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We share stories of how the blood of Jesus has transformed ours and others' lives.
Hello everyone. Welcome to the Red Ledger podcast. Today we have Kaira Munoz joining us. I'm really excited. I had the privilege to hear her speak at a women's conference in Boise. It was so revelatory and anointed. She spoke about the expression of God in us and it really was life changing. I went to lunch with some women and they were so excited.
It was so interesting at the table for You know, everyone to be talking about what the speaker was talking about and how it affected each of us deeply and interesting different ways. And I just love that God's so good that way that we can all hear the same message and, and learn something new and different.
And then again, from each other, it was really, you were really, it was really an amazing conference. And for joining us today. I feel very honored that you said yes. And we're talking about overcoming strongholds and I get that. That's a word that not everybody understands. It is in the Bible many times in the Old Testament, but only once that I found in the New Testament.
But I do think it's important in the world where we're living in, where there is spiritual warfare happening. Absolutely. And I don't think people even understand what the word means sometimes, or some of these. And that's where I invited you, Kara, is to help kind of guide this discussion. And give us your insight.
Yeah. So, I wanted to maybe just get a little background sketch of you and who you are. Um, something that I found interesting, and this might lead into the first question too, when I heard you speak, is it sounded like you have generational ministry in your family? Like you were raised Christian, and for generations this has been happening.
Is that true? That is true. And it's such an honor to be with you, Denalee. Thank you for the opportunity. So yeah, came from background in ministry. So on both sides of my family, my grandparents, my mom's dad was an Assemblies of God minister. He started in Mississippi and finished out just the remainder of his life in South Georgia.
And then my dad's father was originally in agriculture. He farmed a large property that he got passed down from his father after he came back from world war two. And my dad participated in that for a number of years before he. My grandfather actually transitioned out of. Farming and, uh, began ministering as well.
He was a pastor basically from the time I was old enough to understand. So, um, pretty early on in my life, but he did start his career a little bit later. So both, both sets of my grandparents were pastors by the time, you know, I was cognizant of what they did, you know, at that age is. A young child. And then my dad actually answered the call to ministry, uh, in his mid twenties and went to Ramah Bible training college in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
And so pretty much as, as long as I was aware, uh, he was, he was in ministry as well, pastored for a number of years, uh, up until 2014, he actually took a position back on staff. At the Bible college that he graduated from. So, yeah, I, I joke, there's kind of this old Pentecostal hymn that some people are familiar with that has a line about being wrapped up, tied up, tangled up with Jesus, and I, I joke, that's kind of a picture of my childhood just because encapsulated in the ministry.
But. So grateful. I would not have had it any other way. Um, and then my life always felt growing up, never had the story that some people have of resenting the church or resenting the faith that I'm really grateful. I grew up with a family that was just so authentic in their representation and love for God, um, that I, I got to really see the best parts of that, but also the reality of it, it was never fake or put on.
Um, and so it just very naturally and organically fostered. Uh, my own relationship with God along the way, it wasn't a secondhand faith that I have for my grandparents or my parents. I, I came to know the Lord very personally and early on just for myself. Um, and i'm so grateful for that felt felt same call to ministry that my grandparents and parents had but also just Had a knowing very early on that It wasn't going to look the same because again, I grew up in the context of my family had been pastors On grandparent's side, my parents, and I knew I was called in ministry, but just knew that it wouldn't quite look the same.
And that's certainly held true. So I graduated from Northern Kentucky University with my bachelor's, did go to Bible college as well. And for almost, oh, my goodness, it was probably 8 years and then just felt led to go get my master's degree. And that transition wound up opening up. A role in a new season of being in business that I'm still presently in, uh, and, and very much.
So enjoy walking that out. And truthfully, it's, it's all ministry at the end of the day, whether, whether you're overtly, you know, working within a church and those four walls or, or doing something else and, but doing it for the Lord and at his leading, it's, it's all ministry to him. So I've, I've done it kind of from both sides, but presently now, uh, pretty much full time in the business world.
That's awesome. So I had a thought when I've, I've been thinking about you, obviously a lot about this podcast. And I had kind of a thought that kept coming up is I used to go to a church where the pastor had kind of had a, Life like mine where he grew up in a little bit of dysfunction and like home and we weren't really raised by people who were following Christ.
And my mom is now. So praise God. , that's awesome. But in that dysfunction or in that not knowing, we have so many basic things we have to learn even as adults that just come to you a little bit naturally. And so I was thinking, I wonder if she's really had to overcome. A stronghold. Yeah. And I know that I know that that is not true, but it came in my head that other people might wonder.
I love that question. And I'll, I'll kind of hit it two ways. Number one. Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I've had to overcome things, but I won't take for granted that there are ways for winning that you have, you know, the advantage of inheriting when you watch people live by faith. And I think the. The mechanics of that and how you walk that out, seeing someone else do it is extremely helpful.
Um, and tremendous. And so I'm, I never take for granted the things that I got to learn by osmosis. Um, and I'll give you a quick example of that. My grandfather tells a story of when he accepted, uh, this, the, the pastor at this church. And my mother at the time was around, I think three or four, and he literally had his last $75.
And and had his wife, my mom, and then, uh, his middle son at the time, the youngest wasn't born yet. And he, he said, he literally pulled into the town and was looking needed gas desperately. And I was looking at as well and going, I can either fill up the car. I can feed my family. And I don't know what's going to happen from here.
And my mom, as it got out from the car, just as a little child, and she grabbed his shirt, mind you. Child knows nothing about what's going on. And she said, don't worry, daddy, God will provide. And so he would always tell that story about the Lord making a way for him. And I thought even then I'm like the things that I've never struggled with and necessarily provision because I watched people learn how to walk by faith and finances.
