#70 | Walking in Freedom | Romans 8:4 | The Great 8

Jesus didn't just set you free—He called you to walk in freedom. In this episode of The Daily Rebel, we continue our journey through Romans 8 and tackle a struggle many believers face: living free. Not singing about freedom. Not posting about freedom. Not hearing sermons about freedom. Actually walking in it. Because many Christians have been set free spiritually, yet still live mentally chained. The prison door is open, the sentence has been canceled, and the chains have fallen off—but they still think like prisoners. Romans 8:4 reminds us that freedom is not just something Jesus gives; it's something we learn to live in every day. 

Paul says believers are called to walk according to the Spirit rather than according to the flesh. That word "walk" is important because it describes direction, lifestyle, daily movement, and daily patterns. Freedom is not passive. It's practiced. God never intended for us to stay trapped in old identities, old mindsets, old fears, or old shame. Like Israel leaving Egypt, some people have been delivered from bondage but still think like slaves. Freedom isn't just an event—it becomes a lifestyle. 

In this episode we unpack three powerful truths:

1. Freedom Must Be Followed — You may be free legally in Christ and still live bound mentally if you don't learn to walk in the truth of who God says you are.

2. The Spirit Strengthens You — You are no longer fighting sin, temptation, and struggle in your own strength. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you.

3. You Fight From Freedom — The Christian life is not about fighting for God's approval, forgiveness, or acceptance. You fight from a position of victory because Jesus already secured it. 

We also explore practical rhythms that help believers walk in freedom every day: renewing your mind, confessing quickly, staying rooted in Scripture, walking in biblical community, and rejecting shame immediately. Because the enemy wants you fighting for a victory Jesus already won. If you've been living like a prisoner after Jesus already unlocked the cell, this episode is a reminder to stop sitting in the prison and start walking in freedom. Because redeemed rebels don't just receive freedom—they walk in it.

PRACTICAL RHYTHMS OF FREEDOM

1. Renew your mind daily. Freedom grows where truth is repeated.
2. Confess quickly. Don’t let sin sit in darkness. Bring it to the light. 
3. Stay in Scripture. You cannot walk in truth while starving yourself of truth.
4. Walk in community. Isolation strengthens bondage.
5. Reject shame immediately. Don’t entertain accusations Jesus already answered

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Transcript

Welcome \\ Daily Rebel Mission

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This podcast is for the ones who know they will rescue, but also know they were resent. Saved by grace, sent to live differently. We're not rebelling against God, we're rebelling against everything that keeps us free. Every day, we don't swing our opinions, we sharpen our lives on the word of God. The sword of the Spirit, guiding us, cutting through lives, and leading us one step at a time. We'll talk faith, identity, purpose, leadership, and what it really looks like to follow Jesus in a distracted world. Welcome to the Daily Rebel. Yo, what up, Rebels? Here we go. Day five of the first week of the Great Eight. I'm gonna read Romans 8, 1 through 4. Um, and

Romans 8:1-4

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then we're gonna wrap up the week. Here we go. Uh chapter 1, verse, uh chapter 8, verse 1. Here we go. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Because the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Remember that before we keep reading, sin and death are the thing that condemn you. And verse 3, what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law's requirement would be fulfilled, again, not abolished, not gone, but fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. So today we're talking about something

Are You Actually Living Free?

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a lot of believers struggle with, and that's living free. Not singing about freedom, not posting about freedom, not hearing sermons about freedom, actually walking in it. Because a lot of Christians have been set free spiritually, but still live mentally chained. But here's the deal Jesus broke the chains. They still think they're prisoners. They still think like prisoners. And Romans 8:4 reminds us freedom. Freedom is isn't just something Jesus gives, it's something that you walk in daily. It's not just for later, it's for here and now. But imagine a

The Prison Door Illustration

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prisoner sitting in a jail cell, though, and one day the doors swing open, and they've been told the sentence is over, the chains are gone, freedom was purchased. But instead of walking out, he just sits there. Not because the door is locked, but because he still thinks he's a prisoner. That's a lot of believers, y'all. Forgiven, but still ashamed, free, but still trapped mentally, saved, but still chained to old mindsets. Some of you are waiting to feel free before you start living free. You hear that? We let our feelings be the dictator. That's why people can get baptized on an exciting Sunday, and then four days later they feel trapped because they're letting their feelings lead. Here's the deal, but freedom doesn't begin with feelings,

Freedom Begins With Truth, Not Feelings

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it begins with truth. Because even when you don't feel forgiven, you are. Even when shame screams loudly, listen, the cross still speaks louder, and again, a better word. You aren't just forgiven, your sin is forgotten. So Paul says this. He says, believers, hey, do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. That word walk matters because Paul is describing a lifestyle, a new direction, daily movement and daily pattern. So you see, freedom, freedom is not

