“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
Correct me, Lord….” (Jeremiah 10:23).
“When an evil spirit…says, ‘I will return to the house I left’...it takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go and live there” (Matthew 12:43,45).
We live in a free nation. Liberty is a cherished element in our Constitution. But the freedom we uphold is often misused and abused. It’s made into a partial truth. Yet the true Christian Church insists that partial truths won’t do. They are branded heresies. A heresy is a teaching based on a portion of the whole truth; i.e., a basic idea or doctrine that is correct as far as it goes, yet does not embrace all aspects of the subject.
Such is the case with the concept of freedom. A catch-word used throughout society is liberation. Any restriction on one’s freedom is considered to be a burden, and one’s duty is to oppose it, and by doing so one is thereby liberated. In most instances that’s a good thing. Habits that destroy the body or mind are indeed enslavement: Smoking, drinking to excess, use of drugs, even immoderate television watching or other time-wasters. A person is best set free from them all. Other forms of liberation benefit society as a whole, such as the rights of equality for all races and for women from male dominance, as well as protests over the supremacy of the wealthy in the United States over the poor.
But liberation from any and all oppressions is not an end in itself. If it leads to no further commitment, then it is heresy, a misdirection that does not continue on the way to a fulfillment. Jesus said, “What good does it do to rid oneself of a demon, if nothing is put in its place?” Seven other demons will eventually take up residence in the person who does not fill himself up with godliness, but lives a life in the delusion of self-direction.
The spiritual warriors against the flesh and the devil taught that our lives on earth are an ongoing struggle, and to assume otherwise is an expensive delusion. Of course it is not modern or sophisticated to agree with the desert fathers, or with all the teachings of the true Church for that matter, since it is assumed by secularists that humanity has progressed beyond what they consider an enslavement to such antiquated ways of thought. In a word, they have liberated themselves from such myths of angels, demons, and even deities. But have we as well? Is there more peace, love and joy in our lives, or rather in the lives of those who would insist they are above traditional Christianity?
An irony which true Christians live by is that we are only liberated when we unconditionally surrender ourselves to the Lord Almighty. What seems to be a contradiction requires an explanation, but that also demands an insight supplemented with grace. To be liberated is to be given the opportunity to use that freedom wisely. At the moment of liberation comes a challenge: How is that freedom to be utilized?
If it is truly “mine” and I believe that I willed my own existence, then it is indeed “my” life to live as I please in splendid isolation from God and others. I may proceed in that delusion until it comes to me one day that in the process of living a fantasy of freedom I have enslaved myself to the values of a society that has enticed me into doing its will, purchasing its products, accepting as truisms what it takes for granted without discussion, debate, or consideration.
On the other hand I might realize that I am a part of a greater plan, indeed God’s plan. I then will perceive that my freedom is limited by my creatureliness. To understand my limitations is part of wisdom. To the extent that I am able to discern God’s plan for me, I have the foresight to surrender my own will freely, so that His will may be achieved through my mind, body, and abilities. I then will better understand the meaning of the Lord’s prayer: “Thy will be done.”