Spirit and Truth: Strongholds
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Spirit and Truth: Strongholds
Spirit and Truth: Strongholds
One of the most frustrating things in a Christian’s life is the real struggle with getting ‘it’ right. “It” being this Christian life that we have surrendered to. Saying yes to Jesus means saying no to other things. Are we talking right? Are dressing right? Do I wear yoga pants or the baggy sweats? Do I reveal my tattoos or keep them covered? Do I send my kids to home school, private school, or home school. And on and on and on we go trying to make decisions and choices that reflect our Christian value system. It can and will send some people over the edge. I would say that most Christians are really good at faking it till they make it. Its easy to stop cussing when you spend time around people who do not talk like that, you still wear yoga pants because a brother is responsible for keeping his eyes focused somewhere else and you start acting like all the other church friends you have. These things are not what define you as a follower of Jesus Christ. We focus on these things because it is the one thing we can do to appear to have it all together. Any outward struggle we may have is usually a symptom of something going on in our mind. If you are struggling with living the perfect Christian life let me just say “stop trying”! You cannot do it and here is why, you ain’t Jesus! So instead of wasting our time today talking about doing the impossible, let us talk about something that is true in almost everyone of us in this room, let us talk about the one thing that keeps us from being the person God has called us to be, today I want to talk about strongholds.
In ancient times stronghold was a military term used to describe an area within a walled city or fortress that was suppose to impossible to overcome, impregnable (say that word 3 times fast). Today it would be like a safe room in rich folks houses or preppers waiting for the end of the world to happen. This stronghold was designed to keep the enemy out and protect you and your loved ones. What would you say if I told you that there are spiritual strongholds in your mind? And these strongholds are often not things that protect you but it is a place where the enemy has set up shop? Pastor Lloyd you are crazy, maybe so, but I did not come up with this, the Apostle Paul did. In Paul says
2 Corinthians
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,
being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
Paul was writing to the church at Corinth, this was his second letter to them. The church at Corinth was a prominent church, it was affluent, but it was also riddled with issues. Paul writes boldly to them concerning divisions in the church, sexual immorality, marriage, idolatry, the Lord’s supper, Spiritual gifts, love, and the list goes on and on. The letter was bold and gave those who opposed the true gospel Paul preached an opportunity to speak against him. Paul’s response was this, we are not waging war against people, against the flesh, but we are fighting a spiritual war against a very real enemy, Satan and our sinful nature. The American church and Corinth have a lot in common, it’s very influential and prosperous, but due to strongholds, it tends to be riddled with problems. Since the church is the people of God we need to look inwardly to see what the real issues are. Let us start by defining strongholds
A spiritual stronghold is anything we are not allowing Jesus to be Lord over. It’s more than sin, it’s a place when Satan knocks we can’t deny it…we answer the call almost every time.
That is a broad but appropriate definition. We fail to see things that are not overtly sinful things as strongholds. I asked friends to send me some examples of “good” and “bad” strongholds. Here are some of those responses.
GOOD (not overtly sinful) BAD (blatant sin)
Idolizing our children Sexual strongholds (thoughts, wandering eyes)
Spouses before God Resentment
Time management Bitterness
Church Jealousy
$ management Fear
Guilt Worry
Let’s talk about the “good” list. This column is made up of things that are not necessarily sinful, children are not bad, at least for to most people. Money is what most people would call A moral, it’s neutral, it’s what you do with it and how you view it that makes it sinful or a blessing. This is not a comprehensive list but I am reminded of another saying of Paul,
A spiritual stronghold is anything we are not allowing Jesus to be Lord over. It’s more than sin, it’s a place when Satan knocks we can’t deny it…we answer the call almost every time.
That is a broad but appropriate definition. We fail to see things that are not overtly sinful things as strongholds. I asked friends to send me some examples of “good” and “bad” strongholds. Here are some of those responses.
