For as long as I can remember, the Herber side of my family has been known as adventurous risk-takers, forging trails where others fear to tread! That, plus the fact that I like to pride myself on being a “rugged outdoorsman,” probably explains why I did what I did, landing my poor sons and me in whole lot of trouble. It started one afternoon during free time at a large ranch where we were attending a church retreat. The boys and I decided to hop in my truck and explore, and as we got to the edge of the vast property, I noticed an old unkept road heading off into nowhere. Immediately the mental debate began, like the proverbial devil on one shoulder and angel on another:

“We’ve got to take that and see where it leads! Adventure calls!”
“You probably shouldn’t drive up that road—it clearly hasn’t been used in years.”
“Of course, you should take it, you’re a Herber!”
“This retreat center probably doesn’t want people traipsing through those unmarked areas.”
“Come on, it will be fun, and no one will ever know.”
“You’re out in the middle of nowhere—it might not be that safe.”

On and on it went, but in the end, my pride won out as I thought to myself: “You have been off-roading your whole life and you have a big V8 truck. You can handle this.” So, we took off, and at first it was tons of fun. We barreled over rock outcroppings, winding our way through rougher and rougher territory until I finally realized that if we kept going, it was going to tear up my truck. As I pulled off the road to turn around, boom! The front left tire sunk into what seemed to be something like quicksand. I used every trick I knew to get us out, but that truck wouldn’t budge.

I felt so stupid. There we were miles away from the retreat center, and no one knew where we were. My three tired and thirsty boys and I had no choice but to walk back to the lodge in the 100-degree California heat. The worst part of the whole thing was I had to tell people what I’d done because I needed their help getting my truck out of that mess. Thankfully God provided the right person, and after using a variety of tools, breaking a bunch of ropes and praying a lot, we finally got out with little damage to my truck but a lot of damage to my pride.

Getting Unstuck

I tell that story because I want you to know that life can be like a series of those “getting stuck” moments—not in a car, but in our spiritual journeys. Whether you’re a new follower of Jesus, or have been a Christian for a while, you may be stuck in some type of sin, habitual behavior or way of approaching life that is destructive to your soul. And maybe, like me with my truck, you are embarrassed or ashamed and don’t really want anyone to know about your problems.

Let me just tell you that Jesus is in the business of getting people “unstuck,” something the Bible often refers to as being delivered, which is our third “D.” In fact, the Bible says: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1, italics added). Jesus wants you to know right now He died so you can be set free, that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:8).

What does getting “unstuck” look like? You can have peace instead of anxiety, forgiveness and love instead of bitterness and anger, a pure heart and mind instead of lust, a satisfied soul instead of discontent. Through deliverance you can break addictions and compulsions so that the Holy Spirit controls your heart and life.

We Have a Real Enemy

I joked earlier about a devil on my shoulder, but the truth is we have an enemy named Satan who wants to “steal, kill and destroy” everything good that Jesus wants for us (John 10:10). Every day he wanders around, looking to see who he can take down, or as the Bible says, “devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan would like to keep you in bondage your entire life, but his threats are empty if you’ve invited Jesus in as Lord:

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he [Jesus] himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

Do you see this? The devil wants to cripple you with fear, but Jesus has destroyed his power. Fear once made you a slave for life, but Jesus wants to deliver you from that.

Friend, let me tell you, everyone in the world is stuck in some way. Everyone has someone in their lives they need to forgive. Everyone has mental strongholds they need to overcome. It’s time to stop acting like we’ve got it all together and get real with each other so we can experience freedom!

If I haven’t convinced you by now that you might need deliverance, let me throw out a few possibilities:

Do you get irritable and hard to be around when you don’t get to eat when you want?
Do you get frustrated or anxious when you don’t get enough media time (TV, movies, streaming, games, etc.)?
Do you go shopping or buy non-essentials to make yourself feel better?
Do you need to check your smartphone continually for posts, messages, etc., even when you are at work, in a meeting, or with a friend or family member?
Are you unable to make it without alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, or sex?
Do you live for social media “likes” or comments and get depressed when you don’t get them?

Now you might be thinking these are just normal issues everyone deals with, and I would say: “Exactly…that’s why everyone needs to be set free!” If you’ve decided to invite Jesus into your heart as Lord and Savior, and you’ve been dunked as an act of obedience to Him, your next step is to press into our third “D,” deliverance. Your bondage to sin or harmful habits may be the result of generational strongholds from your family of origin, a temptation you’ve been unable to resist, or the result of your own pride, thinking you can handle things and don’t need the power of God to live like Jesus. Whatever the backstory, like me with my truck, when you finally humble yourself and partner with others, you can experience complete freedom.

