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What Does The Bible Say About Strongholds

What Bible Says About Mind

What Does The Bible Say About Strongholds

I’ve given you the option of choosing between life and death, blessings and curses, today. Now I summon heaven and earth to witness your decision. Oh, that you would choose life, for the sake of yourself and your progeny!

This verse has been haunting me for years. I didn’t believe that life, especially love, joy, and tranquility, were choices. I’ve always believed that circumstances played a part. It was far too simple to choose love and joy. What if it’s real, though?

We change the physical nature of our brain as we think. We may cut out poisonous thinking patterns and replace them with healthy thoughts by deliberately directing our thoughts.

Science, she claims, is establishing free will and the connection between thoughts and reality.

Do not imitate the world’s conduct and conventions instead, allow God to change your mind and convert you into a new person. You will then come to understand God’s will for you, which is good, acceptable, and perfect.

Changing your mindset alters your perception, which alters your behavior in the world. Paul’s comments have been around for a long time. The fundamental premise of Jesus’ first sermon is change your mind .

Because no matter how many times you read through the Bible, if your mind does not change, you will merely impose your biases and labels on the things you read, Jesus encouraged people to alter their thinking.

God has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, not fear and timidity.

Point: The Enemy’s Approach Toward Christians Is To Change The Word Of God In Such A Way As To Make It Ineffective Or Weak In Their Lives

How much of what we believe is truth and how much is rationalization, or imaginations, strongholds placed in our thinking by the enemy to stop us or hinder our forward progress in the things of God? The only way we can know is to take the things we believe and diligently compare them with scripture. What does the word of God really say about the subject? Does it agree with what we believe? Can we find scriptural evidence to support our belief?

Until we adapt a relentless pursuit of truth in our lives we will be an easy target for the enemys deceptive tactics. We must think more deeply, meditate in the word, and develop our ability to distinguish between truth and deception.

A scripture that illustrates this idea in in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. Hebrews 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. Hebrews 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The strong meat, the deeper truth of God, belongs to those who are grown up, who by reason of much use have their perceptions exercised to the point that they are able to recognize and discern what is truth and what is deception.

Think About Such Things

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Think about such things! In Pauls letter to the Philippians, he tells us where to put our thoughts. I wonder if he was thinking of Proverbs 4:23? He knew how powerfully our thought life would impact us. When our thoughts impact us they likely impact our relationships as well. What kind of an impact do you see negative thoughts having in your life?

Additionally, this verse most directly answers the question- what does the Bible say about negative thoughts? More specifically, it says what to think about. Rather than say, dont think negative thoughts, think thoughts that are true, lovely, pure and delightful. We can only think one thing at a time. So choose what you will put your thoughts on!

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What Is A Stronghold Does It Have A Valid Context In The Bible And Can That Be Applied To Addictions Problems And Conflicts

In biblical times, strongholds were fortresses of protection used to hide from the enemy on the battlefield. A stronghold, therefore, represented a place of security from the oppressive elements of battle. In the spiritual battle of our lives a stronghold acts this same way but depending on where that stronghold has been built, it can have dramatically different results. For example, Psalm 94:22 says But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. This is a picture of God acting as a safe haven and point of security. This is a stronghold that buffers us from the enemy.

However, the Bible also reveals that strongholds can be fiercely oppositional to our well being. They can be the very places where the enemy traps us into systems of thinking, feeling and behaving that single-handedly destroy our lives. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says:

We are humans, but we dont wage war as humans do. We use Gods mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.

What Does The Bible Say About Negative Thoughts

Stronghold in the Bible  Katie Orr

Have you ever wished you could turn off your brain? I think its safe to say weve all been there. The battle of the mind is a daily thing! Negative thoughts can often come more naturally than positive thoughts. So, how do we make the leap from negative thoughts to positive thoughts? God in all His wisdom knew we would need direction on this topic. So, what does the Bible say about negative thoughts? Lets dive in and see

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What Is The Shield Of God

The fourth piece of armor Paul discusses in Ephesians 6 is the shield of faith. He tells us to take up the shield of faith in order to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. For a Roman soldier, a shield was used as a form of protection. If we have faith in Christ, this will influence the way we live.

Protection Or A Prison

God uses pictures to help teach His people godly concepts. In this case He uses the picture of a physical stronghold. A physical stronghold was a towering huge thick wall or fortress fortified to keep invading armies from reaching the people. So it was built to keep the bad out the to protect the good inside.

But there is another way fortresses were used. It also could be built to hold someone inside as prisoner. A stronghold can be a place of safety or it can be a prison. It was made of stones cemented together with mortar. The stones represented an accumulation of ideas or beliefs.

The enemy can put many beliefs inside of you about yourself or others that are not true. But if you believe them they can affect your life in some dramatic ways. They can cause disorders inside of you like panic attacks. Panic attacks can cause you to become a prisoner in your own home.

You also could believe that no one liked you and everyone was against you. How would that make you feel? This might escalate to thoughts like,… ” Why should I even live? I am just a bother to everyone.” All of these kinds of things are very life altering and can affect everyone around you also. When you believe these things, the truth of God is being hidden from you. It’s like you’re in a prison and can’t get out.

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Example Verses Of God As Our Stronghold

The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble he knows those who take refuge in him. ~Nahum 1:7

The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. ~Psalm 9:9

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. ~Psalm 18:2

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? ~Psalm 27:1

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. ~Psalm 37:39

But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge. ~Psalm 94:22

he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. ~Psalm 144:2

The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers. ~Proverbs 10:29

What Are Examples Of Spiritual Strongholds

My Testimony. Overcoming LIES & STRONGHOLDS / Bible Study Week 8

Anything that has power over you is a spiritual stronghold. In a perfect world, it would be Jesus. However, we will all face strongholds that are fleshly wants throughout our lives.

