Strongholds

Where does your security lie? Is God your refuge, your hiding place, your stronghold, your shepherd, your counselor, your friend, your redeemer, your saviour, your guide? If He is, you don't need to search any further for security.  Elisabeth Elliot

Spiritual strongholds begin with a thought. One thought becomes a consideration. A consideration develops into an attitude, which leads then to action. Action repeated becomes a habit, and a habit establishes a "power base for the enemy," that is, a stronghold.  Elisabeth Elliot

My sister sent me a scripture from Psalms 27:1 that says “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”  It made me look at the word strongholds differently. 

The definition of a stronghold is a well-fortified place. A stronghold can be considered a negative thing or a positive thing and it depends on whose side you are standing on.

We can either be on God’s side or Satan’s.  Satan uses strongholds as a weapon to make us stumble.  Our stronghold can be any sin that we keep locked up so that others cannot see it.  When we fortify our sin strongholds, Satan is able to celebrate victory over God.

On the opposite side stands God our Heavenly Father.  If we apply strongholds to God, these are the things that we use to build our fortress against Satan’s attacks.  If we use the weapons that God gives us, we can and will overcome Satan.  If we pray, study, meditate and basically live everyday buried in His Word the Bible, we have more strength than the largest armies. 

We can build a well-fortified place where God is our stronghold and the Bible is our weapon or we can build a place where the walls are blown away and Satan has free rein to enter and conquer.  Which would you choose?              

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of letting Satan take control through sin and when I do, he wins the victory.  Help me to build a strong fortress where Satan cannot enter.  If I spend time with you and meditate on your Word, Satan loses.  We are in the biggest fight of our lives and we can win only when we lean on You.  I know I cannot do it alone and I praise You for being my stronghold, my fortress against evil. 

Scripture:  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.  2 Corinthians 10:3-6