Captivity is the state of being captured, imprisoned, detained, or held against one's will. In all cases, the one held captive is being held or arrested by some physical means such as prison cells, handcuffs, shackles, chains, fetters, or even another person.I needed to expand on the definition of captivity because of our teaching today on spiritual captivity. I promise you that this teaching would cause you to re-evaluate the cause of your present state and make the necessary adjustments to appreciate where you are and why you are not where you would want to be.
Even though captivity is defined as the state of being captured, there exist two types of captivity: the captivity that we see and the one that we don't see. The unseen captivity can be quite challenging and frustrating due to our inability to see what keeps us from progressing and succeeding. There is nothing visible or presented as evidence of this imprisonment or detention, which we know we're in because of our lack of progress.
I am sure by now you must have figured out that spiritual captivity is the state of being captured without any tangible, physical, or material evidence of that captivity. However, your life displays all and more of the signs and evidence of one that has been detained or imprisoned due to your inability to succeed or make progress.
Firstly, being imprisoned, detained, or captured restricts or limits one of their freedoms. Better yet, they can see success, freedom, joy, peace, and all things good they desire but do not possess the ability to achieve because of the obvious; they are being restrained or held against their will.
In the book of Job 42:10, my attention was without delay arrested when I read the following statement, "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job." This raised eyebrows because nowhere in the book of Job have I read or seen any evidence or anything remotely close to even suggesting that Job was being physically held against his will. After all, in essence, the meaning of captivity is to physically restrain one against their will.
So if Job was not being held against his will by any physical means, what prevented him from achieving or succeeding like any normal human being? To understand this incredible revelation clearly, let's look at one of the Apostle Paul's statements to the church of Corinth. "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal" 2 Corinthians 4:18.
The Apostle made it crystal clear that being physically attacked, restrained, or challenged is far better than being spiritually attacked, restrained, or challenged. At least physically, you can see what is attacking you, and now you have an opportunity to set up some sort of defensive mechanism. On the other hand, spiritual attacks and challenges completely blindside you, leaving you confused and frustrated because you are at a loss as to the origin of this attack.
So, let's go back to the beginning of Job's dilemma to ascertain the clarity of his captivity that was by non-physical means. The bible states that one day the sons of God presented themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord began to inquire of Satan if he had noticed his servant Job and how perfect he was on the earth? Satan revealed something so interesting in his response to God, which speaks to spiritual things or things that we can't see but very much do exist.
Satan said, "Have not thou not made a hedge about him, and about his house, and all that he has on every side? Job 1:10. Hedge? What hedge is Satan talking about? Now, as a reminder, God and Satan are both spiritual beings able to see in the spiritual and physical world. So Satan revealed what he saw around Job and all that concerned him. He saw in the spirit realm an invisible barrier that served mainly two purposes 1) to prevent all weapons that or will ever be formed against Job from prospering and 2) to protect, sustain and maintain all that is on the inside of the hedge such as Job's blessings, talents, gifts, children, properties, etc. As an insert here, every human has been outfitted with this hedge, and this hedge can only be removed under two conditions. 1) In Job's case, God removed his hedge, and 2) Man's disobedience to God's word breaks the hedge, allowing the enemy to get in Ecclesiastes 10:8.
I hope you are taking note, Christians, because this is where most of us are. Job's life is now about to take a dramatic turn in events when God had decided to remove this invisible hedge and gave Satan power over everything that Job had. Satan being given power over Job suggests he had authority and dominion over him, meaning Job is no longer the head, nor is he no longer above but beneath.
Question! Could it be that where you are in your life right now, no money, bills are overdue, kids are sick, pains and diseases have invaded your body, marriage is a disaster, your job is the pits, being unemployed, and the list goes on. You have prayed consistently, fasted over and over again, sent in monetary seeds to different ministries for that miracle or breakthrough, and ABSOLUTELY nothing has happened. As a matter of fact, things are getting worse, and you feel God is ignoring you. Could it possibly be God has removed your hedge and allowed Satan to have power over all that you have so that you can be introduced to the real you? Or could it be your opposition to God's rules has placed you in your current position?