In this chapter you will discover three important steps to deliverance. But first, a look at someone in the Bible who blew it big-time but discovered the joy of deliverance.

A Man Needing Deliverance

There was this young shepherd boy who grew up to become the king of Israel and lead the nation into its golden era. He was a gifted man in the eyes of the world: a successful warrior, a prolific musician, an eloquent poet, and a winsome leader. But what strikes me most is what God said about him when he made him king: “I have found…a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do” (Acts 13:22). Wow. If you haven’t guessed by now, I am talking about King David.

Can you imagine having God say that about you? Most of us can’t because we know how often we fail or fall into sin. But David’s life is encouraging for just that reason—he was a sinful man just like we are, and God knew how far he would fall, yet he still called him a man after His own heart. What we learn from his story is that our problem is not whether we sin or how bad we blow it, but whether we know what to do to make things right and experience God’s freedom.

David’s storyline begins to sound like some raunchy movie when he commits adultery with Bathsheba, a woman he saw taking a bath from the roof of his palace one night. When she gets pregnant, David doesn’t repent, but does what we are always tempted to do — he tries to cover it up. He takes things into his own hands, ordering her husband home from war so he will sleep with her, but when her husband doesn’t do so, David has him killed (See 2 Samuel 11). Seriously?

For the next ten months David lived in a dry, almost death-like spiritual stupor. The passing pleasure of sex had pulled him into adultery and then murder without remorse. The Scriptures warn us that sin can be pleasurable, but not for long, and the outcome is always death (Hebrews 11:25, Romans 3:23). David’s spiritual senses were deadened, and it seems he stopped communing with the Lord. His destiny as a “man after God’s own heart” was at stake. David desperately needed deliverance.

Step One: Rebuke

I am so grateful that our loving Father does not leave us in our sin but pursues us, often using another person to rebuke us. In Scripture, the Hebrew word for rebuke means to “reprove, correct, plea, reason or chasten.” Have you ever been rebuked? Let me just tell you, this is something we all need at one time or another if we are going to walk in freedom. Jesus told us: If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:30). A wise sage in Scripture wrote: “better is open rebuke than hidden love” (Proverbs 27:5). We can so easily live in denial of where we are falling short, how we are blowing it, or the effects of habitual sin on our lives, and we need people who will love us enough to tell us what they see.

One of the first times this happened to me was when I was in high school and living a double life. I would go to church on Sundays, then go to sinful parties and mess around with girls on the weekends. One day I got a letter in the mail from a guy named Garnet. It said, in part: “Robert, you say you are a Christian, but you live a party lifestyle like a lost person. You are living a hypocritical life.” Ouch. Rebuke is never fun, but it is often the critical first step toward freedom.

That’s why God sent a prophet named Nathan to rebuke David, who began by telling the king this story:

There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him. (1 Samuel 12:1-4)

God is so gentle here — he uses a moving story that relates to David’s former life as a shepherd who knew what it meant to love his sheep. How does David respond? He gets ticked off and burns with anger, demanding that whoever did this pay back four times over “because he did such a thing!” (1 Samuel 12:1-4).

This story pierced not only David’s mind, but also his heart and even his physical body — he could feel God’s emotions toward the injustice. What a setup! Nathan responds with: “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says…” (1 Samuel 12:7-9). I find this so refreshing. We are talking about David, the king who has all power and authority to destroy Nathan, yet the prophet doesn’t hesitate to rebuke him because he cares more about what God says, is more concerned about God’s people, and cares even more about David himself than his own life or reputation.

Friends, if you see a brother or sister in sin, lovingly confront them before they slip even further. You might be saving their life or their marriage, their job, their children, or their reputation. The Bible says that that “whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:20). Determine right now to be willing to give and receive rebuke within your church family — your destiny or theirs may be at stake! Rebuke is a powerful gift. When it is done right, it can unleash incredible freedom.

Back to the story. Nathan went on to warn David that there would be consequences for his sin, that calamity would come to his household and everyone would see it. It is a painful truth that while God forgives, we still reap what we sow. David’s sin brought pain to himself, his family, and even the nation, and he felt the consequences for the rest of his life. Yet, God still called him a man after his own heart. Why? Because of David’s response. That leads us to our second step in freedom, which is repent.

Step Two: Repent

When my boys were little, it was almost humorous when I’d see one hit the other and I’d ask: “Why did you just hit your brother?” More times than not the guilty party would respond: “I didn’t!” Then I would say, “I just saw you do it,” and he’d start blaming his brother or sister. It is human nature to try to cover our wrongs, to hide our sin and shift the blame. But David didn’t do that in this case; he simply owned up to what he had done, saying: “I have sinned against the Lord” (1 Samuel 12: 10).