The “good”
Children spouse work church money
time management
The “bad”
sexual immorality resentment bitterness
jealousy fear worry
Let’s talk about the “good” list. This column is made up of things that are not necessarily sinful, children are not bad, at least for to most people. Money is what most people would call A moral, it’s neutral, it’s what you do with it and how you view it that makes it sinful or a blessing. This is not a comprehensive list but I am reminded of another saying of Paul,
1 Corinthians
Good
“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
spouses
“BAD” (blatant sin)
Of course Paul was speaking to some laws that told Jewish people how to live. A lot of this is related to dietary restrictions. People no longer had to live under the yoke of the law because Jesus had fulfilled the law. Eating certain things made you ceremonially unclean, now the blood of Jesus has cleansed you. The Holy Spirit lives in you and helps the believer know how to live. So how does this apply to the “good” strongholds that are really not good. Wait, that was confusing. Let’s go back to our definition of strongholds.
A spiritual stronghold is anything we are not allowing Jesus to be Lord over. It’s more than sin, it’s a place when Satan knocks we can’t deny it…we answer the call almost every time.
Is it possible to be so obsessive with our children that we allow them to control when, what and how we do things? Now I am not talking about common sense things but look at our culture. Some parents neglect their biblical role as a parent in order to satisfy some unmet desire in their child’s life. Raising kids is hard and the Word has a lot to say about raising them if we would just trust God with our kids.
Spouses, when we put each other first before our relationship with God there is a problem. Sometimes we don’t worship the way we should because of a spouse. We look to them to fill some need that only God can fill. You cannot get your identity from your spouse.
Time and money management are big ones. We have to be good stewards of both. If Satan knocks and says “you really need a new toy, use that discover card and get it now.” Credit card debt is the worst kind of debt you can get yourselves in. We should honor God with both time and money.
Did you know that church can even be a bad thing. Let me give you an example. I had a spiritual dad that I respected very much. He really helped me a great deal when I first started preaching. Unfortunately he is no longer with us. I remember one time we were talking about family and ministry he said “The one thing I regret is not spending more time with my daughter when she was younger. I spent too much time working on a church building and not enough time with her.” He had committed so much of his life to church life and ministry that he felt he missed out on too much of her life. There has to be balance.
The overtly sinful things like sexual thoughts, resentment, bitterness, jealousy, fear, and worry give us a false sense of satisfaction or fulfilled. We run to these things in order to feel comforted or justified. It elevates the sin over the one who sacrificed Himself in order to overcome these sins. These strongholds allow us to cling to things that are no longer ours.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Spouses before God Resentment
The one thing that these strongholds have in common is they all begin in our minds. Satan calls and we almost always answer the call. We say yes when we know we should say no. He constantly looks for ways to take people ‘captive to do his will’ () His purpose: to erect strongholds. He exploits our weakness.
Time management Bitterness
Damaged emotions- An unforgiving spirit -Jealousy-Unrealistic expectations- Inability to handle money -Unanswered prayer -Unbelieving community
He constantly looks for ways to take people ‘captive to do his will’ () His purpose: to erect strongholds. He exploits our weaknesses.
Church Jealousy
But its the Spirits job to tear them down.
Unrealistic expectations- Inability to handle money -Unanswered prayer Unbelieving community
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
R
1) To consider the situation hopeless and remain defeated.
1) To consider the situation hopeless and remain defeated.
When we recognize we have a stronghold we have two options.
$ management Fear
1) To consider the situation hopeless and remain defeated.
Guilt Worry
2) To see past the stronghold and recognize the Power of God
Paul’s strategy
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
A stronghold is an argument in our minds that distorts the knowledge we have of God.
Paul also instructs us to take every thought captive to obey Christ. These battles take place in the mind so Paul is laying out a defensive strategy in order to destroy the enemy
Check this out
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.
Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:5-15
Romans 5:
After destroying them we replace them.
1) We conform to what God wants instead of expecting him to conform to our wishes.
2) We show a submissive spirit to Christ.
3) Obedience means that Christ gave a word that was to obeyed. There are no exceptions: ‘Every thought.’
4) We take advantage of doing life with a committed group of close friends by confessing our strongholds to those we can trust.
Let us recognize strongholds, tear them down, and replace them with obedience to Christ.
