If you’ve been around church for a while, you have probably heard someone teach or talk about strongholds. Depending on your church background, you may have different ideas about what the word means. When the Apostle Paul talked about strongholds, what was he referring to? Could we have strongholds in our own lives? And, if so, how do we get rid of them?
We’ll also look at the Sovereignty of God, how to be more sensitive and discerning in our personal ministry to friends and family, and ask ourselves a couple of important questions: Could we be drunk on something other than drugs and alcohol? If so, how could it put us in a stupor that is just as dangerous?
Today’s Readings:
Isaiah 27 & 28
Psalm 107.33-43
Proverbs 25.20
2 Corinthians 10.1-18
What Are Strongholds & Do You Have Any?
2 Corinthians 10.1-18:
The Weapons of Our Warfare
So what about strongholds? What did Paul mean when he talked about pulling down the strongholds in our lives? Let’s look at a key passage from today’s reading:
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 (vv. 3-5).
Notice three words in this passage: “arguments,” “knowledge,” and “thought.” The strongholds Paul talks about here are not physical and they are not demonic in the sense of “demon possession” or as a spirit holding us captive to some behavior (“spirit of alcohol,” or “a spirit of nicotine,” or “a spirit of lust,” etc.).
They have to do with arguments, knowledge, and thoughts—our thinking, ideas, and beliefs. The strongholds we have to battle are false ideas, false religions, false doctrines, and false philosophies—wrong thinking. We fight them on our knees and with “the Word of Truth.” The way to overcome strongholds or pull them down is by replacing lies with truth (2 Tim. 2.15).
So, what kind of lies and strongholds might hold us or someone we know captive?
Plausible Lies
Some of the big lies or strongholds that keep people in bondage have to do with false religions and cults. And even within the broad category of Christianity, there are false doctrines that can end up keeping people in bondage to various strongholds. You can read about some of them here.
But even when we see those big lies for what they are, there are other more plausible lies that, while subtle, can be just as serious. For example, we might buy into lies like these:
Abortion
- Plausible lie: A woman has the right to do what she wants with her own body.
The truth: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Ps. 139.16).
Sex
- Plausible lies about sex: Kids are going to have sex. So, we need to teach them how to have “safe sex.” Or, God certainly doesn’t expect me to be chaste; after all, I’m only human! Or, that was for Bible times; this is a different culture!
The truth: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification. that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thess. 4.3-5).
Homosexuality
- Plausible lies about homosexuality: God made me this way, so I can’t be expected to change. Or God is love, He loves everyone the way they are. Love is love.
The truth: Homosexuality like all sin is part of our fallen nature, but we are redeemable. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Dating
- A plausible lie about dating: I know he’s not a Christian, but how else is he going to get saved? At least he comes to church with me and I’m sure he’ll become a Christian.
The truth: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God …” (2 Cor. 6.14-16).
Happiness
- A plausible lie: God wants me to be happy!
The truth: God does want His children to be blessed, but he first wants us to be holy! “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Pet. 1.15-16). Happiness is fleeting, but holiness leads to joy unspeakable!
There are, also, more religious-sounding lies.
Religious Truth & Lies
- A plausible lie: How could a loving God send anyone to hell? That’s not the God I serve!
The truth: God isn’t sending us to hell. We’re already lost and He sent His Son to rescue all those who will believe (Jn. 3.16; 1 Jn. 4.9). - A plausible lie: All religions lead to God though they may call Him by another name.
The truth: Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (Jn. 14.6). - A plausible lie: Jesus loved everyone. We should do the same. After all, who are we to judge?
The truth: We should love everyone, even our enemies, but part of loving means there are times when we need to speak the truth in love (Gal. 6.1-2; 2 Cor. 7.8-11; Prov. 27.5-6). - A plausible lie: It doesn’t matter what I believe about God and the Bible, as long as I love Jesus.
The truth: What we believe about God and His Word as revealed in the Bible matters a great deal. It affects how we handle tests and trials, how we reflect Him to a lost world, the level of our trust, and our ability to have peace and joy no matter what our circumstances. For more on this, check out my post, “The Nasty Downside of Bad Doctrine.” In that post, I explain how some false doctrines sound good but can lead us into serious problems.
We, of all people, should not buy into the plausible lies that the world uses to argue against the truth and keep people spiritually blind and in bondage! But we also need to be on guard against the religious-sounding lies that can destroy our testimonies, keep us discouraged, or cause us to doubt God’s love.
