Bondage Breaker - Part 1 — Neil T. Anderson

Difficulty. Didn't know how to get out of it. He was very responsible. He had a high position in his community. He was respected. He went to church Sunday morning, Sunday evening, went to a small group on Wednesday night.

But I agreed to spend a little time with him. And so before he come down, I asked if he would, in the drive about six hours or so, if he would listen to our set of tapes. When he entered my office on a Saturday morning, he handed the tapes back and said, they're all blank.

Well, after about two or three hours of counseling this man, he listened to the same tapes on the way home. I'd like to have you hear what he said to me. Dear Neil, I contacted you because I had been experiencing a host of seemingly inexplicable psychologically related attacks.

My emotional troubles were probably rooted in my childhood experience with horror movies, Ouija boards, et cetera. I clearly remember fearing a visit from devilish forces after I saw the movie titled The Blood of Dracula.

My father had a pretty hot temper and was given to emotional outbursts. My survival response was to sulk and blame myself for upsetting him. Bottling my emotions inside became a way of life. As I grew into adulthood, I continued to blame myself for any and all personal shortcomings and misfortunes.

Then I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. I grew spiritually over the next several years, but I never enjoyed complete peace. There was always a lingering doubt about my relationship with God, whom I saw as distant and stern.

I had difficulty praying, reading the Bible, and paying attention to the pastor's sermons. I seriously questioned the purpose of life. I experienced horrible nightmares which woke me up screaming. It was during my time of prayer with you that I finally found freedom in Christ.

I realized that God is not a harsh, aloof, disciplinarian, but a loving Father who takes joy in my accomplishments. I also experienced a great release when I prayed to cancel out all demonic working that had been passed on to me from my ancestors.

Now when I read God's word, I understand that like never before, I have developed a more positive attitude, and my entire relationship with my Lord has completely changed. Since our meeting, I haven't had one nightmare.

Neil, I'm afraid there are many Christians like me out there leading lives of quiet desperation due to the attack of demonic forces. If I can fall prey to these forces and seem all right, so can others.

Spiritual Warfare and Deceiving Spirits

Is he right? I suspect he is right. For instance, in Southern California, we have researched 1 ,725 professing Christian young people. As we got data back from them, we realized that 71 percent said that they're hearing voices like there's a subconscious self talking to them.

Now, do I believe that 71 percent of our professing Christian young people are paranoid, schizophrenic, or psychotic? I don't believe that. What I believe is 1 Timothy 4 .1, where the Holy Spirit explicitly says that in latter days, people will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceiving spirits, and literally, teachings of demons.

Is that happening? That's happening all over the world. It really matters not where we go in our ministry. We find basically the problems are the same, and the answer is always the same. Of that same group, we found out that 74 percent, three out of four, of our young people believe that they are different from others.

Christianity works for others, but it doesn't work for them. Is that true? Well, of course, that's not true. But if they believe that, would it affect the way that they live their Christian life? And I find that at least 50 percent of our adult population believe basically the same thing.

If they played a game like Dungeons and Dragons, a fantasy game, of which about 280 or so of the sample had, of that group, 43 percent have impulsive thoughts to kill people, like grab that knife and stab somebody.

Now, where's that coming from? Are these people just mentally ill, or is there a battle going on for their mind? Let's explore some of the, I think, common misconceptions that the church is labored under.

Let me share several. One, demons were active when Christ was on earth, but their activity has subsided today. I think it would take an unusual blinding to take that kind of position in light of what's going on in our world.

No matter where you go, there just seems to be evil and immorality that seems so resistant to to just even common sense. Even our police departments are trying to tell our mothers and fathers, listen, mom and dad, your children just aren't into sex and drugs anymore.

Some of your young people are into Satanism. There is a battle going on. This is not an option for us. We are clearly told in Ephesians 6 that we rustle not with flesh and blood, but principalities and powers.

