Delivered But Not Yet Free? The Two Stages of Healing You Need to Know
Have you ever had a breakthrough a moment where God clearly moved in your life but still felt stuck? Like something invisible was holding you back even after the victory?
You’re not alone. And Scripture actually has a name for exactly what you’re experiencing.
There are two distinct stages in our healing journey, and most people only know about the first one. Both are found in the Bible. Both are the work of Jesus. But they require very different things from us and from our communities.
Let’s walk through them together.
Stage One: Breaking the Chains (Mark 5: The Man with the Legion)
In Mark 5, we meet a man living among the tombs. He was tormented day and night crying out, cutting himself, impossible to restrain. The text tells us he had broken every chain placed on him, not from strength, but from suffering.
When Jesus arrived, He didn’t counsel the man’s behavior or address his coping mechanisms first. He went straight to the spiritual root.
He commanded Legion to leave. And it did.
This is deliverance the moment Jesus steps into your “graveyard,” whether that’s addiction, trauma, rage, or depression, and commands the torment to stop. It is immediate. It is divine. And it changes everything in an instant.
Stage Two: Removing the Grave Clothes (John 11 — The Raising of Lazarus)
Now meet Lazarus. Unlike the man in Mark 5, Lazarus was already a friend of Jesus. He wasn’t a stranger in a cemetery he was someone Jesus loved deeply.
Yet Lazarus died. And when Jesus raised him, something important happened that we often overlook:
“The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” — John 11:44
Lazarus was alive but he couldn’t walk freely. He shuffled out of the tomb still wrapped in burial linen, still carrying the evidence of death on his body.
Then Jesus said something profound to the people standing nearby:
“Loose him, and let him go.”
He didn’t unwrap Lazarus Himself. He called the community to do it.
Why You Need Both and What Most People Miss
Here’s where it gets personal
Many believers have had their Mark 5 moment. The voices quieted. The addiction broke. The darkness lifted. Jesus showed up and silenced what was tormenting you.
But weeks, months, or even years later, something still feels off. You’re saved, you’re delivered, but you’re still not walking freely.
That’s because deliverance removes the enemy. Development removes the evidence.
The grave clothes represent the things that linger after liberation:
- The victim identity that became your personality
- The shame triggers that still hijack your emotions
- The hiding habits that kept you safe in the tomb but limit you in the light
Jesus isn’t only interested in getting you out of the tomb. He wants to get the tomb out of you.
The Role of Community in Your Healing
Notice again: Jesus told others to unwrap Lazarus.
This is not an accident. The grave clothes the shame, the old labels, the trauma responses often require the loving hands of community to remove. A therapist. A pastor. A trusted friend. A recovery group.
Healing was never meant to be a solo journey.
If you’ve been waiting for Jesus to silently remove everything on His own while you stay isolated, John 11 suggests a different model. The miracle was His. The unwrapping involved others.
Which Stage Are You In?
Take a moment with these questions:
Has Jesus broken your chains? If you’ve had a deliverance moment an undeniable turning point that is real and worth honoring.
Are you still wearing grave clothes? If freedom feels close but restricted, it may be time to let someone help you unwrap what death left behind.
The same Voice that commanded Legion to flee is the same Voice that said “Loose him.” Both are Jesus. Both are for you.
Scripture for Reflection
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1
Drop a comment below: Which stage resonates with you most right now — the breaking of chains, or the removing of grave clothes? Let’s talk about it.
