Satan holds us captive by thoughts, emotions, beliefs and experiences from our past. Satan's authority over the earth was stripped from him over 2000 years ago, but his ability to deceive is so great that mankind, billions of us alive today, still don't know that these people are literally blinded to the truth.
There's so much pain in in the path Satan leads them down, and its end is death, eternal separation from God and all that is good. John 8:31 in the Amplified Bible says so Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed him, if you abide in My word, continually obeying my teaching and living in accordance with them, then you are truly my disciples.
Verse 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Daily living. God's word sets you free.