As a prisoner for the Lord

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
— Ephesians 4:1–3

Prisoner. I often wonder if this is the wrong word interpretation. I fear it is not.

Religion used to be easy. Spin the dreidel, hug and get candy. Sing the hymns, listen to the pastor. I don't really recall at what age I became distrusting of it all. But I know it wasn't an outright denial at first. Buddhism was explored, as was witchcraft and Qabalah. Writings of old Arabs and Qumran scrolls are not the typical texts of a teenage growing up in a small Midwestern town. Howls in the night and commitals to the Dark One long forgotten, it wouldn't have been socially acceptable to expose my grimoire to my parents or family. But despite all of these journeys, I wasn't done searching for... something.

Months passed, then years. I explored the power of dreams, and earth magic decanters. Drugs and degenerate sexual encounters of all flavors kept me as erect as a twenty-something could be, yet no meaning was yet found.

Family, servitude. A chance to be honorable and pass along traits had arrived, and would again a decade later. Both partial failures. Love, admiration of my offspring bring meaning. But the hole is still there.

It's always there. Deep and dark, the hole that cannot be filled.

Rebirth! Make amends and I loved the Lord again. But it was as fleeting as my grip on the bottle. Nothing fill this void.

I am a prisoner for the Lord. And I'm unfilled.

a reply to: Tempter


We were all “the original humans” deported to this “prison planet” aeon ago at the far end and remote edge of the galaxy “known as Milky Way”; prison is prison being a small cage or the entire “solar system”.

Everything else are sets of meaningless rules made by our ”wild imaginations” and “romanticism for feel of emptiness and FEAR of loneliness”.


I am speaking of “myself” and my “own theories” of course…

a reply to: Tempter

Have you read any material by Dr. Michael Heiser? He's a biblical scholar and he's famtastic. His two latest books are "The Unseen Realm" and "Reversing Hermon." They are about the role of divine rebels (supernatural beings) and the effect they have had on humanity. You'll see the bible in a WHOLE new light. It's fascinating.

He also has a podcast called "The Naked Bible." He covers many topics, and every podcast is riveting.

He has a PHD in ancient languages, and his approach is to interpret the bible in its original language (Hebrew), and by doing so, and also interpreting it through the context and times and culture in which it was written, we get a different story than what is taught in most churches.

That might help? It put me on fire to know more...hopefully it can help you too.

a reply to: Tempter

Try a personal relationship with Jesus and it all changes. He is love, utter love and grace. His love fulfills and fills the void. He wants a friendship with you and to get to know you and you Him. His energy and purity will fill you and it will no longer be about doing the right thing, or being a sinful person. We are His righteousness. You are a SON of God. Delve into this and you will be astounded at who He sees you as and what He wants from you - simply a relationship and to live fully as He intended you to.

Jesus doesn't ask you to change before coming to Him, He just asks you come to Him
Change takes time and relationship

You chose your own prison, you will always choose, both are now, one has no promise, one has a future promise.
The promise is in the future when the relationship between God and man is fully restored

Not only a prison, Christianity is also a burden, just not as heavy for those who have Christ to help carry the burden as opposed to the secular burden

a reply to: Tempter


Its hard to find happiness by following religious texts... it seems to be herd mentality

Find what speaks to you... I seem to cringe with the idea of being a prisoner to God

Happens a lot when reading Paul.

Try the Gospels...

originally posted by: Akragon
a reply to: Tempter


Its hard to find happiness by following religious texts... it seems to be herd mentality

Find what speaks to you...

I quoted this because it is the best advice you will get in this thread OP. It's all any of us can do. It's what I did, I was forced into church before I could talk and never, ever took anything I heard in Sunday School as "Gospel Truth" (such a funny term considering the Gospels are a bunch of alegorical tales whose inclusion in the bible was voted on by mortal men at the Council of Nicea and, had very little truth in any of them. How different Christianity would be today if the Council of Nicea had voted to exclude the Gospels which painted Jesus as the son of God).

