Shine a Light on It
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. I Corinthians 4:5 (KJV) emphasis mine
Are you hiding something? Is there something, or maybe even several things, that those closest to you are not aware of? Maybe you are ashamed of a habit or stronghold, and you are afraid to let anyone know about it. Perhaps you hide your bad eating habits, trying to inhale a twinkie or candy bar when you think no one is looking. You might even have a secret stash of junk food tucked away somewhere. Possibly, you engage in some kind of self-harm like cutting. You may be ensnared by something even more harmful such as pornography, drugs, or alcohol.
A big part of what creates a bondage in our lives is shame. When we are ashamed of something and attempt to keep it hidden, it does not help us, but it further entangles us in what has us bound. What we feel we must hide from others is almost always something that has its origins in the kingdom of darkness, the devil’s kingdom. Anything that has us bound gets its power over us from the shame and condemnation we feel, which leads us to hide it from others. The devil is the author of condemnation, not God.
One thing we all understand is the fact that darkness cannot overcome light. Anytime light is introduced into a dark room, darkness is gone, conquered, eliminated. Once we bring something out of the darkness and into the light, its power over us is broken.
If there is a bondage or issue you are dealing with that you have hidden from others, it is time to get the victory over it once and for all. The first step is to take it out of hiding and shine the light of God onto it. Find a trusted believer, such as a pastor or other spiritual leader, and share it with them. Make sure it is someone spiritually mature and trustworthy. Agree together in prayer about your victory over it, and become accountable to them or to someone they recommend so that when that stronghold tries to draw you back in, you have someone to stand in faith with you.
We must not allow the devil to shame us into staying in bondage to something. God will never condemn us. He will accept us. We can open up and bring our hidden struggle into the light by telling someone we can trust about it. We will be amazed at how freeing it is just to know we do not have to hide it anymore. When we refuse to allow shame to control us, God will give us the courage to reveal the secret things we have covered up. And when we do, the forces of darkness will flee in the face of the liberating light of the Lord.
