Identifying your strongholds

Faith Filled Thoughts
September 9th, 2009
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Identifying your strongholds

Wearing the armor of God, prepares us for battle, we need to identify just where our strongholds are located.
Paul in several portions of scripture identifies specific areas, where the flesh is opposed to the spirit.
The scripture below lists areas or strongholds where Satan can wage war.
Therefore, we need to identify these strongholds in our own life.
How does Satan continue to cause us to fall?
What area of our life gives him the ability to wage war with us?
Read the scriptures below, can you identify your strongholds?

1.____________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________
4.____________________________________________________________
5.____________________________________________________________

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand,
just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. Ephesians 4:17-19
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,
7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, Colossians 3:5-10
20 For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish;
lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits, tumults;
21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness,
fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.
2 Corinthians 12:20-21
Once we begin to identify the strongholds, we need to wage war against them.
Paul describes the type of warfare the Spiritual warrior is to engage in.
For example, Satan had a stronghold in my life (the author); he made me think money was the only way to have friends, power or value.
Therefore, from the age of 25, I remember making a concerted promise to gain wealth, so I could master the world around me.
My whole life from that point was focused on money and power; I made it my god and idol.
Only after my idol was crushed in my early forty’s did I out of desperation, seek to find truth.
Satan ruled over my life from his stronghold, from there, he was able to keep his hold on me;
I was a bitter and angry person, who did not want to live. I found Christ and my life changed.
The strongholds of life still existed however, Satan was able to wage war with my thinking, causing me defeat and fear.
Through scripture, I was able to make these thoughts captive to Christ.
I learned from scripture the riches of this world were very temporary, that even if I was able to gain the whole world, I would be broke when I died.
Scripture revealed to me, true treasure was what you could keep forever.
The words of Jesus became instrument of spiritual warfare,
Jesus said in Mark 8,
35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:35-36
Therefore, every time Satan would whisper to my mind, the importance of great wealth and fame, I learned to quote this verse back.
Soon I was able to wage war against this stronghold in my life,
and claim victory, no longer trusting in earthly riches as my hope.
I soon learned to move on to other strongholds and areas where Satan would launch attacks.
Like the armies of old, my goal was to claim territory from the enemy,
I needed to assault his strongholds, and free the “Promised Land” from his control.
Once free from strongholds, I learned to rest in His promises.
Will You Rest In His Promise Today?

May He Bless You and Keep You Today!
With Great Love
IN HIS SERVICE
Connie

Please click below to see something Jesus left for your Spirit !:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-afZJ9_TIM&feature=related