One of the greatest ways to disarm the workers of darkness is to live a life of forgiveness.

The enemy wants us to join him in holding onto all the wrongs that others have done. He wants us to build a case against them, but forgiveness says let them go, it sets them free from any debts they may owe us. And when we do, we squash the enemy by releasing them from his accusations.

Luke 6:27-28 says: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Darkness says, you don’t need to do these things.

Think of Emperor Palpatine from the Star Wars movies, he was always saying things like: Feel your anger. Strike him down. Join me. Do not resist the power of the dark side. Feel your power flowing from your hatred.

The enemy works the same way. He wants us to focus on the pain, to steal our joy by seeing how we have been wronged, to kill our worship by getting us to focus on his kingdom, and to destroy our destiny by joining forces with him. We disarm the devil, by forgiving those who have wronged us.

What does the Bible say about forgiveness?
Matthew 6:9-15 – The Lord’s Prayer
Forgive us AS we forgive others
If you forgive others, God will forgive you

In Matthew 18:21-35 , we see the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant who was forgiven a debt he could never pay back, but as soon as he was forgiven he ran out to punish someone who owed him next to nothing compared to his debt. The Father was angry with him because he was forgiven so much, yet he could not find it in his heart to show mercy to others in the same way he was shown mercy.

God was us to free people from what we think they owe us. John 20:23 shows us that forgiveness is a choice – we are either a forgiver or a retainer of sin, and God doesn’t want us holding the wrongs of others against them, only Satan does that.

So, how do we forgive. In this video we break it down for you, step-by-step.

Step 1: Identify who/what you need to forgive

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the wrongs done to you, but be aware of the “cringe factor.”

Step 2: Forgive – we choose to cancel the debt

Anything Jesus has commanded us to do, he has given us the authority (power) to do. Christ has shown us what forgiveness looks like and he wants us to follow his lead. He even gives us power to do so.

Step 3: Bless your offenders – put something into the account

Luke 6:28 and Rom 12:14 both tell us to bless those who curse you. Forgiving and blessing helps us remember our past without the pain
Jesus died for the forgiveness of our sins, but He rose from the dead to bless us with the gift of eternal salvation

Step 4: Walk it out

Forgiveness does not necessarily mean reconciliation, trust, etc., but it does mean to let the offender go, without penalty. This is a process and not a one-and-done event, so be patient as you practice the art of forgiveness.

We would like to bless you with this simple model to get you on your way to living a life of forgiveness:

Father, I thank You that Jesus paid for all my sins when He died on the cross, granting me total forgiveness. Because You have forgiven me, I now, of my own free will, choose to forgive [ name ] for [ name the offense]. I hand it over to you, Father, along with all the bitterness, anger, and resentment I have held onto because of this offense. Forgive me for holding on to this unforgiveness. Wash my mind and heart and soul clean with the Blood of Your Son, Jesus. Holy Spirit, pour You oil of joy over me, and anoint me fresh and clean in spirit.

I bless [ person from above ] with all the riches you have in store for them in Christ Jesus. I bless him/her in [ bless them opposite to the offense, using scripture when possible ].

Create in me a pure heart, Oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. I pray all this in Jesus’ name, amen.

Join us in the next class as we unpack the supremacy of Jesus Christ, the ultimate disarmer of darkness.