Liberty Theological Seminary

Reflection on The Bondage Breaker

A Paper Submitted to Kennedy Adarkwa, Ph.D. In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the course Strategic Prayer and Spiritual Warfare EVAN 670

By Baskin, Deborah M. ID # 23181365

23 February 2012

2 INTRODUCTION Neil T. Anderson has twenty years experience as a pastor and has written several books on living free in Christ. Dr. Anderson has five degrees from Talbot, Pepperdine University and Arizona State University. He is a former aerospace engineer. He founded Freedom in Christ Ministries and is currently the president emeritus.1 In The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings, Habitual Sins, Anderson wrote a guide in how to overcome bondage manifested in some believers lives. Dr. Anderson wrote the Bondage Breaker as his dissertation while pursuing his second doctorate from Talbot. He asserted that he wrote this book to help Christians discover who they were in Christ.2 He wanted to show Christians how to take steps into making every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.3 He stressed that this lack of understanding allows Satan and his demons to influence believers and eventually take possession of some Christians. Anderson wrote this book with both the laity and the clergy in mind. The vernacular and the syntax make this book user friendly for people of any education. The book is in a logical structure that allows the reader to follow Andersons suppositions with ease. The author utilized personal experiences and scriptures to substantiate his positions on combating both the flesh and demons. However, this controversial subject matter can undoubtedly be sensationalized; therefore, caution should be taken when reading this book. This reflection will give a succinct summary, followed by an evaluation and critique of a few salient ideas presented in the book, and concludes with a

Neil Anderson Biography, Freedom in Christ Ministries, http://www.ficm.ca/neil_anderson_bio.htm (accessed February 19, 2012). 2 Neil T. Anderson, The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming *Negative Thoughts *Irrational Feelings *Habitual Sins (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2006), 5. 3 Ibid.

3 personal application acquired from its contents. SUMMARY OF BOOK The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings, Habitual Sins is comprised of fourteen chapters organized into three parts. He concluded the book with an appendix. Part one is entitled Take Courage and consists of six chapters. Chapter one detailed several common misconceptions about bondage that included the following: 1) demons were active when Christ was on earth but have since ceased, 2) what the early church thought of as demonic activity was actually mental illness, 3) some problems are spiritual while others are psychological, 4) demons cannot affect Christians, 5) demonic power is only found in extreme or violent behavior and gruesome sin, and 6) freedom from spiritual captivity is the consequence of a power encounter with demonic forces.4 In chapter two, Finding Your Way in the World, Anderson discussed what he designated as a two-tier worldview. Discounted in this popular worldview is the middletier that would allow spiritual forces to impact the empirical world.5 Many Christians are accepting this cultural phenomenon and are excluding the supernatural from their lives. The Western world is experiencing a massive paradigm shift in its worldview.6 This is a result of the popularity of the New Age movement, the acceptance of parapsychology, growing fascination with the supernatural, and the increasing prominence of Satanism in our culture.7 Anderson also discussed how people are trying to meet their spiritual needs apart from God by listening to Satan promoting self-interest as the chief end of man.8 Chapter three transitions to a discussion on finding ones freedom in Christ. Anderson

Ibid., 19-26. Ibid., 31. 6 Ibid.. 29. 7 Ibid. 8 Ibid., 37.

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4 provides a list of verses to demonstrate a believers standing in Christ. In Christ the believer is accepted, secure, and significant. Anderson emphasized that knowing and believing these truths are foundational to ones freedom from Satans bondage.9 Chapter four detailed how a believer needs to understand that Satans battle for ones mind is real. The battle for ones mind is often diagnosed as mental illness. Using Proverbs 23:7 as a proof text, Anderson stated, Trying to change behavior, without changing what we believe and therefore think, will never produce any lasting results.10 In order to change ones beliefs, Christians need to take every thought captive and dwell on the truths of Gods Word.11 A strategic plan of how to confront the rebel prince was detailed in chapter five. Anderson listed four qualifications necessary for believers to live in the authority and power of Christ: 1) belief - Ephesians 1:19; 2) humility Philippians 3:3; 3) boldness Joshua 1:6, 7, 9, 18; and 4) dependence Ephesians 5:21.12 The final chapter of this section discussed the covering of Jesus that is available to each believer. Anderson detailed the armor that each Christian has in Christ.13 Part two is called Stand Firm and contained six chapters. These chapters covered various temptations that believers face in this world. Chapter seven dealt with manipulating spirits. Anderson determined the following information about evil spirits based on Luke 11:24-26. These included the following: 1) demons exist inside or outside of humans, 2) they are able to travel at will, 3) they communicate, 4) each has a separate identity, 5) they are able to remember and make plans, 5) they evaluate and make