Freedom Is Practiced

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passive, it's practiced. Paul is saying you no longer walk according to the sinful system. Now you walk differently. You got a different kind of swag. You got that Holy Spirit swag. Not perfectly, but differently. Freedom is not passive. You must learn to live like the chains actually fell off. So let me give

Point 1: Freedom Must Be Followed

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y'all three points. Number one, freedom must be followed. You have to walk it out daily. A lot of believers want freedom instantly without learning new patterns. But freedom is daily, daily surrender. It's daily obedience, daily renewal, daily dependence. You can be free legally and still live bound mentally. Israel,

Delivered From Egypt, Still Thinking Like Slaves

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you see, they got delivered from Egypt in one night, but it took years to get Egypt out of them. And some of you have been saved, but still think like slaves, still identifying with shame and addiction and insecurity and fear and condemnation.

Freedom Is a Lifestyle, Not an Event

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Again, freedom, it's not an event that happened when Jesus walked out the grave. It's a lifestyle. And that mindset keeps pulling you back. What mindset keeps pulling you back into those old chains? So, number one, freedom must be followed.

Point 2: The Spirit Strengthens You

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Number two, the spirit strengthens you. You have the Holy Spirit that is within you at the moment of salvation. You're not fighting alone anymore. Romans 8 is full of the Holy Spirit. It says so many times in the entirety of Romans 8 that you're going to see talking about the Holy

The Power of the Holy Spirit in the Believer

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Spirit's empowerment because God never intended you to fight sin alone. The spirit empowers obedience, conviction, endurance, transformation. You are no longer battling in your own strength. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you. That's Romans 8.11. Before Jesus, sin ruled you. Now the Holy Spirit leads you. That doesn't mean temptation disappears. It means you finally have power to fight back.

You Don't Need More Willpower, Surrender to the Spirit

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You don't need more willpower. You need to surrender to the spirit. So where are you still trying to fight in your own strength? And number three,

Point 3: You Fight From Freedom

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you fight from freedom. Victory is your starting place. A lot of believers think if I fight hard enough, maybe God will finally accept me. But the gospel flips that script completely. You're not fighting

Why You're Not Fighting for Acceptance

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for freedom, for approval, or for forgiveness. You are fighting from freedom, from sonship, and from acceptance, acceptance in Christ. So listen, you don't obey to earn it. You obey because freedom was already given. The cross already settled your identity. It already settled your forgiveness. It already settled your position before the Lord. The enemy wants

The Enemy Wants You Fighting the Wrong Battle

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you fighting for a victory that Jesus already won. And you're not trying to become free in Christ. You already are. So let me give you some

Practical Rhythms of Freedom

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rhythms to practice this week. Number one,

1. Renewing Your Mind Daily

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you need to renew your mind daily in the gospel. Freedom grows where truth is repeated. Remember, I've said this before. You never graduate from the gospel, you go deeper into it.

2. Confession Quickly

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Number two, confess quickly. Don't let sin sit in darkness. Number three, stay

3. Stay in Scripture

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in scripture. You cannot walk in truth while starving yourself of truth. Number four,

4. Walk in Community

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walk in community. Isolation strengthens bondage, not your relationship with the Lord. And number five,

5. Reject Shame Immediately

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reject shame immediately. Do not entertain accusations Jesus already answered. He already believes in you because he's in you. He loves you and he's going to continue to fight with you and for you. So you can be free legally and still live bound mentally. But listen, the enemy wants you fighting for a victory Jesus already won. Jesus didn't die merely to get you into heaven. He died to bring freedom into your life right now. I'm going to say it again because us American Christians think that the whole point of Christianity is just to get to heaven. But Jesus didn't die merely to get you into heaven. He died to bring freedom into your life right now. Not partial, real. Freedom from shame, condemnation, bondage, old identity. Jesus didn't just open the prison door, y'all. He called you out of the cell. He broke the chains and says, now live free. So what would your life

What Would Change If You Believed You Were Free?

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look like if you actually believed you were free? What would change? Your mind, your relationships, your habits, your confidence, because some of you are still chained, even though Jesus already broke them.

Stop Sitting in the Prison

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Stop sitting in the prison. Jesus already unlocked. Walk in freedom. Think in freedom. Live in freedom, redeemed rebels. We don't receive it. We walk in it. Amen. Thank

Outro

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you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help other people be equipped to be redeemed rebels, give us a follow and share it around with your friends. We'll see you next time.