By: David McFadden

“If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NKJV)

Imprisonment often means incarceration, but being confined to a jail cell is only one definition of imprisonment. Whether your imprisonment is bodily in a jail cell, or mentally through addictions, or emotionally through a tormented mind, being captive is life-altering. We all know that a person who has never seen a jail cell can be imprisoned in the mind. And we also know that a person in prison can be freer than a person outside the walls of a penitentiary.  

Romans 1:29-32 (below) explains how imprisonment happens. The Apostle Paul tells us that those people who refuse to acknowledge and worship God and seek Him through His Word, will be given over to a debased mind—an imprisoned mind. Put differently, a person who refuses to deify the one true God creates a self-inflicted wound to the mind that slams the cell door to his or her heart, defiling the whole man, spirit, soul, and body. The result defines the imprisoned mind: 

“Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling,  deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud,  and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they  encourage others to do them, too.” (NLT) 

This Scripture tells us that by denying God His proper place in our lives, we reap an imprisoned mind.  Therefore, an imprisoned mind opens the door to a demented heart that has no choice but to act out through ungodly behavior—“Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness…” This means that the spiritual sin of idolatry begets wickedness in the natural realm through unrestrained behaviors that violate God’s laws. These errant behaviors, in turn, bring God’s justice through civil authorities appointed by Him. The takeaway is that an imprisoned mind often leads to an imprisoned body. 

Yes, there is a premium on physical freedom, but a mind set free enables peace, hope, love, and the basic emotional needs necessary for a person to have a meaningful life. A mind that is truly free may sound impossible, and it is impossible outside of a relationship with God through Jesus. When Jesus stated that  He “…came to set the captives free,” He was not referring to prisoners behind bars of steel. Jesus came to set the mind free from pursuing counterfeit gods. When you abide in God’s Word, His Truth is infused into  your mind and heart… and the truth shall make you free.”  

Whether in a jail cell or not, the only remedy for an imprisoned mind is God’s love. God can rescue a person who feels doomed and hopeless and give him or her a reason for living. His unconditional,  redemptive love reverses the downward spiral of degradation brought about by a captive mind. A person who receives His offer of love will begin his journey of having a mind set free. —Ω 

Heavenly Father, thank You for ensuring a peaceful mind through obeying the first greatest commandment, which is to love You and worship You with all my strength, mind, heart, and soul. I ask You to help me do that better. Your Word tells me in Isaiah 26:3 to have my mind stayed on You and You will keep me in perfect peace. LORD, I receive that Word for me today. I receive the redemptive work that Jesus accomplished to become Your child and receive the mind of Christ. Jesus was bruised for my inequities; I receive the healing from my hidden sin that imprisons and torments my mind—Jesus was chastised so that  I can have His peace that passes human understanding—I receive His peace that He provided for me. I  ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Excerpted and adapted from David McFadden’s “Deeper Life Series”.

For more articles from this series go to:  https://www.deeperlifeseries.com/devotional-archive

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