I am free - Anna Szabo

Did you know that you have complete freedom from negative attitudes, destructive actions, harmful behaviors, poisonous relationships, bad decisions, and a sinful lifestyle? This “I am free in Christ” daily devotional for women will help you witness my own journey from being a slave to sin to becoming a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. Sin is not your master!

I am Free #52Devotionals Devotions for Women  by Anna Szabo

Introduction

I did not grow up in a church. We weren’t Christians. My family was abusive and hustle. My mom hated me and beat the life out of me. I was surrounded by adulterous alcoholics: molested, violated, bullied, and abused in every aspect of my being. I was already offered an alcoholic beverage when I was just five years old. That was also when I was offered porn to learn how to seduce men.

My cousins taught me how to smoke at ten. At 11, I remember drinking pure alcohol from the pharmacy with my friends. At 12, I was at my cousin’s birthday party under my aunt’s adult supervision where we, a few little girls, drank several bottles of Russian vodka.

I shared my story on this Christian blog for women in great detail. You can click on any article below to learn more. Each aspect of my personal life journey is explained in the articles listed here.

My Story

I was taught sin, and I was a slave to sin. Drinking, smoking, sleeping around, explosive anger, abusive relationships, and addictions of all sorts – that was all I ever knew. Why? Because I was never introduced to anything different than that.

Are you familiar with the nature vs nurture principles? My nature came from the genes I inherited, which reflected my family’s history: alcoholism, adultery, anger, and addictions. My nurture was my environment, which reflected all I saw growing up: alcoholism, adultery, anger, and addictions.

Consequently, my lifestyle was also based on alcoholism, adultery, anger, and addictions. My lifestyle got the best of me, eventually. I came to the end of myself and had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It was in April of 2014. From that day on, God took me by the hand and liberated me, one step at a time, from such familiar slavery to sin.

God introduced me to new ways of thinking, living, being, and relating to Him, myself, others, and my past. I realized that I was no longer a slave to sin. Sin was not my master anymore. On October 19th, 2014 I was baptized at Buckhead Church and declared my faith in front of 3000 people.

This daily devotional will reveal to you that no matter your current beliefs about yourself, your bad habits, your destructive lifestyle, your terrible past, the pain you endured, the heartbreaks you experienced, you can get liberated from sin.

Sin is not your master!

You can be free in Christ by faith.

READ: What is Faith?

I’ll be sharing with you how God transformed me personally: how I sinned and sin was all I knew, yet, today, I am free in Christ by the grace of God, through my faith in Jesus.

I want to share with you the exact process of how I changed: the revelations, the new life principles, the transformational beliefs about my identity, the new perspective on people, and the new mindset.

READ: My Testimony

May this Biblical devotional encourage and empower you. I pray that you’ll be moved and inspired by it. I hope that you will accept God’s everlasting grace, step into His unconditional love, and live your life free from the bondage with sin.

How We Get Trapped in Sin

Often in life, we withdraw from our community when feeling like we’re better than others or others are not good enough for us. Have you ever experienced anger, condemnation toward people, or arrogance? Have you ever felt jealous when someone had something you wanted? If they appeared to be living out your dream, have you judged them?

Have you ever judged people for their actions, feeling like you’re more superior to them? Have you ever been overwhelmed with self-righteousness?

Listed above are all the poisons of the Flesh. Satan wants to poison our joy, one drop of anger, jealousy, bitterness, condemnation, superiority, arrogance, and judgment at a time.

READ: Who Is Satan?

The devil wants us to feel superior and arrogant so that we can be separated from our spiritual squad – the people who love us and care about us. Our spiritual squad is our prayer team, people who walk in Christ with us, and those who encourage us to have faith in Jesus.

By the way, do you know how to boil a frog?

If a frog is placed suddenly into boiling water, it will jump out for its life. However, if the frog is placed in tepid water, which is then brought to a boil slowly, it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death.

Satan manipulates us in the same way: slowly, unnoticeably, over time, enticing our anger, jealousy, bitterness, and self-righteousness to compound almost invisibly, until we are away from God and vulnerable, then, Satan so to speak “boils us to death.”

