If you haven’t seen Braveheart, here’s the skinny: Scotland was invaded and conquered in 1296 by King Edward I of England. And consequently, Scots suffered abuse at the hands of English soldiers who raped and pillaged under the protection of English law. William Wallace (i.e. Mel Gibson) led the resistance against the English, inspiring thousands to fight in the name of freedom. 

And the analogy is that apart from Christ, I too am subject to tyranny. Only instead of being ruled by a cruel king, I'm often ruled by sin that seeks both my allegiance and my demise. Sin masquerades as all things lovely and freedom giving, but ultimately plunders, leaving my heart and life in ruins. Like an occupying nation, sin settles in, allowing me to think I've got everything under control. But eventually it emerges and wields its power, and when it does, its unyielding and unforgiving. 
Of course, according to scripture the alternative to being ruled by sin is to be free in Jesus.
So how is that done? How do we practically live free in Jesus? 
In athletics, the best defense is a good offense, which is also true in life. I find that when I let my spiritual guard down, the enemy seizes the opportunity. So the key to victory and freedom is simple: be ready.

(Ephesians 6:11-18)

1. Put on the belt of truth. I need to know and believe what the Bible says about sin. I need to get real with myself and with others in regard to the hold sin has on my life. I need to be accountable. I need to confess when I fail. I need to remember what Christ has done to defeat sin, and I need to know and believe what the Bible says about grace. I need to bask in the knowledge that I’m forgiven and made new in Jesus. I need to understand that I’m a sinner, in desperate need of a Savior, and through my Savior’s sacrifice, I’m an heir in the Kingdom of God.

2. Put on the body armor of God’s righteousness. I need to follow in the footsteps of my Savior, believing His way is best. I need to remember that I have no righteousness apart from Christ, and that the good in me—my ability to choose well ever—is because of the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through me. I need to love the things God loves and pursue the things God pursues. I need to embrace the light of God’s Word in my life, no matter what it exposes or how humbling it may be. I should desire holiness and the methods God employs to bring me closer to it. I should desire that God be glorified in my life and choices.

3. Put on the shoes of peace. I need to remember that no matter what I’ve done (or may do), Christ’s death on the cross bridges the gap between me and God—I’m forgiven. I need to believe that God is the Good Shepherd who takes care of me, a sheep He loves and knows by name. I need to remember that God has overcome the world and all its yuckiness, and therefore fear has no place in my life. And I need to be an ambassador of the peace I have in Jesus—to proclaim what I know and what I’ve found to people in desperate need of hearing it. After all, these boots, I mean shoes, were made for walkin’.

4. Hold up the shield of faith. I need to hope in things I don’t see yet, like answers to unanswered prayer and heaven. I need to remind myself of what I know and have experienced of God—that He’s good, loving, and faithful. I need to learn a lesson from the Battle of Stirling Bridge, portrayed in Braveheart. When the English army charges the battlefield, swords drawn, horses running at full speed toward the much smaller Scottish resistance, the freedom fighters stand their ground, swords at their sides, while Wallace yells, “Hold! . . . Hold!. . . Hold!” At the last moment, and when it is too late for the English to stop, the Scots pick up their spears, anchor them, and take out the entire opposing front line—and I, too, need to hold the line. To believe in the face of adversity that God knows what He’s doing. To trust that His plan for my life is right. To resist the doubt that rears its head when things get tough and the enemy is bearing down.

5. Put on the helmet of salvation. I need to guard my mind with Christ—to filter all things incoming with truth. I once heard a pastor say that whether we’re insecure or prideful, we’re guilty of not defining ourselves by the gospel. In other words, I’m a sinner saved by grace, so pride has no place in my life. I’m also an heir in the Kingdom of God, an adopted child loved beyond what I can comprehend, so insecurity has no place in my life. My identity is supposed to be in Jesus, and everything I do, desire, and believe should be rooted in Him. I must take captive the thoughts that are not in step with the gospel.
6. Take the sword of the Spirit—God’s Word. I need to read the Bible and live my life according to what it says. I need to make time for God every day, knowing it’s easy to forget the truth of Scripture and go my own way. I need to be bold in the face of culture, refusing to conform to its values. I must allow God’s Word to cut through the lies I’m tempted to believe. I must cling to the truth and proclaim it so others might also hear and believe.

Its been said that William Wallace lived and died by this creed:

This is the truth I tell you:
Of all things, freedom's most fine.
Never submit to live again,
In the bonds of slavery entwined.