More and more people are talking about “strongholds” and “renewing of mind”. What exactly do those terms mean? Are they related to modern day scientific description of “subconscious mind”, “neuroplasticity” and “positive thinking”? Why do we need to know how they affect our behaviors?
Before I go on explaining what “strongholds” and “renewing of mind” mean, allow me to tell you what our modern day scientists have discovered recently:
Researchers and scientists are now discovering that our subconscious mind tricks our conscious mind into producing unwanted negative behaviors. A most recent research done by Cleveland Clinic titled “Don’t believe everything you think”: “95% of our thoughts are being repeated in our subconscious mind and 80% of those habitual thoughts are negative.” That leaves only 5% of our thoughts are processed in a conscious level. Now if we want to change our unhealthy unproductive behavior patterns, we ought to change the way we think right down to the unconscious level.
The terms “strongholds” and “renewing of mind” are found in the Bible written about 2000 years ago. “Strongholds” were walls built around the ancient cities to shield them from intruding forces. Paul, the author of 2 Corinthians used the term to metaphorically depict a negative thought pattern stored in our mind that was guarded by walls so it’s hard to be removed.
Strongholds are built upon deception and error. These errors and deceptions which form strongholds can come from a wide variety of sources, including our environment, those around us, our parents or even demonic spirits.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalt itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
“Renewing of mind” is an ongoing process of removing the negative thought patterns from our subconscious mind that affect our behaviors. It is allowing the truth of God that is written on the Bible to shape our thinking and remove the strongholds from our mind.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2
With our 21st century cutting-edge research and technology, scientists found out that strongholds are those 80% of habitual negative thoughts that run on their autopilot mode day in and day out in our subconscious mind, and are affecting our ability to solve problems and make wise decisions.
Here’s how our subconscious mind works and how strongholds can take residence in it:
Subconscious mind works day and night and it never stops until we take our last breath. The job of our subconscious mind is to support the life system – it keeps our heart pumping, monitoring blood circulation, performing body healing, monitoring the digestion system and etc. The subconscious is always there even when we consciously retire and it even becomes stronger when we are asleep. That’s why it is advisable that you do not let your TV or radio on when you are asleep. Imagine what type of messages that your subconscious mind gets if you let those violence and horror scenes run on your TV! That’s one of the ways strongholds formed in our subconscious mind. I’ll explain that further in a minute.
Our subconscious mind does not possess the ability to think and reason but inevitably, it solves much problem than the conscious mind. This is due to its ability to connect with the super conscious mind (the field of infinite intelligence which I believe it’s the Holy Spirit) to search for solution. Believe it or not, there is at least a solution for every problem and you might not know where to look for, but your subconscious mind always does.
Now we know there are so many wonderful things that our subconscious mind can do, but there are also downsides of it if we don’t know how to protect it from external pollution. By nature our subconscious mind functions voluntarily and the receptive mode of it is always ON and there is nowhere we can shut it down. If we do not make any effort to influence and stand guard of our subconscious mind, it will voluntarily seek out for just anything that it can find. By default, the psychology of the masses is always geared toward the negativity, and this also means that they are always broadcasting negative stuffs and often with errors and deceptions. If we do not take conscious effect to shield our mind from that, they will get picked up as subliminal messages – a kind of subtle energy that escapes our hearing sense, another type of stronghold.
Our subconscious mind does not remain idle. It can hardly stand still and it will always look out for reference that it can keep and rely on. If we fail to find something, particular a goal to impress our subconscious, it will randomly pick up just any thought that enters in it regardless good or bad because our subconscious mind does not have the ability to differentiate good or evil, reality or fantasy, true or false. Bear in mind that we are always surrounded by negativity, false teachings, wrong ideas and incorrect information. Just look around, read the news and watch TV, I’m sure you can understand what I’m talking about.
Strongholds are untrue, unwholesome, ungodly, distorted image about oneself, others and God formed over a period of time and often get reinforced over and over again.
There are many common strongholds such as Pride, Greed, Fear, Addition, Adultery, Unbelief, Abuse, Hatred, Self-hatred, Idolatry, Jealousy, just to name a few.
When I was a young girl, my mom always told me that I was ugly and unwanted. I experienced a lot of verbal and physical abuse growing up. My subconscious mind picked up a lot of bad and untrue massages about myself and the strongholds of low self-esteem, and self-hatred were formed in me. I viewed myself as an ugly and unwanted girl because I believed what my mom told me. I left home when I was 17 and from then onwards no matter how hard I tried not to, I kept “running” into men that would verbal and physically abuse me. And I always had a sense that because I was ugly so they abused me and didn’t want me. Why? Not that I was a bad luck, that has nothing to do with luck. It has everything to do with the strongholds of low self-esteem and self-hatred that were operating in my life – the unconscious negative internal dialogue. Until one day I learned the truth from the words of God saying that I was beautiful because I was wonderfully and fearfully created by Him for a purpose. The words of God also said that I was whole, holy, righteous, perfect, lovable, gifted, blessed and able because I was created in the image of God. He told me to look at the unique fingerprints that He gave me. As soon as I allowed the truth of God to renew my mind while it was pulling down the strongholds in my mind, I was able to feel free the first time of my life. Now my old strongholds are gone, I’m no long drawn to abusers, and they too are no longer drawn to me. It’s amazing how powerful the renewing of mind changed my life.
(to be continued)
If you have any question, you can send me an email at: Yusan@IntentionalLifeCoaching.org