No temptation has overtaken you except that which is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 1 Corinthians 10:13-14 NKJV
Today is Mardi Gras day. This began in the 1700s as a day to indulge in all that might be given up on lent which begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday. While Catholics observe lent, some other religions do not. But I think we could all use this as a time to remove any strongholds from our lives.
A spiritual stronghold is a behavior or habit the devil does not want us to give up. It is a sin that we have a hard time letting go of. Simply put it is an idol which is anything we put before God.
Strongholds can range from laziness to pornography. Idols can come in the form of sex, money, and greed. But idols can also come in the form of ministry. You can get so busy or involved in a ministry that you find little time to spend with Jesus.
Whether or not your religion observes lent, I am encouraging you to take a good, hard look at anything that might have a stronghold on you. Is there anything in your life that takes up more time than it should? Is there anything that distracts you from prayer and Bible study?
Because I do a great deal of my Bible study on the internet, I have found the internet to be a terrible distraction. I will log in and before I know it, I am knee-deep in these human-interest stories, sales at stores or websites, and sometimes even the news which I have no desire to read, but there I am reading it.
Social media is another thing I have tried to limit my time on lately. I find it so easy to get sucked into that.
Other things are dangerous to our health like smoking, alcohol, drugs, and eating the wrong foods. These are things many people give up for lent.
I want you to understand that I am not encouraging you to give something up for lent, I am encouraging you to give something up for life. You may just need to drastically reduce your intake of something, but I am asking you to make a life change, not a six-week change.
I am challenging you to remove anything from your life that limits your time with God or prohibits you from entering into a closer relationship with Jesus. Many of these temptations in our lives are habits that we may find hard to break. It has been said that it takes 30 days to break a habit. New research suggests it can take anywhere from 18-254 days (Insider, Focus Bear).
Is there anything in your life that is taking first place other than your relationship with Jesus Christ? If so, you need to remove it. Our Scripture passage tells us that what we are suffering is common to humanity. You are not the only one going through this. It reminds us God is faithful. He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle. Most importantly know He will provide a way of escape.
If you are suffering from temptation, pray for deliverance. Pray every time you are tempted. Turn to God and trust in Him to help you. Find a group or an individual that will hold you accountable. Exchange your bad habit for a good habit.
If you are spending too much time on social media, limit that time and use some of that time to study the Bible instead. If you are eating too much, find a hobby that gets your mind off food. Perhaps you could move around more.
Whatever it is that needs to be drastically reduced or removed from your life, I encourage you to identify it and get busy getting rid of it. Trust in God to help you break any strongholds the devil has on you.
With God’s help, you can break free from any stronghold the devil may have over you.
Have a great day!