Satan wants us to be trapped in negativity so that we spiral down into helplessness and depression. It happens one small step at a time, one thought at a time, one choice at a time. I’ve been there, so I know that getting trapped is a process, which is barely noticeable. That’s why we must always be alert, watchful, and of sober mind.

The Flesh vs The Spirit Choice

We have to always choose: the Flesh or the Spirit. We have free will to choose to either judge people and be jealous of them or to love them and be kind. We don’t have to choose the Flesh. We are able to choose the Spirit, abide in Christ, and walk a straight path with God.

We have the power to be like Christ and live the life redeemed from sin. We can demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit and be God’s glory on display. All we need is to choose to die to the Flesh and walk in the Spirit of God.

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:18

There are self-righteousness and God’s righteousness.

Self-righteousness is rooted in ego and arrogance.

God’s righteousness has been gifted to us when our sin was paid for by Jesus, when we were redeemed at a high price of His life, and we became free from God’s judgment.

It’s called justification.

READ: Becoming Pure and Holy (Justification)

God’s judgment was replaced with love.

You’re righteous through Christ if you accepted Him as your lord and savior. You received so much mercy, grace, and love that you have an overflow of love to give to others. You can give people love, patience, and kindness not because of who they are but because of who you are in Christ.

You are free in Christ!

How To Experience Freedom in Christ

When we’re together with those around us and feel bonded, connected, supported, and supportive, Satan has a hard time getting to us. Remember how Jesus was always surrounded by believers?

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2

Here are the two opposite laws mentioned.

The law of sin and death has us filled with judgment, unforgiveness, resentment, arrogance, and other behaviors of the Flesh. The law of grace has us filled with love, peace, joy, acceptance, and other behaviors of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Here is a visual demonstration of how each law impacts our life now and in the future. This is called the ITCEBO model, and you can click the image to download a high-resolution PDF.

ITCEBO model of Flesh vs Spirit by Anna Szabo

Jesus was always surrounded by a crowd. Christ moved toward messy people and loved on them with His whole heart (Matthew 8, Matthew 9:20-22, John 9). How does this relate to us today?

As long as you have a community to lean on and you experience connection, joy, love, forgiveness, and peace, Satan is weak. You are protected. The devil’s goal is to separate you from others, to make you feel different, to poison your heart with feelings of arrogance and non-belonging.

To experience freedom in Christ, you must die in the Flesh and walk in the Spirit every moment of every hour of every day. You must take every thought captive and submit it to the truth of Christ. Giving grace to yourself and other people is your starting place on this journey.

The Flesh vs The Spirit Battle

Whenever ego is talking, recognize that it’s flesh and combat it with God’s Spirit of Truth. God’s Spirit lives and dwells in you. You’re free to choose your self-talk, aka your thoughts. Your mind is the battlefield. How can you refuse to conform to the pattern of the world and instead choose to take your every thought captive and submit it to the truth of Christ in order to live a life free from sin? Here’s how.

Become aware of your thoughts. Capture what you’re thinking. There’s a great exercise called a “Thought Download” that requires you to grab a pen and paper and simply write down exactly what’s going on through your mind. Write everything down unedited. Just capture what is already there, without evaluating your thinking just yet.

Identify what you’re thinking. Now, evaluate! Ask yourself if your thoughts are the thoughts of the Flesh or of the Spirit. Look at the ITCEBO model I created for you to get help and relevant scriptures.

Determine the outcomes of your thinking. What will the thoughts you’re thinking lead to, according to the word of God? The thoughts on the right in the ITCEBO model lead to the outcomes on the right, and those are the outcomes of righteous living. The thoughts on the left lead to the outcomes on the left, which are the outcomes of ultimate perishing.

We must think the thoughts that align with the Spirit, aka the truth of Christ. On the other hand, we are called to avoid the thoughts of the Flesh, which get us trapped in the web of Satan’s lies and schemes.

The habit of taking thoughts captive and making sure we only choose the thoughts that are compliant with God’s truth will lead us to a life of joy, peace, and blessings.

That is our freedom.

