OVERCOMING EMOTIONAL

STRONGHOLDSTHESE THINGS I HAVE SPOKEN TO YOU THAT IN ME YOU MAY HAVE

PEACE. IN THE WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION; BUT BE OF

GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD. ST JOHN 16:33

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS• EMOTIONS : A MENTAL STATE THAT ARISES

SPONTANEOUSLY RATHER THAN THROUGH CONSCIOUS EFFORT AND IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES; A FEELING: THE EMOTIONS OF JOY, SORROW AND ANGER ETC.

• EMOTION-TO EXCITE OR MOVE A PERSON TO A COMPLEX AND USUALLY STRONG FEELING A RESULT OF THE PERSONS THINKING.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS•STRONGHOLDS-A FORMATION OF A MENTAL

IMAGE OF SOMETHING THAT IS NEITHER PERCEIVED AS REAL NOR PRESENT TO THE SENSES. IT IS AN UNREALISTIC NOTION. A PLAN, A SCHEME (WEBSTER DICTIONARY)

•A STRONGHOLD IS FORMED WHEN DECEPTION TAKES HOLD IN A PERSON'S MIND. A STRONGHOLD IS AN INCORRECT THINKING PATTERN THAT STEMS FROM BELIEVING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TRUE.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS

•WHAT DO YOU USE TO DETERMINE WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS TRUE?

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS• FEELINGS CANNOT BE THE STANDARD BY

WHICH WE MEASURE REALITY.

• FEELING ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THEY AREN’T ALWAYS TRUE.

•OUR FEELING MUST BE BROUGHT IN LINE WITH GOD’S WORD, OR THEY CAN GUIDE US DOWN A VERY UNSTABLE PATH.

• TRUTH CANNOT SIMPLY CHANGE BECAUSE WE WANT IT TO. THE WORD OF GOD WILL NEVER ADJUST TO FIT OUR FEELINGS, HOPES OR DESIRES.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS• EMOTIONS, FEELINGS FLUCTUATE, RESPOND AND

CHANGE.

•WE DO NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR EMOTIONS, INSIGHT AND INSTINCTS BECAUSE THEY ARE REAL, BUT THEY SHOULD NEVER BE THE FINAL DECISION-MAKER TO DETERMINE IF SOMETHING IS TRUE.

•WHAT WILL YOUR STANDARD BE?

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDSII CORIN. 10:4-6 (MSG)-4. THE TOOLS OF OUR TRADE AREN’T FOR MARKETING OR MANIPULATION, BUT THEY ARE FOR DEMOLISHING THAT ENTIRE MASSIVELY CORRUPT CULTURE. 5. WE USE OUR GOD-TOOLS FOR SMASHING WARPED PHILOSOPHIES, TEARING (CASTING) DOWN BARRIERS ERECTED AGAINST THE TRUTH OF GOD, FITTING EVERY LOOSE THOUGHT AND EMOTION AND IMPULSE (STRONG HOLDS) INTO THE STRUCTURE OF LIFE SHAPED BY CHRIST. 6. OUR TOOLS ARE READY AT HAND FOR CLEARING THE GROUND OF EVERY OBSTRUCTION AND BUILDING LIVES OF OBEDIENCE IN MATURITY.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDSWHY WOULD GOD TELL US TO DESTROY EMOTIONAL STRONG HOLDS?

• STRONGHOLDS (FAULTY REASONING/CONCEPT) ARE LIKE CONCRETE WALLS WE’VE BUILT OVER THE COURSE OF YEARS TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM HURT OR HARM.

• HOWEVER THESE STRONGHOLDS CAN BECOME OUR PRISONS INSTEAD OF PROTECTION, WHERE WE NO LONGER CONTROL THEM, THEY CONTROL US.

• THROUGH LIFE EXPERIENCES, WE CAN DEVELOP STRONGHOLDS IN OUR MINDS THAT ARE TOXIC THOUGHTS THAT HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON OUR THINKING PROCESS AND OUR BODIES.

