Slavery of Death

According to Hebrews, the Son of God appeared to break the power of him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. What does it mean to be enslaved, all our lives, to the fear of death? And why is this fear described as the power of the devil? And most importantly, how are we--as individuals and as faith communi...