How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, is this man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? Isaiah 14: 12-17.
The whole world lies in the hands of the wicked one – the Devil, the merciless and the cruel task master you can ever imagine. Whatever had happened through Pharaoh the king of Egypt against the children of Israel before their Exodus can be traced back to Satan who possessed and hardened Pharaoh’s heart against the will and purposes of God for the deliverance of the Israelis, and will not let them go, no, not by a soft hand and easy means. If the Israelis remain in Egypt, they shall remain idolatries, serving Egyptians gods, living the Egyptians’ culture and lifestyles, and then perish eternally – this was the ultimate purpose and aim of the Devil to possess and hardens Pharaoh’s heart against divine order to let God’s people go that they might serve him in the wilderness.
Finally, God made his decision to kill (because I have loved thee, I will give men for thy life. Isaiah 43:4) all the Egyptian firstborn when other miracles, signs and wonders of judgement designed to convince king Pharaoh’s resolution to set the Israelites free from their hard bondage seems not strong enough to break him down, and then he forcefully sent them away in the midnight.
Even, after this urgent and forceful expulsion and liberty of the Israelis as the result of the irresistible mighty hand of God in his determinate counsel and plan to see his people delivered at all cost and by all means, Pharaoh couldn’t believed he has given his word to free the Israelis as he prepared and armed himself and his soldiers to go after and to bring the Israelis back to the land of Egypt for bondmen and bondwomen, then was he and his armies and chariots were finally and totally destroyed inside the red sea…..say unto God, how great and terrible you are in the works of thy hands, for through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto you. Psalms 66:3.
Egypt is the spiritual symbol of the present evil world while king Pharaoh is the spiritual symbol of Satan’s man and instrument on earth – the strongman. The idolatries and abominable sins and practices of the land of Egypt are the bondages, shackles and chains of sin – the instruments of unrighteousness the enemy is using to imprison lives and souls of men unto himself – whosoever commit sin is of the devil. For the devil sin from the beginning: and for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Apostle Paul speaks about his frequent imprisonments for the gospel sake. If you are persecuted and wrongful imprisoned for the gospel sake, this is acceptable before God – great is your reward in heaven. Physical imprisonment is of zero effect to a child of God, apart from his physical liberty restricted by the enemy because he sees him as a threat in the world against sin and darkness; but his spirit man (the most important) is neither in jail nor in any bondage of corruption to partake in the second death – hell fire.
If the body is put into jail for confinement like in the cases of the early apostles of Christ in the primitive church, the devil is still the looser, even then, in the innermost part of the prison designed to deter them from serving the Lord, the believer’s devotional time increases in his personal fellowship and communion with his God, enjoying the presence of the Lord and the ministry of his holy angels, the ministering spirits send to minister to the heirs of salvation.
On three different occasions, we see supernatural divine intervention wrought by the angels of God to open concrate bar and release the apostles from physical imprisonments: (a) the apostles imprisoned shortly after Pentecost. Acts 5:18: (b) Peter’s experience with Pharaoh in the prison. Acts 12:5: (c) the Apostle Paul and Silas experience in the Philippians jail, chains broken off, prison door opened by supernatural power, and the jailer was afraid, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. Acts 16:27.
It is Satan primary objective, pursuit and fights that his prisoners –sinners and mankind should die in their prison houses, lock up and bound forever without any possibility of parole.
The prison houses of the world has different department such as the department of sex offenders, marital violence, petty thieves, arm thieves and robbers, murderers, sorcerers, liars, deceivers, haters, envious, think of it, it’s more than the hairs on man’s head which could not be numbered – for innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart fails me. Psalms 40:12.
Imprisonment to or by Satan is a spiritual term known as being dead in sins and trespasses – slave to sin – Jesus answered and said unto them, whosesoever sin is a servant of sin. John 8:34. Ephesians 1:1.
Anyone incarcerate in Satan’s prison is already condemned to eternal death – waiting to be claimed by their respective masters – demons that exert control over them while they lived on earth, awaiting the final judgment at the white throne judgment seat of God. Note: any of the works of the flesh such as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling (Galatians 5:19-21) though they seems natural, are under the control and ownership and influence of evil spirits such as the spirit of lying (1 Kings 22:22) to exercise lordship and waiting to claim ownership over their victim at the netherworld, the world of the dead (Ephesians 2:2), – you are servants to whom you obey, either of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness. Romans 6:16.
