In case you could interview the apostle Paul, you might question: "what is the better way of getting eliminate false ideas-strongholds-the lies we've got believed about God, life, the near future, earlier times, ourselves, others, etc.? He'd answer:
"For though we walk inside the flesh, we do not war in accordance with the flesh. For your weapons of our own warfare usually are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments every high thing that exalts itself up against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity [a tenacious commitment] on the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:3-5)
In ancient times, a stronghold would have been a strongly fortified defensive building. Just like a fortified city that frequently included a sizable stone wall surrounding it. Walls were all the way to fifty feet and ten feet thick. Their purpose would have been to keep an invading army from the city.
Paul used the analogy to instruct a spiritual truth... revealing how Satan attacks you together with ways to overcome Him. Put simply, Paul used a confident "word picture"-a stronghold that protected a city-to illustrate the negative way in which Satan (as a strong man) seeks to "protect" his house from being plundered to ensure that he might hold people bondage.
"But easily cast out demons through the Spirit of God, surely the dominion of God originates upon you. Or how can i enter a powerful man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And after that he will plunder his house." (Mt. 12:28-30)
Basically, Satan seeks to establish spiritual strongholds in mind to maintain God's presence out of your life, to maintain you in bondage to him. He's got 6,000 years working with men, he's not stupid (as some would have you believe). The Devil works his technique to establish "stone walls of accusation" in your head against God, to hold God's liberating presence from invading your health and freeing our heart.
Personal strongholds: Strongholds inside our mind are "a variety of ideas which might be in agreement with Satan". These lies accuse Jesus and His leadership; chances are they accuse our standing before Him. They're arguments or lies about His character, power, and wisdom and our relationship to Him. Whenever we believe lies about God, then we believe lies about who were in Christ. That's why, renouncing wrong ideas or lies about God is foundational to dismantling personal strongholds.
Cultural strongholds: Strongholds within our culture incorporate actions and laws in a specific region which can be in agreement with all the Devil and against God's righteousness. Repentance of those actions and laws (along with intercession for God's mercy) will be the way to dismantle cultural strongholds.
Cosmic strongholds: Strongholds inside spiritual realm come from territorial spirits or demons that energize entire geographic areas to embrace wicked behavior and evil ideas. There is a demonic chain of command above each region of the world (Eph. 6:12; Dan. 10:12, 20-21). Intercession with repentance in solemn assemblies is one method to dismantle cosmic strongholds (Joel 2:12-17).
How Are Spiritual Strongholds Established?
Strongholds are established by opening doors to Satan through sinful actions and belief systems. Satan's sphere of activity could be the domain of darkness. Wherever there's "darkness", he's got legal access. If darkness is our hearts, he then has legal access to us. Jesus had no place of darkness or agreement with Satan in the life. Thus, Jesus gave Satan no legal access points into His life.
"For the ruler with this world is on its way, anf the husband is not in Me." (Jn. 14:30)
If you feel an irrational heightened lust, fear, oppression or anxiety. You can resist these demonic influences by checking out obey Jesus and declaring the truth of God's Word. Like this, we can easily quench every one of the demonic missiles using heightened energy against us.
"You can quench each of the fiery darts in the wicked one... (Eph. 6:16)
If we sin, we give Satan legal entry into our lives to be effective in the greater means by us. Satan adds an elevated demonic energy to our sin even as we yield to it. He wants our weaknesses to escalate to wickedness. Lust doesn't stop with one act, but continues to grow until it really is full-grown (Jas. 1:15). Sin that's not rejected will continue to increase in our life.
Augustine said, "Lust yielded to gets to be a habit, along with a habit not resisted becomes a necessity."
"Each an example may be tempted when he is drawn away by their own desires... When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, if it is full-grown, brings forth death." (Jas 1:14-15)
"For though we walk inside the flesh, we do not war in accordance with the flesh. For your weapons of our own warfare usually are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments every high thing that exalts itself up against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity [a tenacious commitment] on the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:3-5)
In ancient times, a stronghold would have been a strongly fortified defensive building. Just like a fortified city that frequently included a sizable stone wall surrounding it. Walls were all the way to fifty feet and ten feet thick. Their purpose would have been to keep an invading army from the city.
Paul used the analogy to instruct a spiritual truth... revealing how Satan attacks you together with ways to overcome Him. Put simply, Paul used a confident "word picture"-a stronghold that protected a city-to illustrate the negative way in which Satan (as a strong man) seeks to "protect" his house from being plundered to ensure that he might hold people bondage.
"But easily cast out demons through the Spirit of God, surely the dominion of God originates upon you. Or how can i enter a powerful man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And after that he will plunder his house." (Mt. 12:28-30)
Basically, Satan seeks to establish spiritual strongholds in mind to maintain God's presence out of your life, to maintain you in bondage to him. He's got 6,000 years working with men, he's not stupid (as some would have you believe). The Devil works his technique to establish "stone walls of accusation" in your head against God, to hold God's liberating presence from invading your health and freeing our heart.
Personal strongholds: Strongholds inside our mind are "a variety of ideas which might be in agreement with Satan". These lies accuse Jesus and His leadership; chances are they accuse our standing before Him. They're arguments or lies about His character, power, and wisdom and our relationship to Him. Whenever we believe lies about God, then we believe lies about who were in Christ. That's why, renouncing wrong ideas or lies about God is foundational to dismantling personal strongholds.
Cultural strongholds: Strongholds within our culture incorporate actions and laws in a specific region which can be in agreement with all the Devil and against God's righteousness. Repentance of those actions and laws (along with intercession for God's mercy) will be the way to dismantle cultural strongholds.
Cosmic strongholds: Strongholds inside spiritual realm come from territorial spirits or demons that energize entire geographic areas to embrace wicked behavior and evil ideas. There is a demonic chain of command above each region of the world (Eph. 6:12; Dan. 10:12, 20-21). Intercession with repentance in solemn assemblies is one method to dismantle cosmic strongholds (Joel 2:12-17).
How Are Spiritual Strongholds Established?
Strongholds are established by opening doors to Satan through sinful actions and belief systems. Satan's sphere of activity could be the domain of darkness. Wherever there's "darkness", he's got legal access. If darkness is our hearts, he then has legal access to us. Jesus had no place of darkness or agreement with Satan in the life. Thus, Jesus gave Satan no legal access points into His life.
"For the ruler with this world is on its way, anf the husband is not in Me." (Jn. 14:30)
If you feel an irrational heightened lust, fear, oppression or anxiety. You can resist these demonic influences by checking out obey Jesus and declaring the truth of God's Word. Like this, we can easily quench every one of the demonic missiles using heightened energy against us.
"You can quench each of the fiery darts in the wicked one... (Eph. 6:16)
If we sin, we give Satan legal entry into our lives to be effective in the greater means by us. Satan adds an elevated demonic energy to our sin even as we yield to it. He wants our weaknesses to escalate to wickedness. Lust doesn't stop with one act, but continues to grow until it really is full-grown (Jas. 1:15). Sin that's not rejected will continue to increase in our life.
Augustine said, "Lust yielded to gets to be a habit, along with a habit not resisted becomes a necessity."
"Each an example may be tempted when he is drawn away by their own desires... When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, if it is full-grown, brings forth death." (Jas 1:14-15)
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