• IF YOU TELL A LIE OFTEN ENOUGH, AND LOUD ENOUGH, PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE IT. (ADOLF HITLER)

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS•ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEM IN IDENTIFYING AND

ADDRESSING STRONGHOLDS IN OUR LIVES IS THE STANDARD WE MEASURE AGAINST IT.

•OUR WE USING PAST EXPERIENCES, HURTS, ANGER OR UNFORGIVENESS.

• TRUTH INCLUDES, INFORMATION, FACTS AND ALSO THE INTENTION BEHIND THE INFORMATION AND THE FACTS.

•WE CAN’T CONFESS WHAT WE CAN’T/WON’T RECOGNIZE. BEING UNAWARE OF THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE CAN KEEP EMOTIONAL STRONG HOLDS INTACT IN OUR LIVES.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS

•RUTH 1: 10-21 & 4: 14-17

•WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THIS STORY?

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS•DON’T HAVE A PITY PARTY-FEELING SORRY FOR

YOURSELF

•SELF PITY IS TORMENT THAT INDICATES YOUR BONDAGE/CAPTIVITY TO AN EXPERIENCE OR A PERSON.

•SELF PITY IS THE SUPERGLUE TO YOUR PAST

• IT IS YOUR JOB TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR THOUGHTS BY APPLYING THE WORD OF GOD TO MOVE INTO FORGIVENESS OF THOSE THINGS OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE HURT YOU, USED YOU, ABUSED YOU ETC.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS

•I SAM. 30:1-8

•WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS STORY

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS•AS YOU THINK SO YOU BECOME.

•WHAT DO YOUR THOUGHTS SAY ABOUT YOU? ABOUT YOUR LIFE? AND HOW WELL DO THEY REALLY MATCH YOUR PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE AND YOUR IMAGE OF YOURSELF?

•SOMETIMES EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS OCCUR FROM PAST EXPERIENCES, WORDS THAT HAVE BEEN SPOKEN, ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN OVER RULE THE PLAN GOD HAS FOR US.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS•WHAT MAY IRRITATE YOU IN WHAT YOU SEE,

FEEL AND HEAR IN OTHER PEOPLE MAY BE A REFLECTION OF YOU.

• THE THINGS YOU LEARN BY THINKING THIS WAY MAY NOT ALWAYS BE PLEASANT, BUT THEY CAN BE ENLIGHTENING. THEY HELP YOU TO SEE YOURSELF AND ALSO HOW YOU MAY BE FOOLING YOURSELF.

•AND THESE POWERFUL INSIGHTS CAN BE VERY VALUABLE FOR YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH. SO, IN INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS, TRY ASKING YOURSELF: WHAT IS REFLECTED?

OVERCOMING EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS•CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS (ARGUMENTS)

AND EVERY HIGH THING (PROUD OBSTACLE) THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.

•CARNAL, WORLDLY WAYS OF THINKING AND DOING THINGS OUR WAY ARE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE MIND AND METHODS OF GOD.

• THERE IS NO OTHER MORE POWERFUL OR EFFECTIVE WAY OF COMING AGAINST ARGUMENTS/IMAGINATIONS THEN BY APPLYING GOD’S WORDS AND HIS WAYS TO OUR SITUATIONS.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS

•I SAM. 1:4-18

•WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS STORY?

OVERCOMING EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS• THROW AWAY EVERY IMAGE WHICH EXALTS

ITSELF AGAINST GOD’S PLAN FOR YOU.

• CHALLENGE THE LIES THAT COME FROM THE ENEMY. (EX. THAT GOD DOESN’T REALLY LOVE US)

•CAST DOWN WRONG IMAGES AND RAISE UP THE VISION THAT GOD HAS FOR US, THAT HE WILL BRING GOOD TO OUR LATTER END.

OVERCOMING EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS• BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE

OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.

•WE ARE NOT HELPLESS VICTIMS OR RECIPIENTS OF OUR THOUGHTS.

