Pulling Down Strongholds

Pulling Down Strongholds

2 Corinthians 10:3-7

What is a Stronghold? In worldly parlance a Strong hold = fortress

For our purposes today…

A sin or a sinful attitude that is fortified or strengthened until you can’t overcome it

Sin – evil action or habit

Sinful attitude - a worldview The OED defines worldview as "... [a] particular philosophy of life; a concept(view) of the world held by an individual or a group ..."

It is the lens through which you see and filter everything in life

If the worldview is Christian and Godly… your thinking, conscience, and actions will be

IF the worldview is worldly, unchristian, materialistic… your thinking, conscience and actions will be

Sadly, I believe the most common worldview in America today is ENTITLEMENT… that we are entitled to certain things, whether or not we deserve them, and the government is the source.

Another common and unfortunate worldview is POLITICAL CORRECTNESS

These worldviews cause their adherents to make spurious assessments of things and act in ways that are ungodly, unbiblical and unchristian

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.

Either the sin or the worldview can be deeply entrenched and nearly impossible to demolish

A stronghold is a besetting sin, can’t get rid of it = stronghold

Strong hold = fortress

Fortified area in our life, where Satan has built a wall around a sin, it has us in its strong grip

Powerful, vigorously protected spiritual realities.

I have listed a few strongholds that are common to most Christians.

Fear

Resentment

Bitterness

Unforgiveness

Apathy

Unbelief

Depression

Anxiety

Lukewarmness

Sinful thoughts

Lust

Pride

Greed

Drugs

Alcohol

Pornography

Race Prejudice

Discrimination

Materialism

Hedonism

MEism

Homosexuality

Where do strongholds come from, how are they established, what is their purpose?

Before we get saved, come to God, we are carnal and at enmity with God

We have a worldly, carnal, sinful nature

Our heart and mind are polluted by sinful strongholds that Satan has established in us

Footholds are territory that you surrender to Satan.

No matter what Geraldine told us in the 70’s, Satan cannot rob or steal any of your territory… he cannot make you do anything.

Satan has no power to take your territory… your mind or your heart

BUT… he can squat on any territory you willingly surrender, and when you do, he gets a foothold, an opening, you surrender an area of your mind or life to him.

When Satan gets enough of these footholds in your territory, your nature, your worldview, your conscience become evil.

When we get saved, we get a new nature and a new mission… go and TAKE the Promised Land... take possession of our territory and bring it under the rule and reign of God.

Satan, the former inhabitant of those footholds, that territory which you surrendered, has no intention of being forced out without a fight, so back before you became a Christian, when you were living in the flesh and putting up no resistance, he established FOOTHOLDS in your life, your mind, your territory.

Now, I believe that Satan possibly knows who will be saved. I have no scripture either way, I just think he might.

If he does not; it changes nothing.

He knows you MIGHT become a Christian. He definitely knows if you become a Christian, there is nothing he can do to snatch your soul from God’s hand. He knows YOU ARE LOST TO HIM when you get saved.

BUT… and this is huge… He knows that though he has lost your eternal soul, your flesh is still very much at his disposal.

So, while you are still lost and carnal Satan establishes FOOTHOLDS in your life… areas where you give him an inch, where you open yourself to sin without any long-range thoughts.

Once Satan has a foothold, he knows the Holy Spirit is lurking around trying to woo you to God… so he fortifies his footholds and they become strongholds.

>>>Ironic: God sees Satan as a roaring lion, stalking about, hiding, seeking to jump out and devour unwitting souls.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour.

If Satan has a bible for his demons, there is probably a verse in there that says, “Be sober and watch: because your adversary the Holy Spirit, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may deliver.”

If you get saved, Satan loses your soul... but not your mind or flesh

These footholds in the mind and flesh are all Satan has left… and He knows the Holy Spirit is going to convict you to get rid of these footholds.

So… as soon a Satan gets a foothold in your life, he immediately sets about turning the FOOTHOLD into a STRONGHOLD