Unchained
“Oh, I am weak.
Oh, I know I am vain.
Take this weight from me,
Let my spirit be unchained.”
That’s the chorus from Johnny Cash’s song Unchained, which appeared on his American Recording II album. I often find myself simply humming or singing the lyrics of this song. It reminds me that my restless heart—still prone to wander—needs to be unchained.
There is a simple depth and truth to those lyrics. We are weak. We are vain. And we can’t remove the weight of sin ourselves. Frustration mounts because no amount of effort, self-help, or coping mechanisms can undo the curse of sin. The Apostle Paul shared the same sentiment in his letter to the church in Rome (Romans 7:24): Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Every believer knows the painful struggle with sin—how it burdens the soul and leads to deep anguish. Restless, unsteady, depressed, hopeless—those words and so many others could easily describe our internal conflict. The heaviness and burden of brokenness become so great that we finally relent!
“Take this weight from me!”
“Who will deliver me?”
Who can take the weight of our sin? Who can deliver us from our bodies of death? Jesus. Our living Lord and Savior can and will release the burden of sin. He has come to bind up the brokenhearted and to proclaim liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1).
This isn’t just a hopeful idea—it’s a glorious reality for all who trust in the Lord.
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25). The Apostle Paul knew that only Jesus can unchain us from this body of death. Do you? Have you come to the end of yourself and looked to Him alone for rescue?
Let us run to the love and grace of Jesus—today and tomorrow—and be set free from anything that binds our hearts, minds, and bodies. To God be the glory, that we can be completely unchained through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
