He Came to Set the Captives Free

“He Came to Set the Captives Free”

Inspired by Evangelist Iona Locke — 1992 Revival Message**

As I was scrolling through YouTube the other day, a familiar face stopped me in my tracks — the late Evangelist Iona Locke. A young, fiery preacher in her early years appeared on my screen, and something in my spirit said, Pause… listen. And I am so glad I did.

Instantly, memories rushed back of the early 90s in Los Angeles, under Bishop Murray’s ministry. I remember being on my way to class when someone mentioned that an Evangelist was preaching at the church that night. I didn’t hesitate — I went. And when I tell you I was in awe of her anointing, her authority, and the weight of God’s glory on her life… I never forgot it.

So when her old revival message titled “He Came to Set the Captives Free” resurfaced on my feed, it felt like a divine reminder — a spark meant to ignite this very blog. I will not attempt to repeat her message, because her delivery was unmatched. But the topic stirred something powerful in me:

**He came to set the captives free.

But what does that really mean?

Who are the captives?

And exactly who came to set them free?**

These are not small questions.

These are the kinds of questions we must ask — especially for those who are new to faith, new to church, or simply unsure about the Bible. And truth be told, even people who have been in church their whole lives sometimes quietly wonder the same things. It’s okay to say, “I don’t know.”

In my previous blog, “The Burden of Love,” we touched on the One who is central to this mission — Jesus Christ, our Savior. He is the One who came with purpose, power, and divine authority to loose every chain.

But let’s pause and go deeper.

Why did Jesus come to set the captives free?

Scripture tells us plainly:

“I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.”

David confessed, “I was born in sin and shaped in iniquity.”

Humanity was bound — captive — by a fallen sin nature that none of us could escape on our own. God looked across eternity and saw that no one was able to atone for the sins of humanity. So He came Himself. In His own power, His own strength, and His own authority, He brought redemption for the entire world.

We needed a Redeemer.

We needed deliverance.

We needed freedom from the weight of sin, guilt, shame, and spiritual bondage.

And Jesus came — intentionally, purposefully — to set every captive free.

When Jesus declared in Luke 4:18 that He came “to preach deliverance to the captives,” He was announcing more than a sermon — He was announcing a spiritual jailbreak for anyone who had ever been bound. Captivity shows up in many forms: emotional wounds, generational cycles, addiction, fear, shame, guilt, oppression, depression, unforgiveness, sin, and even a lack of purpose. Every one of these chains keeps a person locked in a spiritual prison they cannot escape without divine intervention.

But Jesus didn’t come to simply talk about freedom — He came as freedom itself.

Everywhere He went, freedom manifested. Demons trembled. Chains broke. Minds cleared. Burdens lifted. The oppressed stood upright again. Hope came alive. Lives were restored and redirected.

Why?

Because captivity was never God’s intention for His people. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s heart has always been redemption, rescue, and restoration.

When Jesus stepped into His earthly ministry, He stepped into a world full of spiritual prisoners — people held hostage by sin, sickness, demonic power, broken identity, and spiritual blindness. And with one announcement, He declared war on everything that held us bound:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me…

He has anointed Me…

To set at liberty them that are bruised.”

Bruised means crushed, wounded, internally bleeding — the hurts you can’t see, the trauma you don’t talk about, the past you try to hide. Jesus didn’t overlook those wounds. He came specifically for them.

He came for the ones who don’t feel free.

He came for the ones trying to function while broken.

He came for the ones who learned how to survive captivity but don’t know what it feels like to live healed.

He came for the ones who say, “I don’t know how to get free,” because freedom is not earned — freedom is given through Christ.

Redemption was His mission.

Deliverance was His assignment.

Freedom was His purpose.

And today, He is still setting captives free — mind, heart, body, soul, and spirit.

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✨ Five Scriptures That Point to This Topic

1️⃣ Luke 4:18

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives…”

This is Jesus’ own declaration of His mission — the foundation of this blog.

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2️⃣ John 8:36

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

True freedom isn’t emotional or temporary — it comes from Jesus alone.

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3️⃣ Isaiah 61:1

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me… He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

A prophetic announcement of the Messiah’s assignment — fulfilled in Christ.

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4️⃣ Colossians 1:13–14

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son… in whom we have redemption through His blood.”

Jesus didn’t just free us — He relocated us from darkness to His kingdom.

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5️⃣ Galatians 5:1

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…”

Freedom is not a moment; it’s a lifestyle Christ empowers us to walk in.

✨ Revelation Points — What God Wants Us to Understand About Freedom

1️⃣ Captivity Is Not Always Visible — But Jesus Sees It All

Many people appear free on the outside but are bound internally.

Some are smiling, working, serving, and functioning while carrying silent chains.

Jesus came for the unseen captivity — the wounds no one notices, the trauma no one hears, and the burdens we hide behind strength.

Your invisible battles matter to God.

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2️⃣ Freedom Is Not Something You Earn — It’s Something Jesus Gives

Deliverance is not the result of good behavior, perfection, or religious performance.

Jesus broke the chains before you got your life together.

Freedom is a gift, not a reward.

He didn’t wait for you to be whole — He came to make you whole.

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3️⃣ The Captives Are Anyone Bound by Sin, Shame, or Spiritual Darkness

Captivity isn’t just addiction or demonic oppression — it’s anything that keeps you from living the abundant life Christ promised.

