Post details: Scary strongholds!

09/23/08

Permalink 03:43:30 am, Categories: By Trent, GraceHead counseling
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Scary strongholds!

Another question that I recently got from GotQuestions.org, was about strongholds. We have all heard about satanic strongholds, but do you know about God's strongholds? ... (click to read my answer below the question.)

QUESTION:What is a Biblical view of strongholds? Are there strongholds that we
need to overcome in our Christian lives?

ANSWER:Satanic strongholds are a common teaching in evangelical churches in America. This teaching emphasize avoidance of circumstance or behavior through which satan might gain an advantage over a believer and thereby oppress them thereafter. The whole topic centers on the fearful prospect of being ruined by a prowling adversary that can overcome the inattentive or the weak among us. Is this notion a biblical one, and what weight is appropriate for us to give this concern?

There are a few Bible passages that lend due credibility to the concern of satan's ability to corrupt and ruin. There is a simple representation list of biblical references to satan at this link:
http://www.christinyou.net/pages/satan.html. I'll touch on some of the highlights.

  • Eph. 4:27 - "do not give the devil an opportunity"
  • II Tim. 2:26 - "the snare of the devil, having been held captive to do his will"
  • Heb. 2:14 - "the one having the power of death, that is, the devil"
  • I Pet. 5:8 - "your adversary, the devil, prowls about like roaring lion"
  • I Cor. 10:10 - "destroyed by the destroyer"

As you can see, there are satanic strongholds that I would not want to dismiss nor ignore. However I would not want to focus over-emphasize this either. In fact, my caution to you is to give another perspective a greater amount of your focus, so that you do not linger in something that leads toward such hopelessness and worry and despair. I want to primarily point you to a NON-satanic stronghold that is greater and mightier then any satanic stronghold. I am talking about God's strongholds!

Focusing on Jesus leads to overwhelming comfort and hope. I know, as I focus on Him, I can expand my understanding of all the ways in which He has me in his mighty grip. And even those things that I do when I am weak and inattentive are rigged in His favor, because they won't ever work and I'll eventually have to cry out in my despair for salvation from the Lord. MY weakness is God's stronghold and MY strength is satan's stronghold.

God made us weak! Isn't it marvelous! Satan's temptation is for us to fend for ourselves. He will work to give you confidence to handle everything on your own. When you are strongest, you simply won't goto God. Consider this scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:5 "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God."

I have better news even still. God has given you everything that you need for life and godliness. Here is a verse: 2 Peter 1:3 "seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." Did you know that Christ lives in you and He is adequate to destroy anything satan does? All of God was in Him and He now lives in you! Col 1:19 "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him," verse 27 "... the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." You have a hope of glory! It is Christ in you! But you will never beat satan's strongholds in your own strength. Let me show you a more excellent way!

If I asked you how you are responding to the temptation. you might say "How do you think I am responding? I say NO! No, I must not do this!" But did you know that this lonely life of you against temptation is exactly what God saved you from? You were a slave to sin because Christ did not live in you before. Now, your new hope of glory is not yourself anymore. You are not alone. You can rest and stop saying "NO" to temptation. You have already lost the battle when you rely on yourself. Try saying "YES" to Jesus instead. It takes more than courage. It takes faith.

You can rely on God enough to let Him overcome the satan's stronghold in you? Is He reliable? Read for yourself : James 4:7 "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

You might have been taught to "resist the devil", but our focus needs to be on submitting? Employing our weakness to rest and submit to God instead of employing our strength to overcome satan is the way to go.

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."

In all of this, I am not taking satanic stronghold lightly, I am just giving God's strongholds due credit.

Comments:

Comment from: emilyc [Member] · http://www.myspace.com/emilylou21
I think I'll take the STRONG HOLD of the Lord's arms around my weak little self.........
After all, HE holds me together, when I'm ready to fall apart. HIS hold is the hold we should long for.
Thank the Lord for giving this insight here, via Trent download. :)
Permalink 09/24/08 @ 18:22

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