Do You Want to Be Free from Condemnation?

By Gena Barnhill @BarnhillGena

It is possible to be free from condemnation. The enemy condemns us, but the Holy Spirit convicts us of the truth.

The enemy is a lying spirit who uses shame, guilt, regret, or accusation to cause us to feel condemned and believe that we can never be good enough to receive God’s grace. We were created for a relationship with God and to walk in victory in Christ.

Agreement with the Enemy

When we believe the condemning lies of the enemy, we agree with him and open ourselves to demonic oppression. The Holy Spirit convicts us of the truth, but He does not condemn us. When we feel condemned, we need to recognize it is a ploy of the enemy. In John 3:17, Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and said, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” Jesus came to set us free from condemnation.

Condemnation seeks to create a mindset based on performance, works, and legalism. Thus, a person will try to earn what Christ has already paid for on the cross. Perfection is never possible, and this spirit will work to twist the excellence God wants for us into the impossible standard of perfectionism.

Spirits associated with condemnation will remind us of our failures and shame us about our current struggles. Lying spirits will quote legalistic Scriptures from the Old Testament to justify condemning a person. When believers have faith in the incredible love and grace of Christ, they are empowered to live in the power the Old Covenant could not offer. God wants us to live a life free of condemnation and demonic oppression.

Do You Want to Be Free from Condemnation #condemnation #hope #healing Share on X

The Enemy’s Tactics 

The enemy attacks us through temptation, accusation, or deception. When we give in to the temptation of sinful behavior, we can feel guilty and believe the enemy’s lie that our sins are unpardonable. We all sin and make mistakes. The good news is “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (See I John 1:9.)

The enemy uses other people to accuse and condemn us with their words. These people may not realize that the enemy is using them to speak lies to us, especially if criticism and judgment have been a behavioral pattern in their family line.

We know the enemy’s mission is to steal, kill, destroy, and separate us from God. Our enemy also plants thoughts and lies in our minds so that we will condemn ourselves by believing his deceptions.

Christians Can Feel Condemned 

We prayed with people who had confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior but also felt they were unworthy of His forgiveness. They tried hard to be good and righteous in their own strength. I was one of these people until the Holy Spirit changed my heart. To know Jesus and the power of His love and sacrifice on the cross means we know we are forgiven of all of our sins when we confess them. The spirit of condemnation creates the lie we are not worthy of Christ’s forgiveness.

Free from Condemnation 

When we renounce and reject condemnation, we ask the Lord to replace it with His love, grace, freedom, and a deep understanding of our identity as a beloved child of God. When we know we are loved unconditionally, we have nothing to fear or be ashamed of. All is forgiven, and we are free of condemnation.

Accept your true identity as a BELOVED child of God.

B – Believe God loves you and seeks a relationship with you.

E – Envision yourself wrapped in the Lord’s loving arms.

L – Listen to the Lord’s loving words about you. Learn from the Scriptures of His love.

O – Open your heart to the Lord. Ask Him how He sees you.

V – Veto any negative words you hear from the enemy. Condemnation is from the enemy, not the Lord. Search the Scripture for what the Bible says about walking in victory and who I am in Christ verses to meditate on.

E – Eagerly embrace your true identity as a beloved child of God and enjoy freedom from condemnation.

D – Declare that you are a loved and valued child of the King, and you will no longer partner with condemnation. Your words are powerful.

 

Do you sometimes feel condemned, especially when you sin or make a mistake? How will you handle these situations?

Please share your thoughts on our Facebook Group Healing Prayer Discussion.

Looking forward to your input.

Blessings,
Gena

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on October 3, 2022, and was revamped for comprehensiveness on November 2, 2024.

In case you missed the rest of the Ancestral Influences Series, here is the link to the Archives:

https://simpleeffectiveprayer.com/category/healing-ancestral-wounds/