When Survival Becomes a Stronghold
You can be walking with God, serving in your church, and raising your kids right—and still be bound by a mindset that was only meant to get you through a hard season, not define your whole life.
Sometimes the stronghold isn’t a substance or a relationship—it’s who we had to become just to make it. The no-nonsense version of you. The overachiever. The overly independent woman who keeps everything on her back and won’t let anyone come close enough to help. That “version” may have gotten you through—but it’s not the healed you. It’s not the whole you. And it’s not who God’s calling you to stay.
Tasha had become that version. After her divorce, she didn’t have time to fall apart. Her kids needed stability. Her bills didn’t pause. She went into survival mode—stayed two steps ahead, worked herself into exhaustion, and smiled through it all like nothing touched her. But years later, after the kids were older and the storms had settled, she didn’t know how to turn it off. She still couldn’t rest. She still didn’t trust easily. She was still waiting for the next blow to come—and couldn’t understand why peace felt so out of reach.
It’s important for us to understand that sometimes survival mode can become our stronghold. What starts as a defense mechanism can turn into a weight that burdens us. The Word says in2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NLT): “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God.” It’s very common for us to think that strongholds look like rebellion, but sometimes they look like repeated patterns of self-reliance and a fear of not being enough.
“I have to do it all.” “I can’t rely on anyone.” “If I let go, everything will fall apart.” Sound familiar? These are the silent mantras that start shaping how we move—not just in life, but even in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We start carrying weight we were never meant to carry, thinking we’re the glue holding everything together.
But let’s be clear—this mindset doesn’t come from God. Yes, life can put us in hard places. Some of us have had no choice but to survive, to show up strong, to handle it all. But even then—especially then—it wasn’t really us holding it together. It was always God. Always His hand making a way. What we thought was luck, or timing, or “just working out”… was really grace. So no, you don’t have to do it all. You never did.
It’s hard to trust again when trust was what got broken. It’s hard to rest when rest once meant falling behind. But Psalm 34:18 (NLT) reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” The Lord doesn’t shame us for adapting to survive—He just won’t let us stay there. He draws near and invites us into something greater: true restoration.
That doesn’t always feel glamorous. Sometimes it’s sitting in the silence, letting the tears fall, and admitting, “Lord, I’m tired of being the strong one all the time.” Other times, it’s letting someone pray for you, open the door for you, or see you—not the polished you, but the one that’s still healing. This kind of vulnerability is holy. It’s not weakness—it’s surrender. And surrender is where God begins to rebuild.
Isaiah 43:19 (NLT) says, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” When we stop clinging to the survival version of ourselves, we make room for the new thing God wants to do. Something freer. Softer. Stronger in Him. Not just a version that made it through—but the person who’s finally walking in peace, purpose, and power.
A Prayer for Release from Survival Mode
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank You for getting me through the seasons I didn’t think I’d survive. I know it was You who carried me. But now I ask You to help me release the habits, thoughts, and defenses I built along the way. Forgive me for my sin, and please help me. I don’t want to live in survival mode anymore. I want the fullness of Your peace, Your rest, and Your healing. Show me who I am beyond the struggle. Show me what it means to trust You deeply, even when it feels risky. Give me courage to be vulnerable with You and with the people You’ve sent to help. I surrender the old and receive the new. In the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Released – Breaking Free from the Things That Bind Us- Part 2: When Survival Becomes a Stronghold”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2025. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.