“The weapons we fight with are not the
weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds”. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
A
stronghold is a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against
attack. That’s why all the cities of old had their main fortress built on a
hill so it was better protected, it was higher ground and when there were
dangerous times the citizens could come there for protection. There is even
images in Scripture of God being this very thing for us, a mighty fortress is
our God, a bulwark, a rampart, a refuge.
The
city of Corinth was like this also. There was a hill that was 1857 feet above
sea level and there was a citadel that sat atop this hill and all the major
battles for this area were fought there. It was known that if you could capture
the citadel, you could capture the city. All you had to do take secure of the
stronghold, all you had to do was take possession of the high ground.
So
as these guys in Corinth were reading this letter from Paul they just had to
glance up to this hill and see their own citadel which they had seen battles
for, from being a self-governing Corinthian city state to being under the rule
of the Greek empire to now being under the rule of the Roman empire, they knew
how important the high ground stronghold was, and Paul was saying there is a
battle being waged in you and for the stronghold of your heart and mind.
Whoever has possession of the stronghold has possession of the city. And there
are issues in our lives, that when they aren’t dealt with immediately, they
secure strongholds, handholds, and chokeholds in our lives, in our minds, in
our moods, in our thoughts, and in our actions.
The
question is not “are there strongholds in my life”, but rather, “what
strongholds in my life is the devil trying to make me ignorant of”?
You
will never experience all life holds living with these strongholds in your
life.
Have
you ever gone through security at the airport? It’s a hassle, but it’s there
for a good reason. It’s there for our safety, and even for the safety of
hundreds or thousands of people on the ground while we are in the air. And
every person has to go through security, the officials don’t just judge by
outward appearances and say, “Well, you look harmless, so you can go through”.
No, every person gets inspected. And if you aren’t dangerous you get to go
through.
We
need a TSA security screening for our thoughts, a Thought Screening Assessment.
Even the ones that seem harmless, because sometimes those are the ones that are
the most dangerous. So Paul says capture every one, and run it through the
Philippians Filter (look at Philippians 4:4), and if that thought doesn’t
measure up then don’t let it pass through. Get it out of your head!
No
weapon formed against you shall prosper, because you are IN Christ Jesus! We
have divine power to demolish strongholds. The pulling down strongholds, the
saying no to sin, the taking every thought captive. The Christian ground is not
a playground, it’s a battleground. The mightiest weapon of all is the divine
power of God in your life. The soldier on the ground needs eyes in the sky. And
you have that.
Why
would you rely on your willpower when you’ve been given God’s power to live an
abundant life in Christ Jesus, our Lord? What strongholds are in your life
today? Take time to pray specifically about this area and allow God to do His
work in you right now.