The prison of the enemy is not for correction (the thief comes to steal, kill and to destroy. John 10:10), but for permanent captivity and total destruction – the devil will never willingly let go any of his captives without a fight and strong resistance, – also; not without the willingness and determination of the prisoners of hope – sinners. After the release, the enemy will continue to seek how to bring back his old slave back into captivity, if perhaps, the dog will go back to its folly, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 2 Peter 2:22. Note: though we have come out Egypt – delivered from spiritual prison, we should remove Egyptians ways of life from the heart in readiness to resist the mixed multitudes in us – the flesh, the old man which fights or lusts against the spirit, and to deliver ourselves from the Egyptians around us – be not equally yoked together with unbelievers. Have you ever seen those in incarceration to ever walk around in the city with those who are quiet and law abiding in the land?
The heart of the accuser of the brethren (Satan) is harden against God, – his purpose is to fill the sinner’s heart with evil, and to rob them of any hope of coming out of their spiritual lawlessness through unbelief in the deceitfulness and pleasure of sin.
1 Peter 4 verses 6, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but lived according to God in the spirit: therefore, spiritual imprisonment is the prison of sin with all unrighteousness, worldly lusts and ungodliness: whoever died in the state of spiritual imprisonment or bondage is doom for eternal destruction – to go out of this world of probation to the world of retribution under the guilt of sin is unpardoned. It is appointed unto men once to die, after death, judgement.
The second thief at the left hand of Christ on the cross in the day of our Lord’s crucifixion scorn his Saviour and did not received pardon before his demised: also, the rich man in Lazarus story died and went to hell, having lived in the imprisonment to the flesh and worldly pleasure all his days (and behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts. Isaiah 22:13-14), there is no pardon after death, but the fiery judgement which shall devour the adversaries.
Sin is captivity and bondage to Satan….thus says the Lord, where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or to which of the creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourself, and for your transgression is your mother put away. Isaiah 50:1.
Sin creates the gates of brass with the unseen bars of iron around sinners (oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Psalms 107:15-17), unless and until it is broken by the Lord’s spirit of regeneration (for we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:3-6), who will then build his wall or edge of fire to protect his adoptive child – I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. John 8:24.
I will walk in liberty (spiritual freedom) for I seek thy precepts (Psalms 119:45), but whenever the enemy communicate or whisper his opinion that you are at liberty (false and destructive liberty) whether you make the word of God your principles and rule or no, that though it is good, you are not so obliged as you are made to believe it, – this evil thought is to ensnare, imprison and to take you for a prey for a rebellious prisoner against light and truth just like himself, even as once deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden to destroys them. Job 24:13.
This was the point of Christ discourse with the Jews that believes on him, that the character of a true believer is to continue in his word and to show themselves as his true followers in word and in deed. The discoveries of truth is a long life experience, and his disciples are meant for a life-long adherent to his teachings and life styles without compromising the truth or adulteration of it as they walk and live daily in the continuation of it; to make the will of God the rule of all their actions, and to govern themselves in the pathway of eternal life for gradual exposition into the truths that make free indeed. John 8:32.
Whososver shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Jesus will discharge and acquit the prisoner that will look up (the spirit of the Lord God is upon me: because he has anointed me to preach to good tidings unto the meek; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of prison to them that are bound. Isaiah 61:1), crying out to him for help to set them free from the prison of Satan, bondage and captivity of sin…the Lord loses the prisoners. Psalms 146:7.
The Lord will forcibly deliver his prisoners from the prison house of Satan as the stronger man stronger than the strongman because for them he died, and he now has with him the keys of hell and of death which were once in the possession of Satan. Though Christ is stronger and the strongest than the strongman (the devil), he will only keep you as his own if you will continue in his word – the truth that set free: if not, he will soon break the head of all them that will continue in their trespasses after deliverance from it and worst thing shall befall them. Psalms 68:21.
Christ has come to proclaim liberty from sin to the captives, and the opening of prison to them that are bound – this is the true liberty of Christ as you keep his word in your heart and apply the scriptures to direct your life and paths that you might not sin against him – let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19.
The prison chain, shackle and housing of Satan includes all the unfruitful works of darkness, such as worship of idols, moons, star gazers, sun, and other elements of heaven: including the worship of water, dead, cultism and other religion without Christ Jesus as the Saviour and centre of it in the light of the gospel. Any strange and unexplainable sickness and disease such as the case of the woman who was oppressed and bond for eighteen good years by Satan before she met Christ for her deliverance and healing from the oppression could be an imprisonment of Satan. Luke 13:16.
The Lord has paid the ultimate price for our redemption and justification by his precious blood; therefore, there is no bondage or chain of imprisonments possible to restrict or destroys you again if you will cleave unto Christ: we know that whosoever is born of God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 1 John 5:18-21.