It's been an inheritance of mine that I've. I've started at a different level than they started at at that age. So that that's certainly a benefit. And I think it's, it's a reason that no matter where you are to be, maybe the better way to say it is to have a will to learn these things because you're passing it down.
And all the ground you're gaining, it is not just for you to see victory and you to overcome in your life. You're actually making the way for your children for your grandchildren To see you and actually not start where you're where you were or where you started So that's one thing but i'll say transparently Yes, I have had to overcome and I can certainly expound upon that but i'll throw it back to you If you if there's somewhere else you want to take that.
Um, I I do want to also just reiterate the importance of yes Like, I kind of think about this with my kids at, you know, maybe I wasn't the mother that they needed, um, when they were younger and I kind of during that time we believed, but you know, I did have to learn some things, but I do believe they get to leapfrog.
When you know something and they model, and that's how children learn is by modeling. So it's a really important reminder, like if you want to set your kids up for success, embrace that, embrace the learning and the growth. Yeah, absolutely. Knowing Jesus. Embrace the discipline. Yeah. No, that was a little hard for me early on with when you.
Or a little bit raised by yourself. Sure. You really come to rely on yourself for so much and um, I think I had a problem with authority for a while, so I think going to Bible college helped that quite a bit. , they really, really teach you about submission . Yeah. Yeah. I was just gonna say, as a parent too, I think anytime you're in authority, you know, you want to look strong.
For your kids. And so it's a little raw and vulnerable to walk through something, but man, it's powerful to, you know, I've heard people talk about just the power of apologizing to your children at times wrong and repentance and let them see what it looks like to own, you know, own repenting and saying, I was wrong.
I'm sorry about that. I mean, that's something. So there's a lot of adults that can't say those, those three words. I'm so sorry. So, so how much more. You know, is it important that we showed them, you know, how to overcome and the reality of it that, you know, to your point, yeah, you know what, you can love God.
And the Bible says, Jesus told us you are going to face tribulations in this life. There's going to be, there's going to be opposition. It's not just, you know, rainbows and daisies from here until Jesus comes. So it's good for them to see that and set proper expectations. Amen. So, what is a stronghold? Yeah, you know, I almost think the word stronghold at times, it's amazing how much language affects our thinking.
And at times, I think that word is a stronghold in and of itself, in the sense that people hear it and they already feel like it's just a mountain to overcome. So if we, if we were to almost just bottom line it and simplify it, I would say a stronghold is opposition. It's a place where you're experiencing opposition from God's best or what God's promised or what you, you know, is living in righteousness.
And when you explain it that way, I think it becomes really clear. It's not something that can't be overcome. It's just something that's trying to overcome you, if you will, or keep you away from what could be. So opposition is, I think, the most simplistic definition of a stronghold. I agree. And I think that opposition can come from us, from ourselves, right?
We can build that stronghold. You know, when you don't have a great grasp of your identity, you can really create that stronghold. lie of who you are, and that can create a stronghold within you instead of, and when we can't, when we're not finding our identity in Christ and we're like, and who we are. We can really adopt that lie.
I know that I did for many years. That was kind of my area of issue and Overcoming that was was to learn truth right to learn the truth of who I was Yes but when you get wrapped up in that false identity you really look for ways to reinforce and just It's almost like you're building your own stronghold your own fortress around yourself In the connotation that Paul's using it, it is about spiritual warfare, but I do believe it, it does encompass our own flesh too, and our own belief systems that we've created.
Yeah, I think that's an excellent and an excellent point. And it's so true that very often the biggest strongholds we face are between our two ears. It's, it's our mind, the way we're thinking about things. I mean, there's a reason. You know that it's written Romans 12 to renew your mind, you know, and I love that.
I love the rest of that scripture that you may prove what is the acceptable will of God. So in essence, I mean, what's been is get your mind, right? Think right deal with the strongholds in your mind. For example, like what you're thinking or the wrong places and patterns. thinking so that when someone looks at your life, it's actually an example of the will of God.
And I love that because I mean, you think about it, our, our lives are the evidence that so many people bring to, to the courtroom in their own mind of whether God's good. Whether he's still a healer, if he's a provider, they're looking at lives of people who profess him to be Lord and saying, is that true?
And so much of our lives bearing the fruit of that is about getting our minds right and dealing with some of the wrong thinking that's there. So it's an amazing point. Hey everybody, sorry to interrupt you. I just wanted to quickly tell you about. a new store that we're opening. It's called redledgergifts.
com. It's a Christian gift store. Um, some of our items aren't Christian. They're just candles, right? But we wanted to create a store that had meaningful, thoughtful gifts that you could give. Because gifts are important. People like to receive them and it makes us feel good to give them. And it's good to give something that's meaningful or that actually can impact their life in some way.
Our store has a lot of different cool gifts. Um, we have candles. Cool mugs. He's still a no God. Um, and, uh, we also have really cool Bibles. This is like a small one, you know, um, it's very, like it's kind of manlier. It's got like a nice black leather to it. Journals. Um, and it's, it's nice and compact too, so I can fit in my man purses.
Anyway, these are just kind of a small sampling of some of the things we're going to offer. Please check us out. So, uh, I think part of the problem that I had early on was I couldn't recognize that I even had a stronghold. Yeah. How do you, and I, I honestly, I couldn't go back to remember how I, how I finally came across it.
But how do you think people could recognize these strongholds in their lives? That's a really, a really great question. I will say, you know, some people I think are more prone to recognize it. Um, I often think of it, it's a lot like when your back's out of alignment and it's been out of alignment for so long, you almost morph yourself and accustom yourself to that way of living.
