The Stronghold

 What is a stronghold? –

·        In the natural world it is most often a referral to

           A fortification built up for the purpose of survival  

or       defense.

·        In the Spiritual realm it is reference to entrenched thought patterns, which include negative or wrong thinking, a mindset impregnated with false or wrong values, thinking etc…

 The Apostle refers to it as anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

II CORINTHIANS 10:3

  3    For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

II CORINTHIANS 10:4

  4    (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds ;)

II CORINTHIANS 10:5

5          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;

 The three key points that we need to focus on are:

a.      Remind ourselves that our battles are not of a carnal or fleshly nature, Once we realize and accept this, then we realize that we cannot use   carnal or fleshly weapons or tactics to fight the fight.

b.     Our weapons are not only mighty, but mighty through God!

c.     With these weapons we are to engage the enemy, cast down and bring into captivity every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

 So what is the Apostle saying? He is saying that our battle is spiritual in nature, and that it begins in the mind. The mind is where all our thought processes begin, and these thought process are in turned into actions.

 These actions can be of a personal inward nature, or outward, they affect both the natural, and the spiritual man. We need to be responsible for our whole being! Let us explain.

 When we were young growing up, we were in the care of our parents or guardians, they realized we were new to life, and its many experiences, so they protected us by nurturing and teaching us the rights and wrongs of life. And through these, coupled with personal experiences we learned life’s lessons, and quickly began to build a mental database of our learning’s, be it good, or be it bad. Thus a life long pattern is established for the natural man.

 The Spiritual man is similar, yet different, we learn by the same process, but the source is different. For the believer in Christ, we are governed and nurtured by the Laws and Word of God, thus faith is established by the hearing and receiving of the Word of God.

ROMANS 10:17

17         So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 Why is this important? We must realize that God only works within his own Word; he will come to the Word, because he is the Word. But He is not bound or obligated to the words of man, such as philosophy, theories, hypotheses, etc…There is no power in them for the believer, (I am talking on a spiritual level). Many people have written many encouraging things over the years, and they are beneficial to a point, but for the believer they don’t win spiritual battles, cast out devils or storm the gates or hell!

JOHN 1:1

1            ¶  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

JOHN 6:63

63         It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.

 To get back to the point of faith, it is faith that God recognizes, and is pleased by.

HEBREWS   10:38  

 Now the just shall live by faith:

HEBREWS 11:6

      But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 Here we can plainly see that God is pleased only by faith, and that comes only by the hearing of God’s Word. This is why Paul says that we are to cast down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, why? Because it produces negative faith, (unbelief), this is what the beginning of a stronghold is, negative or wrong thinking.

 These false or negative thoughts can come in the form of, lies, false doctrine, gossip, assumptions, and negativity. The enemy attacks the mind because it is the neutral ground, he cannot make you do anything, you have to allow it. This begins by the failure to filter out all or any unbelief, negative or wrong thinking, or cast down any high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God. If we don’t cast out these negativities, then we are allowing the enemy to get a foothold on us, or you might say we have allowed him to move in and set up camp. Often times once these impregnated thoughts and mindsets are present, the enemy causes us to blame ourselves, and when we fail we in turn are overwhelmed with hopelessness, thus the cyclic pattern is then developed. How can we break this? By prayer, repentance, reinstating ourselves with God’s promised Word. 

EPHESIANS 6:12-14

  12    For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].

  13    Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

  14    Stand therefore