Day 2

Destroy Strongholds

When someone lives in the binge-purge cycle we looked at yesterday, they can start believing it’s normal. That’s a lie. It doesn’t have to be.

If someone wants to change, it starts by changing their thinking. A crucial aspect of change is to identify wrong thinking that leads to wrong living.

Isn't it crazy how we keep doing things we say we don't want to do? We promise God, ourselves, and maybe our spouse that we won’t, and yet we keep going back to it.

Your conscious mind wants to stop, but your subconscious mind is telling you that you NEED to keep looking at porn, masturbating or hooking up, etc.

If we are going to change, one important step is to identify the lies we tell ourselves that keep us stuck in the binge-purge cycle. God tells us in His Word that we are in a spiritual battle. He says:

"The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

We are to destroy strongholds. Verse 5 describes the strongholds to be destroyed and taken captive as arguments, opinions, and thoughts. Where do those three things reside?

The mind. This is where the battle is.

A stronghold is a lie and something that is "against the knowledge of God." The spiritual battle for our mind is so intense that we are told to capture every thought. One lie is all it takes to get us off track. One rationalization is all that is required to keep a person from diligently pursuing freedom. They stay stuck in their sin.

The first step of changing our minds is identifying the lies we tell ourselves. 

Today’s Challenge:

Step One: Make a list of the lies or rationalizations you tell yourself that keep you stuck in porn or other unwanted sexual behaviors. What are those permission-giving statements you repeat to yourself that open the door to sin? 

Some common ones might be:     

• I deserve this.     
• I am more sexual than most people.     
• My body needs this release.     
• I’ve been doing good lately so just once isn’t a big deal.

Don't stop with just a few. You might end up with 5 or 10 rationalizations. Over the course of the next 30 days, you can add to this list as you discover more.

Step Two: After you identify the lies you tell yourself, do what the verse says: "destroy arguments." Go through your list and replace it with the truth. Lies that go unaddressed become strongholds that keep you from living out the truth. They must be destroyed.

Micah had a porn habit for 14 years. He was living the binge-purge cycle. He could make it a few weeks without a relapse, but he always came back to it. The lies Micah told himself convinced him that he could fight it alone.

When opportunities arose to confess to a friend or his small group, he repeated these lies: "I’ve got this," "If I confess, they can’t help me," "they are going to reject me", "confessing to God is all I need to do." These strongholds in his mind kept him from reaching out. They kept him in bondage.

This stronghold was unchallenged until his small group studied James 5:16 which says, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed." Micah’s leader challenged the group to meditate on the verse each day for a week. Micah was struck with three truths from the verse.     

• Confession of sin to others is a command of God, not a suggestion. Therefore not confessing was sin and disobedience.     
• Healing results from confessing our sins to others.     
• Confessing to God is not enough; we need others for healing.

These truths challenged Micah’s thinking. This led to Micah confessing his porn struggle to a close friend and to his group leader. Instead of being rejected, he was affirmed for his honesty. His friend also admitted that he struggled. They both got into a recovery group that ultimately led to their freedom.
Holy Habit #1: Confession

What are the lies you most consistently tell yourself that contribute to you staying stuck? Do you have someone you trust that you can tell?