Question 1

What harmful things can hold me captive?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 5:22An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.John 8:34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.”2 Timothy 2:25-26Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.2 Peter 2:19They [false teachers] promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.Sin and the evil one try to hold you captive, making you do things you know you shouldn’t do, things you don’t want to do. Anything that controls you will hold you captive. Are you captive to unhealthy eating habits, smoking, or alcohol? Are you captive to enticing sins such as gossip or pornography? Sin prevents you from experiencing the true freedom found only in a life lived for God, and captivity to sin can destroy you.Galatians 2:4-5Some so-called believers there—false ones, really. . . . wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.Galatians 4:5God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.Even religious regulations can hold you captive if you follow them at the expense of a personal relationship with Jesus. Rules and traditions, if followed legalistically, can become a source of captivity. Paul wrote to Gentile believers in Galatia who were being forced to follow Jewish laws and regulations. He wanted them to understand that Christ had set them free.Psalm 34:4I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.Your fears can hold you captive, making you unable to move forward, unable to follow God’s will when it moves you out of your comfort zone.Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”1 Timothy 6:10For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.The desire for money or material things can hold you captive. It is not money itself, but the desire or lust for money that allows it to become your master.

Question 2

What causes me to be held captive by these things?

Accepted Answer

Romans 12:2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.Philippians 4:8Now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.Colossians 2:8Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.This world’s thinking and behavior can lead you astray. Ungodly thinking can make you captive to a habit of ungodly thoughts, and sinful thinking leads to sinful living. You can change the way you think by focusing your thoughts on God, who is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.

Question 3

What are the consequences of being held captive by the wrong things?

Accepted Answer

Acts 8:23“For I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”Romans 6:12-14Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.Romans 8:2The power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.The consequences of being enslaved to sin negatively affect your mind, body, and emotions, which can lead to becoming an “instrument of evil to serve sin.” Bitterness, captivity, and ultimately, death are the results of sin. Break the bonds of things that would enslave you early, before they tie the ropes of slavery to sin around you.

Question 4

How can I break away from the wrong things that hold me captive?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 15:22Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.Matthew 5:30“And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.”John 8:32“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”Romans 5:21So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.Romans 6:7When we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.Galatians 5:13, 16You have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. . . . So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.Ephesians 6:13-18Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.Titus 2:14He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.God’s gracious gift of his Son, Jesus Christ, sets those who put their faith in him free from sin. He calls you to use that freedom to live rightly, and empowers you with his Holy Spirit. Knowing this, pray! And recognize that many habits require great resolve to break away from. As with all of life’s challenges, don’t hesitate to seek out godly advice and professional counsel about how to change.

Question 5

What good things should hold me captive?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 116:16O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains.Psalm 119:45I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.Romans 6:18Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.1 Corinthians 7:22You are now a slave of Christ.1 Peter 2:16You are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.Believers are to be captives of Jesus Christ, which means being completely devoted to serving him. His perfect character and his commands are to govern your life. Being a servant, or slave, to Christ is true freedom. That might seem like a contradiction, but the truth is that your attachment to Christ detaches you from those things that would enslave you to sin and eternal death. When you serve him, you follow the only one who can set you free from sin and raise you to a new life forever in joy and peace.

Question 6

What happens, then, when I am a captive of Christ?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 34:22The Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.In Christ, you are redeemed, transformed, and freely pardoned from your sin.Acts 13:39Everyone who believes in him [Christ] is made right in God’s sight—something the law of Moses could never do.In Christ, you are free of guilt and declared innocent and right with God.Romans 7:6Now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.In Christ, you are free to serve God effectively.Galatians 5:13For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.In Christ, you are free to serve others in love.2 Corinthians 2:14But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.In Christ, you are victorious! You are free to tell others about Jesus.Romans 6:22-23But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.In Christ, you are free to experience holiness and eternal life.

Captive/Captivity