And until alignment's brought, you don't realize it. So, one of the places I think it's simplest is when you get in God's Word and get in the presence of God, it very quickly starts aligning or revealing what is righteousness, what is peace, what is joy, and it helps you realize, I've been living in my life without some of these things and why, and I think the why question is really important because I love that you brought out brought up that, you know, our mind is certainly a stronghold at times, or the source that a lot of this exists when we kind of draw back to your 1st question of like, what is a stronghold?
And we talked about or described it as opposition. I'm really grateful. But in scripture, we have so many examples of storms that people face kind of a quick case study. There's three that are really interesting to me in correlation to how we think about this subject. So you think about Jonah got into a storm.
How did he get there? He got there because he was in disobedience. So he's a really good example of his self, his thinking, his. Opposition to obeying the will of God got him into a storm. Um, so that's one area you can ask yourself. And honestly, it's pretty quick litmus test of, am I facing opposition or are things hard around me?
If so, is there something I'm being disobedient to? And it could be, you know, something the Lord specifically told you to do. And a lot of times, if we trace it back, we can find when we've been resisting that or a change he asked you to make, and you're not doing it. And then it can also just be us not living in alignment with what we know is the truth of his word.
You know, a great example of itself, that is the word tells us, you know, don't forsake the gathering or assembling of yourself together, which is a part of your faith, if you're a believer. Well, there's some opposition you're going to face in life, if you're not aligning with that. In that order of authority, uh, in, in the, uh, scripture of, uh, you know, you were set in the body.
The word says that he sets us in the body as it pleases him, meaning he places us and we're to have a pastor and a church body that we're submitted and working within and serving. So if that is missing in your life, that's an example of being disobedient to the word that can oftentimes. Create an open place for the enemy, uh, to, to oppose or to bring a storm.
So Jonah is a really good example. His own choices brought him into a storm. Another example I love is Jesus and the disciples. Jesus told them we're going to the other side and they faced a storm. So that's the perfect example of you can't be in the will of God doing everything right and face opposition and know that it's not about you.
And that's kind of the other side. I think to you asking the question, how do you know it? There's some people that maybe they're. They're not recognizing there is something in them. They need to change. And there's other people that self analyze so quick that they almost turn inward and make it about them.
And it's not. And I'll share a story about that before we're done today. Um, and then the 3rd storm I love is Paul. Paul was in a storm, but it was because of the people that he was in a boat with, it wasn't him. And so a lot of times we face opposition or strongholds in our life because the people were surrounding ourselves with, and it's a.
It's a good reminder. Take stock of the people around you. Are you facing opposition or a storm or a stronghold? Because you're maintaining relationships you know aren't right. And that's a quick place to address it. So two quickest places to address, are you in disobedience to something the Lord told you or the word?
Secondly, are there people in your boat that, you know, you should not be engaging with? Those are the two quickest places that I'd look and if I, um, things are getting hard and I need to figure out what's the source, not only if I'm facing a stronghold, but what's the source of it. That's where I'd start.
I love that reflection. That was really good. So, I recently kind of came out of a. What you would call a stronghold. Um, a few years back, I, I think it was kind of during that time. You may have to edit that out, honey, that word, but I got really angry and that's not really my personality. It was, I was angry at people and forgetting, forgetting that these are, you know, God's children too.
I was frustrated with the way our political system was going and I feel like I had been duped, like I, by the media, I, I didn't, you know, I never followed the news much. I was kind of a headline reader and I think I got really over involved in, What was happening in the world? And I thought that was my place that that's where God had truth into these people.
Well, I really wasn't speaking truth because I was angry. And the words that were coming out were angry, even on social media. And I was looking for such a way to justify my anger. I was, I remember buying this book, angry like Jesus. Cause like, okay, Jesus angry. He flipped tables. I must be doing the right thing.
Yep. I'm doing the right thing. But deep down, I think I knew I wasn't right, but I, I didn't stop. I mean, it became a full time job for me, which it was insane. Truly. I, I I'm embarrassed of the insanity I went through, but, um, I didn't know. I mean, I didn't know I was in it and I was looking for ways to justify my position, even though I think I, maybe I did know, maybe I knew I was wrong a little bit, but I kept looking for ways to justify, okay, well, Jesus was angry too, so I need to be angry.
But forgetting the part where he said, love, love the people. There's a lot of ways I think we can get hung up there, like, I haven't had I reflected like you had said, like something's not right. Who are you hanging out with? Things aren't right. Your back's out of alignment. Your marriage is having a little bit of trouble here.
And I was drinking and a lot. And that wasn't really in my nature either. So yes, it's, it is interesting how all of those things, and it's almost like it created a hole I was just falling further and further into until, you know, I just started praying and God of course showed up like he always does because he's good that way.
and picked me up and, and, uh, put me back on the ground I needed to be on. But it is, it is super interesting how easy, I mean, I'm a Christian, I'm a Christian at this time, still justifying my sin. Yeah. And building a bigger wall around me in it. And I think that's, that's dangerous. Obviously, you know, I wasn't in church either at that time.
Church had closed for during, and I was kind of lost without, without them. And without my people. And so I felt isolated and angry because my life had changed. I, my business had fundamentally changed. I was a little afraid of COVID. So I quit shipping everything. And my husband's life didn't really change because he has a construction business.
And so he was considered essential. That has to keep going. He was essential. I was not. So it was an interesting time, and I didn't have the people that are so important in the church. And I think, I think before this, I thought church was You know, and if I get there, it's okay. And then after this happened, I realized how important church was.
