Podcast Summary: Get Out Of Your Own Way

Fresh Life Church Podcast
Host: Pastor Levi Lusko
Date: January 19, 2026

Overview

In this impassioned message, Pastor Levi Lusko explores the theme of spiritual "strongholds" – destructive thought patterns, habits, or wounds that prevent us from experiencing the full and free life Christ offers. Drawing from both scripture and personal anecdotes, Pastor Levi encourages listeners to become aware of their own spiritual blind spots, to identify and break free from these strongholds, and to replace them with God's truth, unity, and purpose. The message is part of the "It's About Time" sermon series, which is designed to help listeners step into the new year with renewed vision and freedom.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Blind Spots and Self-Deception

• [00:00–07:45]

• It’s easier to notice others’ issues than our own.
  • "We're so soft on ourselves, but we're so hard on other people…sometimes, tragically, we're blind to our own blind spots." – Pastor Levi ([00:00])
• Story of the Alexa plug and Christmas tree:
  • Pastor Levi’s family continued to tell Alexa to "turn on the Christmas tree" to switch on a lamp – and only noticed how odd this was when an outsider pointed it out.
  • "I didn't see it until I saw it through her eyes…Awareness of a problem is necessary for the problem to be solved." ([03:00])

2. Strongholds: Their Nature and Danger

• [07:45–24:00]

• Defining Strongholds:
  • Spiritual strongholds are entrenched points in our lives (mindsets, habits, sins) from which the enemy exerts influence.
  • "The devil wants to break you into pieces." ([19:30])
• Cracked Windshield Analogy:
  • Small unnoticed wounds or habits can rapidly multiply, obstructing vision and becoming dangerous if left unchecked.
  • "It wasn’t a problem until it was." ([15:00])
• The Bible’s teaching:
  • Quoting Matthew 12, Jesus addresses spiritual division, emphasizing unity:
  • "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation…A divided house cannot stand." ([21:40])

3. Division: Internal and External

• [24:00–36:00]

• Satan’s Tactics:
  • Division is the devil’s primary weapon—he aims to separate you from God, your spouse, church, others, and even yourself.
  • "The devil wants to get between you and you…the only way for you to be in your own way is for you to allow him to break you into pieces." ([31:15])
• Scriptural Support:
  • James 1:8: "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." ([33:00])
  • Sin fractures the self, creating inner division, shame, and anxiety.

4. How Strongholds Are Built (and Broken)

• [36:00–1:03:00]

• The Enemy’s Fortresses:
  • Pastor Levi likens strongholds to military bunkers, offering elevated ground to the enemy within our territory.
• Personal Examples:
  • Levi lists past and present strongholds: "anxiousness, terror, lust, people pleasing, shopping, pornography, social media, comparison, moodiness, fear…"
  • Strongholds often start as coping mechanisms for wounds and insecurities.

5. The Cost of Living With Strongholds

• [1:03:00–1:11:00]

• Abundant Life Withheld:
  • "You will never experience all life holds living with strongholds if you are comfortable with the strongholds that are there."
  • The longer strongholds are tolerated, the further we are kept from the fullness of what Christ has for us (John 10:10).

6. Spotting Misuse of God’s Gifts

• [1:11:00–1:19:30]

• Judges 6, Gideon’s Story:
  • Israel used winepresses (for joy) to thresh wheat (for survival), a sign that the enemy had captured their purpose.
  • "A dead giveaway that there’s a stronghold is when you see the presence of God’s gifts not being used how God intended them to be used." ([1:17:15])
• Misusing things like money, sex, or even social media is an indicator of a stronghold.

7. Transformation Starts In Your Thinking

• [1:19:30–1:41:00]

• Behaviors Harden Into Strongholds When Beliefs Settle In:
  • "You can’t live right if you don’t think right." ([1:25:25])
  • It’s not simply repeated action, but the belief of hopelessness that really cements a stronghold in place.
  • "As goes the mind, so goes the man. As you think in your heart, so are you."
• Practical Step:
  • Install “TSA in your mind!” (Philippians 4:8)
  • "Don’t give the devil pre-check…make him take his shoes off every time he shows up with some dumb thought." ([1:36:50])
  • Be proactive in filtering your thoughts and renewing your mind.

