27/08/2022
STRONGHOLDS (SPIRITUAL WARFARE)
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Beloved, I will like us to look into the topic "STRONGHOLDS" , the Bible talks about strongholds,
The Word "STRONGHOLD" is defined as (figuratively) A place of domination by, or refuge or survival of, a particular group or idea."
A stronghold is a place of DOMINANCE.....
In spiritual warfare, there are strongholds of spiritual influence... the Bible says;
Ephesians 6:11-13 NLT
[11]Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.
[12]For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
[13]Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm."
Beloved, there is a spiritual warfare ongoing and like any other war, there are strongholds and battle grounds... The Bible says the warfare we fight is not against flesh and blood or human beings(physical), spiritual warfare is not physical but unseen. These spiritual war occurs in two places;
BATTLEGROUND AND STRONGHOLDS OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE
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Beloved, these spiritual warfares takes place in two areas of battlegrounds;
1. The AIR (heavenly places)
2. The MIND (our thoughts)
I would like us to look into these areas of spiritual warfare to understand the battlegrounds and strongholds..
1. THE AIR (HEAVENLY PLACES)
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Beloved,the air represents the atmosphere or high places in the unseen world, the Bible says our struggle or fight is against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this DARK WORLD and against the spiritual forces of evil in the HEAVENLY REALMS. See:Eph 6:12 (Emphasis mine)
There are spiritual forces of evil in the high places or the unseen world and they operate through the air or space of influence...We can see an example in the book of Daniel how an Angel was withheld by a principality (see: Daniel 10:13)
These spiritual forces of wickedness in the high places form the kingdom of darkness that influences individuals, societies, regions and nations, the Bible describes Satan as the prince of the power of the air (see: Eph 2:2kjv). Let's read:
"in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the RULER of the KINGDOM OF THE AIR, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." Eph 2:2 NIV (Emphasis mine)
Beloved, the kingdom of the air represents the unseen world or the space of influence in high places of the atmosphere where evil spirits hover around... This is why it is possible for mediums,spiritis, sangomas, psychics, card readers, astrologers, voodoo priests, witch doctors or wizards, sorceress, palm readers, false prophets etc to conjure evil powers and Satan is the ruler of them. The Bible admonishes us to put on the whole armor of God to withstand the host of spiritual forces in the heavenly places. We thank God that in Christ Jesus all the host of spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places: Authorities, principalities and powers have been disarmed by the Cross of Jesus, the Bible says;
Colossians 2:15
"In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them on the cross."
Beloved, despite all these we have victory over them by the blood of Jesus. Hallelujah!!
We made it clear that the AIR can also mean the atmosphere or place of influence... One other battleground is the MEDIA
Beloved, don't be surprised, the media is a powerful tool of spiritual warfare; Normally, the Media uses the term "ON AIR" to denote live transmission into the space of influence,..
Think about the Rwanda genocide, it started on the Media which transmitted hatred amongst people causing a genocide or deaths of many people, he who controls the mind of the people controls the people... the AIR is a battleground or stronghold.
2. THE MIND (THOUGHTS):-
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Beloved, I will like us to look into the battlegrounds of the MIND, the mind is a battleground and stronghold, the Bible says;
"Be careful how you think: your life is shaped by your thoughts" proverbs 4:23 TEV
Pay close attention here:...Your mind is the control tower of your life; our believes or thoughts shapes our behavior so the scriptures says " As a man thinketh...so is he" prov 23:7a
Watch your thoughts, the become words
Watch your words, the become actions
Watch your actions, the become attitude
Watch your attitude, the become your behavior
Watch your behavior, that is how people will define you
Brethren, whatever holds your mind dominates or influences you, so then in spiritual warfare the Word of God and spiritual forces of wickedness in high places seeks to dominate the minds of individuals and thus control their lives either in the direction of God or disobedience.
THE STRONGHOLDS OF THE MIND
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Beloved, we understood stronghold to mean dominance...I will like us to identify the schemes of the devil that form strongholds.