Whatever the case, maybe you have indeed met the qualifications for these events in your life. The word of God clearly states that God will not put more on you than you can bear. When he removed your hedge and allowed you to be spiritually caged by Satan, he knew you were and can handle what you are experiencing and, in the case of others, about to experience. At this point, there is no prayer or fasting that can help you. No human being can assist you. Just like Job's friends, they could not help him because God has designed it In such a way that no one or nothing can assist you. YOU HAVE TO WALK THIS ONE OUT ALONE! It is a part of your destiny with a tremendous reward for your patience and faithfulness, as you will read later.
Yes! Just like you, I am tired of the God will bless you; God has something better for you; God only chastises those whom he loves, and the all too famous one, your breakthrough is right around the corner. The truth is these folks telling us these things are very much correct! However, we have no choice but to comprehend that this God we said is always good. All the time he is good is the same one who has given permission to our adversary to spiritually cage us, which has resulted in us not being able to increase and succeed physically due to us being imprisoned spiritually.
Again, like Job's friends, some are convinced that there is sin in your life, or your wicked ways are catching up with you, or there must be something you have done wrong! I am here to say to you today you have done nothing wrong or at least deserve the pain and suffering that you are going through
Again, Job, just like so many of us, has been placed in spiritual captivity. This captivity is the worst of its kind because our hedges have been removed, allowing those weapons that were and are being formed against us to now prosper. Also, what the hedge once protected, sustained, and maintained, has now become disabled. As a result, you lose the home, car, family, Job, opportunities, basically everything, but hold on, this is not the end. As a matter of fact, this is the beginning of something new. Something if patiently endured will supersede your greatest expectation. Scripture tells us that Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of men, what God has PREPARE FOR THOSE THAT LOVE HIM. This scripture is speaking to a select group, and that group is those that love God. Question! Do you still love God despite your losses, disappointments, broken marriage, frustration, and the reoccurring bad things that have been happening in your life that seemingly have no end?
Scripture reveals that after Job was informed of his losses, including that of his ten children, he arose, tore his clothes, shaved his head, dropped to the ground, and worshiped. How does one do that in the face of such difficulty? Only those God has chosen to walk a particular road, and simultaneously these same people value and appreciate their God above anything else in this world. As proof of this, Job said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and it is he that has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord" wow!
Every time I read Job's statement after his losses, especially concerning the death of his children, I am almost moved to tears to see this man's commitment and resilience amid so much grief and agony. After discovering this truth of spiritual captivity, I realized that there is absolutely nothing one can do about this state other than praying for patience and endurance. My mind began to gravitate to the scripture that admonishes us to do precisely what Job did, and that is, "In everything give thanks, for this is the WILL of GOD in Christ Jesus concerning us 1Thessalonians 5:18. It is a must that I make unequivocally clear that the word "everything" means the good and evil and not just the good as most Christian has been led to believe.
Finally, as we've read earlier, the same God that caused him to be in spiritual captivity was the God that turned or released Job from his spiritual captivity and gave him double what he originally had. The bottom line is that you do not have the privilege of suggesting what road God should assign you. All lanes have been determined before the foundation of the world. You just have to patiently wait until God decides to turn your captivity. However, he's promised you that if you delight yourself in him, he'll give you the desires of your heart Psalms 37: 4.
Heavenly Father, your works, ways, and thoughts are far beyond our understanding. You've said in your word that as far as the heavens are from the earth, so are your ways and thoughts different from ours. This is the case, Father, because I know there is no compromise regarding your word. I pray that you furnish the readers of this article with a supernatural ability to be patient in enduring the assigned time of their spiritual captivity in the matchless and marvelous name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
Written by: Kevin L. A Ewing
kevinewing@coralwave.com
