“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We 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 Cor. 10:3-5

One of the topics that is talked about least in our culture while holding perhaps the greatest influence over our mental health is spiritual warfare. The Bible warns us that we have to demolish any strongholds the enemy can use to distract us from living and reaching our full potential.  If you believe that there is a God who designed you, created you, and set in motion a plan for your life, you have to face the reality that there is also an enemy, named Satan, whose only goal is to thwart God’s plans for you by distracting you from the course God has set for you. Scripture says that the enemy is a liar, incapable of speaking truth, yet we keep falling for his words over and over again. We have to remember, the enemy has come to steal, kill, and destroy, and if we listen to his voice and allow him to have sway over our lives, he will lead us down a path of destruction.

Here are three ways you can find and demolish the enemy's strongholds on your life:

1. We have to Know God’s Voice

God speaks to us through His word, through the people we love and care about, and even through nature, according to Romans. The enemy, however, knows this and tries to trick us by taking scripture verses out of context, speaking through people we trust and admire, and through everyday distractions. It is so important that we become familiar with God’s voice and work to develop discernment so we can know which voice is speaking to us.

2. We have to Guard our Hearts

The greatest battles between God and the enemy are fought on the battlefields of our hearts. As Christians, we can rest in assurance that God has already won the war for our hearts, but the enemy just doesn’t know when to quit, and can still do damage in the short run. We have to be aware that our hearts are constantly being pulled in two directions and take command over which direction our hearts will be inclined to go. If we are not knitting our hearts to God then we'll drift farther and farther away from Him. The more space we allow between our hearts and God, the

3. We have to Take Every Thought Captive

Philippians 4:8 warns us that we have to fix our minds on whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, and whatever is excellent. Only God can be these things, so when our minds are fixed on what is good or right or pure, our minds are fixed on God, and the enemy has no room to interject his own thoughts into our minds. So when thoughts of guilt or shame come into your mind, identify them for what they are and remember those thoughts are not from God but from Satan. And he has no business in your thought life.

I hope that this message brings encouragement to you and empowers you to face whatever battle you are facing this week. If you’d like to speak with one of our qualified counselors, please know our hearts are only to help you and guide you to living the best life God has called to you, free from all the enemy’s strongholds. You were made for so much more! Give us a call today and let us join you in your journey today!

Faith Forward,

Shawn