP, and the poor— HAVE THE ‘gospel’ [that’s the good news of the Messiah, the Kingdom, and FREEDOM] —PREACHED TO THEM.
6 And blessed “is he–” whosoever SHALL NOT BE OFFENDED— in me.”
____________________________________________________
Offended, here, in the verse above— is to be— SCANDALIZED [and a ‘scandal’ is— MORAL OUTRAGE], TO ENTRAP, that is TRIP UP, STUMBLE, or ENTICE TO SIN, APOSTASY or DISPLEASURE— in the Strong’s definition.
The devil, through inner man warfare— and giving into the flesh, the thoughts of the flesh, in doubt and unbelief— which are opposites of faith and trust— TRIPPED UP JOHN, ENTRAPPED HIM SCANDALOUSLY.
And Christ, in his MERCY and LOVE, sent him fellow brethren, and followers of Messiah himself— to REMIND JOHN OF several things— chiefly— ‘who Yahshua is,’ and ‘how the Kingdom of God works.’
And in that— John can ‘loose’ the workings of the warfare against him— by GAINING THE TRUTH AGAIN, and the PROPER PERSPECTIVE— living by the Spirit of God again, and not the ‘flesh’ talk, and perspective.
__________________________________________________
Hebrews 11:6
“But without faith [trust] it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe “THAT HE IS—” and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
____________________________________________________
God says here, that you have to approach him first— by TRUSTING HIM, and TRUSTING ‘in’ HIM, and that ALL THINGS are possible with him; and then he says— We have to believe— “that he is.”
Is what??
That “he is” the God of the impossible, that “he is”— ________. [fill in the blank]
That “he is” —ALL POWERFUL.
That “he is” —THE FATHER.
That “he is” —THE SAVIOR.
That “he is” —COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH YOU.
That “he is” —COME TO SET YOU FREE.
That “he is” —THE DELIVERER.
That “he is” —THE HIGH KING, and that all will bow before him and confess such.
We must believe that “HE IS!”
And John had doubted, and slid, and forgotten that– ‘HE IS–’ and needed ‘reminding;’ so God sent him his representatives, to remind him.
And in that— he gave a lesson on spiritual warfare.
As well, he reminded him ‘how’ his Kingdom functions, and what that ‘looks’ like; and that CAPTIVITY, itself, where the enemy has come to ‘hold men down’ from their TRUE IDENTITIES— has been ‘taken captive’ itself— BY GOD.
____________________________________________________
(returning to Matthew 11)
7 “And as they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John— What did you go out into the wilderness to see?? A reed shaken with the wind??
[weakness, commonality, vanity—
what did you REALLY go to ‘see?’]
8 What did you go to see??
A man clothed in soft raiment?
Behold— those who wear soft clothing, are in kings' houses.
[speaking of entitlement, no blue collar servant hood
there, but comforts and lack of sweat]
9 WHAT DID YOU GO TO SEE?? —A prophet??
YES— I say unto you— and more than a prophet.
{John cried in the Wilderness—
‘REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND!’}
___________________________________________________
When God says something 3 TIMES— we are to take ‘note;’ for the number 3 means— COMPLETE. He is attempting to ‘complete a lesson’ here, and make his point.
___________________________________________________
10 “For this is he, of whom it is written— Behold, I send my messenger [John] before your face, who shall PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE YOU.”
___________________________________________________
He is reminding John of who he is, and the disciples too— that he was prophesied about— who would PAVE THE WAY FOR THE MESSIAH.
John 1:6-8
“There was a man SENT FROM GOD— whose name was John.
7 The same [man] came FOR A WITNESS— to bear witness of— THE LIGHT [Messiah] —that all men ‘through him’ might believe.
8 He was not that Light— but WAS SENT— to bear witness of that Light.”
+
Matthew 3
“In those days came John the Baptist— PREACHING IN THE WILDERNESS of Judaea, 2 And saying—
REPENT— for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!!
[the part where he said in Matt 11—
WHAT DID YOU COME TO SEE???
‘A Prophet—’ YES, but more than that.]
3 For this is he who was spoken of by THE PROPHET ELIJAH, saying— THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS— ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’
4 And the same John— had HIS RAIMENT— of ‘camel's hair,’ and a leather girdle about his loins— and his meat was locusts and wild honey.”
____________________
He was not in KINGS RAIMENT— but camel skins, eating locusts— a SERVANT, and LOWLY, like the Lord Messiah he was paving the way for.
