"The Paradox of Captivity!"

In the Word of God, the Book of Ephesians Chapter 4, Paul is addressing the believers in Ephesus regarding his status in the Kingdom.  He emphatically states that I am a "..prisoner of the Lord" in verse 1 and goes on urge that other believers should do the same. He declares that they should embrace unity, humility, longsuffering and peace.

Specifically, Paul uses the word "beseech" which, in the Greek, means to "come along side me" and do as I am doing!  Paul is preaching the paradox of "captivity in the Lord"; which essentially means that you are "free!"

How can a man who is in captivity be taken captive? Let's say you are incarcerated for committing a crime.  You are now in captivity.  Further, let's say you committed another crime while in prison against another inmate.  The guards would now take you to "solitary confinement" or place you in "the hole." You have now experienced what it is like to be taken "captive in captivity."

In the KOG, "captivity" is not a place, it is a mindset or a paradigm.  The Lord Jesus has come to set the captives free (Luke 4:18).  In other words, those individuals with low thinking, who are in constant fear and have no faith. In Christ, captivity represents a safety, peace, love, faith and dunamis power. In Christ, His directive from God to set the captives free (through "demonstration" or "by walking it out") is the preamble to His kerygmatic declaration of who He is and what He was sent to do in the earth.

In the end, Paul was urging those of us in bondage to do what he did...die to ourselves and walk along side of Jesus and allow Him to take us captive within Himself!