Christians, have you ever been fishing? When one goes fishing there are certain tools, lures, and bait you take in order to accomplish your ultimate goal…to catch a fish. Most may know how to catch a fish but stay with me while I ‘paint a picture’ step by step. You go into the fish’s environment, you select a bait, a lure that will be attractive or trick the fish into thinking it is something they want, so they will bite your line. When you cast it into the water, you have a bobber to alert you when the fish is checking out your bait. When you finally think the fish has bit your bait and it is in their mouth, the next thing you do is SET THE HOOK. This is done by a quick and hard pulling up of the pole. You are essentially trying to drive your hook so hard and deep in them that no matter how hard they struggle and fight you in the ensuing battle, they cannot get free. Once you set the hook, you then begin to reel them in, you get them closer and closer to you, and further away from where they want to be. A good fisherman will let the fish “run” at times, taking line out, swimming away from the boat, back to its environment. This allows the fish to tire themselves out and you can reel them in easier. The bigger the fish, the more you let it run, thinking it can get away, but you know you have it hooked and you wait for the opportunity to easily reel it in. Eventually you pull them into your environment, they are no longer where they were, now you have them, they are yours.
The enemy is fishing for US Christians. He is the one who comes into our Churches, our Schools, our Families, OUR MINDS and he begins to drop lines in the water. They are “baited” with appealing and tasty treats for our flesh. They are all rooted in three areas: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He is attempting to get us to nibble, to check out what he is offering, in the hopes that we take a big bite. Once he sees that we are very interested, he “SETS THE HOOK” this involves us SINNING. It does not matter HOW it happens, whether against our body, against our family, against our Church, against our spouse. Once the hook is set, we are now in a struggle to get free. The problem with SIN is that if we struggle, if we pull hard, we only drive the hook deeper and deeper.
We may “run” to God. We may make empty promises of getting on track, trying harder, not to do it again. The problem is, the enemy does not care if we run to God, as long as the hook is still set, he can just start reeling us back in, closer and closer to him. A lot of Christians get stuck in this fight. They are hooked up with the devil, they are sinning, they know it and they run to God, but the enemy keeps pulling them back in. It does NOT matter how many TIMES they run to God, if the hook is not dealt with, then the enemy still has control.
How do we get free from the hook of SIN? Deliverance! God talks a lot about freedom, deliverance, removing bondage, and chains of those entangled with the enemy. The problem is that most Churches today do not deal with deliverance. Probably for a couple reasons.
Deliverance is MESSY- If you have ever tried to remove a hook from a fish you caught, you would probably understand this example well. First of all, you have to get a good hold of the fish. Like most fish, many Christians are slippery, they wriggle, they squirm when sin is mentioned. When you want to remove a hook without hurting the fish, because you want to have it live and not be hurt, it is very difficult. You want a good grip, but you don’t want to squeeze too hard. Then you have to get them to OPEN THEIR MOUTH. If someone wants to GET FREE, they need to first ADMIT they are HOOKED on something. Lust, drugs, pornography, adultery, gossip, lying, perversion, witchcraft, pride, OFFENSE, etc. Once they admit they HAVE a problem, then you have to set them free. Administering deliverance depends on a couple factors: is there a demonic presence residing in them? To set someone free from the bondage by casting out demons is something today that few are versed in, yet Jesus said that the signs that follow US, CHRISTIAN, BELIEVERS include….casting out demons. For deliverance ministry, you may contact me directly and I will put you in touch with various resources to help educate you. If you are dealing with a physical hook, you may have to be delving into their past, digging around, seeing where the hook is lodged.
Many hooks come from our past. Our childhood, traumatic life experiences, things people did to us, things people said to us, things people said about us. Many hooks come from things we see, partake in, are exposed to, or come in contact with. I once walked a gentleman through removing the hook of pornography. He explained to me that he was “hooked” as a teen boy when a cousin showed him an explicit picture. He had been hooked and struggled and fought against the devil for over 15 years. Through ministering to him, directing him to God, he was able to get the hook removed, and he is currently still free from that bondage today.
The enemy has so many Christians on the hook today, it is unbelievable. Whether it is offense, temptation, blatant sin or hidden sin, we must all examine ourselves and make sure that we do not have areas where we are hooked. Ask God to show you if you have areas that the enemy could have you ‘hooked’, and if you’re ready for deliverance, God will set you free.
No one is exempt. When a big name person like a preacher, pastor, teacher, community leader, author, etc is exposed in the public eye, it is without a doubt, the enemy is displaying his catch. Much like a fisherman would take a picture and post it in the paper, the enemy delights in showing off his biggest catches in the media. The bigger the fish, the longer the enemy has been working on reeling them in. Especially in the Christian world, our leaders, our teachers, our pastors are NOT exempt, the enemy has MANY lines, with ALL different sorts of LURES and BAITS, just waiting to hook a big one.
The benefit to the enemy of “hooking a big one” why he spends countless hours reeling and reeling, working on them, is because he thinks he can discourage the rest of us. The enemy thinks if he can hook important Christian figures, the rest of us will say, “if the enemy could get him, the enemy could get me”. The truth is we are only tempted and tried by our own desires, our own flesh. We only need to keep ourselves free from hook. If we do this, then we can help others watch out for lures, and baits that have tricked us in the past.
God can get ANYONE free from ANY hook. He may use another Christian, but He may just remove it Himself. The one thing we need to do is: be calm, not wiggling, not fighting Him as He reaches in and gently removes the hooks from our lives. He will take His time, He will be gentle, He wants us to get free, to stay free, and to live long, healthy, happy, hook free lives, for the kingdom of God. Any hook He removes from you, becomes part of your testimony that you can help other Christians be aware and get free from hooks. If you don’t think you have any hooks, ask God to open your eyes to the ones all around you, and do not bite the bait of Satan. I pray for strength, power, protection, love and truth to reign in your lives. I pray for deliverance, freedom from the enemy in JESUS name, AMEN!
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. James 1:13-15 (NIV)
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:16 (NIV)
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Galatians 6:1 (NIV)
The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14 (NLT)
Finally, as members of God’s beloved family, we must go after the one who wanders from the truth and bring him back. For the one who restores the sinning believer back to God from the error of his way, gives back to his soul life from the dead, and covers over countless sins by their demonstration of love! James 5:19-20 (TPT – The Passion Translation)
Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” Matthew 26:41 (NLT)
These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” Mark 16:17-18 (NLT)
Psalm 34:4, 17; 50:15, and 107:6, all explain if you seek, call out, or cry out to God, He will DELIVER you.
written and posted by Daniel Poggensee | 2019
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