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In review, in the process of breaking strongholds, the steps we have covered so far are:
- Recognizing your captor
- Standing in Agreement with God.
- Tearing down the lies that wall paper your mind.
Today we are going to talk about: Putting up the truth
Our captive has escaped the prison of her controlling thoughts and is very close to controlling those thoughts instead. What has happened to set her free? First, she was forgiven for all sins involved in her stronghold the moment she agreed with God and confessed. We can be forgiven however, and still not be free. And if we are not free we will soon cycle back into sin. The believer just doesn’t ask to be forgiven, but she determines to be free.
- Because we fully cooperate with God, our eyes open to mind binding lies and we seek His strength that is necessary to tear them down. Excellent progress– but thankfully we realize that more needs to be done to make liberty in Christ a reality in life. We cannot be satisfied until we walk freely from the prison of our minds.
We determine to put up the truth in their place.
Give this next statement your full attention.
The walls of your mind will never stay bare. Never.
- Our minds work even when we sleep. Once we tear down lies, we have to re-wallpaper with truth or the enemy will happily supply a new roll of wallpaper. It may be a different pattern, with a more updated look, but the same deceptive manufacturer. This illustration represents our only means of both deprogramming and reprogramming our way out of captivity.
- Truth is the only way out.
- We possess the mind of Christ according to 1 Corinthians 2:16…but we still have the capacity to think with the mind of our own understanding
- I have learned that God will not release us from anything that has enslaved us until we have come to the mind of Christ in the matter.
- Take unforgiveness for an example. Often when we want to be free of the burden of not forgiving, we want god to wave a magic want so we will never think about that person again. This is not how he works. He wants to transform and renew our minds (Romans 12:2) so we can think the thoughts of Christ about the person we are forgiving. We will not be free until we adopt the mind of Christ.
- Another example: If a believer has allowed Satan to build a stronghold through an adulterous relationship and she finally repents and desires to be free, her mind will not be released until she has torn down the lies and reprogrammed with the truth. She might beg god to simply remove the person from her mind. God knows that little would be accomplished and she would be vulnerable to similar attacks In the future. Rather than drop the person from her mind, God wants her to begin to think the thoughts of Christ toward the situation and the person.
- Once the mind of Christ has taken over, the power of the stronghold is broken and the person and situation will finally begin to evacuate the premises.
“ [You should] be exceedingly glad on this account, though now for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations. So that [the genuineness] of your faith may be tested, [your faith] which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold, which is tested and purified by fire. [This proving of your faith is intended] to redound to [your] praise and glory and honor when Jesus is revealed.” 1 Peter 1:6-7
Remember this: According to 1 John 4:4
…you, dear children, are from God and have overcome them (evil spirits) because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Meditate on that!!