One of the most pervasive themes throughout the Bible is freedom. Stories, illustrations, and allusions to freedom abound from Genesis to Revelation. Perhaps this is because another pervasive theme in Scripture is slavery.

Slavery is a painful part of Biblical history. Slavery is also a painful part of our own culture’s history. In fact, it remains an ugly reality today physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Consider what  you may be enslaved to today. Fear. Insecurity. Sin. Worry. Addiction. Pride. Busyness. Performance. False identities. Codependency. Is there anything you would add to that list? The good news is that Jesus came to set us fully free to be effective in our land of promise. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can live in and possess a land of freedom promised to us.

Read Deuteronomy 7:1-2 again. Consider these spiritual principles:

1. The Lord has given you a land of promise to possess. Ours is not a plot of land in Israel, but a promised land (John 15) of effective, fruitful, abundant life, and ministry. Take possession of the land He has given you!

2. The Lord will deliver you from the enemies of the land (Jesus won the victory at the cross) but you  are going to have to defeat them. Read that again. You have authority. You have the power to defeat whatever "enemies" are coming against you. You can replace fear with faith, speak truth over lies,  speak God's truth to your heart, and deafen the narrative the enemy is speaking to your heart.

3. Notice there are 7 enemy nations - the number of completion or perfection. Perhaps God is making the point that His deliverance is meant to be complete! We aren't meant to fight the battle and defeat the enemy alone. We need each other. If you are struggling or battling the enemy or his lies in any way, let others know so they can battle with you and for you in prayer.