Overcoming Strongholds
Overcoming Strongholds So You May Live a Victorious Life
Introduction: The Crippling Nature of Spiritual Strongholds
Have you ever felt trapped in a situation in which climbing out of it felt as insurmountable as climbing Mt. Everest alone, in the dark, and with no climbing gear? A place where the chasm between your problem and a solution seemed wider than the Grand Canyon? Imagine thoughts of failure and inadequacy circling your mind like relentless vultures, ready to devour your confidence and spirit. It's as if you're ensnared in a tangled web of despair, each thread woven with hopelessness and self-doubt, pulling you further away from the light of hope. It's a deep sickness of the soul, a relentless 105-degree fever that burns you from the inside, leaving you feeling as though recovery—much less victory—is completely unobtainable. This is the crippling, confining nature of spiritual strongholds that the enemy of your soul tries to lead you into. It is also the place that many, if not most lost people find themselves in. They're the dark rooms in the mansion of your mind, places where the enemy hoards his lies and half-truths, fortresses built brick by brick with the clay of your deepest fears. Strongholds are the emotional quicksand that drags you under even as you struggle to break free. But remember, even the most imposing fortress can be toppled, and even the darkest room can be illuminated. The key is not in your hands, but in the divine power that can demolish even the most fortified walls of your soul. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV) says, "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."
Take heart, for even the most fortified strongholds can be torn down through divine power.
The Anatomy of a Spiritual Stronghold
Ed Silvoso defines a spiritual stronghold as "a mindset impregnated with hopelessness that causes us to accept as unchangeable, situations that we know are contrary to the will of God." These strongholds can manifest in various areas of life, including relationships, financial difficulties, health, job situations, and self-esteem, ultimately keeping us from our God-given destiny.
Recommended Reading: Strongholds: What They Are and How to Pull Them Down by Ed Silvoso
The Danger of Living with Strongholds: Double-Mindedness
James 1:6-8 (NIV) warns against the state of double-mindedness, saying, "That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." Double-mindedness acts like a barrier in our minds, creating hopelessness, stealing our confidence, and leading us away from faith.
Paul’s Challenge: Diverting from God's Ways
In 2 Corinthians Paul addresses strongholds caused by people in the church who seem to think of leadership, authority, or success in ways that are more consistent with worldly values (like forcefulness, popularity, or speaking skill) than with the importance of humility, service, and love that Paul associates with the life in Christ. Apparently, a celebrity-based mindset had already entered the church and it set up a stronghold in the lives of the believers preventing them from moving forward in humility and grace.
Just like computers and phones, our spiritual life has an "operating system"—that includes God's promises, His Word, His blessings, and our God-given destiny. The enemy aims to corrupt this spiritual operating system, leaving us trapped in a mindset of defeat long after he has moved on. As mentioned in Luke 4:13 the devil tried to temp Jesus and then moved on until an "opportune time.
Overcoming Strongholds: Repairing Our Spiritual Operating System
Renewing Our Minds
Romans 12:2 (NIV) advises, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Submitting to the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:5-6 (NIV) tells us that a mind governed by the Spirit leads to life and peace.
Allowing God's Word to Penetrate Every Aspect of our Lives
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) describes the Word of God as sharper than any double-edged sword, capable of dissecting even the deepest recesses of our physical and spiritual being.
Spiritual Armor for Battle
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) lays out the Armor of God, including the Belt of Truth, Breastplate of Righteousness, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Conclusion: Embracing Victory
God has bestowed upon us weapons with divine power to demolish strongholds. By using these spiritual armaments, we can demolish the enemy's arguments and pretensions, thus tearing down the barriers that keep us from God’s purpose and destiny. Our thoughts, and the resulting actions, can indeed become obedient to Christ.
Let us rise up in power, demolish the strongholds in our life, and walk in the victorious path that God has set before us.