Identifying Stongholds
November 26, 2018
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NLT
World War I and World War II veterans never had to wonder about the national sense of pride in who they were. Vietnam veterans had an entirely different experience. The nation was divided about the war; thus, these military personnel who served at the call of their nation unfortunately didn’t serve a united nation. We were double minded and unstable in our support and treatment of the military. These soldiers also unfortunately experienced another issue much different than the earlier veterans faced. Vietnam soldiers had a very difficult time identifying who the enemy really was. Some of the Vietnamese people played both sides, being friendly with American soldiers, and then betraying them to the Viet Cong. Guerrilla warfare was devastating. Historians says our leaders weren’t sure who we were fighting either. Were we fighting against Vietnamese who yearned for freedom, or were we fighting international communists? Virtually every part of this conflict was double minded and led to a tragic loss of life over an unbearable 20-year span. Defeat was inevitable.
Spiritually, defeat is inevitable when we are double minded. The biggest reason for defeated believers who do not live free is the double mindedness that keeps them unstable. The strongholds in our lives are where sin lies in wait to wage guerrilla warfare against us with devastating results. A stronghold is that mindset, value system, or thought process through which Satan and his demons operate to undermine God’s good purposes.
Fortunately, God supplies you with the wisdom and ability to identify the strongholds and tear them down. He has mighty weapons. Truth is the unquestioned first weapon, found in God’s Word. Truth sets us free. Love, Jesus style, uncompromising and accepting, is the second. Love this way wins. The New Testament church loved that way and left people drooling, wanting to get into their fellowship. A third weapon is righteousness. It is the commitment that refuses to excuse my sin or failures but captures even the thoughts that promote them and submits them to the obedience of Christ. The fourth weapon is faith-filled prayer: coming to God with our need and expecting Him to meet it.
We can get past our double mindedness when we identify and demolish our strongholds. We have the weapons.
What is the stronghold that is keeping you from victory? Own it and present it to the Lord.