What Are Strongholds?
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Do you know what a stronghold is?
If you don’t, that is okay. You will not only have a class dedicated to teaching you about strongholds but will also have prayer time directed toward the strongholds in your life. So, you are going to get plenty of instruction.
You are taught to pray and battle against strongholds, so it is important to discuss what these things are. A stronghold is a building or position that is strongly defended. That is how the dictionary defines it. Now let’s apply that definition to your personal battle. In that case, a stronghold is an area in your life that is affecting your relationship with God, but you are finding it difficult to let that thing go. It is almost always centered around a sin or false belief that you have embraced so strongly that you cannot or will not let it go.
There are many reasons a person has a stronghold. It could be because of an addiction or pattern of life, the importance of a person or event, something our flesh strongly desires, or a feeling or emotion that is impacting us greatly. These types of things create something that is difficult for us to let go of.
On top of that, Satan uses the strongholds to separate us from God. They are specifically intended to hinder our faith and to keep us enslaved to our sin.
Do you believe there are strongholds in your life that are affecting your relationship with God?
More about Strongholds
If you answered yes to the previous question, then you are not alone. All of us have strongholds in our lives. The problem with them is that they are very difficult to release. Truth be told, you could likely wipe out 95% of the sins you commit within months of accepting Jesus. Many sins can be quite easy to let go of. They are not an important part of who we are.
However, there are sins that are extremely difficult to say that you are done with. These are sins that are often rooted in longtime behavior, and they can be manifest in many different ways.
Using the definition we learned before, they are a fortress in our hearts. They are guarded, protected often by our own desires or way of thinking. That’s what makes them so powerful. We simply cannot let them go.
We Want Them!
Often the strongholds are deeply rooted desires we have. Maybe it is watching pornography, having sex with numerous women, gambling excessively, using illegal drugs, or stealing from others. It is something that brings about a strong emotional reaction. We love to do these things!
It can be very difficult to let go of these types of sins. After all, we love doing them. They excite our brain, often releasing endorphins that make the experience more pleasurable. We love them, but that does not make them right.
Are there sins like this that you are facing?
Addictions Are Strongholds
The use of drugs and alcohol may first occur because of the enjoyment we feel. We love these things. Eventually, however, they turn into addictions. A person finds themselves spending all their money and all their free time using drugs and alcohol. That leads to a severe addiction, both mentally and physically.
These types of strongholds can be even more powerful because our body absolutely needs them. Stressful situations, familiar places, and overwhelming challenges quickly lead us back to the addiction.
Understand that additions are not limited to things like drugs or alcohol. People can be addicted to things like pornography or gambling. The person craves the emotional high they feel, and their body reacts to it. When the person does not engage in these activities, he or she may find it difficult to sleep, eat, or find pleasure in life. They impact the person in the exact same way as drugs and alcohol.
Do you think that your addictions have become strongholds?
It’s the Way You Feel
An important point about strongholds is that they do not need to be rooted in an external source. You don’t need to watch pornography or drink alcohol to build a stronghold. Your feelings about something can be the most powerful stronghold of all.
One such example is how many of us feel about ourselves. We have deeply rooted disgust and anger at the things we have done and what we have become, so much so that we built a stronghold about how we feel about ourselves. These become difficult to tear down because we deeply believe these bad ideas about ourselves, no matter what good we may have done.
These types of strongholds often turn into shame, that internal feeling about yourself that is not based upon reality. It is hard to get out of shame when you are battling an irrational belief about yourself. That is why shame is such a powerful stronghold.
These types of strongholds can also be related to things like unforgiveness or bitterness. We have built so much of our lives around the wrongs that others have committed that we have become bitter and hostile. We want revenge, and are unwilling to let go of the unforgiveness, regardless of how it is affecting us.
Keep in mind that a stronghold will eventually destroy you. It may feel good to hate someone else and wish bad things upon him or her, but that level of animosity will cause you physical and mental harm. It will tear you down.
These kinds of things will become strongholds. Because of our strong attitude and feelings about them, we are unwilling to let them go. We let them overcome us, maybe even define us.
Do you have feelings about yourself or others that have become strongholds?
People Can Be Strongholds
You may have never thought of it this way before, but another person can become a stronghold.
At some point in your life, you are going to value another person or persons so much that nothing else in life matters more than that person. You would do anything for him or her and what happens to that person matters more to you than anything else. You will completely sacrifice yourself and your relationship with God for that person, even if they are not good for you. That is a stronghold as well.
The interesting part is that strongholds don’t need to be built around a real person. They can be built upon the ideal person for you. If you desire a relationship with another to the point that it becomes your idol, then this can be a problem. It can be a stronghold.
Are there people in your life that have become a stronghold to you?
