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by Katie Erickson

As we look back on our Christmas celebrations and look forward to the new year of 2017, we at Worldview Warriors want to take a look at strongholds. What is a stronghold? Is it a good thing or a bad thing to have in your life? Keep reading to find out.

Google defines stronghold as “a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack, a place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld.” A military fort is a type of physical stronghold, since it protects the surrounding area. But there are also emotional and spiritual strongholds, as in the second part of the definition: when we have a particular belief that is strongly defended. We’re going to be talking about spiritual strongholds today.

Whether a stronghold is good or bad depends on the context of what it is, and the motivation with which it is upheld.

An example of a good stronghold is standing firm on your faith and God’s Word, to base your life on it and defend it from attack. A bad example of this same stronghold is being a jerk about it and using God’s Word to attack and be mean to those who do not believe in it.

Another example of a good stronghold is taking refuge in the stronghold of God. When the world attacks, we know that God will protect us, according to His plans. A bad example of a stronghold is being gripped by evil, believing it is true when it isn’t, and not able to follow God because of it.

Do you see how a stronghold can be either good or bad, depending on the context and motivation? It’s great to be so firm in your belief of the Truth that you trust in God for everything, but make sure that your belief really is God’s Truth and not a distorted version of it, that would keep you from Him.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “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.” This passage is talking about evil strongholds, those things of the world that grip us and cause us to not be able to truly follow Jesus.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are in this world but we are not fully a part of it. We are all in a spiritual battle, but our weapons are not of this world. Our weapons can help us get rid of the evil strongholds of this world. When we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ, we will take on the stronghold of Jesus Christ’s power and get rid of the stronghold of the evils of this world. We are called to change our strongholds from being against Christ to being for and in Christ.

What are the strongholds in your life? What are those things that are of this world that are hindering your relationship with Jesus? Are you treating God’s Word and your faith in Christ as a stronghold, so that it can demolish the evil ones from your life? Consider this as we head into this new year; I pray that 2017 will be the year that we can all break free from the evil strongholds in our lives and fully grasp the wonderful, redeeming love of Jesus Christ!

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