When I was a kid, we occasionally went away to stay in a little cabin out in the woods. I was always fascinated that when we turned on the lights, insects would be scurrying off into every corner. (That cabin didn’t get used much!) Repentance is like that — it is as if we are turning on a light in a dark place where Satan and his demons have had free rein. Of course, your enemy wants to keep sin hidden, but when you confess, he must flee. Only then will you have the power to see what needs to change.

God’s response to David’s repentance was swift and amazing as Nathan assured him, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die” (2 Samuel 1:12-13). In that moment, David was freed from the spiritual stupor he’d lived in for ten months. In a beautiful prayer in Psalm 51, we see how David’s heart changed as he took the next step in freedom, which was to release.

Step Three: Release

The first time we see Jesus in a public worship setting, he is reading these words written hundreds of years before: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1, italics added). Jesus then shocked everyone by declaring that He was fulfilling those words that day! (Luke 4:18). Jesus came to release you from the prison of darkness that sin keeps you in. But in order to really experience that freedom, you are going to have to release — let go — of some things yourself.

Let Go of Self-Reliance

When I went on that wild ride with my boys I wrote about earlier and got my truck stuck, I was determined to get it out myself. But nothing I tried worked, and I finally had to admit that I was in a mess and needed help. I had to let go of self-reliance. I love that in Alcoholics Anonymous, this is the famous “first step” – to admit your life has become unmanageable and you are powerless to change without God.

No matter what you’ve done, no matter how big or small the sin or behavior is, you won’t know full freedom until you humble yourself and admit you can’t do this on your own. David prayed: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion” (Psalm 51:1). Why does David ask for mercy? Because he knows he can’t fix things and he’s convinced that he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. So, he releases self-reliance and appeals to God’s love and great compassion. He doesn’t try to win God’s favor or work himself back into God’s presence by some gift or good work but throws himself on God’s mercy.

Let Go of Self-Justification

I can’t tell you how often people say, “Everyone my age is engaged in sexual sin,” as if that somehow justifies it. It feels as if there is this unspoken attitude that today is different from Bible times, that some sin just can’t be avoided. Everyone cheats on their taxes, everyone watches immoral stuff on TV, everyone tells white lies to their spouse, everyone cuts corners at work — the list goes on.

Here is what David said about his sin with Bathsheba: “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me” (Psalm 51:3). David not only admits that he has sinned but also says his awareness of it never goes away. If you have been there, you know this is a miserable way to live. You literally feel that your life is marked by sin — it becomes part of your identity. And there is only one way out — to stop justifying your sin and see it for what it is.

David knew that although he’d hurt a lot of people, his sin was directly against God: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). I believe David is saying here that when he chose the path of adultery, he purposefully shut God out so he could do what he wanted. How often do we do the same thing? We ignore that inner voice of the Holy Spirit so we can continue in sin. Until we face up to what we are doing, stop blaming others or our circumstances, and stop justifying what we’ve done, we will not experience the deliverance Jesus has for us.

Let Go of Control

When my twin sisters were two years old, they were out in a field with my parents when two horses came up and literally pushed my dad out of the way. Our small dog began to bark, and one of the horses kicked at it but hit my sister instead, breaking her jaw in seven places. Although by God’s grace she survived, my sister has had physical complications from that experience her entire life. My parents never let me have a horse after that, even though I grew up on a ranch.

Fast forward to my own family. For ten years my son Hudson asked for a horse, and we finally told him to pray and prepare, and if God gave us one, we would take it. God answered, and we got a very gentle horse named Raven. I have often pondered the differences between that horse from my childhood and Hudson’s horse. How does a 100-pound boy manage a 1000-pound horse? By putting a bit in its mouth and pulling on it when it goes astray so that it learns obedience. The thing about Raven was that he had been broken in so well, he didn’t even need a bit anymore; he followed Hudson around like a puppy.

A big part of deliverance is letting go of control so that God can lead us with just a whisper of His voice. I don’t want God to have to strong-arm me; I want to be the kind of person who listens for His gentle voice. But sometimes deliverance requires God to put that bit in our mouths and break us, so we learn obedience from the heart.

As a young man, I claimed to be following Jesus, but He wasn’t really Lord in my life. Football was my idol, and selfishness was my character. I would put others down to be popular, I stole my best friend’s girlfriend, and I had begun to slip into sexual sin. Then, boom! I was laid out with a serious heart problem that changed everything. I’m not saying God sent that affliction, but I know He used it to break me so that I would release control of my life.

David experienced such brokenness through his sin, praying: “Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice” (Psalm 51:8). However God may choose to break you, your path to freedom must include a decision to give Him control of everything in your life. God heard my cries through that painful season and healed me, and that is the reason I am here dreaming God’s dreams instead of my own today, which leads to our final step in deliverance: restoration.

