Strongholds Broken
In ancient times strongholds were massive walls or fortified fortresses built to keep invading forces from getting in. They were made for protection against enemies. But they could also be used as a prison. Old physical fortresses were built stone by stone, cemented together with mortar. Recurring lies with strong beliefs build adverse emotional strongholds. i
The lies may be some things that have been repeated since you were a child. Some examples might be... "your stupid," or... "you'll never amount to anything,"... " your ugly, and no one will ever love you." Your thoughts that the enemy inspired can even make you doubt your gender. And be reinforced by insensitive people who might say, "you are such a Tom-boy. You should have been born a boy."
A lie is anything that does not line up with the Word of God. The question you must answer is; What does God say about me? Bible Scriptures will tell you the truth.
Re-enforcement of the lies comes as you consider the enemy will use people, circumstances, and even your feelings, to speak these lies into your life. If you receive it, it becomes a stronghold in your mind.
Every negative thought has negative emotions attached to it. If you believe these lies, they can drive you to act out what ever you believe. So you fall into a stronghold pattern of contrary actions.
Actions follow thoughts, but emotions drive thought patterns. You can find yourself in an emotional stronghold, a virtual prison that controls your life.
Your freedom depends on you finding out what God says about you. His Word is Truth.
Paul's Dilemma
The mind, even with a strong will and noble thoughts, is not the answer to breaking down strongholds or controlling actions. Read about Paul's dilemma in Romans seven. These Bible Verses are taken out of the Message Bible.
Rom 7:17-25... But I need something more! For if I know
the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps
sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! 18 I realize that
I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. 19 I
decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but
then I do it anyway. 20 My decisions, such as they are, don't result in
actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of
me every time.
21 It happens so regularly that it's
predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up.
22 I truly delight in God's commands, 23 but it's pretty obvious that
not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and
just when I least expect it, they take charge.
24 I've tried
everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one
who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?
25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.
Jesus has provided what we have needed all along...continue...
Thoughts Driven by Emotions
As you struggle with the emotions of self-condemnation, the spiral downward continues. If it continues for long periods, hopelessness can set in, and depression can worsen even to suicide. But God is a God of hope and has provided a way out of your stronghold. Only be willing to believe; He will show you His way to the truth.
They say the battle is in your mind. Your mind is connected to your thoughts driven by emotions, but your mind may not be the most straightforward starting point.
Old school taught; if you control your thoughts, you can manage your actions and emotions. For years this has been the standard therapy: trying to help people change how they think to change their actions. Psychologists and Psychiatrists will readily admit that this therapy is a challenging and prolonged process.
But Emotions drive thoughts like a powerful motor. Words can steer thoughts in a specific direction. Everything is connected and will work harmoniously with God's peace to maintain emotional wellness.
Emotions are much stronger than thoughts. It is much easier to start with emotions than thoughts to break a pattern of adverse actions.
But how? What are the mechanics of getting the victory and breaking down these strongholds?
Jesus has provided the way...
The Solution Is Life on God's Terms
2 Cor 10:3-5 We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.” (New Living Translation)
The Message Bible says it this way,..“We use our powerful God tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.
6 Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity."
2 Cor 10:5-6
Paul continues with instruction as he says, “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, “
God Tools
Jesus has provided POWERFUL God tools for us and made them available for every Christian. Most don't realize the power of these tools; they have called them common or basic and don't understand what they have had in their hands all along.
There is more than one way to cut a tree down. You can hack away at it with a hatchet, use an old rusty hand saw, or use a Powerful new chainsaw never out of the box that you didn't know you had. It was there all the time, hidden away under some junk in the shed out of sight.
Take a closer look at these essential Power Tools God has given us.
Simple Yet Profound
Gods ways are simple. They are easy yet they are so very very profound. We are Gods children and He is our Father. Children do not have to earn a living but the Father takes care of them. We cannot, but He Can and will do it in you.
Bible Verses;
Phil 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. NKJV
Matt 19:26... But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." NKJV
Mark 9:23 NKJV
Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
Mark 10:27
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."
Again it is written:
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible." NKJV
Matthew, Mark and again in Luke over and over again God is trying to get the message to us.
To believe what a person says, you have to trust them. In order to trust them, you need to get to know them, spend time with them. And to trust them with your life, you have to be intimately familiar with them.
If you want to have the victory over the strongholds in your life give God everything holding back nothing, then God can take it, fix it and give it back to you more abundantly then you ever experienced before.
