THE STRONGHOLD OF THE “IN-A-ME”
So, you finally learn your wilderness lesson – to depend on Father God because He is your provision. You step over into the Promised Land and there are three things you have to fight. “What?!?” you say, “I didn’t sign up for this!”
Ah, but you did and believe me, you were built for battle.
The thing you battle is walled cities. They are also called strongholds in the Old Testament. A stronghold is a way that you have learned to think that doesn’t come from God. It’s in your mind. Yes, you’re battling what I call the “in-a-me.”
“Well, Pastor Troy, my first wife cheated on me and left. My second wife beat me up and left. My third one beat me up, cheated on me and burned the house down. And I have learned that women are whack.”
Maybe, just maybe the problem is you are so unstable you are only attractive to unstable people. Maybe deep calls unto deep and you’re galactically stupid when it comes to relationships. That’s a stronghold.
Want a stable relationship with a sane person who will love you and you can love them? You will not go any further unless you deal with your strongholds. You need a new way of thinking.
So, a stronghold is a way you’ve learned to think that doesn’t come from God. Racism is a stronghold. Believing you’re unworthy of love and will always be alone or always choose losers is a stronghold. Believing that because “my daddy was like this and so was his daddy, and so was his daddy, and so was…” Get my drift?
I once knew a man with a rockstar wife. She was gorgeous, funny, smart and loved him. Oh, she loved that man. He cheated on her with women not nearly as beautiful or as cool as her. When I asked him why, he said, “I’m Italian. That’s what we do.”
That is a walled city – a stronghold. It’s a lie or stereotype you’ve been led to believe is part of you and it will be part of your legacy to your kids no matter what you do. STOP! Who told you that?
I’ll tell you who – the “in-a-me” who has been listening to the enemy of God. He’s a liar and so is your history. Your family tree, your bloodline, your past – they are not who you are today and they are not your future. Your destiny is always greater than your history because once you invited Jesus into your life, redemption showed up.
Redeem your mind. Give it to Jesus and tear down those strongholds. Just like Jericho, when you let the Lord have control, the walls will come tumbling down.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have the divine power to demolish strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. – 2 Corinthians 10:4
TODAY’S PROPHETIC THOUGHT
You are powerful for the pulling down of strongholds and every high thing that exalts itself against Me, the Lord Almighty. Don’t see yourself as less. You are enough. You are dangerous to the enemy so tear down those walls.
FROM MY SERMON SERIES MILK AND HONEY