Mental Strongholds

A stronghold is a fortified place or a center of power, commonly referring to military fortresses like castles. A stronghold can also be a mental or spiritual pattern of thinking or behavior. We all have certain mental strongholds that we have formed in our minds and cannot seem to destroy, replace, or rebuild.

Some examples of mental strongholds could be anxiety, depression, pride, addiction, negative self-talk, imposter syndrome, etc. Some key phrases that help identify these strongholds are: I suck. I am awful. I do not deserve to be happy. I cannot quit. I cannot change. Or on the other side: They do not deserve that. I am better than them. Why me. Why them. God hates me. I hate God.

The feelings tied to these strongholds are often horrible. Despair, fear, anxiousness, sadness, anger, bitterness, envy, jealousy, and hopelessness. All of these feelings are part of the human experience, but they should not be close to being the main part. They should be short-lived indicators that influence your actions and decisions and redirect you toward a fulfilling life. An oversimplified analogy would be the engraved bumps on the highway when you start veering off. If you continue on that path, bad things happen. When you redirect back onto the highway, bad things are avoided.

First: Identify and assess the stronghold.

Ask yourself, is this true? Some are, and some are not. Addiction is real and is called addiction for a reason. It often requires science-backed and proven approaches to combat it. Negative self-talk and anxiety may feel real and true, but when examined objectively, they are not. Anxiety is an irrational fear of what may never happen. It is not like grief, which is a real feeling for real loss. Anxiety feels real for something that has not happened.

I have battled anxiety in my life, and I know this can sound like an insulting oversimplification, but stay with me. Depression is an intense feeling of sadness despite the absence of circumstances that would call for it. Once again, it is an emotion that feels real for a situation that does not warrant it. Simply saying these things out loud begins the attack on the stronghold. If the stronghold is real, such as addiction or a diagnosable mental health disorder, seeking professional help is absolutely a great place to start.

Second: Take simple action.

There are countless studies on these topics, but a powerful summary for attacking mental strongholds begins with physiology. Many negative strongholds can be combated by a few foundational habits: eating healthy, exercising, and getting quality sleep. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman discusses this at length. Aligning your day and your sleep cycle by waking up, going outside, and getting sunlight in your eyes, and then eliminating artificial bright lights at night, has a profound effect on mental health. Many studies show that depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies are directly correlated with poor sleep routines.

Also, doing a simple audit on what you are mentally consuming has tremendous value. What does your algorithm say about you? What does your screen time say? What does your friend group say about you? What types of news or shows are you watching? It is vital to determine if these things are truly good for you or are they fortifying the mental negative strongholds in your mind?

Third: Change your focus.

If you are constantly focused on what you do not have, what others have, what you are not good at, and what others excel at, you will consistently be unhappy. Teddy Roosevelt famously stated that comparison is the thief of joy. Reducing social media is one of the most effective ways to combat chronic comparison because you are comparing your real life to someone else’s carefully projected life.

You can also change your focus by writing your thoughts down. I have mentioned this in a previous newsletter, but writing down what you are grateful for each day shifts your mindset from jealousy and envy to gratitude and thankfulness. Tony Robbins discusses focus at length, but his core message is that we get the life we focus on. He also states that we only feel better when we are growing and giving, meaning we focus on ourselves to grow and become better while also focusing on others by giving to them.

Fourth: Prove yourself wrong.

When your negative self-talk is correct, the only solution is action. A personal example for me is writing. I do not feel like a good writer, and I often feel like an imposter when sending these newsletters. The only way to get better is to write, research how to improve, and write more. This was the same for me in teaching, coaching, administration, and being a husband and father.

Joe Rogan once mentioned that you build proof by making a mountain out of layers of paint. Each time you practice or attempt something, it is like adding another layer. Eventually, you build a mountain of indisputable evidence of who you are becoming.

When your negative self-talk is not correct, this applies to statements like I do not deserve love. I do not deserve happiness. No one loves me. I am not worth it. The world is better without me. God hates me. These are lies. Truly ask yourself why you think this way and try to articulate it. It often comes down to vague but intense emotions rooted in painful events such as abuse, mistreatment, or exposure to evil people. This is one of the painful realities of public education. When we see these strongholds in students’ minds, they often originate from terrible things done to them. Your circumstances do not determine your worth. Your worth comes from the Creator who gave you life. You were not meant to suffer with these thoughts. More on this later…

Fifth: There is only so much YOU can do.

There is a limit to what determination, willpower, discipline, knowledge, and motivation can accomplish when it comes to mental strongholds. The Bible refers to this as the flesh, which can be understood as human willpower. Scripture tells us:

This means there are real limitations when addressing mental strongholds in ourselves and in others. In Christ, we are given divine power to combat them. This comes through biblical examples and guidance, the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22–23 (peace, love, joy gentleness, kindness, self-control) and at times, divine intervention.

The Bible also tells us that these mental strongholds are not meant to define us, dominate our minds, or cause us to suffer:

This passage emphasizes that suffering is not God’s final intention for believers. Salvation, deliverance, and wholeness are the intended end through Christ’s sacrifice.

To add to this point and to honor Martin Luther King Jr., he stated,

This was not a random statement. He was talking about the divine Godly power to destroy strongholds. He was a man of faith and it was deeply rooted in Scripture:

I am not sure there is a better depiction of a mental stronghold (racism) being combated by divine power through any human better than MLK Jr. He used love, courage, and truth to combat human evil. The rest is history.

Until next week,

Cam