Breaking Free Part 2: The Move the Enemy Doesn’t Expect

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32

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Let’s be honest: Most guys know what it’s like to carry something they wish they could bury.

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You’ve made mistakes. Said things you can’t unsay. Crossed lines you swore you wouldn’t. Maybe it was one big moment—or maybe it’s been a slow drift over years.

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And somewhere in the back of your mind, there’s a voice whispering: “You’re disqualified…You’re not the man they think you are...You can still go through the motions… just don’t let anyone get too close.”

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Sound familiar?

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That’s shame talking. And if it hasn’t already robbed you of your confidence, your clarity, or your connection with others—it will. That’s the enemy’s play: isolate you in the dark, keep you stumbling, and convince you survival is the best you can hope for.

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But there’s a move the enemy doesn’t expect: Instead of waiting to be confronted—step into the light on purpose. Drag your shame into the open before it drags you under.

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Your Past Isn’t a Prison—It’s a Platform

The enemy wants you to believe your story disqualifies you. God wants to use it to set other men free.

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Look at David. He didn’t just mess up—he wrecked everything. Lust. Lies. Abuse of power. Even murder. If anyone deserved to be benched for good, it was him.

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But when God sent Nathan to confront him, David didn’t spin the story. He didn’t blame-shift. He broke. He got honest. And out of that came Psalm 51—a raw, soul-level confession that’s still helping men find their way back to God.

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“Create in me a clean heart, O God... Restore to me the joy of Your salvation... Then I will teach other screw-ups like me how to find their way home.” (my paraphrase)

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David didn’t bury his past. He brought it into the light—and God used it. That’s the move the enemy never sees coming. Turning failure into fuel. The very thing you thought would sideline you? God can turn it into your greatest weapon.

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That’s the weakness in the enemy’s plan—God loves to turn evil on its head.

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Don’t Wait to Be Confronted—Find Your Brothers Now

Don’t wait for a Nathan moment. Don’t wait to be called out. Call yourself out to men who will walk through it with you. God calls us to go beyond just confessing to Him and getting right with Him. He tells us to confess to our brothers. This opens the door for authenticity. This turns your failures into a platform, rather than a secret source of shame.

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Get around a campfire. Get honest. No more posturing. No more pretending.

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Let the light of truth shatter the darkness of shame.

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James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to one another... and you will be healed.”

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Not just forgiven—healed. Restored. Reconnected. Recommissioned.

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The Gospel doesn’t just erase your sin. It launches you into freedom. And freedom starts with truth. Truth about where you’ve been. Truth about what you’ve carried. And Truth about who God still says you are.

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Want to Be Dangerous Again? Step Into the Light.

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Let’s be clear: You don’t need to wait until you’ve “got it together.” You just need to stop hiding.

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Because shame and faith can’t live in the same heart. If you’re leading with shame, you’re not leading with faith.

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But when you step into the light? You remember who you are. You stop playing defense. And you become dangerous again.

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This Is the Move the Enemy Fears Most

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The enemy expects you to keep secrets. To pretend. To sit in silence while shame writes your story. So flip the script.

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Confess. Speak up. Step out.

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Tell your story—not to glorify the mess, but to magnify the grace that met you in it.

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Shame says, “You’re too far gone.” God says, “Watch what I can do.” 

Shame says, “You’re alone in this.” God says, "You've Got This!”

You’ve got this because you’re not alone. God’s given you brothers to walk alongside you. He’s promised to be with you forever and to equip you for every good work. Don’t forget, Jesus already died for your sin, so you don’t have to. He already bore the wrath. When Jesus rose from the dead, he trampled sin and death underfoot. 

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That’s reality. The hard truth? When you wallow in shame, you deny Christ’s victory. You insist that your sin is somehow so uniquely terrible that Jesus’ blood can’t wash you clean. In isolation, no one tells you this truth. That’s what brothers are there for. 

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You weren’t made to limp through life, hoping no one finds out. You were made to fight—with clarity, courage, and connection.

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So don’t wait. Don’t let shame write the ending. Step into the light. Take your place. You don’t have to be perfect—just willing.

Why ManAlive! Exists

This is why we launched ManAlive!

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To call out the real you. To break the power of shame. To awaken the warrior within. To rally a band of brothers ready to stop pretending and start leading.

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At ManAlive!, you’ll sit with men who’ve walked through fire. You’ll get tools that actually work. You’ll walk away with clarity, confidence—and a plan.

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Bring your son. Your friend. Your dad. Your regrets. Or come solo and find your people.

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Just don’t stay stuck. Don’t settle for surface-level. Don’t let shame steal another day.

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Lock shields. Step into the light. Be dangerous again.

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Discover ManAlive!

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