2 and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3 Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you." (Judges 2:2-3 NIV)
When the Hebrew people took possession of the Promised Land, God gave them specific instruction: Drive the enemy out of every corner of the land, and destroy any trace of their idol worship. Rather than fully obeying God, Israel compromised and allowed many of the enemy to remain. Those pockets of resistance became strongholds for idol worshippers. From these strongholds the enemy was able to bring a great deal of trouble to the people of God that lasted for generations.
When we become Christians, God declared war on sin’s stronghold in our lives. Sinful behavior and attitudes were firmly entrenched in our character, but God commands that we tear them down. The Holy Spirit has probably pointed out areas of your life that were resistant to God’s will. Have you been tempted to form a truce with these strongholds in your life, rather than tear down your sin? If so, it will rise up against you in a moment of weakness. Is there a stronghold of lust in your life? If so, you will be overpowered when caught off guard. In careless moments, these strongholds will tempt you to continue your past sinful behaviors and will ultimately become a snare to you.
This is why we must give God 100% of our lives. Even if I have given God 90% of myself, it means there is a stronghold somewhere in my life; an area where I'm not letting God in. That final 10% is where the most important battle is fought.
When the Hebrew people took possession of the Promised Land, God gave them specific instruction: Drive the enemy out of every corner of the land, and destroy any trace of their idol worship. Rather than fully obeying God, Israel compromised and allowed many of the enemy to remain. Those pockets of resistance became strongholds for idol worshippers. From these strongholds the enemy was able to bring a great deal of trouble to the people of God that lasted for generations.
When we become Christians, God declared war on sin’s stronghold in our lives. Sinful behavior and attitudes were firmly entrenched in our character, but God commands that we tear them down. The Holy Spirit has probably pointed out areas of your life that were resistant to God’s will. Have you been tempted to form a truce with these strongholds in your life, rather than tear down your sin? If so, it will rise up against you in a moment of weakness. Is there a stronghold of lust in your life? If so, you will be overpowered when caught off guard. In careless moments, these strongholds will tempt you to continue your past sinful behaviors and will ultimately become a snare to you.
This is why we must give God 100% of our lives. Even if I have given God 90% of myself, it means there is a stronghold somewhere in my life; an area where I'm not letting God in. That final 10% is where the most important battle is fought.
What insights can you offer on this matter of strongholds? Leave me a comment. (Follow the instructions carefully and your comments should get through... once they have been reviewed).
1 comment:
For me I have learn if I keep my mind on God's Word to meditate by studying, reading or listening to it on dvd/cd and listening to songs that praise God, fellowshiping with others, not watching television too much, not being too busy with doing things, go to chuch and listen to God's Word being spoken and singing praising unto Our Lord and Savior. Without all of the above I would not be able to survive. It would be so easy for my flesh have a stronghold over me which allows the devil to use me in my weak areas of life. The six chapter starting at the tenth verse of Ephesians tells me what I need to do to be able to stand/be strong. It just a matter of me being consistent.
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