In the book of Genesis; we saw how Eve was deceived by the Ancient serpent the devil to sin by eating the forbidden fruit, Which brought sin into the world... The original sin committed in the garden of Eden by our first parent: Adam and Eve was centered on BELIEF.
Adam and Eve believed what they devil said "you shall not surely die", in other words they believed the devil to disobey God's commadments.
Beliefs are built up in the MIND that to which subsequently influences us... the mind is a battleground of spiritual warfare and it is the schemes of the devil to blind our minds and build up strongholds that will lead many in disobedience or sin. The Bible says;
2 Corinthians 4:4
"Satan, who is the god of this world, has BLINDED the MINDS of those who DON'T BELIEVE. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God." (Emphasis)
Pay close attention here: Ephesians 2:2 describes Satan as the prince of the power of the Air or the kingdom of the Air and in 2 Corinthians 4:4 he is described to BLIND the minds of those who don't believe, in other words Satan attacks the minds of people with UNBELIEF to lead them into disobedience or a lifestyle of sin
He does that by bringing up false doctrines; Religions and philosophies which is contrary to the gospel of salvation
Yes, all these are from the spiritual powers of this world; they blind people and lead them into disobedience... the Bible says;
Colossians 2:8NLT
"Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and FROM the SPIRITUAL POWERS of this world, rather than from Christ."(Emphasis mine)
Beloved, we can see that through deception the philosophies and false religions of this world comes from human thinking and FROM the SPIRITUAL POWERS and they are at war to capture and blind the minds of people to prevent them from seeing the light that shines from the gospel.
That is why when preaching the gospel you are pulling down strongholds that are holding minds captives to the obedience of Christ... Wherever the gospel is preached there's a move of God, the scriptures says;
".....wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." 2 Cor 3:17b
Distorted views about God are strongholds of the enemy, many have a wrong view about God contrary to the gospel and these are are strongholds... Beloved, when you encounter people who are stubborn and hostile to hearing the Goodnews about Jesus is an evidence of strongholds of the enemy in their minds; these strongholds blinds their minds and the reject the gospel in ignorance.
For example:
• Think about this, what would make Adolf Hi**er kill 6 millions Jews in the holocaust, it is nothing but strongholds in his mind that are influenced by spiritual wickedness, other sources say he acted as though he was possessed.
• What will make a su***de bomber kill himself alongside others...strongholds of distorted views about God and hatred influenced by spiritual powers of this world.
Etc...many act in certain ways because they are being dominated by human thinking and the spiritual powers of this world.
PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS
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Beloved, having understood the areas of spiritual warfare the Bible reveals two ways by which the strongholds of the enemies are being pulled down;
1. Through the Word or preaching of the gospel
2. Through Prayer and fasting
Let's discuss this into details...
¶. Through the Word or preaching of the gospel:
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The Bible says
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.
We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the STRONGHOLDS of human REASONING and to destroy false arguments.
We destroy every PROUD OBSTACLE that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their REBELLIOUS THOUGHTS and teach them to obey Christ. (Emphasis)
Beloved, the scriptures says we are waging war against strongholds of REASONING, PROUD OBSTACLE and REBELLIOUS THOUGHTS through the preaching of the Goodnews about Jesus to the obedience of Christ.
The hearing of the Word of God brings faith when we trust in the truth, this truth about Jesus changes our lives and sets us free from the dominion or stronghold of darkness... The Bible says
Romans 12:2 NLT
"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God TRANSFORM YOU into a new person by CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Emphasis mine)
Beloved, transformation of a person's life begins from the MIND, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:4 that "Satan has BLINDED the MINDS of unbelievers" this is why through the gospel or the Word, every proud obstacle, rebellious thoughts, and strongholds are being pulled down or destroyed and held captive to the obedience of Christ
Jesus said
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
Hallelujah!!.. Through the Word or Goodnews about Jesus every stronghold is pulled down and we are set free...
