The Secret to Lasting Freedom: Pull It Up From The Root!
The Fruit Isn’t the Problem
Most believers spend their whole Christian life chasing fruit. They see cycles of sin, bitterness, broken relationships, fear, anxiety — and they attack what’s visible. They cut off branches. They pick off rotten fruit. They “pray away” the symptoms.
But Jesus didn’t say, Tend the fruit and you’ll be fine. He said, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots” (Matthew 15:13).
If the fruit is bad, the root is bad. If the root is wrong, the fruit is inevitable. The problem is underground. Hidden. Feeding everything above the surface.
I overheard a woman the other day telling a friend, “I’ve got to get my roots done.” She meant her hair. Can you imagine how many hours the average person with brown hair spends in their lifetime to maintain blonde? The problem wasn’t just what you could see — it was the new growth coming up from underneath. You can dye what’s visible, but unless you deal with what’s coming from the root, the same thing will show again in a few weeks.
The same is true in your walk with God. Until you deal with the root, the fruit won’t change.
What Spiritual Warfare Really Is
We’ve turned spiritual warfare into a shouting match with the devil. We bind, we loose, we rebuke — but Jesus’ warfare wasn’t just noise. It was root-level. Now there is a place to make declarations and to rebuke the devil, but what if that's just a piece of spiritual warfare? Maybe it’s not even the most important part.
Spiritual warfare is the battle of who is going to have the dominant seat of your thoughts. It appears in the lives of individuals but ultimately may be connected to greater demonic agendas affecting entire regions of people.
Personal strongholds — mental fortresses built from lies and sin patterns (2 Corinthians 10:3–5).
Family roots — generational iniquities, curses, or habits passed down.
Principalities — cultural strongholds influencing entire communities and nations (Ephesians 6:12).
Here’s the truth: the enemy has no real authority. But he thrives where there’s ignorance. Darkness isn’t just the absence of light — it’s the absence of truth.
Think about it: a shark is terrifying in the ocean — it’s his territory. But drag that shark onto the shore, and suddenly he’s powerless. He can’t breathe, he can’t move, he can’t dominate. The same is true when you abide in Christ. You change the battleground.
Dealing with the Snake in the Garden
From Genesis, Satan’s tactic hasn’t changed. He plants a seed — a lie — and waits for you to water it. That seed becomes a root system. That root system feeds his fruit in your life.
If you don’t go after the root, you’ll spend your life fighting symptoms. That’s why Jesus warned in Matthew 12:43–45 — deliverance without abiding leaves the house empty, and the enemy will come back with more.
Repentance — metanoia — is more than saying “I’m sorry.” It’s changing the way you think. Closing the door. Removing the soil where the enemy’s seed could grow again.
Binding the Strongman (Root-Level Warfare)
Mark 3:27 says, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.”
The strongman is the root. He is the ruling spirit behind the cycles you see.
Luke 11:21–22 says the strongman guards his palace with “armor” — lies, agreements, fear, unbelief. But when Jesus removes that armor, the enemy is defenseless.
If you only deal with the fruit, you’re like a thief stealing from a house that still belongs to someone else. But when you bind the strongman and sever the root, ownership changes. Now the fruit belongs to Christ.
The Bible Talks Alot About Roots
The Bible gives us two categories of roots:
Positive Roots – Stability in Christ
Colossians 2:6–7 — “Rooted and built up in Him.”
Jeremiah 17:7–8 — A tree planted by water; heat and drought cannot kill it.
Negative Roots – Entrenched Sin & Bitterness
Hebrews 12:15 — A root of bitterness defiles many.
Deuteronomy 29:18 — A root producing poisonous fruit.
Isaiah 5:24 — The root of the wicked decays because they reject the Lord.
If the root is wrong, the fruit is inevitable. But if the root is Christ, the fruit will be lasting and godly.
Jesus: The Righteous Root
Jesus is not just the vine — He is the Righteous Root.
Romans 11:17–18 — You’ve been grafted into the rich root of God’s covenant people.
Revelation 22:16 — Jesus is “the Root and the Offspring of David.”
Isaiah 11:1–2 — From His roots will bear fruit.
You don’t just pull out bad roots — you have to be planted into the right one. Abiding in Him is how you get a whole new root system.
Why the Law Can’t Fix the Root
Colossians 2:16–23 warns us not to think law-keeping can fix the root. It looks wise but has no power to stop sin.
Romans 7:5–6 says the law aroused sinful passions, but the Spirit changes us from within.
The Law might prune the fruit, but only the Spirit can change the root. You can discipline yourself into looking holy while pride grows like poison underground.
How to Change the Root System
Here’s how you change the root:
Repentance — Change the way you think. Renounce every agreement with the enemy.
Cut demonic attachments — Sever roots. Bind the strongman.
Daily Abiding — John 15:4–5 — Remain in Him, let His words remain in you.
Guard the Soil — Your heart is the soil. Whatever you feed it will grow.
Conclusion
The fruit isn’t the problem. The root is. But in Christ, you’ve been given a new root system. His life flowing through you will produce fruit that remains.
So don’t just pick at the symptoms. Don’t just chase fruit. Deal with the root — and let Christ be the Root that feeds your life.