Because you do have those friends, those connections that hold you accountable. And I think that's why it's important to serve is I was held accountable by my, I have two strong girls that I do Bible study with every Friday who we hold each other accountable. When something gets a little off in our life, we speak into each other, Hey, I get, I get why you're upset about that, but.
You know, you might want to really think about that love again. So it's just. Yeah. Important to be surrounded and not to get isolated from the flock. It really is. I agree. And I, I don't think, yeah, I think that was a really good reminder because I think every storm, everything you've said was touched on in my example of my mess I created in my life and the distance in my family that I was creating because nobody wanted to be around me because I was a nut job.
Nobody wants to be around that. Yeah. But. We can laugh, but the truth is we've all been there. And I love that you bring up the accountability piece and relationships. And it's amazing because, I mean, I appreciate just your transparency and the example and the vulnerability to say, Hey, the reality is, and I mean, I know so many people, even myself felt this way during COVID.
It's like we were in control of nothing. And your life is just changing drastically. And. You're you feel exactly that you feel like you can't control. And so there's a lot of emotions that start stirring up. And it's amazing because, uh, again, we were all trying to navigate losing the local church in the way we had known it previously, you know, thank God for live streaming and all of those facets, but it's such a good reminder.
And we reflect back that it doesn't replace being in the room. with the presence of God. And to your point, having people that you're accountable to. And I think it's amazing. I love there's just a simple portion of scripture that says at the entrance of his word brings light. And the light of his word and when his word is not just coming at us from a pulpit from the minister that's speaking, but we're all in our own, uh, in our own way, studying scripture, uh, you know, worshiping God with songs that are scriptural.
It's amazing how even to your point of, you know, the conversation you had over lunch with women after the conference, it's amazing because each of you. The word is so alive and fresh in you and you're speaking it. It's like it becomes a second sermon over lunch and light's coming. And the light that comes when we are speaking his word to one another, it doesn't have to be that we're quoting scripture verbatim, but we're speaking truth, scriptural principles, light is coming at us.
And as someone is sharing the same way in this podcast, you can share a story. And because it's coming from a place of truth and righteousness and that the leading of the spirit of God, even, even that helps light come to somebody else's life and go, Oh my gosh, I've been angry or, or I realized just hearing her describe that that's been me.
Uh, so it's, it's phenomenal, just the role accountability plays, but how so much of it back to us being on alignment with some of the most basic principles in God's word and how that alignment makes things really easy when we're adhering to it. And how quickly, uh, and it's not something to be afraid of, but something to be really conscious of that, yeah, it's a significant thing when you start coming out of alignment with those key relationships with your local church and it opens up a door, you know, for, for things to come into your life that previously there wasn't an access point or an entrance point.
Yes. And that fellowship is, is just so important. I. I really didn't believe that before. And I really missed out. And that's when I found the church that I go to that I met you at because we started, cause I started going, well, what do you mean, they're closing the church? Like we should be fighting. But I, I did watch, um, life Bible churches where I go to church now in Meridian and I was really impressed, but I was a little.
Stung from my life. Isn't their fault. That's me. It was all on me. I love them. I'm still friends. But I started watching them on the live streaming for about a year before I felt really comfortable of going in and it was so different experiencing from behind the live stream on TV and going in in person.
It is a different experience. It's the Holy Spirit, the energy is so different and transforming. that I don't think people can understand who don't step into church. I have a friend who I'm trying to coax to get to church who watches our church every, every Sunday. So hopefully they'll see this and understand that there is something tangible that happens.
In that church. That's holy ground. Yeah. And Jesus shows up. Yeah, absolutely. Well, we spoke about it just briefly at the conference, but you know, one of the things we have to be cognizant of, you can certainly listen to the ministry of the world on YouTube. Thank God for all the mediums and channels we have access to, but the corporate anointing.
There is no replacement for being in the room and the power of what can happen in the corporate anointing when all of us are there and we're all standing in faith together. Literally physically we're together in faith. Spiritually. We're in alignment. What can transpire in that atmosphere? Is tremendous.
And it's why I mean, you think about it. The apostle Paul said this and in one of his letters, he says, I long to see you that I may impart to you. So, I mean, Paul's letters were kind of the original podcast. I mean, it's awesome. He's, he's writing and they're getting passed around. People are reading them.
So could he not have? Have, you know, communicated what he was trying to get to people. Well, there was certainly a lot he could communicate and thank God for it because it makes up a significant portion of our New Testament today. We're grateful, but he still see you with my eyes because there's some things I need to impart to you by being in proximity.
And so it's a reminder that there's no replacement for that. And at times you've got to be in the room, just that's the bottom line. Amen. Well, I think there's. You know, there's all kinds of strongholds. Can you think of some other ways these show up in people's life? Sure. Well, I mean, I love the way you described one of like a mental stronghold, uh, things that you just struggle against in your mind, and it might be a belief about yourself.
It might be a, a place in faith that you've just not arrived at. And I, you know, I use the example of, um, for example, my, my grandfather, you know, was learning God as provider. At that age, what's amazing is there, there are people who walk fully in God's healing power. But they're still learning him as provider and vice versa.
There's other people that they've never struggled for finances. They could believe, for example, is hard for them or so. There's, I think there's a strong hold of believing for, for something that we know is truth or know that the blood of Jesus purchased for us. So that's 1 piece. And then, I mean, there's, there's kind of another, I would say, uh, form that opposition can take and it's almost, I wouldn't say it's mental.
I wouldn't say it's struggling with a place in your faith. I would say it can almost come off as an oppression, uh, or, or a struggle. In, in the season you're in, and things become extremely hard, extremely difficult, um, you may even, it may even have a mental side of it of feeling oppressed to the point that you're not feeling like yourself.