So we can't decide, well, I don't believe that, and it will go away. That would be New Age type thinking. It is there. It's real. We have to come to terms with it and learn how, in a biblical way, to interface with the world that we're living in.

Secondly, what the early church called demonic activity, we now understand to be mental illness. Whether or not specifically stated, I think in a practical sense, most would hold to that. Terms like schizophrenia, paranoia, psychosis are merely labels classifying symptoms.

All they're describing is the results of what is taking place. They are establishing no sense of causation. If we just looked at mental health, how would you define mental health? Well, typically in our western world, it's defined on two bases.

One, you're in touch with reality, and two, you're relatively free of anxiety. Now, on that basis, I would tell you that anybody caught in a spiritual conflict would fail on both counts. If somebody comes in and says that there's a battle going on for their mind, that they're hearing voices, or they're having trouble concentrating or thinking, the secular world would just naturally assume that there must be some neurological or psychological problem.

In my experience of working with adults for the last 10 -15 years, I found that to be totally untrue. I've sat with probably 700 -800 or so Christian people who have shared that kind of a symptom and problem with me.

It takes an average of about three hours, four hours, maybe at the most, in most cases, to get a person free from that and to find a peace of God that paths us all understanding. The primary battle for their mind has been spiritual.

And then secondly, relatively free of anxiety. Well, forget that one, people, because fear is the basic issue from that. We're going to talk about that more later, but let me just suffice to say that fear of anything other than God is mutually exclusive of faith to God and in God.

And so, therefore, these people are struggling out there, but that fear is just kind of passed off as some kind of a psychological disorder instead of a real spiritual attack. Thirdly, some problems are psychological, some are spiritual.

Psychological and Spiritual Dimensions of Human Problems

I think the most common question that I used to get asked was, well, tell me, Neil, when is it psychological? When is my problem spiritual? I honestly believe it's a false dichotomy. Your problems are never not psychological.

There is no time when mind, will, emotions, developmental issues, human responsibilities are not contributing to the problem, much less the resolution. But your problems are never not spiritual. There is no time when God is not here.

He holds all things together according to the counsel of his will. And to my knowledge, there is never a time biblically when it's safe to take off the armor of God. The possibility of being deceived, accused, and tempted is just a continuous reality.

Now, if we'll accept that, we'll stop polarizing into psychotherapeutic ministries that ignore the spiritual reality or jump into some kind of deliverance ministry that ignores developmental issues and human responsibilities.

I don't believe either paradigm is adequate to help our people come out of their problems and live a whole life free in Christ. Fourthly, Christians aren't subject to demonic activity. I think we've kind of naively assumed that.

When we suggest to a Christian that their problem may be spiritual, usually it follows with some kind of a disclaimer. It can't be, I'm a Christian. Well, if Christians can have this kind of problem, then why are we required by God to put on the armor of God, to stand firm, to be alert?

What's the necessity to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ? I've often told people, I said, if you think because you're Christian, you're immune, I think the opposite. If you're a Christian, you're a target.

And frankly, if you're in ministry, you're probably a bullseye. Fifthly, demonic influence is only evident in extreme or violent behavior and gross sin. I think that's another complacency that we've fallen back into that is totally wrong.

And the reason is, is that we would look at the gathering demoniac or some extreme case or hear some horror stories on the mission field and come back and say, yes, there's some, seems to be some evidence that that is going on.

And we miss the subtleness of it. What we're primarily up against is deception. Most of my personal counseling is restricted to pastors and missionaries, their wives and their children. There is that battle going on and it's not always evident in extreme cases.

Most of the people that we will talk about here are people in ministry or living relatively normalized externally, but dying internally, struggling with nightmares and battle going on for their mind. Sixthly, freedom from spiritual bondage is the result of power encounter with demonic forces.

Truth, Deception, and Freedom from Spiritual Bondage

Well, here's a subtle thing, people. That's not necessarily the nature of the battle. It is far less related to power than it is related to truth. The power for Christian lies in the truth. The power of the enemy is in the lie.