How Jesus Set Me Free

For years I had no idea that I was free to choose my thoughts, words, behaviors, actions, outcomes, and destiny. I didn’t know that I was able to create a free life with my thinking. I felt like a slave. Sin was my master.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

I was a slave to anger, rage, yelling, screaming, slamming doors, judging people with arrogance, condemning them, and being driven by the ego into adultery, alcoholism, addictions, and other sins.

Once I gave my life to Christ, I realized: sin is no longer my master. And I was set free from that slavery. I even said it in my baptism video, which is shared above in the introduction section.

Also, I wrote a poem called Mind Over Matter explaining what I’ve learned on my journey: our thoughts create our future and drive our relationships, careers, health, and all aspects of life.

Here’s the poem below. It is a letter to myself.

My revelations

"Mind Over Matter" #PoemsFromGod

Your thoughts create your future.
It happens every moment.
Your pain and wounds you suture
With every thought and comment. 

You choose your thoughts with free will.
You are in charge of choosing.
Defeating thoughts your dreams kill.
Don’t be your thoughts misusing!

Decide to think of greatness.
Decide to think of joy.
Decide that you with gladness 
Your thought life will enjoy!

No matter circumstances.
No matter wounds and pain.
Your thoughts are your advances.
They make or break your brain.

With healthy thoughts, you’re healing.
With harmful thoughts, you’re sick. 
Bad thoughts can joy be stealing -
To cause you harm they’re quick.

So, choose to think of blessings,
And choose to think of grace.
Start gratitude expressing 
With thoughts of joy and praise.

Your thoughts create your future.
It happens every moment.
Your pain and wounds you suture
With every thought and comment. 


9/18/18 © Anna Szabo, JD, MBA

My new life principles

I no longer let my thoughts run loose. My thoughts must be taken captive and examined. What I believe in is the power of submitting every thought to the truth of Christ. If automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) make their way into my headspace, I have a special “pest control” solution, which is the word of God.

What does this mean?

I don’t keep thinking crappy thoughts about myself, my life, or the people in my life. Instead, I focus my thinking on whatever is true, whatever is praiseworthy, and whatever is honorable.

My transformational identity beliefs

What I used to believe about myself, aka my identity, was poisonous. Those poisoning beliefs resulted in anger, alcoholism, adultery, and addictions. Where did those beliefs come from? My mom.

I listed many-many things taught to me by my mother about who I am. The blog post is called “Things Narcissistic Mothers Say,” and trust me, everything you find there was on a subconscious level, not in my immediate conscious awareness.

I was taught that I was worthless, made for sex. I was told daily that I was ugly and stupid. I was persuaded to seek the attention and approval of men who abused me mentally, emotionally, and physically. My stories of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse have spread worldwide.

By examining my mind, taking thoughts captive, and submitting them to the truth of Christ, I became focused on what God says about me. It took some time, of course, to dig deep into my headspace and pull out of my subconscious every crappy, trashy, false belief embedded there by my narcissistic mother. So many breakthroughs happened in regards to my identity, who I am in Christ: a child of God, a daughter of the king of the entire universe, a royal Princess, made as a piece of art, with a divine purpose.

I discovered that, according to the Bible, I am worthy, I am loved, I am forgiven, and I am free – all because of what Christ did for me, despite what my mom and other abusers did to me.

My new perspective on people

People are vulnerable to the negative impacts of their nature and nurture. Yet, I believe that everyone is doing their best with what they have, what they know, and who they are. I forgave my abusers.

God put the desire on my heart to help encourage and empower people. This ministry, Online Discipleship for Women, was born. Today, I live a single and celibate life, focusing on God and my ministry, and I have peace and joy. My relationships with friends are solid but not codependent. I’m not seeking anyone’s approval of me.

I’m here to help but I can’t save anyone. Everyone has their own free will and must consciously choose to walk in the Spirit by dying in the Flesh. This is something I can’t do for another person.

By doing my best, going an extra-mile, and leaving the outcomes up to God and every individual’s free will, I’m able to live wholeheartedly, following my life’s purpose, but not pretend like I’m Jesus, so that I don’t become arrogant or self-righteous. This is the very foundation of my freedom. I’m content with who I am, where I am, and how God is leading me to live out the story of His glory.