The word stronghold appears in 2 Corinthians, when Paul is discussing spiritual battle.

The Greek word for fortress is ochyrma, which means prison in this context.

A spiritual stronghold is more than just sin it’s a form of enslavement. In this perspective, a stronghold is a natural urge in us that Satan twists to give sin authority over us.

Our spiritual strongholds are frequently kept hidden. As a result, the enemy exploits our stronghold and the secrecy surrounding it to instill dread and shame in us.

Our strongholds are frequently disguised as something beneficial, so we may not even realize what the enemy is up to. It could be something you don’t trust God with or a goal you’re trying to achieve on your own.

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Prayer Gives God Permission

A Prayer to God gives Him permission to intervene in your life. *Ps 141:8 But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord In You I take refuge Do not leave my soul destitute.* Ps 86:4-5 Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,God has great planes for you. He came that you might have life and have it more abundantly. As it is written in John 10:10-11, The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. ,

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. NKJV

God inspired men wrote the Word of God as a love letter to you. From beginning to end it is for the purpose of revealing Jesus to you. The Holy Scriptures are a revelation of Jesus Christ. All the stories all the things written in the Word of God are pointing You to Jesus.

Hear truth as you read scriptures and let that Lord build for you a stronghold of truth and safety

Bible Verses About Strongholds

The unassailable fortifications of your walls He will bring down,Lay low and cast to the ground, even to the dust.

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge My savior, You save me from violence.

The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,A stronghold in times of trouble

For You are the God of my strength why have You rejected me?Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

My lovingkindness and my fortress,My stronghold and my deliverer,My shield and He in whom I take refuge,Who subdues my people under me.

The Lord roars from ZionAnd utters His voice from Jerusalem,And the heavens and the earth tremble.But the Lord is a refuge for His peopleAnd a stronghold to the sons of Israel.

The Lord is my light and my salvation Whom shall I fear?The Lord is the defense of my life Whom shall I dread?

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How To Break Satans Strongholds In Your Life

How to Break Satans Strongholds in Your Life

Ephesians 4:27, 30

As surely as my name is Adrian Rogers, I know there are many Christians who have a satanic stronghold in their life. Its harming them, wrecking their spiritual life, contaminating the life of their family and church. The devil has found an unclean place within and built a foul nest, a beachhead, a stronghold there. And he uses that stronghold to war against God and His work.

Ephesians 4 says, 27 Neither give place to the devil30 and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. We should sit up and take notice: on the one hand we could give place to the devil and on the other grieve the Holy Spirit. Either one should be unthinkable.

What does it mean to give place to the devil? Lets say you own 50 acres of land, and I want one acre right in the middle of it. You sell it to me. Now I have the right to go into and out of your property at will, to get to my one acre. Supposed I start throwing trash around and paying loud music all hours of the night. Im desecrating your property, but theres nothing you can doyouve given me access. You try to make me leave, and I say, Im not going, and you cant make me go. Ive got a legal right to it. If you dont like it, tough luck. You wouldnt be able to move me out because you gave me a place there.

Heres what you must do to dislodge the devil and break his strongholds. Three things:

REPENT

From Lying

From Stealing

How To Break Strongholds And Keep Them Broken

Defeating Strongholds of the Mind: A Believer

How to Break Strongholds and keep them Broken!

1. AUTHORITY Every believer has the right to use the authority of Jesus name to bind and take authority over Satans activities. No one can enter a strong mans house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house . Issue a spoken command to the devil that he is bound and he must leave the stronghold! Exercising authority in the name of Jesus will expel the Devils influence. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons they will speak with new tongues .

2. INTERCESSION Come together with other believers to pray and intercede against strongholds until you get results. There is intensified power in the gathering of more believers. Prayer with fasting intensifies faith, and faith will break strongholds. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, Why could we not cast him out? However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting .

3. DISPLACEMENT Establish the presence of God. Where Satan has been commanded to leave, fill it up with Gods presence. Where the presence of the Lord is, the Devil isnt! Satan doesnt want to hang around where people are lifting up Jesus in worship, in singing and prayer. The presence of the Lord displaces the Devil. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? .

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What Is A Spiritual Stronghold

A spiritual stronghold is anything that has power over you. Ideally, its Jesus. But throughout our lives, we will all come up against strongholds that are desires of our flesh.

We see the word stronghold in 2 Corinthians, where Paul is talking about spiritual warfare.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 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. 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5

In this context, the Greek word for stronghold is ochyrma, translated as prison.

A spiritual stronghold is more than sin its bondage. A stronghold in this context is a natural desire in us that Satan twists so that sin has control over us.

We often keep our spiritual strongholds secret. As a result, the enemy uses our stronghold and secrecy around it to invoke shame and fear from us.

Some are obvious such as an addiction, but some are not, such as materialism.

Our strongholds are sometimes masked as something good, so we may not even know what the enemy is using against us. It can be something you dont trust God with or something youre striving to fulfill within yourself.

How Do You Break Strongholds In The Bible

1. AUTHORITY Every Christian has the power to bind and take authority over Satan’s operations by using the authority of Jesus’ name. No one may steal a strong man’s goods until he first bonds the strong man, after which he will raid his house . Give the demon a verbal command that he is shackled and must leave the fortress! The Devil’s influence will be cast out when authority is used in Jesus’ name. And these signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in My name, and they will speak in new languages

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