Nahum 3:12 All your fortresses are like fig trees with first-ripe figs— if shaken they fall into the mouth of the eater. Behold, your troops are women in your midst. The gates of your land are wide open to your enemies; fire has devoured your bars.
Habakkuk 1:10 At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it.
Isaiah 19:16 In that day the Egyptians will be like women, and tremble with fear before the hand that the LORD of hosts shakes over them.
Jeremiah 51:30 The warriors of Babylon have ceased fighting; they remain in their strongholds; their strength has failed; they have become women; her dwellings are on fire; her bars are broken.
Psalms 107:16 For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.
Isaiah 45:1-2 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him and to loose the belts of kings, to open doors before him that gates may not be closed: “I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron,
As people, we build fortresses around ourselves to protect us. The better the fortress the more secure we get the impression and sense of impregnable protection. We can see this in nations that build armies and weapons systems as virtual fortress walls of protection. We can see it in the ancient Walls of China. We can see it in security and alert systems. All of these virtual and physical “fortresses” are designed to give us peace of mind against the outbreak of wars, lawlessness, and other acts of violence. They have been needed and used since the fall of mankind. As individuals, we too, build fortresses. Our homes are protected by deterrents like door locks, deadbolts, security cameras, fences, walls, and alarm systems. These are designed to give us protection and warning against intruders, looters, and violence. Some will open carry or conceal and carry firearms where allowed. Their fortress is the firearm. We build other fortresses too. We build financial fortresses where we amass money/savings for security in the future. There are other items we buy and store to complete our fortress of security. Are they necessary? I would have to think it is. Until the return of Christ, there will continue to be those whose hearts and minds are bent on doing evil. They are intentional in this choice of sinful behavior. The problem with fortresses is we soon become more and more reliant in them. When this occurs our reliance and focuses on Jesus Christ seems to change. We rest in our fortress and confuse this needed safety with no need for Jesus Christ in our lives, we will fall to the belief that we have power, self-reliance, and self-security. Pride in our fortress replaces the need for Jesus Christ in our daily lives. The warnings given in scripture warn us against this potential pitfall. When we are secure in our fortress(es) more than our need for Jesus Christ we are open to all kinds of temptations of neglect and complacency of God’s Word, humble service, seeking His will, seeking His guidance, listening for His quiet small voice, following and obeying, trusting and relying on and in Jesus Christ. God has demonstrated and communicated His anger against all who rely more on their fortresses/pride/power than humbly serving, thanking, worshiping, praising, honoring, and glorifying Him. This goes for individuals and nations. He will break down the iron bars of our fortresses and show us how feeble our attempts are at self-security, self-reliance, and self-preservation. Fortresses are not bad but the reliance on them over Jesus Christ is very bad and leads to all kinds of sinful thoughts and actions.
