Evidence of Liberty in the Spirit (1)

But how will we know whether or not we are set at liberty?
(1) Wherever the Spirit of God is, there is a liberty of holiness, to free us from the dominion of any one sin. We are freed ‘to serve him in holiness all the days of our lives’ (Luke 1:74, 75). Where the Spirit is, therefore, he will free a man from enslavement to sin, even to any one sin. The Spirit reveals to the soul the odiousness of the bondage. For a man to be a slave to Satan, who is his enemy, a cruel enemy, what an odious thing this is! Now whoever is captive to any lust is in captivity to Satan by that lust. Therefore, where this liberty is, there cannot be slavery to any one lust.
Satan does not care how many sins one forsakes if he still lives in any one sin, for by one sin he has him and can pull him in. Children when they have a bird can let it fly, but it is on a string to be pulled back again. Satan has men on a string if they live in any one sin. The Spirit of Christ is not there, but Satan's spirit, and he can pull them in when he wants. The beast that runs away with a cord about him is caught by the cord again. When we forsake many sins yet still carry his cords about us, he can pull us in when he wants. Such prisoners are at liberty more than others, but they are slaves to Satan by that one sin. And where Satan keeps possession and rules there by one sin, there is no liberty. For the Spirit of sanctification is an antidote to the corruption of nature, and he opposes the old nature in all the powers of the soul. He allows no corruption to have control.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Glorious Freedom, pp. 54-55 [60-61]
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