8. Replace, Don’t Just Remove

• [1:41:00–1:50:00]

• Eliminate and Occupy:
  • Jesus warns that merely "sweeping the house" isn't enough—empty spaces can be repossessed by stronger forces (Matthew 12:43–45).
  • "You have to replace. You cannot just eliminate." ([1:44:40])
  • Find healthy replacement behaviors, habits, and fill your life with God’s presence and community.
• Confession for Healing:
  • James 5:16 – "Confess your trespasses to one another, pray for one another that you may be healed…"
  • Healing comes from both confession to God (forgiveness) and to others (healing/support).

9. Prevention is Better Than Cure

• [1:50:00–1:54:30]

• Don’t Toy With Sin:
  • "You don’t have to demolish what was never built in the first place." ([1:52:10])
  • “Hell begins with a grumble.” – C.S. Lewis ([1:53:10])
• Nip sin and unhealthy habits ‘in the bud’ before they become strongholds.

10. Victory Over Strongholds: Rely On God’s Power

• [1:54:30–end]

• Never Bring a Knife to a Gunfight:
  • The weapons needed are not physical, but spiritual (2 Corinthians 10).
  • "You are no match for the devil in your flesh…bring God." ([1:56:30])
• The Power of Christ’s Name:
  • Like David confronting Goliath, our authority comes "in the name of the Lord of hosts."
  • "It’s not coming down by knife…It’s coming down by the name of our living God." ([1:59:00])
• You Already Have What You Need:
  • Pastor shares about his unused windshield repair plan as a metaphor—God has already provided what we need: confession, repentance, the blood of Jesus, the support of other believers.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Self-Awareness:
  • "Awareness of a problem is necessary for the problem to be solved. You can't be helped with an issue you don't know you got." ([03:20])
• On Internal Division:
  • "The devil wants to get between you and you…The only way for you to be in your own way is for you to allow him to break you into pieces." ([31:15])
• On Sin and Identity:
  • "Sin is an act of suicide against who God created you to be." – referencing Tim Keller ([35:30])
• On Thought Life:
  • "You need to install TSA in your mind…Don’t give the devil pre-check." ([1:36:50])
• On Spiritual Warfare:
  • "Never bring a knife to a gunfight...bring God." ([1:56:30])
• On Victory:
  • "Is it hard to get strongholds down? No. Confession, the name of Jesus, God’s people, radical repentance." ([2:01:00])
• On Missed Opportunity:
  • "Don't get to heaven and look back and go, oh, I had what I needed the whole time." ([2:01:30])

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – Awareness of our own blind spots; the Alexa plug story
• 15:00 – Cracked windshield parable: unnoticed problems become dangerous
• 21:40 – Jesus on division; a divided house cannot stand
• 31:15 – The Devil’s ultimate division: self vs. self
• 33:00 – James 1:8: double-minded man
• 1:17:15 – Using God’s gifts the wrong way: sign of a stronghold
• 1:25:25 – The root of strongholds: beliefs, not just behaviors
• 1:36:50 – "Install TSA in your mind"
• 1:44:40 – The need to replace, not just eliminate, strongholds
• 1:52:10 – Prevention: don’t let sin take root
• 1:56:30 – "Never bring a knife to a gunfight"; spiritual weapons
• 2:01:00 – The simplicity of freedom: confession, repentance, Jesus

Structure for Overcoming Strongholds (according to Pastor Levi)

1. See – Gain awareness through the Holy Spirit and godly perspective
2. Eliminate – Repent, confess, break old patterns and lies
3. Replace – Fill life with God's truth, healthy community, new habits
4. Occupy – Proactively live in wholeness and unity, not leaving spiritual "voids"
5. Prevent – Nip small sins and fractures in the bud
6. Change Your Thinking – Filter thoughts, choose truth over lies

Tone & Style

Pastor Levi speaks with humor, relatability, and urgency—using personal stories, vivid analogies, and direct calls to action. The tone is motivational, compassionate, and biblically grounded, aiming to inspire real, practical life change.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Get brutally honest about your habits, patterns, and pain.
• Invite God to show you your blind spots and strongholds.
• Don’t just try to remove what’s wrong—replace it with what is good, true, and God-centered.
• Surround yourself with people who will support, pray, and hold you lovingly accountable.
• Remember: victory and freedom come not from striving, but from relying fully on Jesus and his finished work.
• You already have access to everything you need for freedom and abundant life.

This episode is a powerful, practical encouragement to step into the freedom Jesus has already secured—by identifying, eliminating, and replacing the strongholds in our hearts and minds.