SERVANT OF NATIONS

FREEDOM RETREAT

PRAYER Dear Heavenly Father, We know that You are right here in this

room with us and that You are present in our lives right now. You are the only all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present God. We are completely dependent upon You because without Jesus Christ we can do nothing. We choose to stand in the truth of Your Word and we refuse to believe the devil's lies. We thank you that the risen Lord Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. Father, thank You that because we are in Christ we share His authority in order to make disciples and set captives free. We ask You to protect our minds and bodies during this time. Please fill us with the Holy Spirit so that He can guide us into all truth. We choose to submit to His guidance alone during this time. Please reveal to our minds everything that You want us to deal with today. We ask for and trust in Your wisdom.

We pray all this in faith, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.

DECLARATION In the Name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ I

command Satan and all evil spirits to release their hold on me in order that I can be free to know and choose to do the will of God.

As a child of God, raised up and seated with Christ in the heavenly places, I declare that every enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ in our presence be bound.

I say to Satan and all his evil workers that you cannot inflict any pain, any doubt, or in any way prevent God’s will from being done during this retreat in my life because I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.

TRUTHSOF

VICTORY

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

JOB 36

God is Mighty and Has a Firm Purpose

5 "God is mighty, but does not despise men; he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.

6 He does not keep the wicked alive but gives the afflicted their rights.

7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous; he enthrones them with kings

and exalts them forever. 8 But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction,

He Will Speak with You

9 he tells them what they have done— that they have sinned arrogantly.

10 He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their

evil. 11 If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.

12 But if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge.

He Will Deliver You

13 "The godless in heart harbor resentment; even when he fetters them, they do not

cry for help... 15 But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them

in their affliction. 16 "He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from

restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food...

22 "God is exalted in his power.

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

Galatians 5:1

You are Destined for Freedom

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let

yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Galatians 5:1

Do not Live in Bondage!

• As you live in the Spirit, you may still find certain sins or burdens that cling to your life.

• They may be habitual sins, ungodly thoughts, guilt, inducing memories, bondage to fleshly lusts such as overeating, addictions, pornography, or sexual immorality, or a myriad of other things like these.

• No matter how great your desire to follow Christ, these nagging sins entangle and weigh your spiritual life down like chains.

You CAN live in Freedom!

• Well, take heart, for there is freedom through the resurrection power and authority of Jesus Christ!

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let

yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

The reason we have been set free in Christ:

FOR FREEDOM WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE!

What the alternative to freedom is?

Be burdened again by a yoke of slavery

WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?

( ) LIVE IN FREEDOM IN CHRIST

( ) LIVE BURDENED BY A YOKE OF SLAVERY

WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE?

FREEDOM?

SLAVERY?

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

Isaiah 61:1-3

We are on the Year of the LORD's Favor

• 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, (Isaiah 61:1-3)

GOD HAS COMMANDED JESUS TO

• bind up the brokenhearted,• proclaim freedom for the captives

• and release the prisoners from darkness

THAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE!

YOU ARE ON THE YEAR OF THE LORD'S FAVOR

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

Hebrews 2:14

Christ already destroyed the devil• 14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too

shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—(Hebrews 2:14)

Jesus’ experience of humanity and His death for us destroyed the power of the strongholds over our lives.

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

1 John 2:13-14

YOU CAN OVERCOME THE EVIL ONE

I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, young men, because you are strong,

and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

(I John2:13-14) IT IS POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME

THEEVIL ONE!

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

Galatians 5:13

You were called to be free.

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge

the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (Gal. 5:13)

THE GOOD NEWS!

You were called to be free!

• This is your call.• This is your destiny.

• This is God’s plan for you.• This is the truth of God’s Word for you.

Careful!• You are free, but do not use your freedom to

indulge the sinful nature and desires.• You are called to be free from the control of your

sinful nature.• Do not use your freedom now to make wrong

choices (based on your freedom) to indulge (pamper, treat) your sinful nature.