Be Still, and Know
Ps 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God;NKJV
Quiet your spirit and your mind. Begin to become aware of the presence of God around you. Just becoming aware of God is a powerful tool. Remember when you were saved? You closed your eyes and prayed and invited Jesus into your heart. Instantly He was there to save you from all of your sins. His presence is with you now, even if you can't feel Him. The more you simply believe that, the more you will sense His presence.
Prayer in faith to an Almighty God is such a powerful tool that it can literally move mountains. Prayer and Forgiveness is a much more Powerful Tool than most understand. Some call it, Complementary Alternative Medicine for emotional wellness and breaking down strongholds but what ever you want to call it, the Word of God works.
When you invited Jesus into your heart, He literally moved in to your body through his Holy Spirit. From your belly will flow rivers of living water it says in the Bible verses. The heart of man is in the deepest part of him, it's in the belly, that is where the Spirit of God dwells inside of you. It's where your gut feelings come from.
Prov 4:23 says,"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Jesus Himself Does It
We cannot save our self. We cannot keep the law in our own strength. We cannot truly overcome these Stronghold alone. The Good News of the Gospel is not about 'us' at all, but it's all about what Jesus has done for us.
We gain all of our Victories through Jesus and He alone gets all the glory for breaking down strongholds.
The only way to get saved is through Jesus. In order to truly break down strongholds requires an Anointing that only Jesus can provide for us.
God does not expect you through works to break down strongholds. But He does expect you to rest in Him
That means to trust in His finished works, to choose to believe Him
when He says He will save you. It means for you to look fully in His
face and yield to Him completely and allow Him to do the work In you. It is His GRACE.
Matt 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." NKJV
Ask Jesus to reveal to you the lies that are in your stronghold. Feel the pain that you are in and let Jesus go to the pain and take it away. Let God speak Truth into you and tell you what He thinks of you. Yield your will to Him.
Give God your will, submit to Him and pray...
Ps 139:23-24 ... Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. NKJV
The Mechanics of Victory
Stop trying to figure it out with your brain.
Dropped down into your belly were the Spirit of God is. Close your eyes
and feel yourself going down into the deepest part of you. Now pray and
ask the Spirit of God to search you and to bring to your remembrance
what so ever He wills.
God created you He knows what you need to
get out of the place that you find yourself. The first person or
situation that God brings to your mind, stay with that. Think about that
situation. With every thought there is an emotion. Ask yourself what are
you feeling. Is it anger or hurts, disappointment or fear, whatever it is,
go ahead and feel that emotion. Don't be afraid of the pain.
Now deal with the emotion by resting in Jesus. The only way is by letting Jesus go to the pain and go through the pain. In the deepest part of you, give, let go of, the pain, the emotion you feel. That's giving it to Jesus.
Bring the
person who hurt you, the situation, whatever it is, present it to Him. Don't try to hide anything from Him, He knows all things and loves us anyway. Then ask Jesus to forgive them for you, let Him DO IT. Let Him take it. Learn to Rest in His Finished work, don't try to do this yourself.
Yield it all to Jesus. Ask Him to take it and do it for you. Ask Jesus to forgive that person for you. And then wait. Wait for the pain to be replaced with His peace. Let it go into the hands of Jesus. Let go and it will happen very quickly.
If it is something that you have done, then Receive the forgiveness from Jesus. Let Him take the guilt and shame away from you. Your sins are already paid for on the cross - now just apply what He did for you by receiving it as finished.
If you are upset with some circumstance in your life then you are upset with God not understanding why God allowed it to even happen. Give to Jesus the judgement that you hold against God and release it to Him. He will also take that and replace it with Peace even though you don't understand the circumstances. Read more about the Peace, emotional wellness.
He is the Great I AM. He is every thing you will ever need. He can do all things for you, but God will not force you... but waits for you to be willing to yield to Him, trust Him, Believe Him.
Jesus will reach down inside of you and pull all the emotional pain right out of you and replace it with His Peace. There is an exchange that happens, there is an unmistakable Holy encounter that takes place. When He does this, He instantly heals you without a scar. You will be set Free from your strongholds! and He will speak truth into you. Oh how He Loves YOU.
It is written... Phil 2:13
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
There is an exchange that happens, there is an unmistakable Holy encounter that takes place.
His Peace
Breaks Strongholds
2 Cor 10:5-6
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, NKJV .....You can only bring every thought captive from a place of Peace with God.
Wait for His Peace, and you will be healed instantly.
The Lord Himself will break your strongholds.
Angel Messenger
Isa 61:1-3
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified." NKJV
God will shine through the Dark Clouds of Life for you.
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