Freedom in the Fight

By Jonathan Copeland

Today’s world can feel like a prison for many Christian men. Everywhere there are temptations and traps, and we can find ourselves bound by the sinful lusts of the flesh. Yet finding freedom in the fight requires a desire to know and cherish the true God of the Bible.

In Freedom in the Fight, author Jonathan Copeland heralds the gospel over the darkness of pornography, proclaiming the life-giving difference between trying harder and pursuing rest in Christ’s perfect work on the cross. Ultimately, the goal is for men to walk away from pornography and to know that they are not alone, that they are loved, that they are forgiven, and that there is no sin with more power than the cross of Christ.

Christ knows our struggles, and he still went to the cross for us. For his atoning blood on the cross, there is now freedom in our fight against temptation and sexual immorality. This is where true freedom is found, and the gospel is what will give us the legs we need to walk away from pornography.

“Desiring God in the truth of the Word of God is your greatest tool against the enemy.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781973642411

Jonathan Copeland

Education Jonathan Copeland was born and went to school in Belfast, Northern Ireland before going to London to study law at University College London. Work He practised law in two major commercial law firms in the City of London for 25 years, first at Linklaters, the largest solicitors' firm in the UK at the time, and then Stephenson Harwood, where he was a Partner. Throughout that time he travelled to Southeast Asia on a yearly basis and developed a passion for Indonesian culture and a strong, not yet fulfilled, desire to understand it. Now Jonathan is now a freelance photographer and writer specialising in travel. He lives mostly in Bali, Thailand and England and travels extensively. Books After retiring from the law he researched and photographed all aspects of Balinese culture. The fruits of that research appear in the best selling book Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World by Jonathan Copeland and Ni Wayan Murni, published by Orchid Press in 2010, and in its second print run. It is also an ebook. Secrets of Bali, Fresh Light on the Morning of the World is available in the Ebook Store: https://murnis.com/ebookstore/. Jonathan stays in Rye, East Sussex every year and in 2012 published the ebook: Walking Tour of Rye, the most beautiful town in England. It puts Rye into its historical context and tells stories of pirates and smugglers and a few murders. There are numerous photographs. It is available in the Ebook Store: https://murnis.com/ebookstore/. Following her exhibitions in 2007 and 2009 at the prestigious shows, Arts of Pacific Asia and Tribal Arts & Textiles, in San Francisco and a lecture on Balinese textiles to the Textile Arts Council at the de Young Museum. Ni Wayan Murni and Jonathan Copeland wrote From Tattoos to Textiles, Murni's Guide to Asian Textiles, All You Need to Know…And More. It is available in the Ebook Store: https://murnis.com/ebookstore/. Having spent a considerable time in Bangkok this was followed by The Bangkok Story, an historical guide to the most exciting city in the World. It contains numerous photographs and examines the main and some unusual locations and places them into Thai history. Each chapter deals with a different reign and examines the main events and buildings erected during that reign. It is available in the Ebook Store: https://murnis.com/ebookstore/. To celebrate the 40th anniv...

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Copyright © 2018 Jonathan Copeland.

Visit the author’s website www.freedominthefight.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-4242-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4243-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4241-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018912082

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/10/2018

For freedom Christ has set us free.

—Galatians 5:1

This book is dedicated foremost to Jesus Christ for ransoming me from the pit of destruction and setting my feet on solid ground.

I also dedicate this book to my beautiful wife, Ashley, and daughter, Shelby Grace. No amount of words can describe the deep sense of thankfulness I have for you both. You have extended forgiveness because of the forgiveness extended to you on the cross, and for that I love you all the more.

To Shelby Grace, for showing me a love that I never knew existed.

I must also dedicate this book to Matt Chandler of the Village Church in Flower Mound, Texas. God used you to open my eyes to the gospel. I owe my eternal life to God through the Holy Spirit because He opened your mouth to open my heart. The title of this book was taken from Matt’s sermon, Freedom in the Fight—the sermon that opened my eyes and led me to write this book.

Jesus Christ, You bring meaning to the meaningless. We are strong when we are weak because of the freedom You bought in Your blood on the cross.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1     Turn Your Eyes

Chapter 2     Into the Light

Chapter 3     Powerless

Chapter 4     Affections

Chapter 5     The Long Game

Chapter 6     Questions

Chapter 7     The Only Worthy Goal

Chapter 8     Root Freedom in Christ’s Work

Chapter 9     The Unseen Consequences

Chapter 10   Of First Importance

Notes

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever wanted something in life but felt stuck? Like you can see it and even taste it at times, but you can’t quite figure out how to get it? If we are honest with ourselves, this is how a lot of us feel when it comes to Jesus Christ. Many of us have an experience we point back to in which we could feel the presence of God, or an emotional moment when He seemed very real to us—a moment when everything just seemed to fall into place, and we finally understood the gospel message.

Then what?

In my personal story, sin is what left me feeling stuck. My eyes and ears were awakened to Christ in a sense, but my heart still seemed asleep. I wanted desperately to defeat this sin in my life. I tried many times on my own and even tried putting Christ’s label on my own efforts. It seemed like the harder I tried, the harder I fell down, and the harder it was to get back up each time. I wanted freedom from my struggle but felt like a prisoner. I was prisoner of my own mind, a prisoner of my own heart, a prisoner of sin, a prisoner of the world, a prisoner of lust, and a prisoner of pornography.

Believe me, I know the last thing you probably want to read is a book about sexual immorality and how pornography changes your brain. I also wouldn’t want to read a book that says, Here are five steps to overcome your addiction. Why? Because