_____________________
2 “...The word of God came unto John— the son of Zacharias— in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching THE BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE for the REMISSION OF ‘sins.’
4 And, as it is written in the book of the words of Elijah, the prophet, saying— THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS— Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
[Every time this is quoted, and read— ‘prepare the way of the Lord—’ John, the disciples, and we— are reminded that, John was SENT, and FULFILLED THE PROPHECY; this is to remind us all— OF OUR IDENTITY. Both to remind John, to kill those doubts in himself, and in Yahshua— but also to us, as we are now called to PICK UP THAT MANTLE— and be ‘witnesses’ of the GOOD NEWS OF MESSIAH, as well.]
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and THE CROOKED, SHALL BE MADE STRAIGHT— and THE ROUGH WAYS, SHALL BE MADE SMOOTH; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
___________________
This he was speaking of REPENTANCE WITHIN THE SOUL OF MAN, as well— and unto the OBEDIENCE OF— the Spirit of God; this is ‘born again,’ in all 3 parts of man.
First, in the Spirit— gaining the free gift of the renewal of the spirit man— through Messiah and his sacrifice, as the Lamb; then, IN THE SOUL-MAN, as we put it in subjection to be led of the Spirit— and get REFORMED; and lastly— when we get our spirit reborn, and our soul on board— WE CRUCIFY THAT FLESH, and in the end— he glorifies the mortal flesh as well.
Bringing ALL 3 PARTS OF MAN: body, soul and spirit— UNDER GOD, and REFORMED— which is, ‘redeemed,’ and ‘justified,’ being brought back into his image.
________________________
God is reminding EVERYONE— who he is, and who John is— and that it was “declared” long ago— and he HAS FULFILLED HIS CALLING; the Lord is quite faithful to ‘bring us into remembrance’ of the TRUTH.
He ‘builds us up,’ and simultaneously— TEARS DOWN STRONGHOLDS WITHIN US— AT THE SAME TIME.
John needed reminding, he needed to— ‘bring into remembrance’ the scriptures, the prophecies, and who he is, and what he had done— simultaneously bringing into remembrance— WHO YAHSHUA IS, as he was doubting, in the beginning of the chapter, in warfare; and the disciples [us too], needed to learn this lesson on spiritual warfare, as well.
___________________________________________________
11 “Verily I say unto you— Among them who are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding— he that is “least” in the kingdom of heaven— is greater than he.”
___________________________________________________
Here God is reminding us, the first is last, and the last— is first; those who learn to be abased, humbled, and to serve EVERYONE ELSE, and wait upon the Lord for him to exalt us in ‘due season,’ will be the most highly regarded in the eyes of our God, in his Kingdom.
Why??
Because this is ‘the walk of the Son;’ he did just that when he came, lived perfectly the law of God— and died whilst taking on criminals and their sentences— UPON HIMSELF— and in doing so— he FREED US, and SERVED US ALL.
Those who carry Sonship, will carry his ‘mantel,’ his walk, his conduct, and his COURSE— they too— will live lowly, and serve all.
____________________________________________________
12 “From the days of John the Baptist, until now— the kingdom of heaven ‘suffers’ violence— and the violent take it by force.”
____________________________________________________
Here is where I am going to ‘differ’ from the average message you have heard on this verse, in times past; violence, when you look up the Strong’s definition, which is the Greek used in context here, it speaks of something quite different than the ‘violence,’ we understand.
G971 – Violence
Greek: βιάζω
Transliteration: biazō
Pronunciation: bee-ad'-zo
Definition: TO FORCE to CROWD AROUND ONE, TO BE ‘SEIZED.’
And the definition of the word ‘violent–’ here in this verse, would be the CAPTORS, who are encircling, flanking like a military move, and SEIZING THE PERSON: spiritual warfare.
When we understand that ‘violence,’ here in this verse means— TO TAKE CAPTIVE, by ENCIRCLING, FLANKING A PERSON ON ALL SIDES, and ENTRAPPING THEM— ‘seizing’ them— we can understand that FREEDOM— is the opposite with God.
THE TRUTH, and he’s a person— SETS PEOPLE FREE;
the opposite of captive by the enemy.
And further in the scriptures, he says— HE— takes ‘captivity,’ CAPTIVE, himself!
Which is like a double negative in mathematics, where 2 negatives— make a POSITIVE: it’s the opposite.