He is a defeated fool. You expose the lie, you'll break that bondage. We're going to talk about this more later on too, but the important thing to keep in mind is this. We are not to pursue power. Why?

Because you have it. We are clearly told in Ephesians 1 that our eyes would be opened to know the hope of our calling and to know the power that's been extended towards us who believe. So we already have that.

The problem is we just don't see it. If you start looking for power when you already have it, you're probably going to look for some experience or somebody to do something to you or something to happen to you that's already happened to you in Christ.

So that has led to, I think, a distortion as to what really has to happen. What we're primarily up against is deception. And because of that, we have failed in our Western world to understand the nature of the world that we're living in.

We are always looking for some natural explanation to explain everything, and yet that is not possible biblically. It's just impossible for us to understand the world from a naturalist scientific world view.

It's going to leave something out. Paul Healbert, scholar at Trinity Seminary, has coined the term the excluded middle. We operate in our Western world as though God is somehow up in some higher territory in the heavenlies, and maybe the demonic is up there, but it doesn't impinge upon the natural world.

Well, that's just not true. In fact, about 25 of all the healings that took place in the Gospels are really deliverances from demonic influences. There was a woman who was bent over with a spirit of infirmity for 18 years, and the answer was that God had to set her free.

And he did that, and she stood up, and she was normal from that time on. Even Romans 8 talks about the fact that the spirit gives life to the body. You cannot separate the natural from the spiritual. Even as human beings, we obviously have a physical identity, but we also have a spiritual identity.

We are children of God. We're created in the image of God, and God is a spirit. When we talk about the Great Commission, we are talking about going into all the world, making disciples. I believe what we're talking about here is to come to terms with what I call the Great Omission.

The Great Omission and the Call to Discipleship

What is evident in all four Gospels? John puts it in a rather interesting way. He said, it's time now for the Son of Man to be glorified. What would follow after that? What comes to your mind when you hear a verse like that?

The next verse says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. In the other Gospels, you will read a statement like this.

It says, Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it.

For what will a man be profited if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? It seems so austere, so demanding of God, that we're to somehow give everything to him and seemingly get nothing back, but nothing could be further from the truth.

You're really dealing with the whole issue of Lordship. Who is in charge? There can only be one authority in one sphere at one time. And what he is requiring of you and I to do is to come under his Lordship.

And as we do that, we will be fully restored and recovered in Christ. Before we look at some of the dynamics of that, let's take a look at what the real Gospel is. When God created Adam and Eve, they were both physically and spiritually alive.

The Full Gospel: Death, New Life, and Union with Christ

And he cautioned them, Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day you do that, you shall die. Well, they ate of it. Did they die physically? No, but they died spiritually.

They were separated from God. And from that time on, everybody, you and I, come on planet earth, we are physically alive, but spiritually dead, separated from God. So during those formative years of our lives, we learned how to live our lives independent of God.

We had neither the presence of God in our life, nor the knowledge of God's ways. But when we come to Christ, we're transferred out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's beloved Son. The old things have passed away.

All things have become new. Then you ask the question, Well, how come I don't seem to feel any different? And the answer is really kind of subtle, because truth of the matter is, when I become a brand new creation in Christ, nobody pushed the clear button.

Everything that got programmed into my mind is still there. Now, realizing we are no longer to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind, we have to come to terms with the fact that we were.

We were dead in our trespasses and sins. We had learned to live our lives independent of God. And there is going to be a battle going on for our mind. And that's going to include both the world, the system that I was raised in, the flesh, that part of me that was developed to learn to live my life independent of God, but also the devil.

Now, what we want to focus on is what Paul has to say in Romans chapter 6 about our tremendous position that we have in Christ. And let me just read part of this, because as we do this, keep in mind something that's just critical to realize, that when you come to the Greek New Testament, that the verbs are very, very precise.

You can tell when something is past tense, present tense, future tense, whether it's continuous action or a point in time. I bring that only to point out that your English translation is sufficient, but sometimes not quite as obvious.

