Bringing Down Strongholds

The book of Joshua describes how God brought down the walls of Jericho. He instructed the Israelites to march around the fortress, without speaking, blowing the sacred horn that represented God’s signal—for 7 days. On the final day, they were to end the marching with a shout. And the wall came down.

 “We each have our Jericho or Ai that stands in the way of our ability to possess our possessions in Christ; virtual strongholds that impede our spiritual progress. It may be a weakness in our character, a physical infirmity, it may be indifference to spiritual things in general or to a specific area we are neglecting. It could be materialism or some life-dominating pattern. It may be a difficulty at one’s place of work, in the home, with a particular personality, or it may be a financial burden. Regardless of the nature of our Jericho, we must realize victory always comes through God’s plan of deliverance—never ours.”(J. Hampton Keathley, III)

How do we bring down strongholds that impede our spiritual progress? We listen and obey. We march—put one foot in front of the other; we don’t speak, (because we’ve tried that already and how much has that really helped any situation?) We blow God’s horn, not our own. And yes, this will all look crazy, useless, and unproductive. Expect to feel ridiculous.

God will bring down this and all other strongholds according to his parameters and his schedule. And each time the same lesson is reinforced: You were never in control, and you never will be. God is in complete control. This is All God.