For some, captivity is:

• Fear

• Rejection

• Depression

• A broken identity

• Guilt from the past

• A generational curse

• A sin they can’t break

Jesus came for every type of captivity — not just the obvious ones.

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4️⃣ Jesus Didn’t Come to Modify Your Chains — He Came to Break Them

He didn’t come to make your bondage more comfortable.

He came to destroy the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8).

When Jesus steps in, He doesn’t adjust your prison — He opens the prison doors.

There is no chain strong enough that the blood of Jesus cannot break.

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5️⃣ Deliverance Is Not an Event — It’s a Journey Into a New Identity

Freedom begins the moment Jesus breaks the chains…

but it continues as you walk in who you truly are in Him.

Deliverance is both a breakthrough and a becoming.

Jesus frees you from something so He can lead you into something greater — purpose, identity, wholeness, and abundant life.

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6️⃣ Jesus Frees You For a Purpose

He didn’t just free Israel from Egypt…

He freed them unto promise, destiny, territory, and covenant.

Likewise, He frees you not just from bondage but into destiny.

Your liberation is connected to your calling, your impact, and your purpose in the kingdom.

Freedom is not random — it is strategic.

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7️⃣ The Anointing That Frees You Is Still Working Today

The same anointing that empowered Jesus in Luke 4:18

is the same anointing that destroys yokes now.

God has not changed His mind about setting captives free.

Your story is not too complicated.

Your bondage is not too deep.

Your past is not too messy.

He is still freeing, still healing, still redeeming, and still restoring — right now.

✨ Powerful Conclusion

Jesus did not come to negotiate with your bondage.

He did not come to study your chains, observe your wounds, or diagnose your captivity.

He came with one assignment, one agenda, and one divine purpose:

To set the captives free.

And that includes you.

Every area where the enemy tried to imprison you — Jesus came to overthrow it.

Every lie you believed, every sin that held you, every weight that crushed you, every past mistake that haunted you — Jesus came to cancel its authority. You were never created to live bound. You were never designed to walk in chains. Freedom has always been God’s heart for His people.

So today, you don’t have to wonder if God sees your struggle.

You don’t have to question whether He cares.

You don’t have to silently battle with the things that keep you tied up inside.

Your freedom is not a possibility — it is a promise.

The same Jesus who stepped into the synagogue in Luke 4:18 with fire in His voice and power in His Spirit is the same Jesus stepping into your life today. The anointing that shook ancient Israel still breaks chains now. The Savior who spoke liberty into captives back then is still walking through spiritual prisons right now — unlocking doors, lifting burdens, healing bruises, restoring hearts, and rewriting destinies.

If He came to set the captives free, then your freedom is not a question — it is a guarantee backed by Heaven.

Walk in it.

Believe it.

Receive it.

Live in it.

Because whom the Son sets free is free indeed.

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✨ Closing Prayer

Father in the Name of Jesus,

We come before You with grateful hearts, acknowledging that You alone are the One who breaks every chain. Lord, thank You for sending Your Son — not as a judge, but as a Deliverer; not as a spectator, but as a Savior; not to condemn, but to set us free.

Today, we surrender every hidden captivity —

every fear, every wound, every habit, every lie, every burden, every sin, and every unseen prison. We place them at Your feet, knowing You have the power to destroy what has been destroying us.

Lord, open the doors of our understanding.

Heal the broken places.

Release the oppressed.

Restore the wounded.

Lift every heavy heart.

Break every chain that has tried to claim authority over our lives.

Give us the courage to walk in the freedom You purchased with Your blood.

Give us the faith to believe that we are no longer bound.

Give us the strength to step boldly into the abundant life You promised.

Holy Spirit, fill every empty place where captivity once lived.

Renew our minds, restore our joy, strengthen our identity, and let Your peace settle over us like fresh oil.

We declare today — by the authority of Jesus Christ —

that we are free,

we are delivered,

we are redeemed,

and we are no longer captives.

And we thank You, Lord, for being the same yesterday, today, and forever —

still saving, still healing, still breaking chains, and still setting captives free.

In Jesus’ mighty name,

Amen.

✨ Author Bio — Lauretta Scott, Founder of iPublishub-Books

Lauretta Scott is a devoted writer, evangelistic voice, and prophetic encourager called to uplift, strengthen, and awaken the hearts of God’s people. Through her growing platform, iPublishub-Books, Lauretta uses her God-given gift of storytelling, revelation, and spiritual insight to reach readers across all walks of life.

Her writing carries a rare blend of compassion, authority, and transparency — drawing from real-life experiences, personal encounters with God, and a deep love for Scripture. Whether she is teaching, blogging, or crafting powerful devotional messages, Lauretta writes with one mission: to point people back to the freedom, hope, and healing found in Jesus Christ.

As the author of The Other Side, Benjamin’s Lady, and the uplifting children’s series Roe – The Young Blind Man & Scooter, Lauretta continues to build a multidimensional publishing brand that inspires faith, ignites purpose, and transforms lives.

When she’s not writing, Lauretta serves in healthcare as a compassionate phlebotomy professional, ministering to patients with the same grace and kindness reflected in her books. Her heartbeat is simple — to glorify God, encourage the broken, and remind the world that Jesus still sets captives free.