Ibid., 46. Ibid., 69. 11 Ibid., 72. 12 Ibid., 85-88. 13 Ibid., 96-102.
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5 decisions, 7) they combine forces, and 8) they vary in degrees of evil. Chapter eight discussed the lure of knowledge and power. Anderson outlined several occult activities in which many people have been involved. Chapter nine was called Tempted to Do It Your Way. He described how too much of a good thing can become sin. A few of those included were: 1) rest becomes laziness, 2) enjoyment of life becomes intemperance, 3) eating becomes gluttony, 4) self-care becomes selfishness, 5) communication becomes gossip, 6) judgment becomes criticism, 7) sexual freedom becomes immorality, and 8) carefulness becomes fear.15 Anderson pointed out that one could never satisfy the desires of the flesh; consequently, the only means of escape from the flesh is to submit, confess, resist, and change.16 Chapter ten was entitled Accused by the Father of Lies. Satan is called the accuser of the brethren.17 In this chapter, Anderson specified the difference between accusation and conviction. Satans desire is to make the Christian feel unworthy and insignificant. Chapter eleven was about the danger of deception. Anderson examined three ways in which Satan deceives: 1) self-deception, 2) false prophets and teachers, and 3) deceiving spirits.18 In order to effectively combat deception, one must have spiritual discernment, which is the first line of defense. Anderson asserted, Discernment has only one function: to distinguish right from wrong so the right can be acknowledged and the wrong can be disregarded.19 The Danger of Losing Control is the last chapter of part two. In this chapter Anderson stated that Christians could be demon-possessed. This will be elaborated on in the critique section of this paper. The final part of this book was called Walk Free! Chapter thirteen detailed what
Ibid., 116-118. Ibid., 137-138. 16 Ibid., 145, 149. 17 Ibid., 152. 18 Ibid., 167-178. 19 Ibid., 179.
15 14 14

6 Anderson termed as the seven steps to freedom. Included in these are: 1) counterfeit vs. real, 2) deception vs. truth, 3) bitterness vs. forgiveness, 4) rebellion vs. submission, 5) pride vs. humility, 6) bondage vs. freedom, and 7) curses vs. blessings. 20 Anderson described in detail the meanings of each of these comparisons. He often provided a checklist for the Christian to complete to determine areas in which he needed deliverance. He also has created prayers for each area. This is the longest chapter of the book. The last chapter is entitled Helping Others Find Freedom in Christ. Anderson described four principles of spiritual conflict resolution and followed this discussion with four guidelines for helping others find freedom. These guidelines included: 1) gathering of background information, 2) determining ones false beliefs, 3) dealing with the individual, not the demons, and 4) leading them through the seven steps to freedom.21 Finally, included in the appendix was a confidential personal inventory. EVALUATION AND CRITIQUE Neil T. Andersons book had both strengths and weaknesses. As stated in the introduction, he wrote it with both the clergy and the laity in mind. However, I would not recommend that a novice in the faith read this book as it could pose some potential questions. Anderson asserted, As a born-again child of God you are no longer in the flesh; you are now in Christ. You were a sinner, but you are now a saint according to the Bible.22 He used Second Peter 1:4 and Second Corinthians 5:17 as proof texts. I agree that we are new creatures. However, Anderson persisted along this line of thought carrying it a step further. You no longer have to sin Christ has already died to sin, and

Ibid., 201-252. Ibid., 260-269. 22 Ibid., 48.

