Strongholds

               Gaining freedom through pulling down strongholds:  MAIN HEALING LESSON 11

This teaching on strongholds of the fallen nature is just one of the 24 lessons in our workbook for personal transformation, "Matters of the Heart."  All 24 lessons will be helpful to the person seeking restoration and freedom and have been posted on this web site. They are available as a complete set in our workbook which can be purchased as a download or ordered through the mail. The lessons are also available on CD and DVD as 24, 1/2 hour teachings. All scriptures are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted.
 

Introduction

Up to now we have been laying a foundation for understanding our emotional and spiritual life. We have seen the connection between stress and disease and between our negative emotions and what the Bible calls sins. Then we looked at the pathway of temptation into sin coming from spiritual darkness and the way out that separates us from sin and releases us to enter into God’s kingdom. Finally, we focused upon the all important role of image bearing and how the power of beholding can uplift us or cast us down according to the image of God and of self that we carry deep within our hearts.

Now, we are entering into the real “battlefield” of the course!
This is the section where we will explore the major emotional strongholds that carry us away from the peace of Christ and all too often hold us captive to stress (as anxiety) or distress (as depression). The strongholds we will explore are generational sin, unbelief, accusation, bitterness, trauma, rejection, self-rejection, envy/jealousy, the occult, fear and addictions. That’s quite a list! But first we will have to study what strongholds are, how they are formed and how they can be brought down.
 

Teaching summary

What are strongholds?
Jesus is our true stronghold, the One that we run to when threatened by sin or danger. David couldn’t say enough about trusting the Lord as His Protector.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:2

Counterfeit strongholds are un-surrendered, un-healed or un-crucified areas of the old nature or self life. They rise up and resist the Spirit-given life (the life of the Spirit, Christ’s life, or new creation life in us). Self protectiveness built them and maintains them—aided by the lies and temptations of the enemy. We are to resist them by pulling them down. Like David we don’t need self-protection any longer—we have the Lord to protect us!

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 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…  2 Corinthians 10:3-5



Strongholds are habit structures of thought

When we ask Jesus into our life, God changes our heart, but we have to change our habits by working with the truth and grace He supplies. (see "Strongholds" teaching series; Jack Frost, Shiloh Place Ministries). Habits are thoughts or actions repeated so often over time that no conscious thought is required for them to take place again. The thought begins as a seed, but if unchecked, it can become a tree firmly rooted (Hebrews 12:15). It is built upon seemingly apparent and self-evident truths which are actually distortions of eternal truth. Our continuing agreement with them keeps them built up and strengthened. Stronghold thinking is stinking thinking!

The stronghold is fortified by false beliefs which we have to pull down by carrying those thoughts captive to Christ. The hidden lie has to be exposed by the truth of God’s Word as the Spirit gives revelation. This requires some diligence, especially in the beginning.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23

In the stronghold we encounter the negative power of the self life:

We say: I feel it so strongly, it feels like it must be true. We need to wake up and realize that our feelings are lying to us. In fact the more powerful the negative feeling is, the greater the lie it is pressing upon us. (See Negative Emotions).

We say: I just don’t see how God’s truth can be right about this situation. We need to realize in advance that in certain situations and at times of trial especially our understanding is going to be worthless to us. His ways really are higher than our ways and His thoughts really are higher than ours. We are admonished in Proverbs to get understanding, but not to lean upon it. Cast down what you think you know if it is keeping you from trusting. You can at least understand this: He loves you and would never fail you.

A stronghold is like a medieval fortress
The unhealed wounds of traumatic events often cause strongholds to form. Usually they have been built stone by stone (thought by thought) over a long period of time—so long that we have forgotten that we ever believed or felt anything different, or that life ever was different than how the stronghold now makes it seem.  In that area of experience we have come to see life from the perspective of the stronghold. Like the keep of a medieval castle it is well fortified. We feel protected by believing it, but it keeps us a prisoner on the inside and keeps others from leading us out of its confines.

If you can’t just say no to the flesh, you are dealing with a stronghold. Another way of picturing these strongholds of the flesh is like having your arm gripped by someone dragging you along with them against your will.

Strongholds are not evil spirits
Strongholds are fortresses of thought built up within our flesh which can be used by the enemy to harass and oppress us.  A stronghold may be occupied or unoccupied.  Try to attack it head on and it will seem well occupied and well defended against all the reasons you bring! The way you know if a spirit is present is by the power of the negative thing as an inner expression and by its hold over you. Also it may be discerned by its stubbornness to give way to truth and/or to the exercise of your will to resist it.

Strongholds take advantage of 4 great lies of the enemy (from The Search for Significance; Robert McGee, Rapha Resources).

• I must meet certain standards in order to feel good about myself.
• I must have the approval of certain others to feel good about myself.
• Those who fail are unworthy of love and deserve to be punished.
• I am what I am. I cannot change.  I am hopeless.

The “4 A’s” describe performance orientation coming out of these lies:

Because of a lack of Affection (or Attention) I sought Achievements in order to gain Approval so that I could feel Accepted. The answer in Christ: Now I can rest secure at last in the Father’s unending acceptance, affection and approval for me.

How are strongholds brought down?

Bringing down strongholds and carrying thoughts captive to Christ is primarily a truth encounter on our part--not a will power contest.  We cast down our understanding and break our agreements with our feelings. As we agree with the truth (that the enemy’s stronghold is a lie and the Word is the truth), then the Holy Spirit strengthens us and raises us by the power of God.  Confessing truth and renouncing the lies need to be done by the one seeking freedom—wrong throught, by wrong thought; false belief by false belief.

How the process of dismantling a stronghold works
The things that bring strongholds down are the very things that would have kept them from forming in the first place—if we had had sufficient understanding of how to apply the truth of God’s Word to the hurtful situation or wrong desire.  So now in the present moment when situations trigger the stronghold, we can do under the Spirit’s power what we didn’t do then, and begin taking the stronghold down "stone by stone." Deliverance can then be ministered by agreeing with the truth of Christ’s victory (cross, blood, and Name). Again the power is the Holy Spirit’s part—our part is to agree with the Word and speak it out in faith.
 
The choice is ours
Either we will carry wrong thoughts captive, or they will carry us captive to do their will.

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.  2 Timothy 2:24-26

If we have no knowledge (discernment) the un-recognized thoughts have greater power.

Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge… Isaiah 5:13 

Recognizing stronghold thinking and being willing to challenge it with the truths of God’s Word, gives us the weapon needed for victory. Truth is liberating—if you truly believe it.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32

Stronghold thinking is "stinking thinking"
that leads to a sinking feeling--recognize and resist it!
 

Interested in going deeper?

 Don't just give these truths a "head bob"!
For further study and for help working these truths into your heart and life, see Strongholds part 2 (Head to Heart Guide 11) and "work out" with exercises, discussion questions, review of main points, digging deeper, more scriptures, model prayers, renunciations/affirmations and practical steps of life application.

Or better yet, let us minister to you in person
     --at one of our Savannah Seminars...