My new mindset

My freedom is eternal because of what Christ has already done for me. The gift of freedom is mine, forever. Yet, every day, I must reach out for the gift by dying in my Flesh and choosing to walk in the Spirit of God. This work is never-ending, and this makes my freedom temporary for the duration of my choosing.

If today I am living in my divine purpose, fully alive, aware, alert, and free, yet, tomorrow I start seeking comfort from other people, alcohol, drugs, shopping, sex, and food, I will be voluntarily enslaving myself again, and sin will be my master again.

So, I choose freedom daily, using my mind.

Every day, I choose to help people through Online Discipleshipf For Women instead of following my worldly temptations and passions. If my content and this blog help you personally, donate now to support this Christian ministry.

“Whoever Brings Blessing Will be Enriched” Proverbs 11:25

Bless Online Discipleship For Women

What Does the Bible Say About Freedom In Christ?

The Bible is a living word of God. I call it the sacred book of ancient wisdom. Any question a human can ever come up with has an answer right there already. So, what does the Bible say about freedom in Christ? I’m here to answer this and a few other questions to help you understand that, truly, sin is not your master. You have been set free!

What does the Bible say about being free in Christ?


It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Romans 6:18

What does it mean to be spiritually free?


Being spiritually free means that you have peace and joy in your life, you can both rejoice and weep whenever appropriate, you seek comfort from God by casting your anxieties on Him and not on people, you do not seek approval of others but, instead, you understand and accept your identity in Christ, you choose to walk in the Spirit instead of submitting to your Flesh daily, and you have a genuine communion with your creator so that you hear God’s voice and follow His direction

What does God set us free from?


God set us free from sin: adultery (sleeping around), idolatry (worshipping money or cars or houses or vacations or positions of power), gluttony (overeating, binge-eating, and mindless eating), anger, violence, jealousy, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, and many other sins that hinder our joy and peace every day.

How did Paul view his rights and freedom?


“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

1 Corinthians 9:19-23


You are free! Do you believe it?

If so, memorize my Biblical affirmation below and repeat it daily to yourself out loud to declare your freedom from slavery to sin, sexual bondages, alcoholic dependencies, drug addictions, compulsive shopping, uncontrollable anger, envious judgment toward people, arrogant ego, the illusion of separateness, and other poisonous mental tools used by Satan to confuse, deceive, and weaken you.

I Am Free In Christ 

"I Am Free" #52Devotionals

I am free from flesh and death,
And sin has no longer its power.
Christ gave my life a new breath. 
In Him, I am growing stronger by the hour.  

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How does it make you feel to know that you are free in Christ and sin is not your master anymore? Share with me in the comments below so I can cheer you on and rejoice with you. When you share your story, you give God all the glory. Your testimony can encourage and empower someone who’s confused, lost, in pain, or even suicidal. Share in the comments how God is working in you right now.

I shared with you about my journey from feeling enslaved by sin from both my nature and nurture, which all led me to anger, alcoholism, adultery, and addictions of all sorts, to now being set free and completely liberated by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I explained to you how to win the daily battle between the Flesh and the Spirit, and what your life will result in if you follow the path of God’s righteousness instead of the path of worldly sin. My journey began with me realizing who God says I am and confronting my old beliefs of who my mom and my other abusers said I was. I learned to see myself through God’s eyes.

Today, I help women see themselves the way God sees them. Check out my Christian coaching page. If this devotional was helpful, download all #52Devotionals below in a form of an ebook. This Spirit-inspired ebook helps you understand who God says you are. Don’t be vulnerable to identity attacks from the mainstream media, relatives, coworkers, your boss, society, culture, and the voices in your head. Stand firm and know what God says about you! Get the ebook now for free!

