Binding and loosing are terms used in the Bible that have great significance in Christian theology and spiritual warfare. These terms refer to the authority believers have through Christ to either “bind” (restrain) or “loose” (release) certain actions, situations, or forces. They are powerful concepts that allow Christians to stand in their God-given authority and claim victory over spiritual forces. In this article, we will explore 21 key scriptures that discuss binding and loosing, explaining their meanings and how they can apply to our daily lives.
1. Matthew 16:19
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
In this verse, Jesus speaks directly to Peter, granting him the “keys of the kingdom.” The keys symbolize authority, and binding and loosing refer to the power given to believers to make decisions that align with God’s will. When we pray in agreement with God’s plan, our actions on earth have spiritual implications in heaven.
2. Matthew 18:18
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
This verse is very similar to Matthew 16:19. Here, Jesus speaks not just to Peter, but to all of His disciples. It reinforces the idea that the church has been given authority to make spiritual declarations. Binding and loosing are not just for individual believers but for the body of Christ, who together can exercise this authority through prayer and agreement.
3. Luke 10:19
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.”
While not directly mentioning binding and loosing, this scripture speaks to the authority Jesus has given to His followers over the forces of darkness. The power to bind and loose comes from this authority. Christians are empowered to walk in victory over the enemy and resist any form of spiritual oppression.
4. Matthew 12:29
“Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”
In this verse, Jesus speaks of binding the “strong man” to illustrate how spiritual warfare works. Before believers can claim victory over the enemy or bring spiritual freedom, they must first bind the power that holds people captive. This is a foundational principle of binding in spiritual warfare.
5. Revelation 20:2
“And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.”
In the book of Revelation, binding is used in the ultimate victory over Satan. This passage shows that the enemy is bound for a period of time before being released for a final battle. It highlights the power that God has to bind Satan, and Christians can also exercise this authority to restrain the work of the enemy in their lives.
6. John 20:23
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
This passage teaches about the authority given to the disciples to forgive or retain sins. While it does not mention binding or loosing directly, it is closely related. When believers forgive, they loose the person from the chains of sin. When they withhold forgiveness, they bind the person in their sin, illustrating the power of spiritual decisions.
7. Mark 3:27
“But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.”
This verse reiterates the concept from Matthew 12:29. Jesus explains that in order to defeat the powers of darkness, they must be bound first. It emphasizes that binding is a necessary step before loosing people from spiritual oppression and claiming victory.
8. Matthew 18:19-20
“Again I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
This passage links binding and loosing with the power of agreement. When believers come together in unity and agree in prayer, they exercise the authority of binding and loosing. Jesus promises that He will be present when His people gather in His name, providing His divine power and presence in their midst.
9. 2 Corinthians 10:4
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
Binding and loosing are part of the spiritual weapons Christians use to break down spiritual strongholds. This verse emphasizes that the weapons we use are not physical but spiritual, with the power to bind the forces of evil and loose the captives from their chains.
10. Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
This scripture highlights that Christians are engaged in spiritual warfare, not against physical enemies, but against demonic forces. Binding and loosing come into play as we engage in this spiritual battle, using the authority given to us in Christ to overcome the powers of darkness.
11. Acts 16:18
“She kept doing this for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour.”
In this passage, Paul exercises the authority of binding and loosing by commanding a demon to leave a woman. He binds the evil spirit and looses the woman from its oppression. This demonstrates how believers can use the name of Jesus to bind evil spirits and set people free.
12. Isaiah 58:6
“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”
This Old Testament verse speaks about the power of fasting and prayer to loose people from the bonds of wickedness. It highlights the importance of spiritual freedom and how God desires to break every yoke of oppression, which can include spiritual binding.
13. Luke 13:16
“And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”
Here, Jesus heals a woman who had been bound by Satan for 18 years. He rebukes the religious leaders for their hypocrisy and declares that the woman should be loosed from her bondage. This is a powerful example of how binding and loosing work to bring healing and freedom.
14. Matthew 9:32-33
“As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke.”
This passage shows Jesus loosing a man from the oppression of a demon. The demon’s binding was broken, and the man was freed. Binding and loosing operate in spiritual deliverance, allowing God’s power to free individuals from demonic oppression.
15. John 11:44
“The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.'”
After raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus commands that Lazarus be unbound from the grave clothes. This moment symbolizes how believers have the authority to loosing people from spiritual death and bondage, releasing them into the fullness of life.
16. Acts 12:7
“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his hands.”
While not a direct mention of binding and loosing, this story illustrates how God’s power can break the physical chains that bind us. Spiritual binding and loosing work similarly, as God releases people from spiritual captivity and sets them free.
17. Matthew 21:21-22
“And Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.'”
This scripture teaches about the power of faith in prayer. When we pray in faith, we can “loose” things that are bound and “bind” things that are not of God, claiming the authority of Jesus in all situations.
18. Colossians 1:13
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.”
This verse emphasizes the power of salvation to break the chains of darkness. Christians have been loosed from the bondage of sin and brought into the kingdom of God. The act of salvation involves both binding the forces of darkness and loosing the believer into freedom.
19. Psalm 107:14
“He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.”
This verse describes God’s ability to break the bonds of oppression. It points to the ultimate liberation that comes from God’s power, which Christians can experience when they use the authority of binding and loosing.
20. Romans 8:2
“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
The law of the Spirit is what looses us from the law of sin and death. Christians have been given freedom through Christ, and that freedom allows us to bind what is evil and loose what is good.
21. Hebrews 2:14-15
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
This passage speaks of Jesus defeating Satan and releasing those who were bound by fear and sin. His victory over death and the devil is the ultimate act of loosing humanity from the bondage of sin and death.
Conclusion
The scriptures on binding and loosing reveal the incredible authority believers have in Christ. These spiritual concepts are not just theological ideas but are practical tools that Christians can use in prayer and spiritual warfare. By understanding and applying the principles of binding and loosing, believers can walk in the power that God has given them to bring about His will on earth and experience freedom from the forces of darkness.
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