Free at Last

The walls might be 15 to 25 feet thick, rising over 25 feet high. Often, trenches had been dug in front of them, and towers built at their corners. These fortified cities, these strongholds, were the fortresses of the Old Testament, and they were virtually impregnable (Zondervan Expository Dict. Of Bible Words). Places to escape to. Places of refuge.

But later, in the New Testament, the Greek “stronghold” came from the verb meaning “to hold.” Something that held – a castle keep, a dungeon.(Vines).

Isn’t that how it works for us? The ungodly places in which we take refuge become, in the end, dungeons from which we cannot escape. Like Samson, we enjoyed them, if guiltily, and then one day awoke to find that we no longer possessed the power to go in and out at our leisure. The door was barred, the drawbridge was up, the sentries were posted, and we were in.

Pastor Rick spoke Sunday on the stronghold of homosexuality, but he clearly and correctly affirmed that there are many strongholds and few if any of us have escaped some form of imprisonment.

Satan specializes in strongholds. He likes to establish at least one in every life… and he often maintains it even after that person accepts Christ and sincerely endeavors to live the life of a dedicated disciple. And while the believer struggles and fails and tries again and struggles and fails, Satan whispers,

“Nobody else has this problem. You are alone.”
“Don’t call for help. No one else would understand.”
“You will never overcome that in this life. You have to wait til heaven.”

Do you see his strategy? Isolation, silence, despair. But the secret is out:
”You’re alone”? No, strongholds have dotted the landscape of most, if not all of our lives.
“No one would understand”? No, many who have overcome have been specifically called and gifted by God to encourage and counsel people still trapped in their dungeons.
“You will never overcome”? No, many testify that what the apostle Paul wrote is true: “The weapons we fight with… have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4 NIV).

God has supplied us with a weapon of defense – the shield of faith, and a weapon of offense – the Word of God (Eph. 6:16-17). One for the left hand and one for the right. Those weapons have divine power to destroy strongholds… if we are trained to use them.

A quick Scripture recited in the hour of temptation is not necessarily effective, and desperate declarations of faith often seem to fizzle at the first blast of Satan’s fiery darts. The question becomes, are we willing to be trained for battle? To sign up for the long haul, to learn to apply faith and use the Word, to assist God in laying siege to the stronghold if necessary?

It’s not by our power or strategy or perseverance that victory will come. It’s all by God’s power and strategy and perseverance. But we must be trained to cooperate (for He will not violate our free will), and He awaits our permission. Will we give it? And keep on giving it, by His grace?

If so, one day we will wake up to find that the sentries are gone and the door is standing open and the drawbridge is down, and we are free.