But let's just look at this critical passage. Romans chapter 6, verse 1 says, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May never be. How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

You see, that's the tough question, isn't it? How do you die to sin? The answer is you can't. This is past tense. You already have died to sin. It was like a pastor who came to see me one time. He said, Neil, I've been struggling for 22 years in my Christian ministry.

It's just been one battle after another. He said, I heard of your ministry, and I finally begin to realize what I think my problem is. I was doing my devotions, and I read Colossians 3, 3. For you have died, and your life is hidden in Christ.

He said, that's it, isn't it? I said, yes, it is. He said, well, how do I do that? Oh, I said, read it again this time, just a little bit slower. For you have died, and your life is hidden in Christ. For 22 years, this man has desperately been trying to become something he already is.

And so have most Christians today. We're suffering under the Galatians' heresy. You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? How did you come to Christ in the first place? By the works of the law or by hearing by faith?

Well, as Protestants, we've got that one nailed, justification by grace alone through faith. But then how are you perfected? Well, by the same way. You receive Christ by faith, you walk by faith. It's what you believe that counts, because you don't do anything without first thinking it.

So the critical issue is not try to change somebody's behavior, but try to change somebody's belief. And what we're going to look at in these next few passages is not what you can do, but what you can believe.

Now notice what happens. It says, or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death? How do you do that? You can't. And the reason is you already have been.

That's past tense. Verse four says, therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have become united with him in the likeness of a death, and we have, we certainly have, certainly it says, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Now let me stop here and tell you what the gospel is.

The Gospel of Life in Christ

We have, I feel, presented only half a gospel. We have told people that Jesus is the Messiah who came on planet earth, who died for our sins, and if we will receive him into our life, when we die we'll get to go to heaven.

And you say, what's wrong with that? Well, what's wrong with that is this. It would give you the impression that eternal life is something you get when you die, which is not true, because he who has a son has the life.

What he came to do was to give me life. To have that spiritual life is to have my soul in union with God, and eternal life is not something you get when you die. On the bread of life, on the resurrection and the life, your name is written in the last book of life, and that's what Christ came to do.

Secondly, it's only half a gospel, people. If there was a dead man there and you wanted to save him, what would you do? Well, give him life. Well, if you did that, he would only die again. You'd have to, first of all, cure the disease that caused him to die.

And we are clearly told in scripture that the wages of sin is death. So Jesus went to the cross and he died for our sins. Well, thank God he did that. But is that it? No. Then he gave us life. You'd have to do two things, and that's exactly his argument here.

It's great that we're identified with his death and his burial, but certainly also in the likeness of his life. We are alive in Christ right now. That's why verse 6 says, knowing this, not something you can do.

We're going to give you something to do in a moment or so, but knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him. We try and try and put the old man to death, and we can't do it. Why not? Because he's already dead.

You cannot do for yourself what only Christ can do for you and has done for you. And we have to do that first. What happens is we begin to reason there's something wrong in my experience. It's not working for me.

So we falsely think that I must have some other experience or some new thing happen to me in order for this to be true. Well, the only thing that had to happen in order for this to be true happened over about 2 ,000 years ago on that cross.

And the only way I can enter into that relationship with him is by faith. I do not do the things that I do in hopes that God may someday love me. I am loved by God. That's why I do the things that I do.

I don't labor in the vineyard in hope that God may someday accept me. I'm accepted in the beloved, and so are you. That's why I labor in the vineyard. You see, the point of it is we falsely reason. What experience must I have?

What must I do in order for this to be true? You'll never get there. You'll be like that dear pastor for 22 years struggling in your Christian faith. Scripture says you take this by faith. You believe this.

Verse 6 says, knowing this. And the only response to that is to believe it. And you walk by faith and it will work out in your experience. Reverse the order and you'll be stuck all your life. The end of verse 6 says that our body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

We're going to come back to that in a moment. Verse 7 says, for he who has died is freed from sin. Question, have you died with Christ? Then are you also freed from sin? The answer better be yes or you have a problem with scripture.