Let’s purpose in our hearts to tear down those strongholds, first in our own hearts, and then to prayerfully share the truth with others.
Today’s Other Readings:
Isaiah 27 & 28:
Could We Be Drunk on Our Comfort & Reputation?
Verse 1 of chapter 28 says, “Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valleys, to those who are overcome with wine!”
This passage is written to the ten northern tribes represented by Ephraim. The area where they lived was very lush and fertile. God had blessed them with an abundance of beauty and fruitfulness, but they were puffed up with pride as if they had caused it and had wasted God’s blessings on “drunkenness”—their own sensual pleasures.
Verses 7-8 present a very unpleasant picture:
7 But they also have erred through wine,
And through intoxicating drink are out of the way;
The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink,
They are swallowed up by wine,
They are out of the way through intoxicating drink;
They err in vision, they stumble in judgment.
8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth;
No place is clean.
Our Intoxicating Drinks
Even though this was written specifically to Israel, it has great application to us as a nation and as individuals. The “intoxicating drink” talked about here isn’t just wine or other drugs, it’s anything that dulls our senses or robs us of our ability to be clear-headed and focused on God.
It could be our comfortable lives. Or it could be a concern for our reputations and careers that keeps us from being bold in our witnessing. Or it could be a concern that people won’t like us or will look down on us. The more we partake of those “intoxicating drinks” of ease, success, and popularity, the more we err in vision and judgment.
Like Eve we’re so easily deceived into justifying what we want to do. We tell ourselves things like: “How can I witness to them if they don’t like me or if I turn them off?” or “If I’m more successful, I’ll have more ability to influence people.”
The Priest, the Prophet & the Pastor
Today, even some who profess to serve God, “the priest and the prophet” refuse to stand up for the truth, watering down the Word so it’s more palatable and not offensive. In so doing they allow people to be comfortable with their sin. And then bemoan the fact (but only in the church house with other believers) that the world is “full of vomit and filth”!
Do you ever find yourself saying things like, “I believe abortion is wrong and I could never do it, but I have no right to impose my views on other women” or “I’m a Christian, but I respect other people’s religious beliefs, too.”
What are we really saying? “I know murder is wrong but I’m not willing to impose that on others.” “I know Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, but it’s OK with me that other people go to hell believing a lie.” We must “sober up” and quit justifying our complacency, our closet Christianity, and our compromising.
Don’t misunderstand me. We can’t beat people over the heads with the truth and we do need to show kindness to those of different viewpoints. But we also need to let God examine our hearts and motives to see if our so-called kindness and respect are really fear and intimidation or drunkenness on the comforts and successes of this life.
Jesus said:
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Lk. 9.23-26).
May we seek to please God and not man and be willing to lose our lives for Christ and His kingdom.
Psalm 107.33-43:
Our Sovereign God
This passage talks about the sovereignty of God and how He, “turns rivers into a wilderness … a fruitful land into barrenness …” and on the other hand, “He turns a wilderness into pools of water … He makes the hungry dwell … that they may yield a fruitful harvest …”
In His sovereignty, He has blessed us as a nation. Yet, we have ceased to honor Him for those blessings. How long will God allow us to go down this path as a nation? Will it require “turning our fruitful land into barrenness” before we will turn back to Him?
I don’t know the answer to that question but I do know that I want to trust more in His sovereignty and honor Him for the blessings in my own life. How about you?
Proverbs 25.20:
Singing Songs to a Heavy Heart
Like one who takes away a garment in cold weather, and like vinegar on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
Romans states it this way:
Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Rom. 12.15).
And 1 Thessalonians 5.14 says:
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
In our ministry to others, including our personal ministry to friends and family, we need to be sensitive to their needs. There are times when warnings and rebuke are needed, but there are other times when those around us need to be comforted, encouraged, or strengthened. And at all times, we are to show God’s love and patience.
What Do You Think?
What strongholds have you recognized in your life, now or in the past? And what truths have or should replace them?
Is there some area of your life where you may have become too comfortable and less willing to speak the truth in love?
I hope you’ll scroll down to the bottom of this post and share your thoughts.
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we will talk about the most powerful force in the world and how it can overcome evil, look at the cost of turning our backs on God, and the 5 reasons God allows thorns in our lives. We will also discuss the all-important question, “Is your faith genuine?”
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.
If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback (the paperback has 31 days of blank journaling pages with prompts to help you get started).
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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