Spiritual Freedom

Spiritual prisons are those that Satan uses to cage us, and those we keep ourselves in. With a powerful example from Peter’s life, God’s Word shows us how to be freed from these prisons.

In Acts 12, Peter is imprisoned by King Herod. Thousands in Jerusalem were saved through God’s mighty works, and Herod felt threatened. Of course, whenever God moves supernaturally through his people, it enrages the enemy.

Now Herod leveled his sights on Peter. “When [Herod] saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also” (Acts 12:3, ESV). Herod was going to make a point by executing the boldest believer to frighten Christians into silence.

Herod sent squads of soldiers to capture and guard Peter. “And when he had seized him, he put him in prison ... intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people” (Acts 12:4). The meaning of “bring him out” reveals that Herod would martyr Peter in a public display.

The word “seized” in this passage does not mean grabbed. Rather, it signifies a power far beyond our own. Peter wasn’t just under the arrest of a governmental principality; he was locked down by a spiritual power.

Are you familiar with this kind of spiritual prison? Maybe you are in one now. You think, “Lord, I’ve prayed a thousand times, but nothing changes. How will I ever get free?”

What we read next changes everything. “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (Acts 12:5). I love the image of “earnest prayer.” A small band of humble men and women were holding a prayer meeting. Like many Christians, they probably had little influence, yet the thickest prison walls didn’t stand a chance against their prayers.

What happened next is the heart of this message: “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him… and the chains fell off his hands…They had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street” (Acts 12:7-10).

What a testimony of spiritual freedom! When the enemy is on this scene, roaring like a lion, the Lion of Judah is also on the move. He reveals himself and breaks the chains!