The Power of Forgiveness | Jentezen Franklin

When Jesus hung on the cross and said, “Father, forgive them,” Satan, the prince of the air, who controlled creation, the atmosphere, and everything around him, lost all power in that moment. According to Ephesians, Satan is the prince of the air, but when Jesus uttered those words, he lost his control over the world. I can prove it: as soon as Jesus said, “Forgive them,” the Bible says the sun refused to shine for three hours. Satan no longer controlled the sun. Then the earth began to shake, and death had to give up its hold on the dead. The Bible states that the dead were raised, and they walked around Jerusalem. When Jesus declared, “It is finished,” and said, “Father, forgive them,” it released such power that even hell knew it no longer had control. The devil realized he had lost his power. He was no longer in control of the air, the sun, the earth, hell, or death in the presence of forgiveness.

Do you want Satan to lose control over your home, your family, your marriage? All you need to do is release forgiveness. When you forgive, Satan loses his grip, and suddenly, his power is removed. His influence is cut off, and his demons must flee. Don’t worry about whether others forgive you; just say, “I forgive you,” and walk in love. Put on the Overcoat of Love, which covers a multitude of sins. Let it go in Jesus’ name, and move on. Somebody give God praise for the power of forgiveness!

In Joshua chapter 10, five kings who Joshua defeated hid in a cave. This mirrors what happens when we’re offended, hurt, or bitter—we tend to isolate ourselves. We pull away, saying, “I’ve had enough. I don’t want to be around anyone.” But Peter asked Jesus, “How many times do I have to forgive? Seven times?” Jesus replied, “I tell you, seventy-seven times.” Essentially, Jesus was saying forgiveness is limitless. It’s when you lose count, when you choose to love despite everything. You may not agree with someone’s actions or behavior, but your love should never fade.

If you have a son or daughter who is gay, don’t ever tell them they can’t speak to you again. That’s not love. Love never fails. You are not called to judge others; you are called to love them. Let God be the judge. Whether people are lost, broken, or flawed, your job is to love them. If your father was absent or hurt you, don’t shut him out—put on the Overcoat of Love and move forward, no matter how complicated it seems.

When those five kings stayed in the cave, they were initially isolated. But when they didn’t deal with their bitterness, the enemy found out they were hiding and rolled a stone over the cave’s entrance, turning their isolation into a prison. Bitterness, when not dealt with, becomes a prison. Satan’s grip on your life can become so strong that you feel trapped, but forgiveness opens the door. It turns isolation into freedom and releases you from the prison of unforgiveness. What starts as isolation can quickly become a grave, but in Jesus, we are set free.

Christianity offers a leader who, though wounded for our transgressions, set us free through forgiveness.