Psalm 51

psalm51
Originally uploaded by Amydeanne

Lord, I long for a pure heart to follow after You. Help my heart to be pure and help me to follow Your direction in my life.

Where is the Battlefield?

We are in a spiritual war. The location of this war, more often than not, is in our very own mind.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (NIV)

³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Ephesians 2:1-3 (New International Version)

¹As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ²in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature^a]">[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.


If we allow one single thought that is not of God into our minds and dwell on it for too long, we will allow a stronghold to be built in our lives.

So, what is a stronghold and how does this happen?

A stronghold is anything in our lives that prohibits us from being or doing our best for God.

How are they developed?

1. They begin with ungodly thoughts.

Matthew 15:17-20 (NIV)

¹⁷"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ¹⁸But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' ¹⁹For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "

Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

³For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2. If we allow the thoughts and do not take them captive, they will turn into imaginations.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

⁵We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Genesis 11:1-6 (KJV)

¹And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

²And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

³And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

⁴And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

⁵And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

⁶And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

3. If we do not cast down the imaginations, they will become a stronghold.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (King James Version)

⁵Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

This is pretty powerful when you look at the supporting scriptures. Wow! My thoughts is where it all begins. That means that what I think about is VERY important. I'd better not dwell on things when I've been:

wronged
mistreated
ignored
betrayed
cheated
denied
rejected
unloved
etc., etc., etc.

As believers we will have all of these in our lives at one point or another. It's important to not dwell on them, but to think about good things. In essence we should always be "counting our blessings", not our disappointments. We should make lists of our blessings, not the things that will hinder our walk with God.

I want to be free of strongholds, don't you?