Nothing should master you but Christ!

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not

everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be

mastered by anything. (1 Cor. 6:12)

Not everything is constructive "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is

permissible"—but not everything is constructive. (1 Cor. 10:23)

AGAINS THE LAW OF FREEDOM?

• We are free from the yoke of slavery • And from the control of our sinful nature and fleshly

desires• Ultimately everything is permissible, but if it is

controlling me, if it is not edifying, if it is not beneficial…it goes against the law of freedom in Christ.

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

John 8:31-36

The Truth Sets You Free

• 31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

YOU CAN BE FREE!

• YOU ARE FREE TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHOICE THE SAME WAY YOU CHOSE TO ACCEPT JESUS AS

YOUR SAVIOUR AND LORD, YOU CAN MAKE THE CHOICE TO BE FREE FROM BONDAGE.

• IT IS YOUR WILL WHO MUST MAKE THIS DECISION. NOT YOUR FEELINGS; NOT STRONGHOLDS; NOT YOUT BROKEN SOUL; NOT IMPRESSIONS BADES ON YOUR EXPERIENCES.

DECLARATION• I MAKE A DECISION NOW OF MY OWN WILL TO BELIEVE IN

THE TOTAL TRUTH OF GOD ABOUT MY LIFE AND ABOUT WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR ME.

• I MAKE A DECISION NOW OF MY OWN WILL TO CHOOSE TO BE FREE FROM BONDAGE.

• THIS DECISION IS BASED ON MY OWN WILL AND NOT ON MY FEELINGS; MY BROKEN SOUL; MY SINS; MY OWN EXPERIENCES; OR BASED ON STRONGHOLDS AND LIES OF THE ENEMY.

• I DECLARE I CAN AND I WILL BE FREE FROM BONDAGE!

STATEMENTS OF TRUTH

READ THEM TOGETHER AND OUTLOUD

PRAYER Dear Heavenly Father, I know that You want me to know the

Truth, believe the Truth, speak the truth and live in accordance with the truth. Thank You that it is the Truth that will set me free. In many ways I have been deceived by Satan, the father of lies, and philosophies of this fallen world, and I have deceived myself. Father, I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by virtue of His shed blood and resurrection, asking You to rebuke all evil spirits that are deceiving me. I have trusted in Jesus alone to save me, and so I am Your forgiven child. Therefore, since You accept me just as I am in Christ, I can be free to face my sin and not try to hide. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me into all truth. I ask You to ”search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting“ . In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

2ND SESSION

GOD’S WILL FOR YOU: TOTAL RESTORATION

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

1 THESSALONIANS

5:21-24

GOD’S WILL FOR YOU: TOTAL RESTORATION

21But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.

23Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

24Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

TOTAL RESTORATION IS THE HEALING OF YOUR ENTIRE BEING WHICH IS FORMED OF YOUR SPIRIT, YOUR MIND, YOUR SOULD

AND YOUR BODY.

WHO WILL DO IT?

THE GOD OF PEACE HIMSELF WILL DO IT

HE IS FAITHFUL AND HE WILL BRING IT TO PASS

HOW WILL IT HAPPEN?

1. Examine everything carefully2. Hold fast to that which is good (truth and obedience to God’s Word)3. Abstain from every form of evil ( lies and sin)

SPIRIT dead

Eph. 2:1

SOUL BrokenIs. 61

BODY Slave

Eph. 2:3

You entirely: spirit, mind, soul and body

BEFORE CHRIST: SPIRITUAL BONDAGE

• SPIRIT: Dead and in total darkness.• MIND: Blind by the enemy.• SOUL: Broken and wounded.• BODY: Slave of sin and flesh desires.

