For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).

When we boldly and humbly exercise the authority that Christ has conferred upon us over the spiritual realm, we experience the freedom from bondage which Christ promised (John 8:32). It’s a freedom that the secular world can’t produce, as a friend of mine discovered.

Christy, a young woman, came to my friend Barry because of the horrible abuse she suffered growing up. Barry dealt with Christy on family and social issues, and Christy complied with his suggestions. But she didn’t get any better. After working with Christy for nearly four years, Barry brought her to me.

“Tell me about your childhood friends, Christy,” I probed.

“The only other girl on our block lived across the street from me, so we were friends.”

“What was her family like?”

Christy lowered her eyes. “Her mother did strange things in their home,” she almost whispered.

“Did these strange things involve candles and sacrifices, sometimes even killing animals?”

“Yeah.”

Christy’s neighbor finally moved away. But every night the witch appeared to Christy in her room and talked with her. I led her through the steps to freedom, and she exercised her authority in Christ and dismissed the evil influence from her life. It came back occasionally, and sometimes Christy failed to stand against it because she was “just tired of fighting the battle.” But when she stood her ground on Christ’s authority, she was free.

Satan can do nothing about your position in Christ. But if he can, he will cloud your perspective and thus diminish your faith and dull your effectiveness in the spiritual battle.

Dr. Anderson, Freedom in Christ and Harvest House Publishers www.ficm.org