VERY IMPORTANT REVIEW - Bondage Breakers by Neil Anderson

My Sister-in-law, Julie, says that this book is not for everyone, and I agree. You must have a sound underpinning of spiritual understanding to read this book, and the others by Neil Anderson on this subject. However, the concept of Bondage Breakers is perfect for at least half of those who call themselves Christians. That would be those who continue to suffer from depression, anxiety, fears, tension, addictions, relationship problems, anger, or any other emotional, mental, or spiritual problems. It is for those who feel that their spiritual growth has stopped, or that God just doesn’t hear them. It is for those who can’t get over some past hurt, or who are still carrying around a sack of guilt over past actions.

A little segue into my personal background. With an undergraduate degree in psych (emphasis in marriage and the family with 16 unit is human sexual response), and a graduate degree in law, both from UCLA, my intention was to help folks whose marriages were falling apart. However, as I followed the profession of marriage counseling and other forms of modern psychological efforts, it seemed that few were really being helped. It seemed as if an hour a week for one or two or five or ten years didn’t really bring resolution to many.

So I ended up in business. But I read constantly in the field and watched as my friends went to counselors. I ended up with my own personal observation in marriage counseling and some family counseling. I saw some good come out of the work of a Christian counselor who advised my wife and me on some parenting issues. That is about it.

Then I read Bondage Breakers. It made instant sense to me. Not only theologically. Not only logically. But one session of 4 hours and you’re done. How can that be?

Neil Anderson, who had served at Talbot School of Theology as head of the department of psychology, started to see a better way. The Bible tells us quite clearly what the seeds of our problems are? Pride, unforgiveness, family influences, lack of faith, sin, unclean spirits. We are clearly shown that the devil uses our specific weaknesses to bind us. He taunts us with accusations about our past deeds, tempts us with present sinful options, and tells us lies about God’s attitude concerning us.

When the Devil has un in bondage through our sin or through our incorrect thoughts or through our lack of forgiveness, we are hobbled in our efforts to move ahead in our walk. So how do we break free?

Anderson noted that the Devil is not omnipresent, omniscient, or omnipotent like God. Therefore there is this one great difference. God knows everything about us, even our thoughts, and through the Holy Spirit, He can speak directly to our hearts. The Devil, on the other hand is only a master at reading us from the outside. He can study our acts, record our history, and anticipate our actions based on his clever observations. Then he can speak to us, but only if he has access to us. If we are Christians, he cannot possess us, since our temple is already indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But he can oppress us by speaking to us, and harassing us.

The key then is to get the devil to leave us alone. Anderson points out that Christ has given us authority to tell the Devil to go away. Not power (and this is where it becomes better to have a counselor help with the bondage breaking process), because the Devil has far more power than we do. But we have authority through our inheritance in Christ to demand that he leave.

Neil Anderson has used this method for over twenty years now as have countless thousands of his disciples. Many hundreds of thousands have gone through the process. I have personally worked with a couple of dozen individuals. The results have been astounding in some cases, and excellent in almost every case. And the most amazing part is to watch the growth of these individuals after they complete Bondage Breakers.

The Bondage Breaker and other related books are available everywhere. They are very well written, easy to understand for laymen, and filled with scriptural references and proof texts.