2 Corinthians 10:3-6 says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
We must be on our guard against anything that starts to be a strong influence in our lives that may have the potential to lessen our convictions about our knowledge of God.
What is a Stronghold?
A stronghold can be a source of defense for the devil’s influence in our lives, where demonic or sinful activity is actually defended within our sympathetic thoughts toward sin.
Romans 6:16 says, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
It is important to recognize that when we speak of strongholds, we are not talking about random thoughts or occasional sins. We are talking about areas in life someone is in bondage to, and having a hard time breaking loose from; for example, if someone cannot control their anger. This person is someone who, when confronted with something in their behavior, will react in anger, saying and doing things they regret later. They do eventually repent, but they continue to have sinful emotional outbursts against brothers and sisters. The consequence of this sinful stronghold in their life causes abusive damage to their spouse, their children and others who become the brunt of their sin. People start to feel like they have to walk on eggshells around them. Their sin hurts their relationship with God and the church if they don’t get a conviction to demolish (repent of) the stronghold on them. The stronghold may be something that they experienced in their childhood with their parents. It could be some bad experience in a prior church. Or it could be bitterness of where they are in their life. Whatever the past situation might be, we must look to God now in the present and live as children of the light.
Philippians 2:12-13 says, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purposes.”
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
1 Peter 2:2 says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
Francis Frangipane wrote, “What men call “salvation” is simply the first stage of God’s plan of our lives, which is to conform us in character and power to the image of Jesus Christ. If we fail to see our relationship to God as such, we will allow too many areas within us to remain unchanged. Pulling down strongholds is the demolition and removal of these old ways of thinking so that the actual Presence of Jesus Christ can be manifested through us.” In other words we are the clay and God is the potter.
Romans 8:29 confirms this by saying, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
1 John 5:19 says, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”
Many strongholds are a result of an accumulation of uncrucified thoughts and unspiritual attitudes that ruled our lives during our formative years. As children growing up in a world that is under the influence and the pull of Satan, we received a steady stream of information and experiences that continually shaped our childhood perceptions. This is why the Bible says our minds need to be renewed once we are baptized into Christ.
We have a mindset that has been shaped by our parents and educators as well as the ungodly environment in which we live. As disciples of Jesus, the only truth suitable for eternity is the truth of God’s word.
Here are some strongholds that many disciples still must deal with:
Fear Depression Resentment
Anxiety Greed Bitterness
Lukewarmness Drugs Unforgiveness
Sinful Thoughts Alcoholism Apathy
Lust Pornography Unbelief
Pride
When identifying and eliminating your strongholds, survey or examine the attitudes in your heart. Every area in your thinking that glistens with hope in God is an area which is being liberated by Christ. And the system of thinking that does not have hope, which feels hopelessness, is a stronghold, which must be demolished.
Here are three points for breaking down strongholds.
1) We bring our thoughts into captivity to Christ’s.
2) Obedience brings us into the stronghold of Christ’s likeness.
3) Building a stronghold of Christlikeness involves a struggle.
The process of getting free of worldly and fleshly strongholds involves a season of inner conflict and turmoil. This is a good sign, signifying the desire of your will to be free. We should expect a time where we must exercise our authority in Christ as we “resist” the devil.
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
As you continue to yield yourself to Christ, He will remove Satan’s armor from your mind. He will show you what you need to bring down. You will see that the weapons of God’s warfare are mighty, demolishing all strongholds!
Life is short, then we get to go to Heaven,
Love, your brother in Christ,
Chris Chloupek
