Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Breaking Down Strongholds by Ann Elaine Broughton


“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV).

Do you have strongholds in your life that need conquered? Are there habits, addictions, sin that have made you a victim? I have an addiction to sugar that is really bad, especially since yeast has a foothold in my whole body and it affects my health. I need to completely not eat any sugar, wheat or goodies. That is so hard when the yeast inside me is craving it like crazy. I found an excerpt in the Bible that is helping me. It is about David and how he had to overcome a lot of odds to conquer Jerusalem. It was quite a large task, since the people there told him that there was no way he could do it. But that didn’t stop him. He took his soldiers and conquered a very large stronghold. “The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion, the City of David” (2 Samuel 5:6-7 NIV).
I love this passage because of the word “nevertheless”. The Jebusites had ridiculed him but nevertheless David took the city because he knew his power came from the Lord.
You see the power that we have in the Holy Spirit is our weapon to demolish our strongholds. What we cannot accomplish in taking control of our weaknesses, the Holy Spirit can give us the strength and courage to say no. It is so easy to get caught into a trap of lacking self control and feeling awful afterwards. But instead, we must remember that we have divine strength inside of us and we “can do all things through Christ” (Phillipians 4:13).
So if you are battling a stronghold remember the word “nevertheless” and how David conquered his enemies with the Lord’s strength. I know this word is going to help me as I struggle with something that could ruin my health. May God bless you as you continue to strive to please the Lord in every aspect of your life.
Dear Lord,
I know that I have the Holy Spirit within me. Help me as I continue struggling to conquer a stronghold that is unhealthy. Help me to be strong in your strength and believe that I can take down this stronghold in your strength.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Perseverance: A devotion by Ann Broughton

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