And at the end of the day, it's part of the scripture you referenced where, you know, the Bible says we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and strongholds. And in essence, what's being articulated there is. What you're facing is because, hey, let's be real. People can be strong.
Well, I have been for others, so I agree. No longer. Thank you, God. I've been freed from that. Yeah. Set free. But what I mean by that is in that people can be strongholds, any, any body, not the same way you can be used by God. The enemy can use people too. And I'm not that we're not saying they're demon possessed.
It's just simply saying the same way. Someone can follow, you know, a leading of the Lord. People can also fall into sin and, you know, be an oppositional force when frankly, they should be in those ways. So, in essence, what that scripture that was saying is it's trying to articulate to us. Hey, you're not.
Wrestling against people, what you're wrestling against isn't even usually physical or tangible. Um, and so I, I love the example you used used in a way of going like, Hey, I was frustrated with the government. I was frustrated with politics. I'm frustrated with all of them, there are names and faces to all of them, but the truth, like, if you apply that scripture to that scenario, in essence, what's being said is, Hey, the government isn't.
Isn't what you're wrestling against. Hey, the political forces aren't what you're wrestling against as much as they may be the face, the person, they're not at, they're not behind the curtain. They're not the Oz what what's behind the curtain is actually spiritual forces. And at the end of the day, we're living in a world that has both light and darkness.
And good and evil. And if you are a force for righteousness, yielding to God, then you're going to encounter places of opposition because you're hitting against places of darkness that frankly, you're taking territory. So that's one way to think about it. I think. And I was not yielding to God at all. I was yielding to what I thought, because I didn't think he was acting fast enough.
I didn't think God was doing what he needed to be doing. So that was on high. That was in hindsight. I didn't see that in the moment. I thought, of course, I might be, be a conduit for him, but you can see how messy you can get in your own mind and you deceive yourself that I was not yielding to God. I wasn't even in the word like I used to be.
I was, I was avoiding it. I have to tell you, the worst of it was kind of when there was all this writing happening and our church was closed and I was feeling this helplessness. And instead of noting, okay, these feelings are happening. Don't be led by them. They're indicators. Then maybe reflect on what's going on.
Like you had suggested, like you suggested earlier, I might not have went down. that spiral. Really, it truly was a spiral. Sure. And it really did affect other people. And it sounds silly because, you know, I wasn't addicted to drugs. I wasn't, you know, all these crazy big things that people do have happen, but it did affect my family.
And it affected all of our walks. Because I'm mom, kids are modeling mom, or avoiding mom, probably avoiding me at that point. No, I think that's a wonderful example and it's just a good reminder that again, we think of that word stronghold as being so big and significant. And yet it often starts really small and it's not, it's not a, it's not something that happens overnight.
It's usually, I'm often the building of something. Um, sometimes it's to your point, the building of a lot of frustration and anger that when that doesn't get dealt with becomes. To be a driving force above the Spirit of God. And when you start responding to that, you know, that then all of a sudden starts creating fruit in your life that doesn't taste very good at all.
So are you at a point in your life, in your relationship with God, where you just recognize that quickly and you don't really have to walk through things quickly? I'd love to say that, but the reality is, I think every season. Is requiring growth in us, and I think you can be in a season where you feel like maybe you, you've mastered some of the moves, like the karate kid, you know, wax on wax off and yet again, it's a good reminder when, when God promotes you.
When he increases you as we're taking territory as we should be is growing in our walk with God and ultimately growing in our influence and whatever, you know, areas that that looks like for us, but in our family and business and culture, all of those areas inevitably. That new influence, new levels will bring new levels of opposition to challenge how strong you are.
And so I'll say, you know, even for me, I'll a really good example. Um, when I transitioned from working full time ministry to being full time business and the mechanics of faith are the same, but the day to day looks very different. And it challenged me of going like, okay, um, I know how to walk by faith in ministry.
What does it look like to do this in business? And I know how to get a word from God about something in ministry for someone, but what does it look like to ask God for a word from the Lord about what client to really, you know, lean into and know that's, that's the one you need to be prioritizing or, or focus on this deal.
Not this one, that type of thing. What That look like? So I think new seasons always require growth from us. I mean, that's, that's the picture. It's like we left to say glory to glory, strength to strength and grace to grace, but especially strength to strength. Anybody that's ever worked out and really challenged their strength level to get a new muscle will tell you.
I don't care how good you are at bicep curls with a 30 pound weight. If you increase the weight of authority, increase the influence, there's going to be some tension there that you're going to have to work through and, and, and level out. So, I don't think you ever hit a point where it's just, you know, mechanical or not a thought.
I think we're always growing. And at the same time, we always have to be on guard. Humility is always. Honestly, inspecting yourself. So I, um, recently we did a podcast where, um, hmm, I don't, I didn't want to say those words where my son was struggling with porn and. You know, he is very vulnerable and honest, and he's walking through this and has faith that God's gonna see him through it, and, and truly he's, I think he's good now.
We do talk about it because it, it's something he's having faith for, but how would you, if you could talk to him or speak to him to overcome this, what are some practical ways that he could overcome? Yeah, I, I love that. The first thing I would say is. Invite Jesus into your journey. Yes, because a lot of us We get to a point where we're willing to, and I love that you're like, he had an honest conversation about it was vulnerable.
It's amazing because when the 1st, number 1, the 1st step is get it out of the darkness, you know, bring it into the light. And the quickest way to do that is to invite other people into it and say, this is accountability again. This is what I'm walking through. But a lot of times, even when you're being accountable with other people, I think there's the tendency, especially when it comes to sin, um, to feel shameful and like you need to get yourself together and then come to the Lord.
