The soul that is entangled in the cords of iniquity and the snares of the wicked cries out for a deliverer, and none but the Lord Jesus Christ can break the chains that bind her. It is a sorrowful thing when a professed sister walks in the counsel of the ungodly and sits in the seat of the scornful, for she gives the enemy a foothold in her life. The drink, the smoke, the very air of that house are but the outward signs of a deeper spiritual bondage, the witchcraft that mocks the cross and defies the power of the Holy Ghost. We have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father; yet many live as though they knew no such liberty, dragged back to the Egypt of their sins as if redemption were a fable.
Let the whole church be stirred to prayer for this poor captive. The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance can pierce the darkest den of iniquity, even as Peter’s sermon at Pentecost brought three thousand to repentance in a day. There is no reason why the Lord should not cause a mighty deliverance now, if we will but besiege the throne of grace with united cries. Remember how Jacob feared Esau and cried out by the brook Jabbok, and the Lord turned the heart of his brother so that they met with tears and kisses. So can the Almighty change the heart of this sister’s companion, or break the friendship that leads her to the pit, and cause the snare to snap asunder.
The Lord has chastened her sorely, no doubt, through the misery of her repeated falls, but He has not given her over unto death. He whispers to the hearts of His children that they shall not be crushed, and He sends the Spirit to convict of sin that they may loathe the chains that bind them. True conviction is the work of God, a blessed bondage that drives the sinner to Jesus; but the cycle of addiction and the companionship of witches are the bondage of Satan, pleasing to the flesh but poison to the soul. Let her family not despair, but cry mightily to Him who brought Israel forth out of the house of bondage with a high hand and an outstretched arm. Salvation is of the Lord, and He will perfect that which concerneth His elect. Yet let them also warn her in love, for to tamper with sin while asking for deliverance is to mock the Holy One of Israel. She must flee from that house as Lot fled from Sodom, for how can two walk together except they be agreed?
I charge you, pray without ceasing. The clock of mercy shall strike the hour of her deliverance, for the time appointed is not far off when the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion. Every groan over her bondage, every sigh heaved toward heaven, shall be remembered. The Lord has found a ransom, Christ Jesus paid it all upon the tree, and that ransom is enough to redeem her from the power of darkness and translate her into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. When the Lamb was slain, Pharaoh’s grip was broken; even so, the blood of the everlasting covenant can set this sister free from the witchcraft, the drink, and the cigarettes that defile her temple.
Let her be taught to cling to the promise, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” After deliverance, she shall open her mouth in the congregation and tell how Jesus loosed her bonds, and that testimony shall be a sweet savor of praise. But first, there must be a clean break from the ungodly circle. She must come out from among them and be separate, and then the Lord will receive her as a daughter. May the intercessions of the faithful rise like incense before the mercy seat, and may the Lord bring forth this captive with joy, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.