Strongholds

In the last post I talked about the importance of reading and studying the Word. One of the key reasons we need to do so is to break strongholds that have been erected in our minds. I'm going into a little more detail of what a stronghold is and how they have an effect on our lives. For those who live in a cycle of defeat, it is their beliefs or misbeliefs rather than behaviors that hold them there. These "beliefs" and patterns of thought are called strongholds. 

Previously, I used the "boiled egg" example. You've been boiling an egg the same way your entire life; it's how you were taught, either by watching someone or teaching yourself. What if you found out the way you have been boiling an egg is wrong? It's not the correct way. You see, you've been boiling the egg the way you "believed" was the proper way, and you've been doing it that way for so long it's the natural way for you to boil an egg. A stronghold works like this. A stronghold is created by believing something for so long that it becomes your natural pattern of thinking about a given "belief." Picture this. When a truck drives on a dirt road for so long, it eventually wears ruts in the road. The way you think wears ruts in your mind. Eventually the ruts become so deep there is no need to hold the steering wheel because the tires stay in the ruts. You can try to pull out of the ruts with all your might, but eventually the tires go right back in.

This is what the Bible refers to as a stronghold, or fortress. Ancient fortresses had exceptionally thick, very high, impregnable walls that were designed to keep outsiders from scaling the walls or from breaking inside. The walls were designed to keep intruders out. Prison comes from the same root word for stronghold. The most secure, highly guarded prisons were usually constructed deep inside a fortress. Whereas a fortress keeps outsiders from getting in, a prison keeps insiders from getting out. They have fortified walls as well as bars of steel that hold a prisoner in captivity. When a person has a stronghold in their mind or emotions, they have thick, invisible walls around them that act like a fortress and a prison.

Defense mechanisms are similar. Over time, our worldview has been shaped by our environment and how we were raised. We have learned ways to cope with life or defend ourselves in ways that are not mentally or emotionally healthy. An example would be lying. I "believe" it's ok to lie, because it doesn't expose my feelings and I've been doing it for so long it's just natural. Lying is a behavior based off of a belief that it's ok to do so. So many times we try to change our behavior first and then hope our mind and body will fall into place. That doesn't work to well does it? There is a reason we think and act the way we do. Everything stems from a belief deeply rooted in our mind. We must change our beliefs, then our behavior will change.

Allow me to suggest something. If the beliefs you have are leading to unwanted lifestyles, stress, hopelessness, depression, etc, you have strongholds in your life that need to be dealt with. When you became a Christian nobody, not even God, flipped the switch on your mind to erase all of your old patterns of thinking. This takes work, and Paul refers to it as "renewing your mind." You used to think this way, but now you know the truth, start thinking this way. Strongholds are broken by Truth. You believed a lie, now you must believe the truth. "The truth will set you free." That's exactly what Jesus is referring to. 

In conclusion, this is basic teaching. There is much more to this and maybe sometime in the future we can dig into this topic more. Without getting too much into it, remember we have an enemy who does not want strongholds broken. This is why he hates the Word of God. Simply put, because it's the "Truth.". Ever wonder where the thoughts come from "I don't need to read the Bible. Oh, you can do it later. You don't believe that do you?" Well, I have experienced strongholds being broken first hand. It's awesome. It's like someone cut the chains that have been holding you back, and now you can run full speed. Our thoughts control our lives. "As man thinketh, so is he."With man it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible."

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God in the pulling down of strongholds." 

-2Corinthians 10:4