Dealing With Strongholds

Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

In this message I would like to talk about how you can pull down the strongholds that Satan has built in your lives. I would also like to talk about the kind of stronghold that we can build that will not allow Satan to gain any kind of a foothold in your life.

It is time for us to cast off the works of darkness and to walk in the armor of light

not giving place to the devil. Too many of us have allowed the devil to have a

foothold in our lives. We have let him have free reign to harass, oppress and

bring us into bondages that God desires us to walk in a freedom to. God should

be our rock and stronghold, but the problem is too many have allowed the enemy

to control the strongholds.

2 Samuel 22:1-2 Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the

day when the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and

from the hand of Saul. And he said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my

deliverer;

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty

in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high

thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into

captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience

when your obedience is fulfilled.

Francis Frangipane writes in one of his books, "What men call "salvation" is

simply the first stage of God’s plan for our lives, which is to conform us in

character and power to the image of Jesus Christ. If we fail to see our

relationship to God as such, we will allow too many areas within us to remain

unchanged. Pulling down strongholds is the demolition and removal of these old

ways of thinking so that the actual Presence of Jesus Christ can be manifested

through us."

II. What Are Strongholds.

1. Old Testament Definition.

In the Old Testament, a stronghold was a fortified dwelling used as a means of

protection from an enemy. We find that David hid from King Saul in wilderness

strongholds at Horesh.

1 Samuel 23:14,19 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and

remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day,

but God did not deliver him into his hand....Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at

Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the

hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

These were physical structures usually caves high on a mountainside, and were

very difficult to assault. It was this imagery in mind that the inspired writers of the

Bible adapted the word "stronghold" to define powerful, vigorously protected

spiritual realities.

A stronghold can be a source of protection for us from the devil, as is the case

when the Lord becomes our stronghold as it did for David. Or conversely, a

stronghold can be a source of defense for the devil’s influence in our lives, where

demonic or sinful activity is actually defended within our sympathetic thoughts

toward evil.

Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to

obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of

obedience to righteousness?

2. The Apostle Paul’s Definition of a Stronghold.

The apostle Paul defines strongholds as speculations or lofty things raised up

against the knowledge of God. It is any type of thinking that exalts itself above

the knowledge of God, thereby giving the devil a secure place of influence in an

individual’s thought-life.

2 Corinthians 10:5 ...casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts

itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the

obedience of Christ...

3. Another Definition.

Ed Silvoso defines a stronghold as a mindset impregnated with hopelessness

that causes us to accept something that we know is contrary to the will of God.

Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the

body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

It is important to recognize that when we speak of strongholds, we are not talking

about random thoughts or occasional sins. We are talking about areas in your

life that you are in bondage to and are having a hard time breaking loose from.

III. How Strongholds Take Root.

In order to fully understand how to pull down strongholds, it is first important that