And in reality, God wants to help you walk through that. And so I think it starts by being honest with him, repenting and saying, Lord, I'm asking for your help in this to overcome. You know, the, the root of this and, and ask the Lord, I think a really good question just in to ask the Holy Spirit is Lord, what do you want me to know about what I'm struggling with?
Oh, what a good question. And just let him speak because half the time we go to rebuking and I'm in faith, we never deal with the root, you know, and, and the Lord's interested in making you whole, not masking your symptom and fixing. Fixing your actions, he's interested in wholeness and righteousness. And so, you know, he, the, the issue isn't the porn problem.
That's a symptom there. There's something in your soul that's looking for that and understanding why and where that comes from and the Holy Spirit again at the entrance of his word brings light and speaking to you will help reveal that and so I think. Having an open conversation and inviting Jesus into that journey is paramount.
And then what he's already done, accountability is critical of don't do it alone. You know, you and Jesus is not enough, you know, on a practical side, I think it's so strategic to have accountability and bring people. And I know so many people that have walked through this issue and you know what, they, they gave all the, all their passwords.
I know, I think there's an app called covenant eyes that you can subscribe to and someone else gets a report of everything you've looked at. So. I think he did that. That is so cool. Yeah. So I, I love that. It's just a checkpoint even for yourself of going like, Lord, I'm serious about this. I want to change, you know, and, and invite other people into that journey.
And then the last thing I'll say is, you know, scripture tells us we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. And I think the power of that is knowing Jesus already freed you. From anything to lay hold of you with. So lust, whatever it is, any, any soul issues, he set us free spirit, soul, and body.
So on the cross, he didn't just deal with our spiritual condition, but our spiritual righteousness, that being dealt with also dealt with our physical body and our soul being restored. And so the blood of the lamb covers. The totality of you spirit soul and body. He didn't leave any part of it out. We're not waiting to heaven to be restored fully.
Does that make sense? I mean, we can live holy here. And so 1 is, I mean, becoming aware and meditating on what the blood did for you and that Christ's reality is my reality. His freedom is my freedom. So I don't live subject to anything or anyone. So I think the revelation of that, meditating on that, but then also the word of your testimony, confessing out loud daily, you know, what you know to be true and, and making holy spirit.
What do I need to be saying to myself daily and declaring that at the start of every day in the same way of becoming, it's not about being a parrot, but saying it from a place of belief and faith over yourself of I live free. From, you know, porn, from the lust of the flesh. I live free from any of this.
My eyes are only for the Lord. I don't fall to sin or shame, you know. All of those types of things, and declaring that daily. By the, you know, believing not only what the blood did for you, but having a confession about it. I think those three things are paramount. I think that was great. So not only confessing out loud to get out of hiding, but confessing the truth.
Absolutely. I mean, that's how we renew our mind, right? We replace the thought. Absolutely. That's awesome. Yes. So I think something, um, that he discovered here in the last few months. I mean, we recorded it a long time ago. So, but it just, we just put it out. Yeah. But something that we talked about since then was he was opening.
I, I just had this feeling. I said, is there some other door opening that That is happening, that you're allowing something else in that's maybe even unrelated. And I mean, I don't know enough about this subject, but it did happen. So happened, and I, I don't want to share what that door was, but it wasn't anything bad, but that's.
His story to share, but there was an open door that he was consciously living in some sin that he knew wasn't good for him. And he wasn't, you know, and although watching porn is sin, right, that is, but it seems more of like this addictive behavior that this drawing, this pulling, and he was really living in the faith that God would remove that desire.
Yeah. All of that. Yeah. And, but it wasn't happening, but it was almost like, it's like inviting the enemy in. Yeah. Is that, does that, does that sound biblically sound to you?
Yeah. Absolutely. Well, I, I think at the end of the day, you have to think about it like this. You can either feed truth or feed the lie and we have to be really careful because you can, you can be working to be free from a lie and yielding and yielding to that. But if you're letting, letting that a voice.
Or even, you know, the Bible uses words like vain imaginations, um, having insurance in your life. It can hinder you from overcoming. I'll use kind of an alternate example of this just personally from my life, um, as as a help. So there was a season in my early 20s. And I was not dating anybody at the time, mind you, I'm not married, I wasn't married, and I also was dealing with, um, fear about not being able to conceive children or miscarrying when the time came for me to want to have kids.
And it was such an attack on my mind that the imagination of it would just kind of hit me sometimes. When I was quiet or by myself or getting ready to go to sleep, it would just overwhelm me. And again, it felt so odd and out of place for the season. I was saying, cause I'm going, this isn't even, it's not like I'm married trying to have kids, you know.
And so it was just the oddest opposition that came up and, and yet it was real to me because my mother struggled to conceive. Um, she, she had my older sister and I, but total miracle. And both of my grandmothers, uh, also experienced struggle conceiving and, or miscarriages at some point. And so it was almost like the knowledge of that.
And then. These images that were bombarding my mind as a stronghold were just beginning to overwhelm me. And a couple of things, number one, I asked the Lord, what is this? And I heard very clearly, and again, it's again, bring it to Jesus. Don't try to define what you're experiencing coming up with your own reason.
Let him be the revealer of truth. And so I asked, Lord, what is this? I heard so clearly that the Lord say, the enemy has no, no foothold in the season you're in. And so he's trying to plant seed for a season you will come into so that you'll be in fear when that comes. And I was like, the devil is a liar.
