The problem is that the bondage of that safety fortress is made of the substance of fear, rage, rejection, lust, perversion, performance, timidity, lukewarmness, etc.
Our “strongholds” other than His secret place are made by the enemy but with our permission.
Things hit us so hard in life we weren’t ready, so we took the loudest inner advice available & allowed or helped build strongholds.
These now, though, are bondages.
The enemy sounds to us when we are young so that even if Jesus comes, statistically, we don’t move out of those strongholds into TRUST when we enter His presence.
Fully letting go of our defense mechanisms, future protection mechanisms, small “s” saviors, & coping mechanisms ensures the ONLY REAL fortress (which is Christ in our secret place & His Word) is in place.
A few things to remember:
1. Trauma is a breeding ground for strongholds. We feel out of control in emotion & we grasp for an emotional STRONGhold to help, but it’s typically man-made or demon-suggested, so your comfort level is in that way of responding more than Him.
Ask God to reveal where trauma was so you can let the pain go & allow these false “gods” to be broken so you can enter into your true narrative, which is Christ.
2. Trauma & pain is worse because we didn’t plan for the pain.
No matter what, pain isn’t pleasant, but if you understand the war we are in, you know pain comes.
The knowledge & planning in light of possible pain lessens the trauma of pain so it doesn’t disable us if it shows up.
In war, pain is a normality, not an irregularity.
This also helps to go back through past pain & realize it’s not personal. It wasn’t against you, it’s just war.
3. Entitlement, not expectation, sets us up for trauma.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen…well, maybe it was & maybe it wasn’t, but if this works is at a cosmic & eternal war, it’s a normality.
It’s not so much it shouldn’t have happened, but what will we do if it does?
4. It’s not personal.
1 Cor. 10:13a says that no temptation (I can add pain) has overtaken us except such as common to man.
That means it’s common & the devil is hoping you take it personally because that’s a statistical response in the world. When we take it personally, a stronghold begins to arise.
It’s not personal, it’s eternal. This world wasn’t ever my reward. We don’t like things to happen, but a nice ride here on earth isn’t our purpose or reward. God’s Kingdom advancing is.
This world is my mission (like a military operation), not my reward.
5. Let justice be told – so many children feel at fault for their parents leaving, lying, yelling, abusing, abandoning, divorcing, etc, but it was a bad orange. This was the rotten juice. The squeezing doesn’t determine how good or type the juice is. The fruit does. So when you let yourself go from rejection & speculation, you can get free.
Or, a mirror isn’t responsible for a bad hair day. It’s just a reflection. Life brings a reflection of who we are.
Yes, we love our parents & those who hurt us, but it doesn’t mean we have to deny they were wrong or bad.
I always tell people to imagine me doing to Abby what authorities or loved ones did to you & ask if it would be my fault or Abby’s. In no world would it be my daughter’s fault because I’m the grown adult & dad. It’s my job to lay my life down to raise her in love. Not doing that is evil.
No matter the intent behind it. Just like if you rob a bank, murder someone, or cheat on your taxes, it doesn’t matter the intent. You still broke the law.
We are so much into victimizing those who hurt us we never get free.
Don’t get mad, but you get free. If you were sexually abused, you’re pure. You didn’t do it, they did. They are the evil ones. If your parents divorced, they were the ones who didn’t do what’s right, not you.
If you weren’t validated & properly owned by a parent, that’s on them, not you. God gives parents the ability to parent & protect, but we mess it up.
I’m sorry for your pain. It’s not your fault, nor did you bring it about. Real sorry. Let’s go free from words spoken (cause they shouldn’t ever call a child down) & things not said because you were full of that worth & value. They just didn’t fulfill their role.
We forgive them, but you’re not an idiot. You are wanted, you are family, & you are loved!
6. Forgiveness- now it’s time to say out loud you forgive these folks. Watch how it lets God in to heal you.
7. Deliverance – ask God where the root of pain was that caused you enough distress to look for a savior, but it started a stronghold that led to bondage.
I always tell God I looked for a wrong thing to fill a right need. I didn’t seek You, God, I’m sorry. I didn’t trust you, God; I trusted in these other things or myself.
I now renounce ….& repent of … forever. Please fill me, heal me, & empower me to trust only in You, God, in the future.
Get some help if you can’t seem to get a breakthrough.
8. Replace them by reading the Word, worship, & confession. You are now turning into a butterfly!
9. Don’t minimize it! Validate the pain so you can start the healing process.
The more we say it’s just life or it’s no big deal, or other people have worse things the day we block ourselves from realizing we were hurt.
Love you guys! Let’s break down strongholds!
