February 16

Now the king and his men marched to Jerusalem against the Jebusites who inhabited the land. The Jebusites said to David: “You will never get in here. Even the blind and lame can repel you.” For they thought, “David cannot get in here.” — 2 Sam 5:6 BSB

The Jebusites still held a stronghold in the heart of the country, never having been driven out. There are “Jebusites” in every Christian community and every Christian heart. One example is worldliness, which has its Jebusites everywhere.

In the midst of a community with beautiful Christian homes and churches, you can still find things like a licensed drinking saloon. It’s so entrenched that it seems impossible to remove. There are many such strongholds of evil that defy conquest.

In every heart, there are little “Jebusite strongholds” that seem impossible to conquer. Sometimes it’s a secret sin that persists in an otherwise holy life. Sometimes it’s a remnant of our old nature—pride, worldliness, selfishness, lust, or bitterness.

“We all have our faults,” we say, and under that cover, we hide many idols we don’t want to give up.

We need to pay attention to these unconquered areas of our lives so that every thought, feeling, and habit may be brought into submission to Christ. It is dangerous to leave even one such stronghold unconquered. “We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ!” (2 Corinthians 10:5).