How do we progress from freedom to deception to bondage?  Generally speaking, its not an overnight process.  I tend to think of it as "crossing bridges".  We cross one bridge that seems relatively harmless (although deep down, we may feel that something isn't quite right), then we cross the next bridge, and the next and the next.  After each bridge we cross, our conscience becomes more and more dull, and it gets darker (Where did the Light go?), and it is harder for us to see the truth.  Why does this happen?  Look below at each of the "bridges" that are crossed as we progress into bondage:

Four Steps into Bondage:

• We Listen to the Lie--Listening alone isn't disobedience.  But, listening to lies puts us on the "slippery slope" to death.  So how can we change this?  We must carefully guard the input we receive into our minds and hearts (and the input that our children receive, as well).  "We cannot expose ourselves to the world's false, deceptive way of thinking and come out unscathed."  Think about: reading material, friends we choose, church we attend, TV, movies, etc.  Are the messages you are receiving from these sources consistent with the Truth? (Phil 4:8)
• We Dwell on the Lie--here we mull it over in our minds and begin conversing with the Enemy.  Could he be right?  This is a very dangerous place to be.
• We Believe the Lie--Here is where, I believe, we as women tend to go wrong.  Instead of going immediately to God's Word, we fall back on what our "common sense", "intuition", "reasoning skills", and "emotions" or "feelings" tell us to be true.  Satan can many times win us over when we use these to evaluate what we are hearing.  This is why it is so important to be grounded in God's Word.  God's Word ALONE is the only consistent tool we can use to evaluate the input we receive.
• We Act on the Lie--Now we produce the fruit of deception.  Believing things that aren't true results in sinful behavior (Prov 23:7).  When we reject the Truth in one area, it becomes easier and easier to sin until we've worn a "groove" in our hearts and have developed a pattern of sinful behavior, and Satan has established a stronghold in our lives.  Now we find ourselves in bondage and we can't even figure out how we got there.

Every area of bondage in our lives can be traced back to a lie.

--Nancy Leigh Demoss

What an overwhelming and devestating place to find ourselves!  However, we've all been there, and fortunately, we have a God who loves us and has given us a plan to regain our freedom.  Assuming you have given your life to Christ (if you haven't-- you must begin here because trying to do this in your own strength will be insufficient), here are three steps you can take:

• In what areas am I in bondage or engaging in sinful behavior?--Ask God to show you specific areas where you are not free (2 Peter 2:19).  I've also found it helpful to ask my husband--as your spiritual head, he could have some amazing insight here.  At this point, many women make the mistake of simply trying to eliminate these areas on their own.  But, this generally doesn't work because you must get at the problem from the root--which began with the LIE.
• What lies are at the root of my areas of bondage or behavior?  Again, ask God to show you.  He wants you to know the Truth.  And he will be gracious to reveal these lies to you if you ask Him.  Once we have identified these lies, we must confess them to God and repent of them.  This step has taken a lot of time and deep soul searching for me.  I am still processing many of the things I've believed over the years and asking God to enlighten me.  I'm finding it life-changing and well worth the time. 
• You must REPLACE the lies with THE TRUTH.  If we do not replace the lies with Truth, we will fall back into bondage.  We must study God's Word, meditate on it, memorize it, engraft it into our hearts, minds and spirits.  As we begin to experience Truth (John 8:32), we will find ourselves walking in freedom and our actions will correspond with the Truth that we now believe.