Give Them Back!
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The prophet Isaiah said: 

"But this is a people plundered and despoiled; All of them are trapped in caves, or are hidden away in prisons; They have become a prey with none to deliver them and a spoil with none to say 'Give them back!'" (Isa.42:22 NASV).

People who come for Word Based Counseling and personal ministry are often bound in darkness and held captive by the enemy. For some, captivity is the end result of a personal history of rebellion and self-will. For others, it's the consequence of injustice and mistreatment they experienced in their life.

Regardless of how it happened, these people are plundered and despoiled. Satan ensnared them. He holds them captive and does not want to let them go.

The Word Based Counselor's task is to say, "Give them back!"--to stand in the gap between the person and the enemy and to push the enemy back, saying: "In the name of Jesus, let this person go."

This is part of the ministry of deliverance, of walking in the authority we have in Christ Jesus to set captives free. This authority was given to all Christians to exercise. Jesus said in Luke 10:19 (NASV), "Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you."

A Biblical counselor must recognize and deal with the ability of the enemy to oppress people and keep them in bondage. Any kind of counseling that does not do this falls short of the Biblical mark.

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