Well, I don't feel that way. Well, rain on your feelings. That will never get you out of this. It's what you believe that counts. And you've got to believe this first. Now, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we should also live with him.

Knowing that Christ, now it's something you can do. Only what you can believe. Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again. Death no longer is master over him. For the death that he died, he died to sin once for all.

But the life he lives, he lives to God. Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. That little prepositional phrase, in Christ Jesus, in him, in the beloved, is the most repetitive prepositional phrase in the New Testament.

Every child of God is considered by God a saint who occasionally sins. But we're children of God. That's who we principally are. And we're alive in Christ because we are in him. We are in Christ. You say, well, sin is still out there, and death is too.

Yes, it is. Let me refer to Romans 8, verses 1 and 2. There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Now, is the law of sin and death still here? Sure it is. It's a law. That's why it's still here. How do you overcome a law? By a law that's greater than it. For instance, you can fly in an airplane, but you can't do it by your own power.

You turn that switch off about 20 ,000 feet, and you'll realize that the law of gravity is still in effect. Well, we're in Christ Jesus. We're seated with Christ in the heavenlies. And as long as I operate in Christ, and according to his spirit, walk by the spirit, I will be free from the law of sin and of death.

Because he's overcome that with a power greater than it. And that's the power of Christ's resurrection and the power of the cross. Now, all that sounds great, but I still struggle in my sin. What's wrong?

Presenting the Body to God

Well, that's what God has done. You can only enter into that by faith. What do we get to do? Verse 12. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey us less. Careful now, that's our responsibility.

How are you going to do that? One negative, two positives. Verse 13. And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness. In other words, don't use your body, your physical body, as an instrument.

Don't ever allow your body or your person to be exposed to sin, to be used for sin. But, it says, present yourselves to God. Why couldn't I do that negatively? Because you belong to God. He'll never leave you nor forsake you.

As those alive from the dead, and your members, as instruments of righteousness to God. In other words, consciously present yourself to God. Now, let's put some common sense to this if we can here. Let's look at the big one.

Sexual sins. First of all, 1 Corinthians 6 implies that sexual sins are in a class by themselves. Every other sin is outside the body. I don't fully understand that, or can explain that, other than maybe the fact that God is the only creator in the universe, and you and I can't create anything.

But, he does allow us to participate with him in one act of creation, and that's procreation. And, he really soberly warns to watch over that process very, very carefully. Now, think about this for a moment.

There is no way that you can commit a sexual sin and not use your body as an instrument of unrighteousness. And, if you have done that, what's going to happen? You're going to allow sin to reign in your mortal body.

Renewal of the Mind and Christian Identity

If I could summarize God's plan from Genesis to Revelation, in terms of restoring your fallen humanity, I would summarize it the way Paul did in Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. I urge you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Now, let's look at two issues here.

One issue is, who am I as a child of God, and why is it so critical to realize that I am a child of God? I'm told to pray, Our Father who art in heaven, his spirit will bear witness with my spirit that I'm a child of God.

And, to show you how relevant and practical and important that is, I want you to hear a letter that was sent to me from a dear missionary.

Dear Dr. Anderson, I am writing in response to reading Victory Over the Darkness. I'm sure you have received many letters, at least I hope you have, because that means people like me have had their eyes opened to God's truth.

We are missionaries and have been blessed to be able to work in the Ukraine area. Even though I have been a Christian for 21 years, since I was 12, I never understood God's forgiveness and my spiritual inheritance.

I have been a bulimic since 1977. I was in Bible college at the time I began this horrible practice and never thought this living hell would end. I have wanted to die and I would have killed myself had I not thought that that was a sin.

I felt God had turned his back on me and I was doomed to hell because I couldn't overcome this sin. I hated myself. I felt like a failure. But the Lord led me to purchase your book and bring it with me.

