36 Bible Verses about Slavery, Spiritual

They answered him, We are Abraham's seed, and never were in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, That we shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, That every one who committeth sin is the slave of sin. But the slave abideth not in the family for ever: but the son abideth for ever.read more.
If the Son therefore make you free, ye will be truly free.

Let not therefore sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the passions thereof. Neither present your members as weapons of unrighteousness for sin: but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as weapons of righteousness for God. For sin shall not hold dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.read more.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Do ye not know, that to whomsoever ye present yourselves servants to obey, ye are his servants to whom ye obey; if of sin unto death, or of obedience, unto righteousness? But thanks be to God, that though ye were the servants of sin, ye have obeyed from the heart the model of doctrine into which ye were delivered. Emancipated then from sin, ye became servants to righteousness.

What then shall we say? Is the law sin? God forbid. Yea, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not even known concupiscence, unless the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, seizing the opportunity by the law, wrought in me all concupiscence. For without the law sin is dead. For though I lived without the law formerly; yet when the commandment came, sin revived, but I died.read more.
And the commandment, which [was] for life, the same was found by me for death. For sin, seizing the occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and thereby slew me. So then the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Did then that which is good become fatal to me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin by that which was good [in itself], was the cause of death to me; that sin through the commandment might become transcendantly sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am fleshly, sold under sin. For that which I am doing I approve not: for not the thing which I wish, that do I practise; but the very thing I hate, that I do. But if what I would not, that I do, I concur with the law that it is excellent. Now then no more I do this, but sin dwelling in me. For I know that there dwelleth not in me (that is, in my flesh) any good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For I do not the good which I wish: but the evil which I would not, that I do. If then I do that which I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I wish to do good, evil is presented to me. For I am delighted with the law of God, as respecting the inward man: but I see another law in my members, militating against the law in my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man, I! who shall pluck me from the body of this death? I give thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Well then, I myself with my mind am servant to the law of God; but in my flesh to the law of sin.

For we ourselves also in time past were thoughtless, disobedient, erroneous, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

Preaching liberty to them, while they themselves are the slaves of corruption: for by whatever a man is overcome, by that also he is enslaved.

STAND fast therefore in the liberty with which Christ has made you free, and be not again held under a yoke of bondage.

NOW I affirm, that as long as the heir is an infant, he differeth nothing from a servant, though he be master of all; but is under tutors and trustees until the time fixed by his father. So we also, when we were infants, were in bondage under the first elementary principles of the world:read more.
but when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. But because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father! Therefore thou art no more a slave, but a son, and if a son, an heir also of God through Christ.

For ye have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye have received a Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father.

Seeing therefore that the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he also himself, in exact resemblance, partook of the same, that by death he might destroy him who held the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver those, even as many as through their whole life were subjects of bondage to the fear of death.

NOW before the feast of the passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour was come, that he should go out of this world to the Father, having loved his peculiar people that are in the world, he loved them to the end. And supper being served, (the devil having now injected into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, that he should betray him;) Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he came out from God, and was going to God;read more.
he rises from supper, and lays aside his garments, and taking a towel, he wound it about himself. Then he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was begirt. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and he saith to him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith to him, Thou shalt never wash my feet: no, never. Jesus answered him, Except I wash thee, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed hath need only to wash his feet, for he is entirely clean: and ye are clean, but not all. (For he knew who would betray him; therefore he said, Ye are not all clean.) When therefore he had washed their feet, and taken his garments, and sat down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master, and Lord: and ye speak truly; for such I am. If therefore I have washed your feet, though the Lord and the Master; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that just as I have done to you, ye should do also. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his master; nor the messenger greater than him that sent him. If ye know these things, blessed are ye if ye practise them.

But Jesus, calling them to him, said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority among them. But thus shall it not be with you. But whosoever will be a great man among you, let him be your servant; and whosoever will be first, let him be your slave.read more.
Even as the Son of man came not to be waited upon, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

But Jesus called them, and said to them, Ye know that they who appear to rule over the Gentiles, lord it over them; and their great men exercise dominion over them. But it shall not be so with you: but whosoever will be great among you let him be your servant: and whosoever will be first, let him be the servant of all.read more.
For the Son of man came not to be waited upon, but to be a servant, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Let the same sentiment of mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God counted it no usurpation to claim equality with God: but emptied himself, assuming the form of a servant, made after the similitude of mortal men;read more.
and found in fashion as man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even to the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath transcendently exalted him, and bestowed on him a name which is above every name: that to the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of beings celestial and terrestrial, and infernal; and every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus [is] Messiah, to the glory of God the Father.

But now being set at liberty from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and at the end life eternal.

No man can serve two masters: for he will either hate the one, and love the other; or he will adhere to the one, and disregard the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

No domestic can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will cleave to the one, and neglect the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God,

And in every thing that ye do, labour from the soul, as for the Lord, and not man; knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye are servants to the Lord Christ.

JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are dispersed, greeting.

as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for wicked practices; but as being servants of God.

SIMON Peter, the servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained with us the same precious faith by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ:

Truly then we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye are ready to die: but if by the Spirit ye mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are guided by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.read more.
For ye have not received a spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye have received a Spirit of adoption, by which we cry, Abba, Father. The same spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. But if children, then heirs; heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be we suffer with him, that we may also together with him be glorified.

I no more call you servants; for the servant knoweth not what his master is doing: but I have called you friends because I have made known to you all things which I have heard of my Father.

Was not our father Abraham justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith consummated. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness;" and he was called "the friend of God."

Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on him, If ye abide in my word, assuredly ye are my disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We are Abraham's seed, and never were in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, That we shall be made free?read more.
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, That every one who committeth sin is the slave of sin. But the slave abideth not in the family for ever: but the son abideth for ever. If the Son therefore make you free, ye will be truly free.

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondwoman, and the other by a free. Now the son of the bond-maid was born after the flesh, but that by the free woman was by promise.read more.
Which things are allegorical; for these are the two covenants, the one from mount Sinai, gendering unto bondage, which is represented by Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds with Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, "Rejoice, thou barren who bearest not, cry out and shout for joy, thou that travailest not, for more are the children of her that was desolate, than of her which had an husband." So we, brethren, as Isaac, are the children of the promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so is it now. But what saith the scripture? "Cast out the bond-woman and her son for the son of the bond-maid shall in no wise inherit with the son of the free woman." So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Do ye not know, that to whomsoever ye present yourselves servants to obey, ye are his servants to whom ye obey; if of sin unto death, or of obedience, unto righteousness? But thanks be to God, that though ye were the servants of sin, ye have obeyed from the heart the model of doctrine into which ye were delivered.read more.
Emancipated then from sin, ye became servants to righteousness. I speak humanly, because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have presented your members servants to impurity and iniquity for iniquity; so now present your members servants to righteousness for holiness. For when ye were the slaves of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit therefore had ye then in those things at which ye are now confounded? for the end of those things is death. But now being set at liberty from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and at the end life eternal. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is life eternal in Jesus Christ our Lord.

For though I be free from all men, I have made myself the servant of all, that I might gain the more.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For ye have been called unto liberty, brethren; only use not that liberty as a pretext for carnality, but in love be subject one to another.

Who then is the faithful and provident servant, whom his Lord hath appointed over his household, to give them meat in the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find thus occupied. Verily I say unto you, that he will place him over all his substance.read more.
But if that wicked servant say in his heart, My master will be a long while ere he comes; and shall begin to beat his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; the master of that servant will come in a day that he doth not expect him, and at an hour which he knoweth not. And will cut him asunder, and give him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And the Lord said, Who indeed is a faithful steward, and prudent, whom the lord will place over his household, to give them their proportion of provision at the proper season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so employed. Verily I say unto you, that he will place him over all his property.read more.
But if that servant say in his heart, My master will be a long while ere he comes; and shall begin to beat the men and maid-servants, and to eat and to drink, and to get drunk; the master of that servant will come in a day when he doth not expect him, and at an hour which he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and give him his portion with the unfaithful.

For the case is like that of a man, who travelling abroad, called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his several capacity; and immediately went abroad. He then who had received the five talents, went and traded with them, and acquired five other talents.read more.
In the same manner also he that had the two, gained also himself two others. But he that had received the one talent, went and digged a hole in the ground, and hid the silver of his master. Then after a long absence the master of these servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them. And he who had received the five talents, coming to him, brought five other talents, saying, Sir, thou deliveredst to me five talents: I have gained to them five other talents.

He said therefore, A certain man of noble family went into a distant region, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten manehs, and said unto them, Employ yourselves in traffic, till I come back. But his citizens hated him, and sent an embassy after him, saying, We will not have this man to rule over us.read more.
And it came to pass, at his return, after receiving the kingdom, that he ordered the servants to be called, to whom he had given the money, that he might know what every one had gained by his traffic. Then came the first, and said, Sir, thy maneh has gained ten manehs. And he said unto him, Well done, good servant: because thou hast been faithful in the least matter, hold thou dominion over ten cities.

But which of you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, when he cometh from the field, will say immediately, Come, sit down at table? And will he not rather say, Prepare for me to sup, and gird thyself, and wait upon me, till I eat and drink; and after that, thou shalt eat and drink thyself? Doth he hold it as a favour from that servant, that he did the things which were ordered him? I think not.read more.
So also ye, when ye have done all things commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: for we have but done what was our duty to do.

For the eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the revelation of the children of God. For the creation was made subject to vanity, not voluntarily, but by him who made it subject, in hope that the same creation shall be emancipated from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.read more.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth together and travaileth in birth to this moment.