Understanding Triggers, Gates and Doors

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We are entering into a new season, and I believe that we are all on the cusp of something life-changing! God is not “going” to do it; it has already been done, and it is heading toward us with full force. Every person has gates to their spirit, soul, and body. The Word tells us that when we received Jesus, we became sealed with the Holy Spirit. The gates to our spirit closed when our spirit becomes a new creation.

A stronghold is a fortified dwelling encamping around our belief system. Our distorted thinking patterns and faulty core beliefs are the strongholds that hinder our agreement with God’s Word. Identifying and tearing down our strongholds is essential to walking in the fullness of God’s victory and power. Satan’s kingdom mirrors everything in God’s kingdom, producing a counterfeit. Therefore, if there is a gate to blessings, there is most assuredly a gate to familiar spirits of influence.

Examples of stronghold thought patterns are fear, doubt, negativity, expectations, rejection, betrayal, performance-based mentality, victim thinking, and so many more. These strongholds formed through our life experiences are contrary to the Truth of God’s Word. They alter how we perceive God, His character, promises, who we are in Him, and the authority that we have through Christ Jesus. We must shut our open gates against the enemy. Our strongholds reveal to us what gates we have open. If even one gate is open and unprotected, we fall prey to our enemies who seek to oppress us and gain a foothold. God warns us not to give the devil place. Gates of pride, rebellion, false beliefs, or wrong motives allow Satan to erect a fortress giving the enemy a place to establish his camp. We must keep watch over our gates; this means searching ourselves through the Holy Spirit and guarding the gates and doors to our soul and body. We must actively choose to identify and tear down mental strongholds and not allow the enemy to access us through our gates. Our perception of our life situations, the patterns, and beliefs that we operate in, and how we feed either our flesh or our spirit man are all of great importance. This is not only to tear down strongholds but to guard the doors and gates that allow deception to enter and turn us in the wrong direction. We want to have the mind of Christ, so guard your doors and gates and tear-down strongholds that are contrary to the Word of God. Let God be your stronghold.

Guarding our doors and gates are extremely important. How we take in information and process it is how things enter through the doors and gates of our soul. Our five senses are the doors and gates that allow information to enter. It is important to feed the spirit, not the flesh, so we are to guard our borders. The Bible shows us clearly in the Old Testament that the vulnerability and strength of a fortress or stronghold always rest in its gates. This principle is the same in the spiritual and revealed to us in the natural.

There are important facts that were known in Bible times to conquer a fortified city. So these principles apply to us tearing down our strongholds.

There are important facts that were known in Bible times to conquer a fortified city.

These principles apply to us, tearing down our strongholds.

The Old Testament provides us with an image of a stronghold surrounded by thick walls, a draw bridge, and fortified gates. The gates of the ancient cities are not as we imagine today’s gates, but massive gates made of stone, iron, brass, or wood frequently sheeted with metal. They were tall and wide. “The Beautiful Gate” of Herod’s temple (Acts 3:2) was made of brass and required twenty men to close it. These gates were opened during the day to allow the citizens to come and go but were generally closed and barred at night as a safety measure to keep out enemy attacks. Whoever controlled the gates of the stronghold ruled the city.

The gates of a city were very significant. The gates were shut at nightfall (Joshua 2:5) because they were the chief point from which the enemy attacked (Judges 5:8). Idolatrous acts were performed at the gates (Acts 14:13). Battering rams were set against the gates (Ezekiel 21:22), and the gates were broken down and burned with fire (Nehemiah 1:3).

The gates were seats of authority (Ruth 4:11). At the gates, wisdom was uttered (Proverbs 1:21). Judges and officers served at the gates administering justice (Deuteronomy 16:18), and the councils of state were held at the gates (2 Chronicles 18:9). The Word was read (Nehemiah 8:2-3), and the prophets proclaimed God’s message (Jeremiah 17:19-20) from the gates. The people also had to enter through the gates to worship the Lord.

I pray that every gate of distraction be overturned and dismantled and closed. Enter into your NEW SEASON without interruptions, pay close attention to what the enemy uses to trigger your gates. I am praying for you and excited about your Future.

Pastor House

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2