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7 because you are in Him, you also have died to sin. However, this supposition does not
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seem to keep the same view as that of the Apostle Paul: For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to dothis I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in Gods law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to Gods law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin (Romans 7:19-25, NIV). Paul recognized that he still had a sin nature; yet, in his mind he was a slave to Gods law and Gods righteous. Anderson maintained that a sin nature was still present in a Christian but that he could actually choose not to sin. However, it would seem that the Apostle Paul would disagree with him on this point. If Paul had to battle his sin nature and at times do evil, I would suggest that Christians today must face the same challenges. Believers sins were imputed to Christ. God sees the Church through Christs sacrifice. Another point where I question Andersons analysis concerns his assertions dealing with Christians vulnerability to demonic influence. I do believe that Satan and his demons will accuse the believers; however, I do not believe that a Christian can be demon-possessed. Anderson used several scriptures to support this view. Luke 13:10-17 is the story about a woman who had been inflicted with a demon for eighteen years. He surmised since this woman was a daughter of Abraham the she was a God-fearing woman of faith. However, this did not protect her from demonic control.24 At this point Anderson leaves out an important truth. The Holy Spirit was not residing in this woman. She was not a Christian.
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Ibid., 48, 50-51. Ibid., 188.

8 Anderson used Luke 22: 31-34 to support this same assumption. These verses are about Peters denial of Christ. The author concluded that Peter sinned because his pride had given Satan a foothold in his life.25 However, Anderson again ignored that Jesus had not yet ascended and sent the Comforter to inhabit believers. I do not see anywhere in scriptures that prove that a demon can possess a believer who has the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I do believe that Christians battle with their flesh and that Satan does accuse and tempt believers. Andersons explanation on the difference between accusations and convictions was excellent. He used Judas and Peters failing to demonstrate the difference between the two. Conviction leads to repentance; however, accusation leads to defeat and self-loathing.26 Scrutinizing ones feelings in this way is an excellent strategy to test a situation. If one is feeling worthless, perhaps he should consider the possibility of demonic attack. If this is the case, Anderson supplied many scriptures and prayers to help a believer recover from demonic attacks and accusations. PERSONAL APPLICATION The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings, Habitual Sins has helped to equip me with a couple of life applications. I fully agree that the believer needs to focus on Christ in his daily life. Anderson stated, Dont be demon-centered, be Christ-centered. Dont be concerned about the enemy and your authority over him: Be concerned about who you are, and dont let the devil set the agenda.27 I intend to remind myself of who I am in Christ Jesus especially when dealing with demon oppression in the lives of other Christians and in my own life. Even though

Ibid. Ibid., 157. 27 Ibid., 77.

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9 this type of confrontation makes me uncomfortable, I try to be faithful in doing it when needed. I believe that if I have confidence in Jesus and His victory over Satan my apprehensions will be minimal. I was impressed with Andersons assertion that the truth of Gods word sets people free. He expanded this idea by saying that a Christian has all the power he needs in Christ.28 I believe that this is a valid statement. When a believer understands the truth of the Scripture and that he is secure in Christ, this empowers him to defeat the Enemy and his minions. I believe teaching this truth to others will help them live a victorious Christian life. I want to practice what Anderson stated, I only work with the person by helping him or her assume responsibility to submit to God and resist the devil.29 Another application that I will use is Andersons personal inventory found in the appendix. I have used something very similar to this questionnaire in the past. I think it is vital to have an understanding of the person you are counseling. While the Holy Spirit leads us, I still think it is a good idea to get the counselee to open up about his past. Asking open-ended questions and allowing the person to talk, without feeling judged, is an excellent way to build a relationship and address areas in his life where bondage might have occurred. CONCLUSION Andersons book was easy to read; however, it contained some information that I felt was theologically incorrect. Nonetheless, it does contain some excellent advice and strategies that will help Christians who do not understand the freedom they have in Christ. I believe this book could be a resource for a mature Christian who is grounded in the Word and in his faith. However, I would not put it on my top reading list especially in
28 29

Ibid., 258. Ibid.

10 regard to the laity at large because of the fallacies it contained. This book will challenge a believer to study the scriptures in several areas not only limited to the few I mentioned in my critique section but also in the area of generational curses.

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BIBLIOGRAHY

Anderson, Neil T. The Bondage Breaker: Overcoming *Negative Thoughts *Irrational Feelings *Habitual Sins. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2006. Neil Anderson Biography. Freedom in Christ Ministries. http://www.ficm.ca/neil_anderson_bio.htm(accessed February 19, 2012).