Understanding the Importance of Gates

Understanding the Importance of Gates

A stronghold is a fortified dwelling encamping around our belief system. Our distorted thinking patterns and faulty core beliefs are the strongholds that hinder our agreement with God’s Word. Identifying and tearing down our strongholds is essential to walking in the fullness of God’s victory and power.

Examples of stronghold thought patterns are fear, doubt, negativity, expectations or rejection or betrayal, performance based mentality, victim thinking and so many more. These are the strongholds that formed through our life experiences and are contrary to the Truth of God’s Word. They alter how we perceive God, His character, promises and who we are in Him and the authority that we have through Christ Jesus.

Guarding our doors and gates are extremely important. How we take in information and process it is how things enter through the doors and gates of our soul. Our five senses are the doors and gates that allow information to enter. It is important to feed the spirit not the flesh so we are to guard our borders.

The Bible shows us clearly in the Old Testament that the vulnerability and strength of a fortress or stronghold always rested in its gates. This principle is the same in the spiritual that was revealed to us in the natural. There are important facts that were known in Bible times to conquer a fortified city. So these principles apply to us tearing down our personal strongholds.

The Old Testament provides us with an image of a stronghold surrounded by thick walls, a draw bridge, and fortified gates. The gates of the ancient cities are not as we imagine today’s gates, but massive gates made of stone, iron, brass, or wood frequently sheeted with metal. They were tall and wide. “The Beautiful Gate” of Herod’s temple (Acts 3:2) was made of brass and required twenty men to close it. These gates were opened during the day to allow the citizens to come and go, but were generally closed and barred at night as a safety measure to keep out enemy attacks. Whoever controlled the gates of the stronghold ruled the city.

The gates of a city were very significant. The gates were shut at nightfall (Joshua 2:5) because they were the chief point from which the enemy attacked (Judges 5:8). Idolatrous acts were performed at the gates (Acts 14:13). Battering rams were set against the gates (Ezekiel 21:22) and the gates were broken down and burned with fire (Nehemiah 1:3).

The gates were seats of authority (Ruth 4:11). At the gates wisdom was uttered (Proverbs 1:21). Judges and officers served at the gates administering justice (Deuteronomy 16:18) and the councils of state were held at the gates (2 Chronicles 18:9). The Word was read (Nehemiah 8:2-3) and the prophets proclaimed God’s message (Jeremiah 17:19-20) from the gates. The people also had to enter through the gates to worship the Lord.

“Stand at the gate of the Lord’s house and there proclaim this message: ‘Hear the Word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord.’”
Jeremiah 7:2 (NIV)

In the Scriptures, gates were not only found in cities, but also in camps, houses, temples, and palaces. We as God’s people are called the dwelling place of God. The human body is called a tent or temple for the Holy Spirit.
There are many Scriptures that speak about the gates. Gates in the natural are something that you enter through. The same is true in the spiritual.

Every person has gates to their spirit, soul, and body. The Word tells us that when we receive Jesus we are sealed with the Holy Spirit in our spirit. The gates to our spirit are closed when our spirit become new creation.
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Ephesians 4:30 (NIV)

Praise God for He is the protector of our spirit! Yet our body and soul have gates that the enemy can and will attack. However, Jesus is our provision; He paid the price, taking the sins of the world for our redemption. He came to show mankind the way, provided us access to God and the ability to walk in His power and victory. His sacrifice formed a gate so that we could enter into the kingdom of God. There is only one gate or door to reach the Father and that is through Jesus.

“Therefore Jesus said again, ‘I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.’”
John 10:7 (NIV)

“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven…”
Revelation 4:1 (NIV)

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 (NIV)

Satan’s kingdom mirrors everything in God’s kingdom, producing a counterfeit. Therefore, if there is a gate to heaven there is most assuredly a gate to hell.
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Matthew 16:18 (NIV)

Jesus said the way to the Father and salvation is narrow. However, the opposite is true about entering the enemy’s path. There are many gates on Satan’s road, and they all lead a person to destruction.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.”
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

We must shut our open gates against the enemy. Our strongholds reveal to us what gates we have open. If even one gate is open and unprotected, we fall prey to our enemies who seek to oppress us and gain a foothold. God warns us not to give the devil place. Gates of pride, rebellion, false beliefs, or wrong motives, allow Satan to erect a fortress giving the enemy a place to establish his camp. We must keep watch over our gates. This means searching ourselves through the Holy Spirit and guarding the gates and doors to our soul and body.

We all must actively choose to identify and tear down mental strongholds and likewise not allow the enemy to access us through our doors and gates. Our perceptions of our life situations, the patterns and beliefs that we operate in, and how we feed either our flesh or our spirit man are all of great importance. This is not only to tear down strongholds but to guard the doors and gates that allow deception to enter and turn us the wrong direction. We want to have the mind of Christ, so guard your doors and gates and teardown strongholds that are contrary to the Word of God. Let God be your stronghold.

“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:2