I began reading it last week. I feel like a new Christian, like I've just been born again. My eyes are now open to God's love. I realize I am a saint who sins, not a sinner. I can finally say I am free, free of Satan's bondage and aware now of the lies he has been filling me with.

Before I would confess to God, beg his forgiveness when I binged and purged. Yet the next time I fell deeper into Satan's grasp because I couldn't forgive myself and I couldn't accept God's forgiveness.

I always thought the answer lied in drawing closer to God. Yet I went to him in fear, confusion, acting as a sinner who couldn't be loved. No more. Through the scriptures and the way you presented them, I am no longer a defeated Christian.

I don't consider myself a bulimic. I consider myself a saint, salt of the earth, Christ's friend, a slave of righteousness. Food has no power over me. Satan has lost his grip on me.

That's exciting. That's the potential for the power that we have as children of God to overcome that kind of sin in our life. Now the question is, what happens if I have used my body as an instrument of unrighteousness?

Romans 7 and the Battle for the Mind

And I think the answer lies in Romans chapter 7, verses 15 through 25. And that struggle that we have when we know what we want to do, we know what's right, but for some reason can't do it. And then you have to ask the question, well, why not?

I'm a Christian. I'm a child of God. Listen in to a conversation that I have with a fellow named Dan. Dan, let's look at a passage of scripture that seems to describe what you are presently experiencing.

Romans chapter 7, verse 15 reads, for that which I am doing, I do not understand, for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. Would you say that this verse describes you?

Exactly. I desire to do what God says is right, but sometimes I find myself doing just the opposite. Well, you probably identify with verse 16 as well. Quote, it says, but if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the law, confessing that it is good.

Now, Dan, how many personalities or players are mentioned in this verse? There's only one person, and it's clearly I. Well, it's very defeating when we know what we want to do, but for some reason can't do it.

How have you tried to resolve this in your own mind? Well, sometimes I wonder if I'm even a Christian. It seems to work for others, but not for me. Often I wonder if the Christian life is even possible, or if God is really here.

Well, if you and God were the only players in this scenario, it would stand to reason that you would either blame God or yourself for your predicament. But now look at verse 17. It says, so now no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me.

How many players are there now, Dan? Apparently two, but I don't understand. Well, let's read verse 18 and see if we can make some sense out of it. It says, for I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh, for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

I learned that verse a long time ago. It has been easy to accept the fact that I'm no good. That's not what it says, Dan. In fact, it says the opposite. Whatever it is that is dwelling in you is not you.

If I had a wood splinter in my finger, it would be nothing good dwelling in me, but the nothing good isn't me. It's a splinter. It is also important to note that this nothing good is not even my flesh, but it is dwelling in my flesh.

If we see only ourselves in this struggle, it would be hopeless to live righteously. These passages are going to great length to tell us that there is a second party involved in our struggle whose nature is different from ours.

You see, Dan, when you and I were born, we were born under the penalty of sin, and we know that Satan and his emissaries are always working to keep us under that penalty. When God saved us, Satan lost that battle, but he didn't curl up his tail or pull in his fangs.

He's now committed to keep us under the power of sin. We also know that he is going to work through the flesh, which remained after salvation. Let's read now on to see if we can learn more about how that battle is being waged.

It says, For the good that I wish I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. Now, Dan, can you identify from these passages the nature of that nothing good which dwells in you? Sure. It's clearly evil and sin, but isn't it just my own sin?

When I sin, I feel so guilty. Well, there is no question that you and I sin, but we are not sin as such. Evil is present in us, but we are not evil per se. This does not excuse us from sinning, because Paul wrote earlier that it is our responsibility to not let sin reign in our mortal bodies.

Do you ever feel so defeated that you just want to strike out at someone or yourself? Almost every day. Well, when you cool down, do you again entertain thoughts that are in line with your identity as a Christian?

Always, and then I feel terrible about lashing out. Well, verse 22 explains this cycle. It says, For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man. When we act out of character with who we really are, the Holy Spirit immediately brings conviction because of our union with God, and we often take it out on ourselves.