Strongholds

Spiritual warfare is a real thing and it involves all believers.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 6:12

Satan will attack from every direction and he knows our very strongholds. Strongholds are what hold us in bondage because we begin to think a certain way based on a distorted idea of our circumstances. We remain imprisoned by these things as long as we believe the lies presented to us. Satan is always trying to attack our minds with doubts and fears, discontent and irritation. He develops a well laid out scheme that takes time to cultivate. His attacks are persistent and he is relentless in his cause to send us into a downward spiral that leads us stumbling in our walk. His plan is so laid out that sometimes we do not see it coming until it is too late and we are already caught up in the middle of it all. We are going to be constantly under attack when we choose to live for the Lord and place Him on the throne of our life. Satan cannot physically harm us but he is constantly at work trying and wanting to see us fail. We were bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ and no weapon fashioned against us will stand when we put our faith and trust in Him.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Christ’s death on the cross was the ultimate defeat over Satan and his attack to claim our souls.

“And having disarmed the powers of authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

Colossians 2:15

We now make the choice to accept Satan’s invitation to dwell upon our past or our weaknesses. This is what he hopes for and encourages us to do. We must stand firm in the word of God and hold to the truth He sets before us, that we have been forgiven.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…”

Ephesians 1:7

“as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Psalms 103:12

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we have His strength and can overcome the cleverness and deceit of Satan and his attacks. We must remember that sin does not come from bad genes and Satan definitely does not make us do it. We choose to act on the things that surround us or lies that are put into our minds. Satan does not ever force our hand; those decisions are made entirely on our own. This occurs when we are focused on ourselves and away from the Lord. We cannot live a God centered life when we are on the throne. So be encouraged, when you put on the Armor of God and place Him on the throne, stand firm in His promise of protection and love against the battle that wages on daily when you choose Him above all else and trust His word.

Ephesians 6:12, II Corinthians 10:4-5, Colossians 2:15, Ephesians 1:7, Psalms 103:12