Stop Cleaning Cobwebs: Beyond Quick Fixes to Real Freedomნიმუში

Before we can address the spiders in our lives, we need to understand how cobwebs work. Here are five critical truths that will help you identify what's happening in those areas where you keep struggling.

Truth #1: Spiders are born when we agree with lies. We covered this yesterday, but it bears repeating because it's foundational. Every spider in your life started with a moment when you encountered a lie and decided to believe it. The lie might have seemed reasonable at the time, especially if you were in pain, confused, or desperate for answers.

Truth #2: Cobwebs bring false comfort to those who cling to these agreements. Once you've accepted a lie about God or yourself, it creates internal tension. You don't feel good about it, so you need something to manage that discomfort. Enter the cobwebs—those things you turn to for temporary relief such as alcohol, drugs, pornography, gambling, online shopping, work, or even your phone.

Truth #3: Cobwebs bring a temporary feeling of freedom. Here's where it gets tricky. Cobwebs don't just numb the pain—they also give you the illusion that you're free when you're not.

A few years ago, one of my children got lice. Within 24 hours, we did many loads of laundry and cleaned everything in sight. And you know what? For a brief moment, it felt amazing. The house was spotless, and I felt like we'd conquered the problem.

But here's what I've learned: cleaned things only stay clean when they're unused. My kids woke up from their naps, started playing again, and the mess returned!

The same thing happens with your cobwebs. You might get motivated and clean up your act for a while. You cut back on drinking, avoid certain websites, or organize your finances. For a moment, you feel free. But then life happens again, and the cobwebs return because you never dealt with the spider.

Truth #4: The work of Jesus is strongly opposed in our lives. The areas where you've been bound up are exactly where Jesus wants to work, and His work always faces opposition. Jesus said in John 10:10, "A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance." (CSB)

Your enemy wants you to stay struggling. He wants you to remain bound by pornography, spending problems, and insecurity rather than experiencing the freedom Jesus offers.

Truth #5: Jesus didn't come to help us survive; He came to set us free. Some of you have settled for surviving. You've decided to cope with your struggles for the rest of your life. But that's not what Jesus promised.

In 1 Peter 5:10, after talking about our enemy prowling around like a roaring lion, Peter writes: "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." (CSB)

You may be in a season that has lasted a long time, where you've been surviving, but God promises that after you've suffered a little while, He will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. This struggle will not always define you.

Tomorrow, we'll explore the spiritual resistance you might be experiencing and why some struggles feel so persistent.