And so, just the entrance of that word put a fight in me of how dare you. Of all of a sudden, I mean, I got angry about it, of going, you have no entrance into this season or any other season in my life. And so his word brought light, but here's the second thing. Immediately the Lord told me. Don't entertain these imaginations when they come, meaning take a quick look, quickly rebuke, rebuke those thoughts.
And then he said, and secondly, watch any, letting yourself be entertained on anything on TV that involves miscarriage or, or women having trouble conceiving in a show. How many shows show that? Come on. I can't tell you how many times I've been watching a movie and something to come up and I would just turn it off.
because why I had a word from the Lord and I didn't need that becoming an additional stronghold when I was already shutting this down over here. So I think that's, you know, kind of a corollary example to what you're saying of like, No, the show showing that wasn't the problem, but it's feeding a lie. And we don't tolerate lies.
We don't tolerate anything that's in opposition to the truth. And a lot of times, it's having really clear boundaries of shut it down. So, yeah, why would we want to fortify the enemy's lie? Come on. And so, and I think this is a difficulty for people who think I'm an extremist about what I won't watch and put in my head anymore.
Because I don't want to fortify the lies that fortify the old things. And I think removing those temptations, like you said, like even in an app or I used to eat when I was stressed. So, I quit buying those foods. You know, I mean, it's just wisdom. There's just smart. Like, let's move, let's remove the temptation.
Let's remove the things that are causing us to. To fall. Mm-hmm . And I get, yeah. I get, I don't want people to like strive and think it's willpower, but it's just wisdom. Right. It's wisdom to remove some of these things from our lives. Yes. But I think how you illustrated it really made me think, oh, it's just like fortifying.
It's like we're helping Yes. To build that wall. Yes, absolutely. I mean, at the end of the day, it's. Things really are pretty black and white. It's like you're either believing a lie or you're believing the truth. You're either fortifying a lie in your life or you're fortifying a truth. Uh, sin and things of, of the enemy, or you, you are creating an atmosphere and environment around you that only is built on the truth.
And I'll say again, I think the more. The more you find yourself anchored in the truth, the more you lose any tolerance for other things. And that's not in any way a statement of conviction. At the end of the day, everyone has their own convictions. There are things that aren't scriptural necessarily.
There's no scripture for don't watch shows, you know, what I just used. But that was a conviction the Lord spoke to me and it became the word of the Lord to me. And I have to be obedient to that. And, and so at the same time, we have to seek the Lord going, God, what convictions do I need to have in my life for the season you're entering me into, the season I want to be in and put those in place and don't look back.
Exactly. So yes, exactly. Somebody who doesn't have that issue might. Be able to watch a show like that. Not that you couldn't, not that you couldn't watch it, but God told you not to. So you shouldn't. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, he, he wants what's best for us. And sometimes I forget. So it's so good to talk with, with you today to be reminded.
Thank you. So I think I really, okay. So that was kind of a lot for people. I, so I want to just break it down real quick. So we confess. I really like that. We confess. So we're not hiding. We also confess and declare truth. We fortify with truth. We also, and this is what I loved. You even, you did this so effortlessly at the women's conference too.
Oh, ask God what he thinks about it. I mean, of course, like ask him, ask him, not just praying and, You know, walking in authority, but ask him what he thinks about it. Yeah. Like, let's get to the root of the issue. Let's reflect on that. And why, why, why are, why did this rabbit trail start so we don't have it again so we can get to the root of the issue of like shooting those darts in our Achilles heel.
So when I was thinking about that. I really, the word identity just kept coming up and coming up about how everything starts as a thought and that programming, you know, when we're a kid starts to form our identity or when we're young and just the wrong word sometimes can really skew what people think about themselves.
It could be a wrong word from a parent or somebody in authority, somebody they respect and it can create. create a story that isn't necessarily true. And then, yeah, then I really thought about how we reinforce it and look for ways to reinforce this when we're walking in the world or we don't have somebody to guide us or we're not leaning on Jesus.
You know, I didn't really have that, um, growing up. So I relied on the world world to kind of teach me. So I believed lies for a really long time, but it all started with a thought. It's, it's the enemy in my head as a young girl when I didn't have all the information. And then me looking for ways to fortify my lie over and over again until I was an adult.
And I think that's how the enemy works. He fortify, I just, I wish I could express this vision I'm seeing of this fortification of this wall. Yes. Yes. Yes. But. And that's what we've got to break down, is that's where this battlefield in our mind happens that we have to break, that we have to destroy. And I think you gave us some really good tools to do that.
And duh, ask the question. Well, it's amazing. It's what I talked about too. It's amazing how so much in our Christianity we become so mechanical. And we, we almost, we weaponized the word to a point that it's like, we just jumped to the script and start, you know, declaring it and praying this, and it's almost so disconnected from.
The Lord in the sense that we never asked him anything or just pause to say, father, I invite you into the scenario. You know, what, what, what do you have to say about this? Because I know what I'm seeing, but it's really good. It's so good to acknowledge. Lord, I see this from my perspective, but scripture says your ways are higher, that your thoughts are higher.
And so, Lord, I just refuse to believe that in and of myself, I'm thinking everything that I could. You, on the other hand, no. You're omnipotent, all powerful. So I set aside what I'm thinking about this, what I'm feeling, the things I want to just start doing, you know, immediately. And I ask for your wisdom, you know, and I love this.
There was an amazing woman, Pat Harrison. She said, if the Holy Spirit isn't being everything to you that Jesus said he would be, it's because you're not letting him. And so a lot of times it's so good for us before we again, embark on creating our own action plan, quote, unquote, of how we're going to fix ourselves or fix someone or fix this scenario, which, you know, we've all done it.
