In The Reframe Principle, the introduction tells the story of children who grew up in cages. They were locked away, only brought out long enough to be mistreated. When those cages were opened, the children didn’t know how to live free. Some clung to the shadows, some lashed out in confusion, and a few began to take steps toward the light they saw in others.
That story is closer to our reality than we want to admit. Sin works like a cage. Sometimes it is built from the abuse or mistreatment of others. Sometimes we forge the bars ourselves through our choices. Either way, the result is the same. People live trapped. Some never leave. Others step out only to return when fear or temptation rises. Still others taste real freedom in Christ and even become light-bearers to those still in chains.
Here are six different ways we relate to the cage.
1. Trapped Inside the Cage
The first way is the most sobering. Many people are still trapped inside. They are not just struggling—they are spiritually dead, separated from God, slaves to sin and unable to break free. Paul says it this way: “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7–8).
This is the reality of the unbeliever. Abuse, manipulation, and selfishness flourish here. People hurt one another, and in their pain they create more pain. It is a cycle that repeats itself endlessly apart from Christ. Inside the cage, the wounds of sin deepen and confusion grows. It is a life without hope—unless someone stronger opens the door.
2. Staring Through the Bars
Some begin to sense that there might be more beyond the cage. They see glimpses of truth, maybe through the life of a believer or the witness of a community, but they remain undecided. Jesus had sharp words for this kind of half-hearted posture: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15–16).
People who stare through the bars are stuck. They might acknowledge God but refuse to surrender. They talk about faith but do not live it. They are comfortable enough to stay put but restless enough to look longingly outside. It is a miserable place to live because it keeps them from fully embracing either the darkness or the light.
3. Standing Just Outside
Others take a step out of the cage, but fear quickly creeps in. They know the truth, but the lies of the past still whisper loudly. Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of pain all tempt them to retreat. Paul reminded Timothy—and us—that this is not from God: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Fear convinces us that freedom is unsafe. It convinces us that the familiar is better than the unknown. People in this place need others who embody the love of Christ in tangible ways. They need someone to remind them that they are not alone. They need “Jesus with skin on”—people who carry His presence, encourage their trembling steps, and walk beside them when they are tempted to turn back.
4. Walking Near the Cage
Freedom does not erase temptation. Some people walk near the cage. They have been set free, but the shadow of old habits and old voices lingers. Peer pressure tugs at them. Friends or family still caught in sin entice them back. The apostle Paul warned about this danger when he wrote, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).
This is a season of struggle. The person is free in Christ but not yet steady in their walk. They need a community of believers who will surround them, encourage them, and point them toward the Spirit’s power. Again, this is where God calls His people to be present as gospel lights—to live differently, to model freedom, and to show what it looks like to resist the pull of the cage.
5. Living Without the Cage
Then comes the beauty of freedom. The cage no longer defines the person. The old lies do not hold power anymore. Healing takes root. Love replaces rejection. Peace quiets the chaos. Purpose begins to guide daily life. Paul captures this reality when he writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Living without the cage is not a life without scars, but the scars no longer define the person. Their identity is reframed by Christ. They live as sons and daughters of God, and their life becomes a testimony of what grace can do.
6. Helping Others Out of the Cage
Finally, true freedom matures into mission. People who have been set free become instruments of freedom for others. Their scars become stories of healing. Their experiences become wisdom. Paul describes it this way: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
Where sinners once reinforced the cage, gospel lights now return to open it. This is the role God gives His people: to be Jesus with skin on. We are called to embody His love, His presence, and His compassion in such a way that others can see the way out. We are not the Savior, but we point clearly to Him.
The Hope of Jesus: From Caged to Free
This is the good news. No matter where you find yourself—trapped, staring through the bars, standing in fear, walking near temptation, or living in freedom—Jesus came to set you free. He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18).
Jesus enters the playground of our brokenness. He opens cages. He heals wounds. He reframes our lives with His love. And He sends His people to walk beside us so we can know His freedom and share it with others.
Take the Next Step
This blog is only a glimpse of the journey. The Reframe Principle: Restoring the Portrait of Your Life helps you name the sin, reframe the lies you carry, and step into the freedom Jesus offers.
If you have seen yourself in one of these early stages, do not stay there. The cage is no longer locked. Jesus has opened the door. Take the next step.
Pick up a copy of The Reframe Principle and begin the journey from caged to free.