strongholds

As you know about me, I have been raised in the church my whole life and I have been in the ministry my whole married life. I feel silly saying this, but I never really knew the whole meaning of “stronghold” until I read these chapters. I want you to know I am making myself very vulnerable in saying this and some of you may laugh. Its OK I will laugh with you. I have always heard stronghold this and stronghold that and we pray against strongholds but I didn’t know that it was an actual “place” that Paul uses. I always took it as a strong hold, something strong that has a hold on me. Of course this is true, but I didn’t realize that it was an actual place. I had to look it up in my dictionary. It said of stronghold is “a center of support for a cause or faction”. Then I had to look up faction. Faction is “a fortress / a small opposition group within a larger group, or one tending to split off from the larger group, generally with a suggestion of unscrupulous self-interest / excessive liking for political strife or troublemaking”. Hmmm think about that one for a bit. A fortress is “a fortified place”. Fortified is “to strengthen structurally / to strengthen against attack”. You get the picture. A stronghold is a solid structure built up piece by piece to ensure no one can get in. Throughout this study we have made ourselves aware of our strongholds and have attempted to break the walls down brick by brick. My stronghold that has always been with me is my insecurity. I feel funny saying this now because I have really worked on this these last couple of years but once in awhile it flares up again. Of course it is during my weak times when I haven’t been reading or memorizing like I should or I am just physically exhausted. I have doubts of my intelligence. Don’t laugh! I actually think about how smart everyone else is around me and that I could never sound like that or remember scriptures that well. It takes me at least twice as long to memorize as Di but I have come to the realization that it doesn’t matter. I am memorizing and that is exciting for me. I also have a hard time talking sometimes partly because my brain works crazy. I have a million things going on in my head so it is hard to make it through telling a story without interjecting several other stories in at the same and then forgetting where I was going with the story in the first place. All this to say, I deal with these strongholds, but I don’t let them stop me. I know there is a reason God made me this way and I want to use these inadequacies to glorify him!

Let’s look at the two verses Beth gave us:
Isaiah 26:3-6
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal. He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. Feet trample it down-the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the 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.

Do you hear in these two passages how important it is to keep our mind steadfast? We need to be aware of our strongholds and not think that we can take care of them on our own. We have to have our minds focused on Christ and not allow those bricks to be built up one by one until it overtakes us. Remember “we do not wage war as the world does”. For some of you, you may think my stronghold is small and trivial but it is a huge thing for me. I literally have to say, knock it off Satan, I know I am better than that and I have a purpose in this life! Because of my insecurities I have been able to council other young ladies that fight their own insecurities and I understand. Then I chalk another one up for God. 2 Corinthians 11:3 says “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ”. Let’s make a choice right now that we will not allow our minds to wander or be led astray. Let’s not dwell on the past. Make this a new day, understand your strongholds, identify them and don’t allow them to rule your life. God doesn’t say He will give us perfect minds if we are steadfast in Him. He says He will give us perfect peace in our imperfect minds. “To possess a steadfast mind is to practice a steadfast mind.” Beth Moore ends chapter 39 with this verse, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you” (Josh 3:5).

Assignment
1 Compare the two scriptures Is. 26:3-6 and 2 Cor. 10:3-5 and write down the concept that the two have in common.

2 Identify your strongholds and tell us how they have controlled you in the past and what you have done to tear them down.
Tell us how these chapters touched you.

3 Read the two passages everyday and choose one of them to memorize for the week. Type it out by Friday from memory. If anyone does this I will find you on Sunday and give you a big hug, maybe something chocolate too!