How to Battle against Strongholds
In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul is discussing spiritual warfare. This is a subject that is clearly not talked about enough, but is an important part of you having victory over the strongholds.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Paul writes: “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
This is one of the defining sections of verses related to pulling down strongholds. We’re not going to defeat them by shooting a gun or stabbing someone. You can’t blow up your feelings or attack every person who has ever offended you. Instead, you must use the weapons of God to tear down the strongholds.
This begins by returning to Ephesians 6:10-18, which talked about the armor of God. Do you remember what parts of the armor God provides for you?
Why these are so important is they help to remind us of our place with Jesus. We don’t need to condemn ourselves any longer. We don’t need to be overcome by addictions or by the failures in our lives. We also don’t need to harbor unforgiveness and bitterness. We can be freed from all of that by acknowledging our place with Jesus.
Verse 5 addresses this specifically, telling us that the truth about God and who we are with Him pulls down every argument, destroying it. Satan’s lies no longer have affect when you speak candidly about who you are in Jesus.
In addition, Paul tells us that we need to take captive every thought. This can be the most challenging part of all. Many of us look at a beautiful woman and think that it is perfectly acceptable to do so. We tell ourselves things like “We are men after all.”
However, Jesus had an entirely different take on this. In Matthew 5:28, he told His disciples, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” When you look on a woman lustfully, you are already committing fornication. If she is or you are married, you are committing adultery.
This is a battle for your heart. God wants you to have a heart focused on Him, so taking captive those thoughts, acknowledging that they are wrong and turning your attention elsewhere is what God wants you to do.
This may seem extremely difficult, and it is. That is why it is called a stronghold. These are things that you have built a wall around to protect, not wanting them to be torn down. However, your maturity and relationship with Jesus depend upon them.
Are there strongholds in your life that you are willing to confess?
How Can I Have Victory?
The most important thing to understand is that you can have victory over every stronghold. While your thoughts can be difficult to control, they are not unbeatable. You can have victory over them.
This starts by being honest about the way you feel and the thoughts you were having. It is not just acknowledging them, but acknowledging that there is a problem with them. If one is lusting after the wife of his neighbor, acknowledging that to himself and being honest that this is wrong is where you must begin.
In addition, you need to start thinking about what kinds of things you can do to change your mind about how to respond to the strongholds. In Job 31:1, Job stated, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” Job is admitting that it would be wrong to stare at a beautiful woman with lust in his heart, so he does the most sensible thing possible to change his behavior – not look. That may seem both obvious and impossible, but it is what we should do. The longer you look, the more you are going to want. The more you want, the more you were going to lust. However, when you look away and focus on something else, you stop the stronghold from controlling your life.
This kind of mentality can work with almost any problem you may have. If you find that you are homicidal every time you think about the wrong someone has done to your child, find ways to take your focus off that thought and onto something else. Put a Bible verse in your pocket that reminds you that vengeance is the Lord’s or that you will not be overcome by this thought.
Consider the strongholds in your life. Are there things that you can do to change your thinking so that you are not focused on them?
In addition, seek the counsel of somebody who can assist you. In the history of mankind no one has ever defeated and torn down a castle on their own. Every one of us needs an army on our side. We have God and His angels. We also have a band of brothers, friends, and family who can assist us. Lean into those who can help you during these times of struggle.
That includes God. When you are feeling overwhelmed by these challenges, turn to Him. Pray, confess, and acknowledge that you need Him to help you during this time.
Lastly, you need to believe that you can have victory here. If you believe that you are defeated before you even start, then guess what? You will be defeated. You need to believe that God can help you to overcome this struggle, to tear down that stronghold, and give you a new focus.
Can you work with God to tear down the strongholds in your life?
Always Keep Fighting!
One last point that you need to know about strongholds. Just because you have victory over them does not mean they are going away. Many people have overcome their addiction to drugs and alcohol, but they do not put that to the test. They do not put themselves in a situation where they are going to be tempted. They have removed an “unclean spirit,” and are not willing to be tempt again.
This is the attitude you should take. To have complete victory over the strongholds, you must put something else in their place. Your time thinking about how terrible you are should be replaced with some positive thoughts or some positive activities that help to promote your self-esteem. Your time betting on football should be replaced with an activity that is beneficial for you, like reading a book or spending time with your family.
Jesus admonished us in Matthew 12:45 that if we do not replace the evil things we were doing before with something good, then those evil desires will come back seven times worse. The way that you defeat the strongholds and keep them from ever having victory again is by giving them no place to return.
What are things that you can do to replace the strongholds in your life?
How are you seeking the help of God and your brothers to help you in overcoming the strongholds?
Bible Passages for the Week:
Monday – 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Tuesday – Ephesians 6:10-18
Wednesday – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Thursday – James 5:16
Friday – 1 John 4:18
Saturday – Pick a passage from Scripture that teaches you about strongholds or defeating Satan.
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© 2024 Dr. Robert Pannier, Hope CDA, All Rights Reserved
