We often hear of strongholds that must be torn down, but do we know what a stronghold is?
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Cor. 10:3-5)
Paul tells us exactly what a stronghold is. It is an “imagination”, and a “high thing”(barrier) that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. It is a thought!!
A stronghold is a system of belief that has been constructed in the mind of a person that goes against the truth of God and His Word. Strongholds include cultural customs, false religions, the bondages of sin, the philosophies of men, political arguments, scientific claims and everything that denies or ignores the reality of God and His truth.
These strongholds represent the battleground for the life of the believer. As long as they stand there will be no victory. A believer will continue in a perpetual struggle, the war raging in his natural mind and flesh as each one attempts to gain the mastery over the weakened Christian.
But, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal!!! It is the revelation of the truth that sets us free.
The fact that we are the righteousness of God in Christ, the truth that the gospel is the power of unto salvation, the potential of faith to move mountains, the reality of our salvation and reconciliation with God, the power of Holy Spirit who lives in us and anoints us, and the power of prayer are more than enough to tear down every stronghold that exalts itself against God (Eph. 6:10-18.)
We are well equipped to win this warfare!
It is God’s Truth that sets us free. A stronghold is a lie that has influence over our lives to the degree we submit to it. In the same way, as we submit to the truth of God’s Word and act on it, the lies will come tumbling down and we can be truly free.
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down Imaginations , and every high thing that exalteth itself against the Knowledge of God , and bringing into captivity every thought to the Obedience of Christ ; ( 2 Cor. 10:4-5 )
A Stronghold is an Imagination or thought. It is a Belief system that is so ingrained in the Heart and Mind of a person that it colors their perception of themselves, others and the Circumstances of Life. A Stronghold can be a Cultural norm, a Religious Tradition , a Political Ideology or the latest Social movement.
It can include how we were raised and what we were taught by our parents and teachers. Strongholds can be impacted by Music , Movies and the latest Political News .
In every case, a Stronghold represents a Belief that is against the nature of God and His purposes for man. The one who is holding to the Stronghold may not wish to be against God in their thinking, but the Stronghold is so deeply rooted that they aren’t even aware that they are filtering God’s Truth through the lens of the Stronghold .
Strongholds allow Deception. The fundamental characteristic about Deception is that the one who is Deceived doesn’t know it. The Stronghold has become a part of their approach to Life and their approach to Truth. Even Truth must be shaped and filtered to fit the mold of the Stronghold .
Within the Body of Christ there are many Strongholds. Perhaps the strongest is the Belief that God is controlling all things. The misunderstanding of Sovereignty has paralyzed much of the Body of Christ and left many living Lives of passive resignation. This is hardly what God had in Mind for His Children .
The results of the Sovereignty Stronghold change Faith from a proactive potential to destroy the of the enemy into an inactive acceptance of loss and Suffering as part of His celestial plan. Prayer becomes “wishful hoping.” The most popular Bible stories that support this Stronghold are Job , Paul’s thorn , and chastisement ( Heb. 12 ).
While all these stories have powerful lessons for us, the person trapped in the Stronghold cannot or will not see the Truth. The Bible becomes a mysterious manual to explain Suffering rather than a Divine Revelation of Redemption and the restoration of man’s Authority and purpose.
Only Truth can set the captive Free. But Truth must be desired and sought. This means that the Stronghold must be allowed to be challenged. Rather than adjusting Strongholds , let’s move out of the Darkness and allow His Truth to tear down everything that holds us Captive.
If your BeliefSystem allows you to be a victim of Fate , you have a Stronghold .