God is our stronghold. It’s a truth spoken throughout God’s Word. A stronghold is a place that’s been so fortified, it is impenetrable. These days, we might call them bunkers or safe rooms. Historically, they were forts, often carved out of a mountainside. Strongholds were the area of last resort when a kingdom was being besieged.
They were self-sustaining and people could live there for years while they waited out the attacks of the enemy. It was the safest place one could be, and once inside, they had little to fear from outside forces. And so it is with our stronghold, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are never safer than when we place our life within His.
When we are in Christ, He is our stronghold. For anyone to get to us, they must go through Jesus first. I like those odds. But it gets better. When Jesus prayed for His disciples (and by extension all of us) before He went to the cross, He said, “May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You” (John 17:21). So, if we are in Jesus, and Jesus is in the Father, that means the enemy must go through the Father and the Son to get to us. If we take this a bit further, we know when we abide in Christ, His Holy Spirit lives in us. That means if evil approaches, the Holy Spirit protects us by teaching us the wisdom of God and interceding on our behalf in the courts of Heaven. The entire trinity of God surrounds us. This is our stronghold!
If you’ve never been thankful for anything before, be thankful for this. Satan cannot touch us without permission and being under the watchful eye of God. The devil cannot penetrate the stronghold unless God has a purpose for it. And if God has a purpose for a trial in our life, we know He is in control of the situation. No King would ever allow the enemy to wander around the stronghold unsupervised. No, the King will limit their movements to keep safe the inhabitants of the stronghold. Take comfort in knowing our trials are never outside the watchful eye of our Savior, the lover of our souls.
Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom should I be afraid?” Let me answer the question for you: no one. We are safe in the Lord. Nothing can touch us unless He is using it for His purposes. No matter what you may be going through, the Father is watching. He is using it to grow you or help someone else come to know Him. Every move is a calculated move. God does nothing trivial. There is always a purpose that leads to further His Kingdom. There is no greater privilege than building the Kingdom of God. Remember that the next time you are afraid or discouraged by your circumstances.
God is our refuge. He is an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). There is no one like our God (Isaiah 46:9). He is higher than the highest mountain and His love is deeper than the deepest ocean. He sees everyone and everything at once, and yet, His sole focus is on you. Only God can do this. Are you troubled, discouraged, or in despair? Run to God. He is your refuge. He sees you; He keeps you. He knows you, and He loves you. God is our stronghold. God is our hope. We need not fear or despair. We are safe in Him.