Satan knows this, that is why he influences certain governments: World leaders or religions to be hostile or enact laws against the preaching of the gospel, the Bible says;
Matthew 11:12 NLT
"And from the time John the Baptist began preaching until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and VIOLENT PEOPLE are ATTACKING IT."(Emphasis)
Satan has always instigated voilence against the preaching of the gospel through tribulations against the saints because he knows the gospel will set them free from his dominion. As believers we must continue to forcefully advance and preach the gospel by the Spirit's power. AMEN!
¶ Through Prayer and Fasting
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"Prayer is a tool in the hands of faith to unlock heaven's storehouse"- steps to Christ
Beloved, Prayer and fasting is a key to pulling down strongholds of spiritual forces in the unseen world...When Daniel held a 21 days fasting and prayer, there was a spiritual warfare in the heavenly realms; causing a principality to be pulled down from his stronghold which subsequently led to the fall of the Persian empire and later Greece. The Bible says
Daniel 10:20
"He replied, “Do you know why I have come? Soon I must return to fight against the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia, and after that the spirit prince of the kingdom of Greece will come."
Beloved, this tells us that there are principalities and powers in the unseen world which controls Nations, regions, vicinities and individuals. Through Prayer and fasting the power influencing them can be broken by the Holy Spirit's power... Let's take an example where someone was possessed by an evil spirit and Jesus'response;
let's read Mark 9:17-18
"A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but THEY COULD NOT" (Emphasis)
Did you see the disciples couldn't cast out that spirit, meanwhile they had earlier on cast out many demons (see: Mark 6:7,12-13)
This stronghold of demonic possession needed a key that the disciples didn't understand;
let's read; Mark 9:28-29
"And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
And he said unto them, THIS KIND can come forth by nothing, but BY PRAYER and FASTING."kjv(Emphasis)
Hallelujah!!... Prayer and fasting is a key to pulling down strongholds...
• Strongholds of sexual addictions: po*******hy, ma********on etc..can be pulled down by PRAYER AND FASTING
• Strongholds of marital issues: barrenness, marital failures etc..can be pulled down by PRAYER AND FASTING
• Strongholds of Ancestral covenants in family cycles can be pulled down by PRAYER AND FASTING
• Strongholds of stagnation can be pulled down by PRAYER AND FASTING
ETC....
PRAYER and FASTING pulls down strongholds and brings forth breakthroughs... the Lord says, when you have fasted and doing good:
"Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here Am I.." Isaiah 58:8-9a NIV
"Never stop praying" ( 1 Thess 5:17), Prayer is a master key and a tool in the hands of faith for the pulling down of Strongholds. Remember the walls of Jericho was pulled down with the sound of prayer (see: Joshua 6:20, Hebrews 11:30)
No matter the situation you are facing, stop the crying, worrying, complaining, compromise etc and go on your knees in prayer and Faith..
~ Prayer in faith divided the waters (Heb 11:29)
~ prayer in faith stopped the Earth and the Sun from moving (see: Joshua 10:12)
~ Prayer in faith stopped rain from falling 3 and half years (See: James 5:17)
~ Prayer in faith raised the dead back to life (See: 1 Kings 17:20-22, 2 Kings 4:32-37 etc ...)
~ Prayer in faith brought fire down from heaven in the sight of men ( see: 1 Kings 18:36-38)
~ Prayer in faith heals the sick (see: James 5:15)
~ Prayer in faith opens the barren womb (see: 1 Sam 1:10)
Etc... the list goes on
When you go on your knees fervently in prayer, Strongholds are pulled down and your salvation springs forth.. the Bible says
Philippians 4:6-7 NLT
"Don’t worry about anything; instead, PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Emphasis)
When you know what prayer can do, you will never stop praying.......
Beloved, these are the areas of spiritual warfare....
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power" Ephesians 6:10 NIV
When Jesus changes your life, your mind will be filled with righteousness, joy, peace in the Holy Spirit... A life without Jesus is empty filled with guilt, fear, worry, condemnation etc.
Everyone needs Jesus....Are you living a life with Jesus or a life without Jesus? Hallelujah!!
Remain blessed!!
Evangelist Paul K Kalayi
JESUS is Coming SOON
