The Old Testament mainly discusses strongholds in terms of battle protected areas such as fortresses and castles that provide safe and secure places for people to live and defend themselves from enemy attacks. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul talks more about the enemy’s use of mental strongholds (imaginations, conclusions, and doctrines) that keep you away from the whole truth and keep you in bondage. Paul also describes the spiritual warfare necessary to break these bondages.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (II Corinthians 10:3-5, KJV).
In the book “Battlefield of the Mind” author Joyce Meyer defines strongholds as areas in which we are held in bondage (in prison) due to certain ways of thinking. The Apostle Paul recognized that the toughest battle was in the mind. Words, thoughts, and imaginations based on half-truths, whole lies, or erroneous religious doctrine, can create severe strongholds in a person’s life. You see it played out today where people are encouraged and willing to blow themselves up for their faith. Studious religious theology and well thought out and supposedly reasoned religious doctrines can be the worst stronghold contributors of them all. The Bible tells us that the traditions of man make the Word of God of no effect (Mark 7:13, KJV). A way of thinking that nullifies the Word of God is what I call a severe stronghold!! It was true in the days Jesus walked with his disciples, and it is still true today.
Let’s look at just one example (and there are many). Have you ever heard the phrase “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away”? It is commonly quoted at Christian funerals. Do you know where that phrase came from? Do you know the context and all the surrounding circumstances? This quote comes from Job after all his children and all his cattle had been destroyed by Satan (Not GOD!!).
And said (Job), Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. (Job 1:21. KJV)
Doesn’t that sound like a great and humble statement from a man of God? The only problem is, it’s not completely true! God is not the “destroyer” in this situation. It is remarkable to me how much bad theology, and subsequent strongholds, are originated from the Book of Job alone. It is almost like we ignore the Bible account of this situation, ignore what God had to say about it, and overlook the fact that Job repented to God about what he said during this ordeal.
Chapters 4-31 of Job are also filled with the thoughts of Job’s supposed three religious friends, who were trying to blame Job for what went wrong, how he must have sinned, and Job’s responding feedback back to them defending himself. I have even heard people quote the comments of these three friends as Biblical truth. Talk about creating strongholds! This is what God had to say about the counsel of the three friends and Job’s responses to them:
And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right , as my servant Job hath. (Job 42:7, KJV)
And Job’s reflections on his own personal comments regarding God were as follows:
You (God) ask, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I (Job). And I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me. “You (God) said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. “I (Job) had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (Job 42:3-6, NLT)
Now, back to Paul’s admonition about strongholds and how they can so easily entrap us. We must be a people that put our trust in the Bible and the Holy Spirit (who is our teacher). We cannot solely rely on religious doctrine, a preacher we hear once or twice a week, a friend, or the traditions of man or denominations. Take the quote “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away” in context. Job did not understand what was going on and he just attributed everything to God, which is a big mistake and creates major mental strongholds. We still do that today!! We do not recognize that we have an enemy. God was not the thief then and He is still not the thief. The thief is Satan and he is the one that comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He is the father of lies and his best strategy is to take the Word of God and twist it just enough to make it sound true but at the same time cause you to attribute his (Satan’s) works to God. That way you will not fight against him (Satan) because you think you may be fighting against God so you end up blaming everything on God, which negatively affects your faith and your love of God.
Satan is well aware of the power available to believers and will do anything to keep you from seeing that truth. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you”. (Luke 10:19, KJV) “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble”. (James 2:19, KJV)
We encourage you today to read and study your Bible. Don’t leave out a jot or tittle. Build a relationship with God through prayer and reading His Word. If you will seek, you will find. If you will lay down all your preconceived ideas, imaginations, and religious traditions, and let the Holy Spirit teach you as you read His Word, you will come to a place like Job did when he said “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee”. We have to build a relationship with God to the point that we see Him as He is and alternatively we see Satan as he is. One of my fellow ministers (Guy Ianello) says it like this, “You cannot fight what you cannot see“. Most people, even Christians, do not see the battle. We have to know God’s heart. When we know Him, we will be able to quickly recognize (see) and cast down all those things (thoughts, imaginations, bad theology, false prophecies, etc.) that exalt themselves above the knowledge of God, and create strongholds in our lives, because we know they do not line up with His heart, His nature, or His Word. We have to have eyes to see and ears to hear and we must be ready to fight the good fight of faith!!
Our prayer for all of us today is that the heart cry of the Apostle Paul “That I may know Him” would be alive and burning in every one of us!
In His Service,
Rev. Ed & Cheryl Henderson, New Life Network, Inc.
www.newlifenetwork-org-staging.smwnm894-liquidwebsites.com
