The Daniel Fast

The Rainbow Pen!

 

The Way to Overcome Strongholds

 

 

"Who Christ has set free is free indeed." For Christ came to give abundant life, while the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy. The Lord has kept the heavens to Himself but He has given the Earth to humans to manage, not own! What then continues to make life hard for most people of the world, believers and unbelievers alike? You need to be set free from some areas of bondage that have long hindered the abundant and effective and Spirit-filled life in you as a Believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is most definitely the will of God Almighty for you to be free from all areas of bondage: idolatry, unbelief, pride, deception, insecurity, rejection, addiction, food-related strongholds, guilt, despair, unforgiveness, depression, sexual strongholds, and oppression. He wants you to fulfill your calling - to know Him; to love Him; to worship Him; and to serve Him.

　

The greatest weakness in the world is unbelief; the greatest power is the faith that works by love. Love, mercy, and grace are bound eternally to faith. Fear is the opposite of faith, but there is no fear in love. The world is filled with fear, torment, remorse, and brokenness; but faith and love are sure to overcome. God has established the Earth and humanity on the lines of faith. As we come into line with faith in God, fear is automatically cast out. The Word of God comes into operation and we can find bedrock. When we have faith in Christ, the love of God is so real that we feel we could do anything for Christ Jesus. Whoever believes also loves. To believe is to overcome the world. The whole pathway of salvation is an education for the high vocation and calling that we might be with Christ forever. How glorious this hidden mystery of love is! For our sins there is the double blessing. We overcome because we believe the truth, and the truth sets us free. He who believes is definite; and a definite faith brings a definite experience.

Christ is the root and source of our faith. And because he is in our faith, what we believe for will come to pass. There is no wavering. There is no limit to the power God will cause to come upon those who cry to Him in faith. God is rich to those who will call upon Him. Stake your claim for your children and your families, your ministries and your businesses, that many lives may be brought to glory. As your prayer rests upon the simple principle of faith, nothing will be impossible for you. The root principle of all this divine overcoming faith in the human heart of Christ, and when you are grafted deeply into Him, you may win millions of lives to the faith. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the secret to every hard problem in your heart. God confirms this faith in us so that we may be refined in the world. It is the Lord who purifies and brings us to the place where the fire burns up the dross, and there He anoints us with fresh oil, so that at all times we may be ready for His appearing. God is separating us for Himself. We need to walk by faith until we overcome all things. By our simple belief in Christ Jesus, we walk right into glory. We must be careful to see that God means something greater for us than we have ever touched.

Whether you're facing a stronghold or a momentary struggle, you'll find grace and mercy in your time of need. As you single out one obstacle you desire to overcome, don't forget that other issues may be involved too. In other words, if you're praying to overcome unforgiveness or anger, the stronghold of pride is virtually always involved. Ask God to give you discernment about coinciding areas that may be hindering your freedom and abundant life in Christ. Pray the mind of Christ in those areas as well. Consider using this prayer as a preventive as well as a prescriptive measure.

God is far more interested in your getting to know the Deliverer than your being delivered. Remember, freedom comes through taking thoughts captive to Christ. You can't take another person's thoughts captive. The thought life is the most intensely personal part of each individual. You may have influence upon another person's thought life, but God is the only one who has direct access. God perceives each of your thoughts from afar. It is interesting that the great majority of Scripture addressing captivity and liberty concerns God's own people. Without a doubt, all people who have never accepted Christ as Savior are held captive by the enemy, their primary stronghold being unbelief. Learn to focus on your communication with God through prayer and His Word far more than directives on what to say to the enemy. The enemy is most effectively rebuked by the Believer taking their stand in the Word of God.

The most effective way to live a life of victory over the enemy is to walk in righteousness with God. Strongholds are thoughts taken captive to anything but Christ. Stay balanced in God's Word. You may be at war with a powerful and unseen enemy, but you're at peace with the Lord God omnipotent, and He still reigns! Remember, strongholds are demolished when you're able to take your mind captive to Christ. You can be instantly set free from strongholds, but God is far more interested in your relationship with the Deliverer than your being delivered. Sometimes the overwhelming power of a stronghold may be instantly broken, but the renewing of your mind can take a little longer. God generally prioritized one of two objectives: show you His supremacy or teach you His sufficiency.

One missing link in a captive's life is the lordship of Christ. Get rid of your various idols or strongholds, that is, anything pretending to be more powerful than God. They exalt themselves in your mind against the knowledge of God. They steal much of your focus and cause you to feel overpowered; controlled; mastered. Whether the stronghold is an addiction or unforgiveness, it's something that consumes so much of your emotional and mental energy that abundant life is strangled - your calling remains largely unfulfilled and your believing life is virtually ineffective. These are the precise goals of the enemy.

It is for freedom that Christ has set you free. Stand firm, then, and don't be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. God always wills for you to be free from strongholds. You'll never fail to have His cooperation as long as He has yours. When seeking to demolish a specific stronghold, pray the relevant Scriptures over and over until you experience lasting freedom. Even after freedom comes, keep praying occasionally the Scriptures that God seemed to use most powerfully. God has all the power you need to free you and to keep you free. But in the matter of demolishing strongholds, He also demands our prayerful cooperation.