BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE – UNDERSTANDING SATANIC TRAPS – PART 2
DATE: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28TH, 2026
MEMORISE: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
READ: EXODUS 21:2-6
I. THE FORENSIC ANALYSIS OF THE WILLING SLAVE
As we continue our study on “Understanding Satanic Traps,” we must confront one of the most baffling and tragic realities in the spiritual realm: The Willing Captive. In our text in Exodus 21, the Law of Moses allowed a servant to go free after six years. However, verses 5 and 6 describe a chilling alternative: “And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master… I will not go out free… then his master shall… bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.”
This is the “Protocol of Permanent Bondage.” It describes a man who has been offered liberty but chooses the chain. In 2026, many victims of satanic traps are not there by accident; they are there by “Preference.
I have categorized victims into two major groups:
- The Unaware: Those who do not know they are in a trap (2 Corinthians 4:4).
- The Aware: Those who know they are in bondage.
Within this second group, there is a subset of people who do not want to be set free. This sounds illogical to the human mind, but in the spirit, it is a frequent occurrence. These are individuals who have found “utility” in their captivity.
II. THE SEDUCTION OF POWER: CASE STUDIES IN BONDAGE
Why would anyone choose the devil over Jesus? The answer often lies in the “Perks of the Pit”—the temporary, carnal power the devil offers to those who serve him.
Case Study 1: The Witch who missed her “Flight”
Years ago, a couple began attending the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The atmosphere of the Word and the Fire of the Holy Spirit began to affect the wife. However, she suddenly stopped coming. When our follow-up team reached her, her reason was shocking. She said, “Since I started coming to your church, I have been unable to fly to my witchcraft meetings at night. I like flying. I want to continue my meetings. So, I will not come back.” To her, the “thrill” of astral travel was more valuable than the salvation of her soul. She chose the “Bored Ear” of the devil over the “Open Gate” of Christ.
Case Study 2: The Control-Freak and the Boyfriend
In another instance, a woman who was a known witch was brought for deliverance. As the ministers began to pray, she stopped them. She asked, “Why are you trying to deliver me? This power is what I use to control my husband. He is so under my spell that he drives me to my boyfriend’s house, waits for me in the car while I have fun, and drives me back home. If you deliver me, I will lose this control. I don’t want to be free.”
This woman had found a way to use satanic traps to fuel her lust and her ego. She was a “Willing Captive” because the trap gave her a sense of superiority over the natural order.
III. THE SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCE OF THE “BORED EAR”
When a person willfully rejects the offer of deliverance, God respects their choice. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I have set before you life and death... therefore choose life.” God presents the options, but the “Agency of Choice” belongs to the human.
If a person is “Forcefully Delivered” without a heart-felt desire to serve God, they become a prime candidate for Repossession. Matthew 12:43-45 warns that when an unclean spirit goes out of a man and finds the house empty (swept but not occupied by the Holy Spirit), it returns with seven other spirits more wicked than itself. A willing captive who is “accidentally” delivered but refuses to submit to God will find their end-state much worse than the beginning.
IV. THE DANGER TO THE INTERCESSOR
We must be careful when praying for people. Some individuals are “Willing Slaves” of the devil, using their bondage to harm others. If you try to deliver someone who loves their chains, you may face spiritual backlash unless you are led by the Spirit. Tomorrow, I will discuss how to protect yourself from these “Willing Slaves” and how to legally “Compel” them toward a desire for deliverance.
V. CONCLUSION: THE CALL TO CHOOSE LIFE
The “Satanic Trap” is most dangerous when it is comfortable. If you are reading this and you have been holding onto a secret sin, an occultic power, or a manipulative habit because you enjoy the “benefits,” beware! The “Aul” of the enemy is moving toward your ear. Once the “Permanent Mark” of the slave is made, eternal condemnation is the result. Choose life today! Deliverance is available, but you must Want it.
HYMN 28: GUIDE ME, O THOU
GREAT JEHOVAH
- Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven!
Feed me now and evermore.
- Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing stream doth flow;Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer! Strong Deliverer!
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
PRAYER POINTS
FOR THE WILLING HEART: Father, please deliver me from the love of any bondage. If there is any “Chain” in my life that I have started to enjoy, break that affection today in Jesus’ name!
FOR DISCERNMENT: Lord, help me to discern the “Willing Captives” around me. Give me the wisdom to know when to pray and when to stand back, in Jesus’ name.
FOR TOTAL OCCUPATION: Holy Spirit, occupy my life! Let there be no “Empty Space” for the enemy to return to, in Jesus’ name.
FOR PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE: Father, continue to preserve Your son. Grant him more revelations into the devices of the enemy to set the captives free, in Jesus’ name.
KEY POINT: A slave who loves his master’s house more than his own freedom is the hardest to set free. Do not love the “Shadow” so much that you miss the “Sun.”
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 1-4
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
