7月3日
标 题：攻破坚固营垒
经 节：“你们也不可与这地的居民立约，要拆毁他们的祭坛。你们竟没有听从我的话！为何这样行呢？”因此我又说，“我必不将他们从你们面前赶出；他们必作你们肋下的荆棘。他们的神必作你们的网罗。”（士师记二章2～3节）
神清清楚楚地指示以色列人：要完全赶出迦南人，消灭他们所有可鄙的偶像敬拜。这个任务充满挑战性！他们的敌人拥有可怕的战车，那些迦南人拥有外观看来很难攻陷的防御工事。以色列人并没有把所有的迦南人赶出迦南地，许多迦南人的生活习性与宗教，十分吸引以色列人罪恶的本性。以色列人非但没有消灭他们和他们的偶像，反而妥协了。对以色列人来说，迦南人是个麻烦，会分散人的注意力。他们拜偶像的习性会一直试探以色列人。
当你成为基督徒，神向你生活中罪恶的坚固营垒宣战。罪恶的行为与态度会牢牢地霸占你，但是神命令你要拆毁这个要塞。圣灵会指出，我们生命中有哪些地方拒绝顺服神的心意。你是否仅仅想与罪签订休战协议，而不去消灭它们？愤怒是否是你其中一项罪恶坚垒？若是如此，它会在你软弱时冒出来。情欲是否是你生命中的罪恶坚垒？若是如此，它会在你不提防时使你屈服。在你不注意的时候，这些坚垒会试探你，让你继续行过去罪恶的行为。
不要小看罪恶的毁灭能力。倘若你的生命中，仍有未被对付的坚固营垒，要知道圣灵早就预备好，要帮助你得到完全的胜利。
Strongholds
“And you shall make no covenant with the
inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.” But you have
not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, “I
will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and
their gods shall be a snare to you.” (Judges 2:2-3)
God gave the Israelites specific instructions:
Drive the Canaanites out of every corner of the land, and obliterate any
vestige of their abominable idol worship. This assignment was challenging!
Their enemies had formidable chariots. The Canaanites had seemingly impregnable
fortresses that were dangerous and difficult to overcome. The Israelites failed
to drive all the Canaanites from the land. Much about the Canaanite lifestyle
and religion appealed to the Israelites’ sinful nature. Rather than destroying
them and their idolatry, Israel compromised. The Canaanites would prove to be a
troublesome distraction to the Israelites. Their idol worship would present a
constant temptation.
When you became a Christian, God declared war on
sin’s strongholds in your life. Sinful behaviors and attitudes were firmly
entrenched in your character, but God commanded you to tear them down. The Holy
Spirit pointed out areas of your life that were resistant to God’s will. Were
you tempted to merely establish a truce rather than obliterating every sin? Is
anger one of sin’s strongholds? If so, it will rise up against you in moments
of weakness. Is there a stronghold of lust in your life? If so, you will
succumb to it when caught off guard. In careless moments, these strongholds
will still tempt you to continue your past sinful behaviors.
Do not underestimate the destructive power of sin.
If there are strongholds in your life that you have never defeated, the Holy
Spirit is still prepared to bring you complete victory.