Step Four: Restoration

Anytime I have spiraled into sin, I’ve known that God didn’t abandon me, but I lost the sweetness of his fellowship. I lost my joy and the peace of walking closely with him. I no longer felt the tender touch of God’s presence. And I would miss it so much. But I have found over and over that as I repent and release control back to Him, He restores me with His presence and fills me with joy.

David prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12). We know we’ve been restored when our joy returns. If you have lost your joy as a follower of Jesus, take some time to check your life — you may need some deliverance. It could be anything — idolatry, selfishness, greed, comparison, discontent — all of these and more can steal your joy.

What does restoration look like? The story of David rocks me every time I think of how kind God is. The backstory is that David ended up marrying Bathsheba, and she gave birth to another son — Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived. He became king after David and was used by God to build the Temple (1 Samuel 13). This is crazy. After repenting and releasing, David prayed for restoration, and God responds by blessing a marriage that had begun in sin. God even goes on to use Bathsheba powerfully in David and Solomon’s lives.

Do you know that God is kinder than we can ever imagine? When He delivers us, though we still experience the consequences of our sin, God brings blessing out of everything, even our disobedience. Friend, no matter how much you’ve blown it or how bad your situation is — restoration is possible! You can be set free to live in God’s favor from this moment forward!

A Prayer for Deliverance

I suffered from headaches from childhood until I was a young man, and nothing seemed to help. Then one time I was at a missions team meeting and my head started hurting, so I asked for prayer. As they were praying, a woman asked a question about family members who might have been involved in organizations that use occultic practices. I told her one possibility, and she explained how men in that organization made spiritual vows that opened the door to Satan, though most didn’t know it. I immediately repented for myself and my family, asked Jesus to heal me, and commanded evil spirits to leave. Immediately those headaches went away and have never come back!

Most of this chapter has been about deliverance and the steps we need to take when we have sinned. But there are times when Satan and his demons are oppressing you and you need another step — freedom prayer. There are a lot of ways demons gain access — from alcohol, to drugs, to evil movies, to involvement with the occult, to bitterness and unforgiveness, to generational sin, to painful childhood experiences. It might not be anything you have done, but what was done to you.

How do you know if you are oppressed? You might feel something physical, like being pressed down on your bed or choked at night or feeling like something has taken control over you. It might be mental — having accusing voices in your head or feeling like something is telling you to end your life. These are just a few of the common ways, and whenever I talk about this, people always come up to me afterwards and say, “Pastor that is me. That is what I was dealing with.”

Jesus is able to deliver anyone! He spent a lot of time on earth setting people free from demonic oppression, and then he commanded his disciples to cast out demons. This should be a normal part of our lives and ministry. At our church, we offer an entire day of teaching and prayer so that people can be delivered. We call it “Freedom Day” because we believe every follower of Jesus has the right to live in freedom!

Jesus is the Source of our True Freedom

I want to end this chapter with a verse that is so encouraging from the book of Acts. It says: “Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil” (Acts 10:38). This is incredible. Jesus wants to do good to you and not harm. He does not condemn or shame you, but he meets you in your sickness, your pain, your sorrow and your sin so He can heal, love, restore and deliver you.

The third “D” – deliverance – is possible because of Jesus. He wants you free from sin and Satan’s oppression more than you can ever imagine. Why? He wants to walk with you, to be Your friend and guide, and to fill your life with His wonderful presence so that you can live out His dreams and purposes with peace and joy. Setting people free is what Jesus does, it is who He is, and it is why He died on the cross. Deliverance is your birthright as His follower!

* * *

You can experience this freedom today. Below is a two-part process to ask Jesus for deliverance. You can pray it right now or ask a mentor or small group to pray with you and for you as you go through it.

Prayer Response Part 1

Father, I thank you that the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus sets me free from all demonic affliction and oppression. I claim the power of the blood of Jesus Christ over my life. I now command every spirit to leave me and go back to the pit of hell.

Prayer Response Part 2

I repent of partnering with the spirit of _________________ (Be specific in naming any spirit that has afflicted you. This might include things like a suicidal spirit, lustful spirit, violent spirit, mental tormenting spirit, etc.). I confess that I have sinned (specifically name any sin that is coming to mind), and I now turn away from that sin. I command this spirit to leave me now in the name of Jesus. I ask the Holy Spirit to fill me and any place that sin or demonic spirits have had access in my life.

(Take a moment to breathe in deeply letting the Holy Spirit fill you. Then repeat Part 2 as many times as God brings different evil spirits to mind that he is wanting to free you from.)

The Scriptures tell us: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:14). You can move forward with strength and confidence, standing firm because you know that Jesus has delivered you.

Delivered