Freedom from a stronghold begins with surrender, but it must continue with obedience. Many people experience breakthrough and feel immediate relief, only to find themselves back in the same pattern weeks later. The reason is not always rebellion. Sometimes the pattern returns because the person has not yet built a new way to live.
Spiritual freedom must be followed by spiritual formation. The old thoughts must be replaced with truth. The old rhythms must be disrupted by new choices. The believer who desires to remain free must begin to live differently—intentionally, prayerfully, and consistently.
The temptation to return will come. It often comes quietly, through stress, distraction, or emotional weariness. In those moments, the soul must remember what God has already done. The choice to walk in freedom must be made again, not through willpower, but through a renewed commitment to follow the Spirit.
Freedom is not fragile when it is protected by truth. The believer who walks daily in that truth will grow stronger, steadier, and more rooted. They will not drift back into old bondage. They will remain free by living in agreement with the Word.
Daily Freedom Begins with Truth and Obedience
Spiritual freedom is sustained through the choices a believer makes after deliverance. Scripture gives clear direction on how to walk in that freedom.
Paul exhorts, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). This command frames freedom as an ongoing journey. The walk must continue. The believer must not only resist the flesh but also yield to the Spirit in practical, daily ways.
The transformation of the mind is essential in that journey. Romans 12:2 declares, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” This renewal is not a single event. It is a process. The thoughts that once supported the stronghold must be replaced with truth. The patterns that once dominated behavior must be reshaped by obedience.
Paul reinforces this pattern again in Colossians: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him…” (Colossians 2:6–7). Salvation is not the end. It is the foundation. The believer must continue to walk, to grow, to build. Freedom deepens as the roots go down and the life in Christ becomes the source of every choice.
These verses describe a way of living that protects what God has given. Freedom is preserved by truth, sustained by the Spirit, and strengthened by daily obedience.
Freedom Grows When the Spirit Leads
Freedom from a stronghold is not only about what has ended. It is about what begins. A person who has walked through deliverance must now walk forward in discipleship. This walk is not defined by perfection. It is defined by direction. The question is no longer what needs to be broken. The question becomes how to remain rooted in what has been restored.
Galatians 5:16 points to a specific path. The believer must walk in the Spirit. This walk involves daily decisions. It requires a conscious dependence on the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. When the flesh begins to speak again—through impulse, shame, or control—the believer is called to follow a different voice. The flesh cannot be negotiated with. It must be denied by obedience.
Romans 12:2 reveals where that obedience begins. The mind must be renewed. The thoughts that supported the stronghold must be confronted. The beliefs that fueled fear or self-reliance must be replaced. This transformation happens through daily exposure to the Word, honest confession, and spiritual discipline. The mind will follow what it feeds on. That is why renewal cannot be occasional. It must be a way of life.
Colossians 2:6–7 confirms that freedom is not maintained by emotion. It is maintained by being rooted and built up in Christ. The believer remains free by remaining grounded. That grounding is formed through prayer, Scripture, worship, and obedience in the ordinary moments of life. Roots do not grow quickly. They grow deeply over time. A rooted life cannot be easily shaken.
Spiritual freedom is not fragile. It is protected when the believer chooses the Spirit over the flesh, truth over lies, and faith over fear—one step at a time.
Choosing Freedom Every Day
Freedom is not a feeling that comes and goes. It is a position that must be guarded and a path that must be walked. The person who has seen a food-related stronghold begin to fall must now build new patterns that reflect the change God has made. These patterns are not formed by accident. They are built through intention and discipline.
Remaining free means paying attention to what triggers old thoughts or habits. It means pausing before reacting, praying before responding, and seeking the presence of God before reaching for comfort. These decisions are not dramatic. They are consistent. They are small acts of obedience that build a life of peace and stability.
The believer must remain anchored in truth. The mind cannot renew itself. It must be shaped by Scripture. That shaping takes time. It requires repetition. It involves choosing the Word over feelings, especially when those feelings lead back to patterns of fear or control. The process may feel slow, but it is not wasted. Every choice to renew the mind is a step deeper into freedom.
Community also plays a role. The stronghold loses power when the believer walks with others who encourage truth, offer accountability, and remind them of what God has done. Isolation often feeds relapse. Connection strengthens resolve.
Freedom is protected when the believer lives as though they are truly free—making decisions with clarity, staying rooted in truth, and depending on the Spirit for strength each day.
Closing Prayer
Father,
You have begun a work of freedom in me, and I do not want to return to what You have delivered me from. I thank You for breaking the patterns that once controlled me. I ask You now to teach me how to walk forward with consistency and trust.
Help me to choose truth when old thoughts return. Strengthen me to follow Your Spirit when fear or pressure rises. Remind me to speak Your Word when my mind begins to drift. I do not want to live by emotion or memory. I want to live by faith and obedience.
Root me in You. Build new habits in me. Let my freedom be visible in the way I think, respond, and live. I trust You to keep what You have begun.
Amen.
The Better Portion
Trade your distraction for devotion and your busyness for belonging, through scripture-centered reflections and questions.
