Destroying � Strongholds

The New & The New You

Did You Know We Construct Strongholds

A stronghold is a fortified defensive as used in Judges 6:2

A place of security or survival 2 Samual 22:1-5

Every lie, wound, habit, or fear represents a brick that builds a fortress wall of protection, but in reality, it is wall that keeps us from fully trusting Jesus and embracing our true identity in Jesus as a new creation in Christ.

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As Psalmist Claims

Psalm 9:9, The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Psalm 18:2, The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 27:1, The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 144:2, he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

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Strongholds Are Pual’s Subject In

2 Corinthians 10:3-5, For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Paul’s main point is that although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war accordingly. Rather, we use divine weapons to destroy these strongholds. But before we can destroy our strongholds , we have to acknowledge them.

John MacArthur Explains

Corinth had a fortress for refuge, illustrating a metaphor for its residents. Spiritual strongholds can include thoughts and philosophies, forming ideological fortresses that shield individuals from God and the gospel (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:20). This underscores the need to capture every thought and dismantle human and satanic wisdom to save those trapped by lies. Such dismantling is only possible by being empowered by the Spirit and faithfully using the word of God to counter satanic falsehoods. This is true spiritual warfare.

Two Biblical Strongholds

What Are Mental Strongholds?

Our brain is organic matter that dies with our old flesh. Our minds are connected to our souls. The problem with the mind is that during our formative years, we learn habits of thinking and responding that are independent of God.

According to Neil Anderson, this is what the Bible calls the fleshly mind

In those formative years apart from God or even not spiritually mature, we learn to try to protect ourselves. Modern Psychologist calls defense mechanisms. Simply put, we learn to listen to satan’s lies when we get into trouble and get hurt in early life.

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The Mental Lies

What is A Simple Definition of Stronghold?

• Strongholds are fleshly thought patterns programmed into our minds when we learn to live independently of God. We learned such habits of thinking and feeling from “within” and “around” but not up.

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Did You Know We Help Along the Way?

• We also had some help along the way with these thoughts.
• The original word used here for “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus comes from the same root that is used for Schemes in
• 2 Corinthians 2:11, so that Satan would not outwit us; for we are not ignorant of his ways.

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Satan’s Ways

• Paul makes it clear that Satan blinds many people in 2 Cor. 4:3-4
• 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
• As we learned in Our Series The Bible Can People Understand it in Gen.3, Satan deceived Eve by his craftiness, playing on her thoughts and emotions.
• Paul reminds us of this in 2 Corinthians 11:3: "But I am afraid that, like the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ."

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Can Satan Put Thoughts in Our Minds?

David As a Case Study

• 1 Chronicles 21:1, Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.

The Strategy was to get David to trust in his resources instead of God, unlike when he faced Goliath.

• 1 Samuel 17:37, And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
• David will later reflect and record in Psalm 33:17, The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.

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How About Some New Testament Examples

1. Judas listens to the Devil.
• John 13:2, During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him,
2. Satan filled Ananias Heart
• Acts 5:3, But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?

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Jesus Warning & Prayer

Luke 22;31-32, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

Matthew 26:41: Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

John 17:15, I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

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Can the Christian Win the Battle�

• The best illustration is a computer that operates using both hardware and software. The software represents the thought patterns that wired our souls.
• Even though we may be Christians, no one has wiped the mainframe. In other words, the old thinking habits and responses have not been cleared; they are still retained. They are more natural and comfortable than following Jesus’ ways.
• We need an Antivirus for Mental Strongholds
• 2 Corinthians 10:5, We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

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• Colossians 1:13–14, He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
• Colossians 3:3For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God 1 Corinthians 2:16, “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

This renewal is the work of Spirit in our lives the more we are intoxicated with the Spirit than grieve the spirit the more of the Fruit of the Spirit is developed in us.

Ephesians 5:18, And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Ephesians 4:30, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

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What Does It Mean to Take Every Thought Captive?

The Sanctification Process

• This is what the Bible calls sanctification. The process is more about our emotions, thoughts, and daily actions. In other words, we exchange our ways for his ways.

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Ephesians 4:17-32

• Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!— assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

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The Lack of Knowledge

• Lack of Knowledge Destroys People
• Hosea 4:6, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

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