TO Whom do you cling?

1. Faith is to God as Fear is to Satan: Bond or Bondage TO Whom do you cling?

2. Those who have been in the most intimate contact with the enemy of our souls have identified some key points that we find apply to us all. Faith is to our God as Fear is to satan. One is a bond and the other, a bondage. Fear Unbelief Pride rebellion

3. Sometimes we learn more about what is good by further identifying what is not good. Should we be surprised that this is so since we live in a fallen world? Faith in the character and plan of our God will hold us in spite of the grip of the character and plan of our adversary…ifwe choose to walk in it. This may be problematic even for those who consider themselves long time or mature Believers. A Study in Contrasts

4. Faith Fear • A love relationship based in the knowledge of the character of love and compassion of our Abba for us. • A relationship in which we have confidence that our God will meet our needs. • The ability to remember this even during times of great stress. • A relationship based in the knowledge of the character of hate and destruction of our adversary for us. • A relationship in which we have confidence that there will never be a good choice. • The inability to forget fear even in times of apparent peace. Bond or Bondage

5. Whichever path is chosen, it becomes an anchor… for how we live and every choice we make. • We can be anchored in a safe harbor. • We know Who is in control and that He intends good for us no matter how circumstances appear. • When we are in safe harbor we see the choices He has laid out for us and understand we can choose. • We can be anchored out at sea in dangerous waves. • We believe the adversary is in charge and that he intends no good for us no matter how circumstances appear. • When we are in that bondage at sea we do not perceive that we even have a choice. Bond or Bondage: An Anchor

6. If we begin in faith, circumstances will appear differently than if we begin in fear. A basis of faith will lead to greater confidence and willingness to be stretched as we grow in faith. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:17 Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you. Deuteronomy 3:22 A Progression in a Faith BOnd

7. A basis in fear will lead to restrictions that hinder our growth. It is this progression that we will examine more deeply here. And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life: Deuteronomy 28: 66 A progression in a Fear bond

8. Fear about abandonment or harm to oneself or to loved ones or specific threats of these things is the beginning. It matters not whether these are real dangers, only that they appearreal enough to be a risk. I might also add fear of rejection as another potent one. Experiencing fear is not in itself wrong, but what we do with it will certainly be a telling factor. fear

9. If I or someone I love is in danger, my Unbelief tells me that Messiah can’t or won’t help. It is difficult enough for those who have come to believe that they are not important enough, or have sinned too many times or have fallen into recurring sin so often that Messiah WILL NOT help them. It is much more so for those who have been taught that Messiah is UNABLE to help them, as is true for those who have experienced ritual abuse. Unbelief

10. If I am in fear and unbelief that Messiah will or even could help, I can easily take the next step of moving into pride. We often consider self-sufficiency to be synonymous with this kind of pride. Pride is not always arrogant and self-assured! Sometimes, as in this case, it can be born out of desperation. If no help will be coming, then I have to do something myself. Pride

11. When I am afraid and I do not believe help is coming so I must be the one to do something, it isn’t a big step into rebellion. If I have to deal with this, I will do it my way. Whether born of arrogance or desperation, the result is the same; looking within ourselves alone for the deliverance. rebellion

12. When we believe that our God will not stand for us, and we do things our way, we take ourselves out from His covering and take our chances, generally without realizing this is happening. If this were the whole story it would be damaging enough…but there is more. Fear Unbelief pride rebellion

13. When we are in a fear bond and have progressed through all the stages to rebellion, we are easily manipulated by others, whether it be other people, by others who are in service to the evil one, or the evil one itself. As stated earlier, our awareness of the choices that are open to us is also affected in the process! manipulation

14. We serve a mighty God and He is always able to reach us no matter where we may be or how far we have fallen. Our sincere deep repentance and turning back to Him will result in His grace and mercy toward us, even though we may have some consequences to live through. He has even promised to turn for our good those things that were intended for harm! The Truth about choices

15. The evil one wants us to believe that we must always choose between bad and worst in the absence of hope for something better. This is called a “double bind.” Remember the old saying, “you can’t win for losing”? It would be bad if this thing happened, but it would be worse if that thing happened, so I must choose between them. The Lie about choices

16. Which ones are “bad”… And which ones are “worse”? • If I talk about abuse, I would be embarrassed. • If I took a stand against it, I would look like a trouble maker and a complainer. • If I admit what is happening my home and family could be destroyed by “helpers” who intrude. • If I don’t talk about abuse, I might be injured more. • If I don’t take a stand against it, it will be my fault that it continues. • If I don’t admit what is happening my home and family could be destroyed because no one wants to be here. Perceived Double binds in an abusive relationship

17. Trusting in God means I do not appear to be competent. Waiting on God to act is foolishness. I need His power and forgiveness in my life but I am not worthy to ask. God has favorite people He responds to and I am not one of them. Do you have any double binds with Him? Peceived double binds in faith

18. Identify any double binds in your life, and track them back to their sources. How far along the path from fear, to unbelief, to self-sufficiency or pride, to rebellion have you fallen? Prayerfully confess them to our Abba, and perhaps with a trusted friend or mentor. Invite Him in to your circumstances and ask Him to show you His Way to deal with them. Every time we come back to Him, we are building a track record of seeing what He will do, building from faith to faith, building the bond and escaping the bondage! Moving from bondage to bond

19. In gratitude for all that He has done and all that He is going to do as we look to Him, may we also thank the members of the CARE community in Baldwin, Michigan who identified this progression and brought it to our attention. Comments and questions are always welcome! Set Apart Ministries, P. O. Box 5584, De Pere, WI 54115 www.set-apart-ministries.org info@set-apart-ministries.org All praise to Messiah Yeshua, our bondage breaker!