After leaving the cold, cliquey confines of the church I followed a similar path as the OP and read lots of religious and spiritual texts, taking away what I could from the whole lot. Now, I don't worship any diety. I probably empathise with Satanism a bit, (though I don't go as far as worshipping myself, I do respect myself. And anyone who thinks I mean I worship the biblical notion of Satan, please go and educate yourself before you embarrass yourself), from Wicca I took the worship of a Nature Goddess and God and toned it down, adding it to my already healthy respect for Nature. Spell working was there in the beginning but that's now become making and utilising natural remedies (all done with positive thought and intent).

Also, if you do choose the path of Christianity there is absolutely no need to go to church, let me leave you some quotes on that subject from a book we've all heard of (no, not Game of Thrones)...

Acts 17:24

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:5 

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

a reply to: Damla

Not if I fall outside...

a reply to: djz3ro

are you trying to escape from me by being smart?

a reply to: Tempter

Ephesians 4 was a letter that Paul wrote to the Ephesians while he was literally sitting in a Roman prison.

I fear that you are sitting in a prison of your own making. Have you truly overcome your past mistakes?

A true love for the Lord isn't something that's "fleeting". As long as it is, so too will your ability to overcome be. Maybe you love something else more than the Lord without realizing it? This is generally where people get stuck.

A person needs purpose in life.
A person who has none will find solace in
the dark places where evil resides.

originally posted by: djz3ro
a reply to: Damla

Not if I fall outside...

Is there no floor outside?

a reply to: djz3ro

forest floor

originally posted by: Deetermined
a reply to: Tempter

Ephesians 4 was a letter that Paul wrote to the Ephesians while he was literally sitting in a Roman prison.

I fear that you are sitting in a prison of your own making. Have you truly overcome your past mistakes?

A true love for the Lord isn't something that's "fleeting". As long as it is, so too will your ability to overcome be. Maybe you love something else more than the Lord without realizing it? This is generally where people get stuck.

How do you overcome your past mistakes? There is nothing to do about them except live in the present moment without judgement as best we can, making the best decisions we can as they present themselves in the moment we are in. After all my years of searching, this is what I discovered.

originally posted by: Tempter
Prisoner. I often wonder if this is the wrong word interpretation. I fear it is not.

There is nothing wrong with interpretation. You read it right.

The question, however, did Jesus teach this? Or did Paul even wrote it?

To me, it is more likely written by someone else using Paul's name in the form of booklets to be distributed to all churches. The reason is,
Epistle to the Ephesians lacks personal greetings or any indication that the author has personal knowledge of his recipients.

It's Dubious Authorship is mentioned throughout your own link. So I advice you to judge it wisely, as it is apparently not What God's said.
Why should you trust anyone without the authority of Holy Spirit?

No one is captured and make prisoner by God. You are either faithfully will your own action, or act in hypocrisy.

Be careful with what was written by first century monks who had the habit of using apostles name for their own agenda.

You have no idea how corrupted and delusional first century monks were.

If the verse was not spoken by God or Jesus himself, then don't waste your time confusing yourself. You have the Bible. Find the words of God.

"As a prisoner for the Lord"

That is not an apt description. Are you a prisoner to your wife or husband ? Love is not a Prison.

a reply to: pointessa

How do you overcome your past mistakes?

By not repeating them. For many, that requires the help of God to do. Putting God first and doing His will in our lives is the way to overcome our own poor choices. I'll repeat that. Put God First. Then follow his commandments. The rest will fall into place.

originally posted by: Plotus
"As a prisoner for the Lord"

That is not an apt description. Are you a prisoner to your wife or husband ? Love is not a Prison.

Indeed, whoever wrote the letter, probably felt himself forced to do so, as if he was a prisoner. We know prisoners are held against their own will. Therefore, the author was doing what he called for, against his own freewill.

A bad preface to invite the unity of all churches.

I personally don't find the letter enlightened or contain any wisdom at all.