We have an enemy, and he loves to hurt us because he loves to hurt anything or anyone that God loves. So he uses the most brief or subtle of experiences to create pockets of guilt, bitterness, and resentment. A single experience of abuse, one word of unfair criticism, or perhaps a lifetime of being manipulated by someone close to us can all create warped views of self, sin, and God in us. The pain of these experiences locks us in bondage and puts us in a stronghold.
If we don’t get to the root of the strongholds in our lives, we will be spiritually handicapped for the long haul. Ignoring the source of our destructive tendencies short-circuits our ability to overcome them. Thankfully, every believer has unrestricted access to all of the spiritual weapons necessary to establish lasting freedom in Christ.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
– 2 Corinthians 10:4 (NIV)
I’ve been there. Because of experiences in my life going all the way back to childhood and adolescence, I’ve known what it’s like to wrestle with all of the deadliest of sins. And I’ve experienced breakthroughs and new hope because of the power of Jesus Christ to forgive and break the chains.
In Christ, we can submit every thought, healthy and unhealthy, to a new kingdom ethic as we enter into confession and conversation with God. There is freedom available for you as you learn to flourish in the intimacy of continual prayer and thrive in the arena of grace. Jesus died to free you, and He rose to empower you, and He is coming again in ultimate triumph over your enemy, so live in the light of that victory today!
