Do you ever struggle with thoughts that affect your emotions in a negative way? Negative emotions like fear, doubt, shame, offense and more are direct strikes against your faith. They are the fiery darts of the enemy that have come to seek, kill and destroy the fruitfulness that the Holy Spirit is helping to produce in you.
You may be wondering what this has to do with doors, bolts and bars. As I read about the rebuilding of the wall in Nehemiah chapter 3, I noticed there are 8 gates mentioned with at least 5 references to doors, bolts and bars. But, before the priests and people began the process of hanging the doors at the gateways with its bolts and bars, they consecrated (dedicated) the entire wall to the Lord. This has a significant metaphoric meaning for us in our Christian walk.
In order to avoid the fiery darts of the enemy, you need a hedge of protection around you, a wall to keep the enemy out, protecting the fruit that the Holy Spirit is producing in you. You do not want to give the devil a foothold into your heart (your spirit), mind, will and emotions (your soul). Read Galatians 5:16-26 for a contrasting list of the “works of the flesh” compared to the “fruit of the Spirit”. The works of the flesh will give the enemy a foothold in your life.
Notice in Nehemiah 3:1, the priests and people consecrated the wall and its gates with its bolts and bars to the Lord. Likewise, we must consecrate ourselves to the Lord. We must dedicate the gateway of our heart, mind, will and emotions to Jesus after we accept him as Lord, having repented of our sin. And in doing so, the Lord is faithful to His promise:
“No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And every tongue that rises against you in judgment you will condemn.This [peace, righteousness, security, and triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And this is their vindication from Me,” says the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:17)
As a believer in Jesus, dedicating yourself to the Lord is an important next step to guard yourself from enemy attack. Jesus said: in this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the world! To overcome, we must guard what is precious to God and what is precious to us.
Our children are precious to us. As Christians, we dedicate them to the Lord as babies, before they’re old enough to make any decisions for themselves. We want them to be supernaturally protected from harm, because they’re our most valued possession. Do you value yourself as much as your child? Just like your children are precious to you, God’s children are precious to Him. You are precious to Father God!
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” (Jeremiah 31:3 NLT)
You must regard yourself as valuable, “devoted” to God. When Joshua and the Israelites were conquering the land of Canaan, they were instructed to devote all the silver, gold and bronze to the Lord because of its value. How much more valuable are you than the silver, gold and bronze found in the earth? God’s Word says that heaven and and earth will pass away, but His Word will stand forever. And when you stand on God’s Word, He is faithful. When you believe in Jesus, you are adopted as sons and daughters of God. Remember, you were washed in the precious blood of the Lamb. That innocent Lamb paid the price for your redemption, which entitles you to be called a child of God. And that is what you are! (John 1:12 AMP; 1 John 3:1 AMP)
As I said in my last blog, Jesus did it all for us. It’s already done! So, now that you have everything you need for a fruitful, abundant life dedicated to the Lord, you must establish the door with its bolts and bars. You can’t lock a door without bolts and bars. You keep the enemy out by keeping the door to your soul and spirit tightly locked, safe from unwanted intrusion. You keep out negative emotions, preventing them from becoming a stronghold in your life. By bringing Jesus all of your thoughts, you receive discernment about the truth of that thought through His Word.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For 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 10:3-5 ESV)
Even though the attacks will come, you are promised that no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Don’t get caught up in the lies of the devil. Take every thought to Jesus and weigh it against His Word. If it’s not what God says about you, it’s a lie. Don’t buy into it and start harboring negative thoughts because they give the enemy a foothold. Then, they manifest into negative emotions and can become strongholds, causing your faith to falter. That is how Christians can become depressed, or give in to self medicating, getting addicted to substance abuse or other forms of temporary satisfaction.
Sometimes, I harbor negative thoughts and seek temporary satisfaction through eating, especially bread and sweets, causing myself to feel unwell. And when I don’t fit into my clothes, I feel down and bummed out, not valuing myself, giving the enemy a foothold into my soul and spirit. Then, all kinds of negative feelings begin to evolve, and I start to believe lies about myself that are not of God. Lately, I have gotten a lot better at practicing what I preach, but it is only through the Word of God that I can do it. If you don’t read it, you won’t know what God says about you.
So in closing, I remind you that my mission in life is to encourage you to read God’s Word, meditate on it and internalize it. Ask God to keep His hedge (wall) of protection around you, and do your part by keeping the door of your heart, mind, will and emotions (your spirit and soul) locked with all of its metaphoric bolts and bars. When we guard our heart and mind in Christ Jesus, He becomes the door with its bolts and bars that keep the enemy out.
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope it encouraged you. God bless you!
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