So we can laugh and be honest before we jump into motion. It's so good to go. Holy spirit. I employ you as my teacher, my helper, my advocate, my guide. My standby, I need you in every function of who you are in my life, and I invite you into it. Any place that I have been trying to be my own helper, my own guide, I would like to formally resign and re employ you and just repent.
Lord, I repent for doing things out of the flesh or by works and not. Relying on your anointing, you know, give me your words, you know, that's what Jesus said. We, we live every day. Our, his word is our daily bread, his direction, his voice in our life. It's literally nourishment to us. It's, it's how we overcome and live by.
So why would we not ask the question and invite his word, you know, into it? It's just becomes, it can be the quickest thing to forget and yet it's the easiest thing to correct. Yes. And that is our reminder to start there. Start there. Because, because I, I always end up there, but, um, yes, if we start there, you know, You think of the, uh, time in the wilderness, we might say, going directly to the land of milk and honey.
Precisely. Do you have any tools that you would want to share or practical ways that people can overcome? I would just recap what we talked about of, you know, it's It's not about you, or listen to this podcast, something you can overcome. Uh, the word is, Oh, look at me. I want the five. I want the five tips.
I want the top seven ways to get this done. I am a chronic list maker. So I, I'm the quickest to be like, are there like things I can take bullets on? But I think it's so good for us. To go, like, the reality is you have everything you need to succeed right now. Yes. You just need to actualize it. And, and at some point, um, maybe just pause.
Everything you're doing and start from from ground zero, which is the reality and powerfulness of your relationship and connection with God and let him lead you again. Like we talked about, let him lead you to the source. Why are you facing opposition? Why is there a stronghold? Is it because of something that's within your mind or a choice you made?
Is it because of someone you're connected to, or are you just in the will of God and you're the type of opposition the Lord said you're going to face and then let him understand. Okay. What do you, what do you want to do about that then? What do we need to do about that? And let him guide you in that. But again, it, it always, he'll guide you by his word.
And it, and it will not, it will not, uh, ever not involve knowing what his blood has done for you and that being a reality to you. And that also there being a confession of your mouth and you being able to declare that as true. Yeah. Amen. So those are the bookends I would say. Thank you. Thank you for my bookends.
I'd like to have those tidy, tidy, tidy things up. I love it. Is there anything else you want to add to, do you think that our listeners should know? I'll just share one story that I kind of briefly alluded to at the beginning here as we finish up. And I think it's just a reminder to us of why, why we overcome, why we don't settle, because that's the thing with a stronghold.
You can learn to live, live with a limp, you know, uh, you can, you can at some point go, this is okay. And I think sometimes we need full perspective of why we have to push through and overcome and I'll give you an example. So, there was a season in my life where I was walking through a storm and it was the storm I told you about where there were people in your boat and so I was, I was walking through a pretty intense season and.
Um, had just seen some devastation in my life, connected to people that were around me. And I love, there's a statement I've heard a woman of God say so often, that's that if the enemy can't get a hold in you, he'll often try to use the person closest to you that has the least amount of a word in them.
And it was one of those seasons where, uh, someone, some, someone close to me that that was what had happened. And I was, uh, I was working one day and I was going back to heat up my lunch and I was office with my lunch. Just this thought on autopilot kind of played through my mind, you know, cause I'm in the heat of this season.
It's just everything, everything's so real to me of what I'm going through. It was kind of a worst of it at that point. And I just remember thinking this thought, I don't know what I did to deserve this because I hadn't done anything sinful or unrighteous. I was following the will of God and my life is.
You know, in a lot of ways, looking like it's blowing up around the fringe. I thought that thought, I don't know what I've done to deserve this. And so quickly, then only I, the Holy spirit rose up in me and I heard his voice so clear. And it wasn't that he was rebuking me. He was rebuking the lie that was attached to that thought.
And he said, it's not about you. It's about what I'm trying to bring through you. And what I realized was that so much of the opposition I was facing. It wasn't even connected to me. It was connected to ultimately what God wanted to do through me. And he was trying not just to shut down the consequence of my yes, which would impact so many others.
And so I would just encourage people that, you know, you may be a believer, you've been walking in faith and you're going, I'm doing, I feel like I'm doing everything right. And I'm still. Facing opposition or a pushback or a storm, I would just encourage you not to fall into the trap of self pity and self analyzation, where you can so quickly almost start trying to rip apart your life to go.
Where did I miss it? What did I do? And to realize. You know what this is not usually about you. It's actually about what the Lord's trying to bring through you and that's under attack. And I think that reality makes us stand up a little bit and kind of put our boxing gloves back on and go. No, I'm, I'm not resenting.
Any piece of territory to the enemy. I'm not going to live this way or endure this, you know, I'm here to take territory, not give it up. And so I would just encourage you to let a storm back you down from what God has put in your heart to believe Him for, to contend for, to step into. Understand, use the things we've talked about today to understand the root.
But it's not just about you, and it's paramount that you overcome, so do it. Amen. Yes, because when we overcome, it helps everyone around us. It changes the life. Absolutely. I'm a big believer in when we get healed, the people around us are truly affected, and the ripple effect starts. Come on. That's it. It's the truth.
Well, thank you so much for joining us today. I really enjoy your insights. I could probably do this all day with you every day. If you, if you want to, you know, quit your job and earn nothing.
You're, I'm here, . Thank you. Keep that as back . Sure. Well, thank you so much for joining. It was such a pleasure. I learned. So the people who are watching this are gonna be completely blessed by it. Thank you so much for being such a great vessel of God and and your obedience and showing up and sharing.