What is a foothold, spiritually?

What exactly does it mean to have a spiritual foothold?

Gaining a foothold is establishing a safe and advantageous base from which to launch an attack. The Allies gained a foothold behind German lines during World War II by invading Normandy, France and establishing a beachhead. The Allies were able to establish a base of operations, which was the catalyst for their eventual success in Europe. Without establishing this base in Normandy, the Allies were at a severe disadvantage, and a successful invasion would have been extremely challenging. Spiritual footholds are discussed in the Bible.

Times of Trouble

The psalmist turned to God in his time of need. I plunge in the mucky depths, where I can get no purchase,” he said. I am drowning; I have waded into the heart of the ocean (Psalm 69:2). The psalmist felt like he had nowhere to stand and was being washed away by the waves of his problems. He urgently required supernatural assistance.

Warfare on a Spiritual Level

At the moment of their conversion, Christians become enemies of Satan and enroll in a spiritual army to fight him (see Ephesians 6:10–12). Paul’s military imagery for our spiritual armor includes footwear: we are to have our “feet fitted with the preparedness that comes from the gospel of peace” (verse 15). There must be no slipping on our part. We must not let go of the ground we’ve already gained.

Paul, in advising Christians on how to live, urged them not to give the devil a stronghold by allowing anger to linger until sunset (Ephesians 4:26–27). Satan’s goal is to gain a foothold in a Christian’s life. Keeping resentment bottled up inside could be the culprit. By allowing things like resentment and bitterness into our life, we make it easier for Satan to attack us in various ways.

Satan’s goal is always expansion once he gains a footing. He will keep spreading deception and multiplying temptations until he establishes a secure foothold. In contrast, the Christian is equipped with spiritual armor by God’s grace and is empowered to combat the devil by God’s strength (see James 4:7).

Taking Up Arms

The Bible says that “the weapons we battle with are not the weapons of the world” (2 Corinthians 10:4). In fact, they are endowed with heavenly might to destroy fortresses.

Putting God first and becoming close to God are prerequisites for winning the battle against Satan (James 4:7). (James 4:8). This is done by praying “in the Spirit on all occasions with all types of pleas and requests” and by making use of God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). (Ephesians 6:18). When a Christian surrenders completely to God and refuses to give Satan any quarter, that is when he experiences true peace and protection

In order to defeat the Christian, Satan will first try to gain some sort of foothold in that person’s life. Sin and unrepentant behavior can give Satan a foothold in a person’s life if they do not repent. By relying on God and maintaining proper priorities, we can avoid such a situation: “No one serving as a soldier gets engaged in civilian issues, but rather attempts to satisfy his commanding officer” (2 Timothy 2:4). We have a new leader in Jesus. He not only delivered us from our sins, but also endues us with strength by His Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7).