Strongholds

"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble."

Psalm 9:9

           Once, several years ago, a storm blew up quickly.  Looking out the window it was completely white.   The rain was coming down so hard and blowing sideways.   I yelled for the kids to grab the dogs and we huddled in the tiny half bathroom with two large dogs.   We didn't know what was going on outside or how long it would last. It was loud and we were scared.  We stayed in the tiny bathroom, our stronghold, in the lower center of our home for what seemed like forever.   When we emerged,  table and chairs on the patio were overturned, our grill was missing, and there were many branches in the yard.   The house was mostly unscathed save a few shingles that had blown off.  Our stronghold held tight.  

          We can rest in our stronghold of the Lord at all times.   According to Webster's dictionary,  stronghold  means a fortified place.  In Biblical times, a stronghold was a military fortress on the high ground.  It was there to block and keep out the invading armies.  That is what our stronghold in the Lord does for us.  Unfortunately, there are negative strongholds that the enemy tries to place in our minds to percolate toxic thoughts.  The lies that the enemy tells us;  I am unworthy, I am unloved, I am not good enough, I am unforgivable and the list goes on,  hold us captive in the strongholds of our mind.   It is not really all the enemy's fault that the strongholds are there.  He can not make us do the things we do but he will lead us to do those things that are contrary to God.  But we allow him to add those bricks each time we listen to him.

           It is our responsibility to dismantle those strongholds.  We can do that by "taking each thought captive to obey Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)  We can only take those thoughts captive by using the power of the Lord and His Word and applying God's truth in our lives.   As we apply His truth, we dismantle those lies the enemy has built in the strongholds of our mind.   It means to replace the lies with the truth of God's Word EVERY TIME there is an opportunity.   When the enemy tries to place those lies in our minds we are to remember our salvation and resist the urge to agree with those lies, over and over again, until those strongholds begin to crumble and fall.  God's Word is sharper than any double edged sword and it is at our disposable to use when we need too. Build the stronghold of God's Word in your heart and mind then when the enemy attempts to invade, and he will, you are prepared and with God's help you can defeat him.  Keep the stronghold strong with the Word and He will protect those that run into it.

"O LORD, my strength and my stronghold,

my refuge in the day of trouble,

to you shall the nations come 

from the ends of the earth...."

Jeremiah 16:19