Monday, October 17, 2011

Doubting Castle


Thoughts raced through my mind. I felt like I was being punished. Why had the Lord allowed me to get in an accident? At first, I was convinced that I'd be fine if the physical pain subsided. But long after my back healed from the soft tissue damage I'd experienced, I was plagued by anxiety. Irrational fears haunted my days and I was unable to sleep at night. What was happening to me? Never before had I encountered such a fierce mental struggle.

Unwittingly, I had uncovered a stronghold in my thought process. If something bad happened, it meant that God didn't love me. I had given the enemy a foothold in my life. Peter shares an excellent description of the enemy, in addition to some good advice, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8; KJV).

I was familiar with the words penned by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds); Casting 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," (emphasis mine). According to these verses, the battle was taking place in my mind. The most effective way to influence my actions was to influence my thinking. The enemy was well aware of this and bombarded me with lies, hoping that I wouldn't be able to distinguish a lie from the truth.

Throughout my struggle, God's word assured me that I was not alone. He walked beside me each step of the way, no matter how I felt. The Lord even provided armor for me that would protect me from my enemy. I didn't have to develop a strategy or plot a sneak attack, God's word promised me that all I had to do was stand: "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13). If I would wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God and lift up the shield of faith which is "able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked," the Lord promised to help me overcome (Ephesians 6:16).

Doctors and counselors played a role in my healing process. Ultimately, it was the word of God that restored my hope and joy. Once I was able to identify my stronghold and recognize the lie I was believing, I was able to replace the lie with God's truth. I was reminded of God's love for me in the book of Romans, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (5:8). When I chose to believe that God truly loved me and began living like the person of value He created me to be, the chains that imprisoned me were loosed and I could walk away from my stronghold.

Once I was set free, I had a choice to make: would I continue to walk in the truth, or when difficulty struck, would I revert back to a lie? In Galatians 5:1 I'm encouraged to, "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." God's plan is for me to live in the liberty of Christ - secure in His love. Trusting that the things He allows to come into my life are ultimately for my good and His glory.

Are you wrestling with a stronghold? Replace any lies you've believed with the truth of God's word. Use your newly found 'key' of truth to open the gates of 'Doubting Castle.' Take a step of faith today and return to the Master's path for your life!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Word. I know that it is powerful. Today I'm choosing to believe the words of 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Help me walk in faith. In Jesus' name, Amen.





14 comments:

  1. Maria,
    I am struggling with one now and I know it is because of fear. When we drove out here for two days, it was a grueling experience. Ever since, I have felt fear of actually driving around in the unknown area and I am not usually like this. I know it is fear overcoming me and I am praying God will help me overcome this and move on.

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  2. "The most effective way to influence my actions was to influence my thinking"... the enemy's biggest trick if you ask me. If he can get us to doubt or fear... we're wax in his hands. Great post Maria, isn't this why the Bible calls for the renewing of our minds?!

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  3. Terri - So good to see you! Sounds like your move was quite the ordeal! Isn't fear a funny thing? I truly believe fear and faith are on the two ends of the spectrum. Fear tends to focus on a circumstance. Faith focuses on a person - God! I'll be praying that the Lord will give you the grace to overcome! God bless!

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  4. Marja - Hello, my friend! Fears DO cause us to melt - just like wax. Great analogy! And yes, I can testify to the critical importance of renewing our minds. Not falling into the trap of conforming to the world's thinking, but internalizing what God's Word says! Have a blessed Tuesday!

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  5. Awesome. This is a powerful battle. That's why I steep in the Word when I feel them coming on.

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  6. The verse you chose from Timothy is a favourite of mine. It is the first scripture verse I set my mind to whenever fear enters my spirit. I'm wrestling with self-doubt on how I should be spending my time, what activity I should be focusing on, feeling like I fall short, not giving the 100% as I believe I should. So I am being led to study scripture on discerning God's voice to discover His call and vocation He has planned.

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  7. Thank you, Maria. Yes, I'm wrestling with a stronghold. My husband is currently deployed, and there are times when I am fearful or just plain weary awaiting his return. I go to my Bible when it feels like Satan is leading me to fret. Thank you for letting me know about Galatians 5:1.

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  8. I felt myself falling into that stronghold over the course of my hubby's short unemployment. Having never dealt with the unknowns and insecurities of such a situation, I finally heard the whispers. "God's not listening. He doesn't care," along with other lies. I hit my knees every time I heard them speaking and bruised them pretty good, but God was (IS) faithful. Just at the time I submitted my hope to Him even if a long-term situation loomed, He provided a job. A perfect job, with little sacrifice and no interruption in our household account.

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  9. Thank you, Maria! I think with strongholds in our lives we need to confront them daily. I know I do.

    Blessings!

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  10. Jess - Hey, girl! Staying in the Word and on my knees is the only way to win the battle for our minds. God bless you with a wonderful week! Hope you're feeling much better!:)

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  11. Lynn - So good to see you! Wonderful to hear that you've identified the strongholds you struggle with and are taking steps to overcome them! Love to hear how your searching God's Word and committing it to memory. That's the key to breaking free! God bless you as you seek Him! Have a beautiful week.

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  12. Brandi - Wow! Sounds like you're learning patience. Are you familiar with Elizabeth George? She wrote a fantastic book, Breaking the Worry Habit...Forever, and she also shares some experiences similar to your own. Her husband was in the military, and she talks about how the Lord help her deal with his deployments. I'll be praying for you, my friend! God's blessings on you today!

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  13. Marji - Oh, I can relate to the stronghold you shared! My husband went through a period of being without a job for nine months (several years ago). Talk about struggling with where my security came from! Glad you recognized the 'whispers' of the enemy and overcame them with the Truth! Thanks for sharing your experience and for your transparency! God bless you richly, my friend! :)

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  14. Cheryl - Welcome to Life Lessons! What an honor to have you follow and leave a comment! And you're absolutely right, we need to confront strongholds on a daily basis. And because of that, it's essential to stay in the Word and on our knees! Hugs and blessings!

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