What Is Spiritual Slavery?

Last updated on: October 11, 2019 at 7:00 am by Mark Driscoll

What Is Spiritual Slavery? 2019-08-29T16:20:56-04:00 Mark Driscoll

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Romans 7:14-25 – For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

2 Peter 2:19 – They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

Colossians 3:5 – Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

It’s a short walk from sin to habitual sin to addiction, which is frequent. People often descend the slippery slope from one level to another without a conscious awareness, which is why honest friends and trained professionals can help us see our blind spots.

In the kingdom of God, people worship Him by practicing self-control. In the earthly world, people worship pleasure as god and lose self-control, so their sinful flesh controls them.

Whereas the culture uses the word addiction, the Bible uses the word slavery. If you cannot stop a sinful pattern, you are a slave.

When Christians are addicted, they really only have four options:

Minimization: Try and manage sin to keep it from getting worse. These efforts are doomed to failure. Sin is like cancer; either you kill it or it kills you.
Compartmentalization: Try and hide it, live a secret double life, anxiously hoping you don’t get caught, exposed, and found out.
Celebration: Accept it as your new identity and be proud of it even though you should be ashamed of it. This explains why the world has parades for things when it should have funerals.
Liberation: Walk in the freedom God intends by killing what is killing you: Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

To order the new book from Pastor Mark & Grace Driscoll “Win Your War”, visit: https://amzn.to/2YuhoDn.

For the entire eight-week “Win Your War” sermon series from Pastor Mark, visit www.markdriscoll.org or the Mark Driscoll Ministries app.

Daily Devotions

Previous Post

October 10, 2019

Loving The Gifts More Than The Giver

Next Post

October 14, 2019 Do Christians Who Die By Suicide Go To Heaven?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Ask Pastor Mark Blog Daily Devotions Sermons Uncategorized

Select a Month July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 October 2018 September 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 December 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How long did Persian empire rule?

Select your answer to see how you score.

200 years 250 years 150 years 180 years