He takes ‘captivity,’ that’s enslavement— and he SETS CAPTIVES FREE— by taking captivity, captive to himself; which means— HE OBLITERATES CAPTIVITY from the enemy in our lives: THIS IS DELIVERANCE, which means— TO RECOVER ONE.
It would always ‘burn a fire within me,’ when I would hear people tell us to be VIOLENT BACK— like the enemy is; because the truth is— MERCY and FORGIVENESS, SET US FREE.
When God sent his Son, to GIVE US—
mercy and forgiveness—
when we deserved it the LEAST.
So, to obliterate VIOLENCE, which is CAPTIVITY— God sent his Son— to DECIMATE CAPTIVITY, and to set us free; and in doing that— he goes after the ‘violent,’ or the CAPTORS— and he TAKES THOSE FALLEN ENTITIES— ‘captive’ to HIMSELF.
And ‘that,’ folks— IS DELIVERANCE, from the DELIVERER, himself.
______________________
Ephesians 4:8
“Wherefore he said— When he ascended up on high— HE LED CAPTIVITY, CAPTIVE— and gave gifts unto men.”
______________________
This verse in Ephesians is talking about AFTER HE DIED, AROSE FROM DEATH, and DESCENDED INTO HELL to get the keys of Death and Hades— he then, ‘ascended on high—’ that’s a HIGH REIGNING KING IN AUTHORITY, and he TOOK CAPTIVE, BONDAGE (captivity), and he TOOK BONDAGE CAPTIVE.
That’s the works of the devil y’all!!!
He sets CAPTIVES FREE— by taking the enemy (devils, and the flesh nature) CAPTIVE itself— through HIMSELF!!
________________________
H7672 – Captivity
Hebrew: שׁבית שׁבוּת
Transliteration: shebûth shebîyth
Pronunciation: {sheb-ooth'} sheb-eeth'
Definition: exile; concretely prisoners; figuratively A FORMER STATE OF PROSPERITY.
_________________________
And if the Strong’s definition of ‘captivity’ is— A FORMER STATE OF PROSPERITY, that is ‘lost;’ then, to SET US FREE FROM CAPTIVITY— is to RETURN US TO PROSPERITY in the Lord, and THROUGH— Yahshua.
And ‘prosperity,’ in the Strong’s, means— TO DO WELL.
In ‘coming to the TRUTH,’ and he’s a person with his wisdom— we are SET FREE FROM THE LIES and the ‘captivity,’ of being HELD IN THE FALLEN STATE OF LIVING LIFE BY ‘the flesh’ carnal nature, where devils dwell and find their being [if we allow them to] — and we ‘LIVE IN THE SPIRIT,’ by the TRUTH, and with God.
And ‘this—’ is DELIVERANCE, and TAKING CAPTIVE, CAPTIVITY, BONDAGE itself— and in that— we are SET FREE in the Messiah.
He takes violence, and the violent— which is to say captivity and seizing, and those who perform that, the captors, the demonic— and TAKES THEM ‘captive.’
And in turn— FREES US.
He is not violent to anyone— EXCEPT THE DEVIL— and he takes ‘them,’ CAPTIVE; unto ‘us,’ his children— he is GENTLE, and LONGSUFFERING, and KIND— extending his MERCY unto us, up to a thousand generations!!
____________________________________________________
13 “For all the prophets and the law prophesied— until John.
[Meaning— John, himself— was the FULFILLMENT OF, all they prophesied, and of the ONE that would COME— to pave the way for the Messiah.]
14 And if you will receive it— this of Elijah— who was for to come.
[speaking of John, and paving the way for Messiah]
15 He who has ears to hear [what the Spirit is saying]— let him hear.”
____________________________________________________
To destroy the enemy, Jesus came in LOVE; he did not take anything by force— except CAPTIVITY ITSELF.
And in taking back the PRISON, and THE CAPTORS CAPTIVE, himself— HE SET US FREE.
To ‘take captivity, CAPTIVE—’ is to SET THE PRISONERS FREE, and TO OPEN THE PRISON DOORS— letting the prisoners GO FREE.
__________________
Isaiah 61:1
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”
__________________
God is the opposite of how the enemy works; the enemy TAKES WITHOUT ASKING— for he comes to ‘STEAL,’ kill and destroy.
But God comes to GIVE LIFE– and LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY; ‘life–’ IS FREEDOM IN CHRIST— for ‘he is’ LIFE ITSELF.