SPIRIT

MIND Sins/ Bad

experiences/Lies/Thoughts/

Doubts/ Unbelief

SOUL

Pain/Anger/Sorrow/

Unforgiveness /Fear/Low Self-

Esteem/Rebellion/

Rejection/Self-pity/ Depression

BODY Sexual

Bondage/ sicknesses/

laziness/gluttony/addictions/

You entirely: spirit, mind, soul and body

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL BONDAGE?

2 Timothy 2:25-26 describes Spiritual Bondage25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct,

in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (NIV)

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL BONDAGE? 25with gentleness correcting those who are in

opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,

26and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been (held captive by him to do his will.

(NASB)

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL BONDAGE?

“God's servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil's trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.” (The Message)

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL BONDAGE?

• The trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

• The snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

• The Devil's trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.

SLAVERY UNDER SATAN’S WILLONE’S WILL HELD CAPTIVE BY SATAN

DOING THINGS FOR HIM

The Nature of Spiritual Bondage

• There are two Spiritual Kingdoms under which we live.

• Make no mistake about it, you live either in subjection to Satan’s Kingdom of Lies

or God’s Kingdom of Truth.

Influencing forces upon our lives

• Satan enslaves us through Lies and Fear, while God liberates us by His Truth and Grace.

• From the moment of our birth, these forces influence what we Think, Feel, and Do.

• Spiritual Bondage occurs when Satan’s Lies gain a “foothold”, or area of control, in our Minds and Bodies. Like barbed harpoons, they enslave our

thoughts and actions. • These “harpoons”, or “fiery darts” of Satan, must be

identified and removed before we can be Spiritually Free in Christ .

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious

19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal.5:19-21)

TEMPTATIONS• Temptations in themselves are not spiritual

bondage. It is the continual surrendering to them through sin that creates our bondage to Satan’s Kingdom.

• Like ruts on a worn road, habitual sins and false beliefs become deep-rooted in our Lives making it difficult to escape.

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

Proverbs

23:7

The Power of Your Mind

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

The Power of Your Mind

“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (NKJV)

”For as he thinks within himself, so

he is.”(NASB)

OUR MINDS ARE TARGETED

OUR MINDS

• Our Minds are like the Central Processing Unit of a Computer (an apt analogy since some of us operate at higher processing speeds than others!).

• Satan’s Lies and God’s Truth are like the Program or Software that run the Computer. The Computer’s operation depends on the Software being used.

OUR MIND

• OUR MIND is the center of the Battle for control of our lives, for it is the Mind that determines how we Feel and what we Do!

• That is the reason Satan targets us with his lies, for if he can get us to believe them, he will have gained control of our lives completely unawares.

• This is why we are exhorted to set our Minds on things Godly!

Beware of the ‘Software’ youput in your Mind!

• If the Software is defective (Satan’s Lies) the output will also be defective (ungodly feelings and deeds).

• But if the Software is perfect (God’s Truth) the

output will be as well (Godly Feelings and Deeds).

The Battle is for Your Mind

Satan knows you haveauthority over him inChrist, but he doesn’twant you to know it. Heis a liar and the only wayhe can have power overyou is if you believe hislies. The battle is for yourmind.

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THIS

Satan is the father of Lies. He is empowered by lies. If you accept his lies, you are under him on the areas you “believe” in him. That is the only power Satan has over you.

God is the God of truth. He operates in the truth. If you believe in Him and His words you submit to Him and the power of the lies in your life is broken. The truth sets you free.

LIE X TRUTHExpose the lie by gettingit out in the open; thenchoose the truth and thepower of that lie isbroken.

Ways you can be deceived by Satan

There are many ways in which Satan, the god of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4), seeks to

deceive us. Just as he did with Eve, the devil tries to convince us to rely on ourselves and to try to get our needs met through the world around us, rather than trusting in the provision of our Father in Heaven.

EXERCISES

1. WAYS YOU CAN BE DECEIVED BY THE WORLD

2. WAYS YOU CAN DECEIVE YOURSELF

OUR EMOTIONS

OUR EMOTIONS are automatic responsesto our thoughts, whether or not these thoughts conform to reality.

