“And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10
Dear Ones:
It seems that when we deal in Scripture with the concept of “captivity,” we are, for the most part, brought to consider the nation of Israel. Because of the significance that the Bible puts on Israel being carried into captivity, in particular, by the Babylonians, and all that led up to the captivity, we must recognize that the Lord desires to speak to us of the reality of becoming a “captive,” and remaining such, until God in His grace intervenes. In the great passage on the ministry of the Spirit of God, found in Isaiah 61.1, we find written: “…to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” This is part of the great ministry of Christ, to set the captive free, but free from what, and whom?
If we are to understand the matter of captivity, and how it affects the believer, even every individual, we must begin in the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve’s “will” was perfectly free, as it was in perfect conformity with the life-giving will of God. They remained in this glorious liberty, benefiting from the life and power of Christ, in fullness of joy, and the profound experience of His peace, until they ceded the authority of their lives to Satan, by believing his lie. Captivity means to be a slave, under the authority of a master, whether good or bad, obligated to do his will, and this by the dominance of his power. True liberty is knowing the freedom found in living by the very life of Christ, in His power, benefiting from the depthless treasure of His resurrection life. For the people of Israel, they went into captivity, being made the slaves of the Babylonians, because of their rejection of the authority of God over them. They chose to yield the authority to another, to Satan, just like Adam and Eve. The Babylonians, actually allowed by God, to come and conquer Israel, were the instruments of the enemy whose objective has always been to rob, kill, and to destroy. This state of being “captive” would remain intact until, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, seventy years would pass, at which time God would intervene to set them free again, or rather, to give them another opportunity to submit to the authority of God in Christ.
But what about the individual believer, and unbeliever? How can one be a captive of Satan, and then freed by the power of Christ? Paul wrote to the Ephesians about this matter: “…Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.” (2:2) Paul speaks of being subservient to Satan by being dominated by the world system, where man is the supposed king, but where the enemy has relatively free reign to do what he desires. The great news of the Gospel is declared in Paul’s writings to the Colossians: “…who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” (1:13) This is good news. God has made a way for the sinner to escape the captivity of Satan, to know the life of Christ, in His kingdom. Can a believer become a “captive” to Satan? The principle of ceding authority to Satan, and becoming subservient to him, is seen in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. He writes: “…if God peradventure will give them repentance to the knowledge of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out off the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (2:26) The foundation for freedom is the knowledge of the truth. The power of liberty is in Christ Himself.
During Job’s great trials, his friends presented to him a picture of God that was not right, and true. “The Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends.” (Job 42:10)
Dear Father, Keep us free in Thy truth and power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad