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involves
forgiving others so you can overcome bitterness and gain freedom
. If you refuse to forgive anyone, you place yourself in spiritual bondage to them and to sin. Paul reminded the Corinthians:
    If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:10,11,
NIV
).
    As you work through your bondage to sin and others, you should list the names of those you need to forgive. This is a list of names, not a list of sins or other violations they may have committed against you or someone to whom you are close. Continually bringing up past sins is evidence that you have not forgiven them.
    Forgiveness is a choice. Because God requires us to forgive others, it is something we can do. Our natural inclination is to seek revenge when we have suffered. When we don’t want to let others “off the hook,” however, it means they still have their hooks in us. That places us in bondage to them. If we don’t forgive others for their sakes, we should forgive them for our own sakes.
    Forgiveness is not merely a conflict between yourself and the offender, but a matter between you and God. When you forgive, you choose to live with the consequences of wrongs committed against you. If you do not forgive, you will live with bitter consequences anyway. The choice is yours. You choose whether to live in the freedom of forgiveness or in the bitterness of bondage.
    Pray audibly, “I forgive (
insert here the names of those who have wronged you in some way
).” As you forgive others, you experience God’s forgiveness in your life.
    Step 4: Submit to God’s Authority
    The fourth step involves
overcoming rebellion in your life by submitting to the authority of God and those He has placed over you
. Jesus compared being under authority to a manifestation of great faith (see Matt. 8:8-10). This involves trusting not only God directly, but also the line of authority He has appointed to provide leadership in your life.
    God has placed all of us “under authority.” We are called to submit to the authority of (1) civil government (see Rom. 13:1-7); (2) church leadership (see Heb. 13:17); (3) parents (see Eph. 6:1-3); (4) husbands (see 1 Pet. 3:1-4); (5) employers (see 1 Pet. 2:13-23); and (6) God (see Dan. 9:5,9). Each of these authorities has a sphere of influence in our lives. Dealing with a rebellious spirit or attitude and placing ourselves under authority is another step toward breaking bondage in our lives.
    Pray audibly, “I submit to (
insert here the specific authority in your life
).”
    Submitting to the authorities God has placed in your life is an important element in the Disciple’s Fast because it is evidence of your submission to God Himself.
    Step 5: Take Personal Responsibility
    To break your bondage,
confront the problem of pride with a spirit of humility
. This is the only way you can accept your share of the responsibility for your problem. You can overcome bondage in your life by following the example of Jesus Christ. When you give in to the sin of pride and self-exaltation, you are in bondage. Jesus Christ wants you to be free. He promised, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
    Freedom is not being passive. You submit to Christ to become active. You are free to actively do what God wants you to do. The key to experiencing full freedom in Christ is to take responsibility for your actions. When you confess your sins, God promises both cleansing and forgiveness (see 1 John 1:9).
    Each time you confess the same sin, God forgives; however, even though God forgives, the inner “you” becomes progressively weaker in esteem or acceptance. Many Protestants suffer from a condition I call “confessionitis,” which is the same “confession box” cycle of Roman Catholics. They repeatedly confess