•WHEN WE START TO THINK IN CARNAL WAYS, WE MUST STOP OUR THOUGHTS AND TAKE DOMINION OVER THEM IN CHRIST.

•WE CAN CHOOSE TO STOP OUR THOUGHTS OF LUST, FEAR, ANGER, BITTERNESS, HATE, EVILS AND BRING THEM INTO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.

•WE CAN CAST DOWN HARMFUL, VAIN IMAGINATIONS.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS

•II CORIN. 4:7-14 & 17

•WHAT DOES THIS SCRIPTURE TELL US ABOUT BEING CAST DOWN BUT UNCONQUERED?

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDSVICTORY OVER EMOTIONAL STRONG HOLDS

• SPIRITUAL WARFARE COMES IN TWO WAYS: OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE. OFFENSIVE WARFARE IS TEARING DOWN THE STRONGHOLDS THE ENEMY HAS FORMED IN YOUR MIND THROUGH DECEPTION AND ACCUSATIONS, AND DEFENSIVE WARFARE IS GUARDING YOURSELF AGAINST THE TACTICS OR SCHEMES OF THE DEVIL.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS•A STRONGHOLD IS DECEPTION THAT'S TAKEN HOLD IN A PERSON'S MIND. IT'S AN INCORRECT THINKING PATTERN BASED ON A BELIEVED LIE.

•SINCE STRONGHOLDS ARE BUILT UPON LIES THAT WE HAVE BEEN FED, THE WAY WE TEAR DOWN STRONGHOLDS IS BY FEEDING ON THE TRUTH (IN GOD'S WORD), WHICH IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE ENEMY HAS BEEN FEEDING US.

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDSHOW TO SPIRITUALLY DESTROY EMOTIONAL STRONG HOLDS

• FORGIVE QUICKLY-AGREE WITH YOUR ADVERSARY QUICKLY. MATT. 5:15

• LET NOT THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS BUILD UP IN YOUR HEART. HEB 12:14-15

• PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DESPITEFULLY USE YOU MATT. 5:44.

• FOCUS ON GOOD THOUGHTS NOT NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. PHIL. 4:8

• DEATH & LIFE IS IN THE POWER OF YOUR TONGUE-SPEAK THE RIGHT THINGS IN THE ATMOSPHERE CONCERNING YOUR LIFE

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS•MEDITATE ON HIS PROMISES-THAT NO WEAPON

FORMED WILL PROSPER. GOD IS FOR US. ROM. 8:31

•CONFESS YOUR FAULTS ONE TO ANOTHER-PRAY FOR HEALING. JAMES 5:16

•READ THE WORD OF GOD-BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND.

• FORGIVE YOURSELF-I JOHN 1:9 (CONFESS YOUR FAULTS HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE…

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDS • II CORIN. 10:4-5: 4. FOR THE WEAPONS OF OUR

WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL (ACCORDING TO THE

FLESH), BUT MIGHTY IN GOD FOR PULLING

DOWN STRONGHOLDS (STRONG PLACES): 5.

CASTING DOWN

IMAGINATIONS(EMOTIONS/ARGUMENTS/FAUL

TY REASONING), AND EVERY HIGH THING (PROUD OBSTACLE) THAT EXALTS ITSELF AGAINST THE

KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, BRINGING EVERY

THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE

OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.

•NEXT BIBLE STUDY-MARCH 4, 2015

•TOPIC-MATTERS OF THE HEART

•SCRIPTURES:

•II SAM 6:15-23

•DUET. 4:7-9

•MARK 7:18-23

•MATT. 12:33-35

•PROV. 4:23-24 & PROV. 27:19

EMOTIONAL STRONGHOLDSREFERENCES:

•SPIRITUAL WARFARE-HTTP://WWW.GREATBIBLESTUDY.COM/SPIRITUAL_WARFARE.PHP

•VICTORY IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE-TONY EVANS