The Story of Freedom
“If you were just tougher and would man up, girls would like you, and everyone would think you are cool!” Sighing, Dan closed his eyes and attempted to silence the familiar lie that had repeated itself in his mind since his freshman year in high school.
“When will this battle end? After all, I’m almost thirty years old,” he whispered wearily as he rubbed his hand across his forehead in an attempt to silence his mind. The unfortunate cause of this torment was the persistent teasing Dan had encountered from his older brother and his peers throughout his high-school years. He had grown up in a small town where boys were expected to get involved in sports. His gifting, however, was in music and drama, which made Dan the object of ridicule.
This accusatory lie that his brother and his peers repeated for years had so gripped Dan’s beliefs about himself that a stronghold of rejection had taken root in his mind, and he continually felt that he was inadequate as a man and as a husband. As a result, after five years of marriage, an increasing emotional distance grew between him and his wife, Sarah. One Sunday afternoon, it was clear from the hurt and confusion in Sarah’s eyes that the tension in their marriage caused by Dan’s sense of inadequacy had reached a crucial point. Dan prayed in earnest, “God, help me overcome this lie. Show me how to defeat this stronghold in my mind.”
That night Dan attended the Sunday night service at his church. God in His faithfulness brought an answer to his prayer. As the speaker made her way to the platform, Dan could feel the presence and peace of God begin to rest on him. As the speaker prepared to share, she opened in prayer, “Lord, we welcome You to the service tonight. Holy Spirit, come and minister to each person in this room. Help these individuals to recognize the lies and the battles that are raging in their minds, and let this be their day of freedom and victory.” As Dan listened to the message of how to defeat strongholds of the mind, he fought back tears. At the end of the message, he quickly made his way to the front.
Kneeling at the altar, he prayed, “Lord, forgive me for believing the lies of rejection that others have falsely spoken over me and that the enemy has established as a stronghold in my mind. Lord, I choose right now to forgive my brother and my friends who persistently teased me. Forgive me for entertaining the lies of this stronghold and for the walls of protection I have built around my heart and emotions to keep people away, especially my wife. I declare that I will no longer believe the lie that I am not tough enough or that I am an inadequate man. I speak to the stronghold in my mind and emotions to be silent now, in Jesus’s name. Lord, I know that You make no mistakes. Your Word says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You for Your healing love. I welcome Your healing touch. Let it flood over and through my mind and emotions.”
With tears of joy rolling down his cheeks, Dan smiled as the Lord’s love and holiness brought tangible freedom to his thoughts. He felt as if a heavy burden was being lifted off his mind. A newfound love for the Lord and for his wife flooded his mind and heart. A yearning for reading God’s Word was birthed in him. In order to maintain his victory, Dan committed to reading the Bible every day. Before long he realized that he was no longer angry when he thought about his brother and his friends. He no longer rehearsed the lie of inadequacy, and the truths of God’s Word filled his thoughts. Healing and happiness came to his marriage, as his wife, Sarah, happily testified: “I have a new husband!”