Anna Szabo's 52 Devotionals ebook revealing 52 things God says about you

Read All 52 Devotionals

Fundamentals of God’s Grace

  1. I am forgiven1 John 1:9 | Ephesians 1:7
  2. I am acceptedRomans 14:3 | Romans 15:7
  3. I am  lovedJohn 3:16 | Romans 5:8
  4. I am healedIsaiah 53:5 | Psalm 103:2-5
  5. I am blessed: Psalm 32:1-2 |Ephesians 1:3
  6. I am special and chosenGenesis 2:7 | John 15:16 | 1 Peter 2:9
  7. I am justified and sanctifiedGalatians 2:19-20 | Galatians 3:13-14
  8. I am alive1 John 5:12 | Ephesians 2:4-5
  9. I’m new and transformed2 Corinthians 5:17 | Ephesians 4:22-24
  10. I am noble and lovelyColossians 3:12 | Psalm 16:3
  11. I am beautiful: Ephesians 2:10 | Isaiah 62:3
  12. I am holy1 Corinthians 6:11 | Ephesians 4:22-24
  13. I am worthyGalatians 2:20 | 1 Corinthians 6:11
  14. I am righteousRomans 3:21 | Romans 5:19 | Isaiah 61:10
  15. I am valuableLuke 12:7  | Matthew 5:16
  16. I am anointed1 John 2:27 | Ephesians 1:13-14
  17. I am freeRomans 6:18 | Romans 8:1-2 Galatians 5:1
  18. I am renewedEzekiel 36:26 | Galatians 5:22-23
  19. I am not aloneIsaiah 41:10 | Romans 8:28

New Identity In Christ

  1. I am a princessGalatians 4:7 | Galatians 3:26
  2. I am fearfully and wonderfully madePsalm 139:14|2 Corinthians 5:17
  3. I am a disciple of JesusJohn 8:31-32 | John 12:26 | 1 John 2:3-6
  4. I am a child of GodGalatians 3:26 | John 7:38
  5. I am a citizen of HeavenPhilippians 3:20 | Philippians 4:11-12
  6. I am God’s glory on displayJohn 13:31-32 | Ephesians 1:3-14
  7. I am God’s masterpieceEphesians 2:10 | 1 John 3:2
  8. I am a difference-makerEphesians 2:10 | Jeremiah 1:5
  9. I am lightMatthew 5:14-16 | Jeremiah 1:5
  10. I am a peacemaker Colossians 3:15 | Matthew 28:19-20

Christ-Like Character Qualities

  1. I am wise1 Corinthians 1:30 | Isaiah 11:2
  2. I am clear and focused2 Timothy 1-7 | 1 Peter 1:13
  3. I am intentionalJeremiah 1:5 | 1 Corinthians 7:17
  4. I am decisiveProverbs 3:5-6 | Isaiah 30:21 | James 1:5
  5. I am powerful2 Timothy 1-7  | Philippians 4:13  | Acts 1:8
  6. I am disciplined2 Timothy 1-7 | Proverbs 3:11-12
  7. I am thoughtful: Romans 12:2 | Psalm 119:66
  8. I am prudent: Proverbs 14:8 | Proverbs 14:15 |Proverbs 22:3
  9. I am confidentPhilippians 1:6 | Philippians 4:13
  10. I am courageousJoshua 1:9 | 1 Corinthians 15:58
  11. I am victoriousRomans 8:28 | Romans 8:37

Biblical Outlook on Life

  1. I am kindEphesians 4:31-32 | Isaiah 54:8
  2. I am loving1 John 4:7-8 | John 13:34-35 1 Corinthians 16:14
  3. I am hopefulRomans 12:12 | Romans 15:13 |Proverbs 24:14
  4. I am joyfulRomans 15:13 Psalm 28:7
  5. I am gratefulColossians 2:6-7 | Colossians 3:17
  6. I am strongDeuteronomy 31:6 | Ephesians 6:10
  7. I am protectedIsaiah 41:10 | Isaiah 54:17 | 2 Timothy 4:18
  8. I am peaceful2 Thessalonians 3:16 John 16:33 | Philippians 4:6-7
  9. I am patient: Matthew 7:7 | Proverbs 14:29 Ephesians 4:2
  10. I am faith-filledIsaiah 43:1-3 Galatians 3:22
  11. I am gifted1 Corinthians 12:4 | 1 Peter 4:10-11
  12. I am creative: Exodus 35:31-32 | 1 Peter 4:10-11

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