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. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)
We don’t fight against flesh and blood, and we don’t fight with worldly weapons. We don’t use guns and ammunition. They are useless against Satan’s attacks, and they do nothing against his strongholds.
What is a stronghold? If you’ve been a Christian for some time, you’ve probably heard about them and maybe wondered what they were. A stronghold is a fortified place; a place resistant to attack. Whether it’s a negative or positive term depends upon whose stronghold it is. Psalm 9:9 says,
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (emphasis mine)
But Jeremiah 51:53 says,
Even if Babylon reaches the sky and fortifies her lofty stronghold, I will send destroyers against her,” declares the LORD. (emphasis mine)
Strongholds in military terminology refer to physical places of defense, but “we do not wage war as the world does.” Our strongholds are mindsets – ways of thinking about things or mental patterns of thought. We aren’t fighting flesh and blood; we’re fighting a thought war.
Lust can be a stronghold – it’s how you think about women and sex. If you find yourself evaluating women based on their body parts, you have a stronghold of lust in your mind. If you find yourself reviewing mentally recorded sexual images throughout the day, you have a stronghold of lust.
Satan sets up strongholds in your mind by getting you to first accept a single, unholy thought. Once that one is past your defenses, he brings more…and then more….and then more. He’s patient and persistent. What began as a toehold becomes a foothold and then a handhold and then a stronghold. When it becomes a stronghold, it’s incredibly difficult to defeat. It gives Satan a strategic and tactical advantage in the war for your mind.
Once Satan sets up a stronghold in your mind, he wages war from that fortified place. He can be especially effective with real estate in his enemy’s territory – especially if you don’t cut off his supply lines. That’s your first plan of defense. Don’t give him any new ammunition to launch at you. We’ll talk more about how to do that when we get to the chapter on guarding your gates.
1 Comment
October 25, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Nice post about mindsets and strongholds. These are hard for us to overcome on our own, hence why we are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
You might want to read this:
It is about the captivity of the church.
http://www.lifestreamteaching.com/Captivity_of_the_Church_Series.htm
Glory be to the Lamb of God!
Jeremy from http://www.forgenerations.net
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Thanks, Jeremy. Very interesting set of articles about the Ekklesia at the site you recommended.
Michael