Bringing Down Generational Strongholds - 4
Bringing Down Generational Strongholds • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Please turn to 2 Cor. 10, and Rev. 12.
In 1985, back in my pre-Christian days, I watched a movie called Fright Night (I do not recommend). A young man discovers that a vampire moved in next door. He enlists the help of an expert vampire slayer who has a late-night TV show. There’s a scene in the movie that made an impact on me. They eventually confront the vampire, and this expert holds up a cross – apparently crosses repel vampires (Brussel sprouts work as well). He holds up this cross and the vampire looks down at him and laughs mockingly. He says,
“You fool, you have to believe for that to work.”
Here’s my interpretation - the vampire admitted that there is power in the cross to push back the darkness. However, for the cross to “work,” you have to believe in the One who died on the cross (Jesus Christ) and believe in the work that Jesus accomplished on the cross.
Hang onto that.
We’ve been talking about spiritual warfare, and specifically about bringing down generational iniquities and/or unhealthy behaviors that have passed from one generation to the next. One of our key passages comes from 2 Corinthians 10. To stay within context of the passage, the Apostle Paul is giving a defense of his ministry. He reminds the Corinthian church that though we are human and we have human limitations, our ministry in the world encompasses the supernatural. And so he says this,
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
For though we walk [live] in the flesh [ we’re human], we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh [not of human effort, intellect, origin, sometimes not humanly logical …] but have divine [Greek theos - God] power [Greek dynatōs – power, might, capability] to destroy strongholds. We [active tense – subject is the doer] destroy [and/or refute] arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God [gnosis – personal, experiential], and take every thought captive to obey Christ ….
This is a common go-to passage for spiritual warfare, and rightfully so. But it can also be misunderstood and misused, so let’s unpack it.
Paul alludes to the reality that we are in a spiritual war. But what does that mean?
Dr. Michael Heiser ~ “Many Christians have come to think of spiritual warfare as a specialized form of ministry – exorcism, deliverance ministry, or certain types of intercession.’ These ministries place a significant focus on confrontations with evil spirits” (Clinton Arnold).
There’s some truth to that, but spiritual warfare is not a specialized ministry per se. Spiritual warfare is something we’re all engaged in. Again, my definition is this – you can agree or disagree.
Spiritual warfare is engaging spiritual means and practices to center ourselves in Christ’s love, power, truth and authority to fight whatever battle is before us.
– ultimately so that we can become the free people God wants us to be and do what God wants us to do. Whether the battle is fighting my own flesh, mind, heart, or facing a demonic presence – it’s all SW – remember we’re taking the holistic approach.
Heiser goes onto say,
“… spiritual warfare needs to be understood in the context of the conflict between two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan” (Dr. Michael Heiser).
It’s that simple. I understand there are complexities, but spiritual warfare comes down to a battle of two kingdoms. The big question here is which Kingdom will we align with. Understand that each kingdom has a king. So,
Much of spiritual warfare comes down to which “king” I listen to, believe, and love (obey).
You may be in the Kingdom of God but still listen to the wrong “king” – i.e. the wrong voice. Hence, spiritual warfare.
So God has given us weapons that have supernatural power to demolish strongholds. Talk about weapons later, but for now let’s focus on strongholds.
What’s a stronghold?
A physical stronghold is a defensive fortified structure designed to withstand military assault.
Strongholds are designed to be places of safety and security that people retreat to and find refuge. They are extremely difficult to break through and tear down, and often take a long long time to destroy.
But what is an emotional and/or spiritual stronghold? There are two sides to this.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
God is to be the stronghold for His people – a place where we go to find protection, security, refuge, shalom, and truth!
Yet the people of God can have an emotional or spiritual stronghold built into their lives that is not of God, which is what Paul is referring to in 2 Cor. 10. So what is that stronghold? Remember, a stronghold is a fortified structure.
1 Chad 12 – An ungodly stronghold is a false belief that has been intentionally or unintentionally built into our hearts, minds, or souls that influence what we believe to be true about God, others, self, and life which the enemy may or may not take advantage of.
Furthermore, an ungodly stronghold is not a place of freedom, but rather a place of captivity.
We’re looking back and forward – looking for those generational strongholds that have been built into our lives – that keep us captive, in bondage to ___________. Some strongholds are of our own design – we laid the foundation – we gave a lie, the enemy _________ access to our interior lives. Other strongholds have been built into us – someone or something else laid the foundation.
No stronghold was built in a day. They are built over time – one stone on top of the other. Some strongholds are more difficult to destroy than others, even as Christians because we often have layers and layers (years) of lies that have been reinforced and need to be dismantled and replaced with God’s love, power, truth and authority. We keep dismantling until we find that initial stone and discover where the stronghold began.
Here's another example from my life. I was about 5 or 6 years old. I was playing around the Christmas tree; mom was on the phone. I heard mom say something to whoever was on the phone, and I wanted to be a part of the conversation, so I did what any child would do – hey mom, mom …. Mom did what any parent might do – “What!” I shrunk back and I became afraid. I very timidly shared whatever was on my mind. She said, “Was that so important that you needed to interrupt me?!” That moment is ingrained in my psyche – I can see it, feel it, experience it. It is just as real now as it was 47 years ago. I don’t blame Mom. She did not do anything intentional – it was just a normal moment of parental frustration. Nonetheless, the foundation was laid and from that point forward I believed that whatever I had to say was not important. I learned not to assert myself – shrink into the background and keep my mouth shut. I was outgoing, energetic, fun, but I was also very intimidated by others, struggled with conflict, standing up for my conviction, or believing I had value and something to add, or standing up for others. Throw on always being the last one chosen for kickball and dodgeball …. This became a stronghold, a false belief that caused a lot of problems in my life – a lot of self-doubt, lack of confidence, relational issues – and identity issues. Believe me, the enemy took advantage of this and reinforced it. Even though the stronghold has mostly been dismantled, there are still a few stones that need removed. I still struggle a little with this issue. I just sold a painting for $350. I was told by the gallery that I underpriced myself – it was worth $1,200.
Like I said, I’ve done a lot of dismantling of this stronghold. How did I do it? How does anyone begin to tear down a stronghold? 1) Confession – we’ve talked about this. We must confess that there’s an issue. 2) By believing or trusting in (by faith)
one of the greatest weapons God has given us.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Truth sets us free from the bondage, the strongholds of false belief. Believing in God’s truth sets us free from lies that we have accepted and been built into our lives.
Let’s go back to the vampire. The guy held up a cross and the vampire laughed and said, “You have to believe for that cross to work.” You can quote Scripture, we can pray, we can come to church, go to counseling … if you don’t believe the truth of who God is and what He says about us and who we are in Him … the stronghold remains and the enemy laughs. When Jesus quoted Scripture to the devil when He was begin tempted in the desert, Jesus did not defeat the devil simply because He quoted Scripture – He defeated the devil, the father of lies because He believed in the One who wrote the Scriptures.
What strongholds, lies, have been built into your life – that you are believing?
What truths of God do you need to believe?
Communion
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