To govern our emotions, we must be in control of what we think.

How many times have you laughed, cried, and gotten angry in the space of a few minutes while watching a movie?

As our Minds accept the movie’s plot and characters, even though fictitious, they affect our Emotions as though real.

Identify the Patterns in Your Life

Take an Emotional Snapshot

• When you identify the thoughts that surface your daily life

• The emotions and feelings driving your life• And the sins controlling you,

It is possible to identify the lies of the enemy and the strongholds holding you captive

Your Emotional Snapshot

I AM GLAD ABOUT

I AM MAD ABOUT

I AM SAD ABOUT

I AM ANXIOUS/ AFRAID OF

OUR WILL

• OUR WILL controls our Deliberate Actions. • We choose to act based on what we think in our Minds and on what our feelings push us to

do! • Ungodly thoughts produce deeds of

unrighteousness, while godly thoughts result in deeds of righteousness.• The advertisers got it wrong. It isn’t “You are what you eat.” Rather , it is “You are what you

Think!”

THE POWER OF VOWS

• VOWS are declarations you make to yourself or to other people , even to God that control your Deliberate Actions and decisions.

• It can became HUGE in determining your actions, depending on the root that originated that vow.

• Satan uses the vows to chain you down and to keep you in bondage and away from God’s best for you.

• “I will never….”; “I promise this will never…”

IDENTIFYING THE VOWS

• Write down any vows you might have made in the past.

• Usually they surface to your thoughts when you are going through similar situations which originated that very vow.

• Identify the vow, identify the situations that bring them back, and trace them back to understand how they were started.

TRUTHS OF VICTORY

Galatians 5:16-18

LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

(Gal. 5:16-18)

IN CHRIST: SPIRITUAL FREEDOM

• SPIRIT: Is alive and active in your life• MIND: Is renewed by the Truth of the

Word• SOUL: Is healed (emotions and

feelings are healed and transformed by the Holy Spirit now active in you)

• BODY: Glorifies God: you are a temple of the Holy Spirit

MIND Renewed

Rom. 12:1-2

SOUL Healed

1 Thess. 5:23

BODY Temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6:19

SPIRIT Alive

Gal. 2:20

You entirely: spirit, mind, soul and body

MIND Renewed

Rom. 12:1-2

SOUL Healed

1 Thess. 5:23

BODY Temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6:19

SPIRIT Alive

Gal. 2:20

You entirely: spirit, mind, soul and body

MIND Renewed

Rom. 12:1-2

SOUL Healed

1 Thess. 5:23

BODY Temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 6:19

SPIRIT Alive

Gal. 2:20

You entirely: spirit, mind, soul and body

3rd SESSION

THE ROAD TO

SPIRITUAL FREEDOM

The Road to Spiritual Freedom

Dr. Neil Anderson writes that Spiritual Freedom is “the result of what [we] choose to believe, confess, forgive, renounce and forsake.”

1. Recall

• Ask God to bring to your Mind areas of your life where Satan and his Lies may have taken hold. This Step is like pulling weeds. Unless you pull out the roots, the weed will grow back!

• Too often we confess the Ungodly Emotions and Actions of Sin (the parts we can see), but fail to deal with the Wrong Thinking that produced those emotions and actions (the roots).

• Ask God to show you the ‘root’ of your problem! • Pray for God’s protection from Satan’s influence

as you begin this exercise.

1. Recall• Any False Beliefs or Worldly Values adopted

through other people, television, advertising, your culture, your upbringing, your education, etc.

• Involvement in any Occult or Cult activities in the past or present (Satanic Rituals, Witchcraft, Fortune Telling, Secret Ceremonies, etc.)

• Anything you are habitually doing that is sinful (Sexual Immorality, Addictions, Eating Disorders, etc.).

