Don't Go Down For the Count

“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” (Ps 119:133 AV)

 

The quest for liberty from sin is in the heart of those who walk with God.  It was sin that was sending us to a devil’s hell,  and it is sin that robs us of God’s greatest blessings of life.  Sin is not freedom.  No matter what the devil wants to tell us, sin is bondage.  Even apart from consequences from sinful choices, sin is still entrapping.  We all have those sins that doth so easily beset us.  Some of us struggle with food addictions.  Some of us struggle with our caffeine addictions.  Some of us cannot turn off the television or put down the phone.  Then some are into even more damaging sin like pornography, drugs, or alcohol.  Each promises liberty and freedom.  Yet each results in the exact opposite.  Our writer desires true liberty.  Liberty to from sin unto obedience.  Obedience means freedom from guilt and shame.  Obedience means freedom to serve God.  Obedience means freedom to know who Jesus is and live Him with all our hearts.  This is what the writer wants.

My brother Chris and I used to wrestle a lot.  We used to wrestle because he could never pin me.  I was too thin and squirrelly for him to get a hold of me and set me on my shoulders.  We would wrestle at least twice a week.  Often, it would be spontaneous.  Walking into our bedroom, he would jump me, and off we’d go.  Playing tackle football outside, his tackles took way too long.  He would turn it into an opportunity to try to pin me.  Many of our bouts came on the front lawn.  Jumping in a pile of leaves, he saw his opportunity.  Epic failure!  I think not!  No pinning there, either. Did I forget to mention he was my older brother and at least a foot taller than me?  What really frustrated him was how I laughed at his attempts.  I would laugh and laugh.  The only time he could pin me was when I laughed so hard I lost strength.  We did this for years.  I could count on two hands the times he was successful.  For the most part, he never could get me down.  I hated being dominated.  Never did like it.  Even in school, the LORD provided me ways to avoid or escape the bully’s abuse.  Domination was not something I looked for.  It was something I sought to dominate myself.

Our writer does not like to be dominated.  Not by sin, anyway.  He desires no sin to have dominion over him.  This requires understanding the power of specific sins.  Our writer is not asking for liberty from sin in general because he knows to be free from sin, it has to be handled individually.  Confession over individual sins.  Practical steps to overcome individual sins.  And most of all, the word of God which addresses that specific sin had to be learned, memorized, quoted and applied.  David wants his freedom.  As a leader, he does not want to be led.  He wants to lead.  He wants to dictate terms.  He wants to look that monster called sin right in the face and tell it to leave off.  He knows how important the word of God is and seeks God’s influence via the word of God to get the monkeys off his back.  He wants it gone.  He wants to be free.  He wants no sin to control his life so that he can be free to love his God.  That is the freedom we should all seek.