So, in coming to Christ, the Truth, and MERCY— God, and us— SET OTHERS FREE, by literally taking ‘captivity,’ WHICH IS FLANKING US, ENCIRCLING US, and TAKING US PRISONERS by the fallen nature…
And he comes and FREES US, by going after ‘captivity,’ and the ‘captors,’ and IMPRISONING THEM!
[the demonic and their operations in us]
And by doing that—
HE SETS US FREE
by ‘the truth—’ which is HIM.
He is the way, THE TRUTH and LIFE ITSELF.
His Kingdom— and where is that now— IN US— suffers a CAPTIVITY and BONDAGE (violence); and that BONDAGE and CAPTIVITY— comes complete with CAPTORS (the violent).
But GOD, Yahshua, and the HOLY SPIRIT— come to WRECK THE VIOLENT, the CAPTORS— by taking ‘them,’ CAPTIVE in VIOLENCE… as God erects his HIGH RULE IN US—
As we SURRENDER TO HIS REFORMATION, and SANCTIFICATION PROCESS— within us.
This is how the violent, bondage captors— the enemy kingdom within— are WRANGLED, THROWN DOWN, and TAKEN OUT; when we take DOMINION IN CHRIST, with and by Christ— and we SUBDUE THOSE ENEMIES within the inner man…
UNALIGN with their operations and kingdom— and GET SET FREE— as we ‘re-align’ with God Holy and his Kingdom and operations INSIDE OF US.
Reformation— IS SALVATION;
Redemption in full—
is when
God GETS HIS MAN BACK,
‘in full.’
And WE— ‘assist God’ in this— by WORKING WITH HIM, not AGAINST HIM; and by offering our lives back to him, to be reformed, and brought back into his image, and under his authority and rule— WITHIN— where the Kingdom resides.
____________________________________________________
Help God, help you— to take captivity captive, within your person— and he will kick out the enemy, as you realign with his Kingdom within, and his REFORMATION OF THE INNER MAN process.
He did say— a man cannot have 2 MASTERS WITHIN; that is what Matthew chapter 6 is saying, right before this verse below.
____________________
Matthew 6:33
“But seek ye first— the Kingdom of God [that’s his leadership erected within you]— and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS [that’s desire for to be LIKE HIM again in your person, living as he is]; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
___________________
He tells us we cannot have 2 masters; the flesh and the Spirit cannot coexist harmoniously— they are enemies.
So, we must ‘workout’ our Salvation— that’s ‘work at’ our sanctification process through God being allowed to REFORM US back into his person’s being— as we are like him again, in image.
When we do this, we DESIRE to ‘walk in’ HIS RIGHTEOUS WAYS again— and we have his KINGDOM ERECT ‘inside us,’ because that’s where it is now— and we then— GAIN ALL THE OTHER THINGS, he said.
THIS— is how we defeat the enemy; by giving him NO PLACE WITHIN US any longer; and seeing we ERECT GOD’S KINGDOM WITHIN, ‘by’ HIS RIGHTEOUS REFORMATION and SANCTIFICATION PROCESS, of gaining his NEW MAN CREATION IN CHRIST— that we gained when we said ‘yes’ to him, and accepted him as Savior and Lord.
Lord— the one who guides and orders me in all my ways; and Savior— the one who delivers me from my enemies, death and hell.
We defeat the violent, captors and bondage— when we EMBRACE GOD HOLY, and RETURN TO HIM, in all our APPEARANCE, and INNER MAN WORKINGS; which is truly what ‘reconciling to the Father’ again— means.
We return to his image, being ‘juniors’ of him, seedlings, little ones of HIS again— and we DISPLACE THE ENEMY— from within; which takes him captive— and JAILS HIM— keeping him OUT— instead.
Walk with God— be free.
Walk with God— kick devils out.
Walk holy as he is holy— and devils cannot abide there.
Walk holy as he is holy— and walk sanctified, and spotless, and wrinkle-free, as his Bride.
The enemy is taken captive, thrown down, and kicked out, by DOMINION and SUBDUING— when we won’t live like him any longer; and we TRULY— embrace the Lord within, to erect HIS KINGDOM OPERATIONS and RULE— within us.
May we all return to the Lord, and HIS IMAGE; and in that— may we all TAKE THE ENEMY CAPTIVE, and BE SET FREE FROM BONDAGE and STRONGHOLDS. Amen.
AMEN