1. Recall• Anything others have said to you, or about you,

that have created False Perceptions that are not in line with what God says to be True about you (“You’re Stupid”, You're Ugly”, You’re Good for Nothing”, etc.)

• Any Attitude that you are presently harboring that is displeasing to God (Pride, Jealousy, Rebelliousness, Unforgiveness, Critical Spirit, etc.)

1. Recall

• This is done in partnership between you (your memory), the Holy Spirit’s revelations, and the deliverance team.

• The objective: to discern the roots of the behavior or sin.

2. Renounce

• Individually Renounce each False Belief/Thought or Sinful Activity we are committing with your Bodies that God brings to your Mind.

• By the Authority you have in Christ, Renounce Satan’s hold on your life!

• (Note: We cannot completely rid Sin’s presence from our lives because of the Sinful Nature within us. Until Christ returns and transforms our mortal bodies into spiritual bodies, we will always have a natural vulnerability and propensity toward Sin.)

Repent & Confess

• Repentance ad confession are important parts of the renouncing.

• 1 John 1:9

Why is it important tospecifically renounce

False Beliefs and Sinful Activities?

• Matthew 16:21-23• Matthew 28:18• Romans 12:1

• 1 Corinthians 15:35-44• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

• Why is it important to ask God to protect us as we “Recall” areas of our lives under Spiritual bondage?

• How does Satan’s hold on each of these areas of our lives impact our Spiritual lives?

• How and Why do False Beliefs, Values and Perceptions gain such a strong hold in our minds?

3. Release

• Release any Anger, Bitterness or Malice you may have toward another by making a list of

people whom you believe have wronged you, and forgive each person individually!

• Your Anger only gives Satan a “foothold”, or an area of control, in your life and enslaves you to bitterness! It is important not to give Satan a”foothold” in your life for they eventually become “strongholds” from which he seeks to control you!

How does Satan “outwit us in 2Corinthians 2:10-11?

• 10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

FORGIVENESS

• Why is it so hard to forgive others?

• How can God forgiving our sins help us in forgiving others?

• Ephesians 4:26-27• 2 Timothy 2:25-26

• 2 Corinthians 2:10-11• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

4. Renew

• Transformed lives do not come from getting more Emotional or having more Willpower. Rather Transformed Lives come from Renewed Minds.

• Only by Renewing your Minds to how God thinks can you ever be assured of responding with Godly Emotions and Actions!

• Remember this: You can either believe Satan’s Lies or God’s Truth. The Choice is Yours!

4. Renew

• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5• Romans 12:2

The Truth will set you free

• “Then you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free."

• “Sanctify Them by the TRUTH; Your Word is TRUTH.”

• (John 8:32 & 17:17)

The Three TS

TRUTH• The importance of the truth• “Then you will know the TRUTH, and the

TRUTH will set you free.“(John 8:32)• “Sanctify Them by the TRUTH; Your Word is

TRUTH.” (John 17:17)• Share the truth with your team.• God works only through the TRUTH.

The Three TS

Transparency• JAMES 5:16• Confess your sins to one another to be healed.

The Three TS

Trust• Confess to one another to be healed.• The prayer of the righteousness has powerful

effects (Healing)

Maintaining Your Spiritual Freedom

• Dealing with entrenched sinful thoughts and actions is only the beginning of a lifelong journey to experience Spiritual Freedom in Christ.

• The enemy is ever seeking ways to enslave us in sin in order to destroy our witness and, ultimately, the witness of Christ’s Church of which we are all a part!

• In the teaching session you will learn some suggestions to help maintain your Spiritual Freedom!

A Prayer“Father God, thank you for the freedom we have throughChrist, and for the authority wehave in Christ to renounceevery work of Satan in ourlives. I affirm the Truth of YourWord, and commit myself torenew my Mind continuallythat I might think Yourthoughts and do Your Will! InChrist’s Name, Amen!