Deconstructing and Destroying Strongholds
February 13. 2023
Deconstructing and Destroying Strongholds
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; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men. But I never thought I'd have to fight in my own house. She let out her breath. I loves Harpo, she say. God knows I do. But I'll kill him dead before I let him beat me.”
Alice Walker, The Color Purple
The quote is a powerful appraisal of a woman's personal assault, abuse and adversity and a dynamic and determined declaration in opposition to spousal abuse in the life of Sophia, a character in the movie The Color Purple (1985).
I respectfully propose seeing the quote from the flaming eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ. With his eyes we will arrive at an accurate assessment and the assessment is that we that are recipients of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord and will be in a fight all our lives on this side of eternity.
Revelation 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
When John saw the Lord in the book of Revelation, he described our Lord’s eyes as flames of fire. That is eyes that are purging, piercing, and penetrating the very heads and hearts of men. Therefore, with the Spirit of God and the word of God we will see things with His flaming eyes which in turn will give us the ability to judge the spiritual influences inciting and perpetrating the pattern of abuse. We will also discern that all maltreatment and manipulation and maladies of sin are inseparable from a spiritual source. And I suggest to you that it is a salacious and satanical source that set up and solidify strongholds.
The word strongholds are found once in the New Testament, used figuratively by Paul in his characterization of the Christian’s warfare: 2 Corinthians 10:4. Often these strongholds are spiritual and fleshly.
The conquering Christian move into the cinders and confines, as it were, every false hypothesis and every human philosophy that had once arrogantly asserted its autonomy from God.
Beloved our battle is not aimed according to the way this world fights. In addition, our weapons are not physical, for our warfare is spiritual in nature. And our power comes from God alone. And God’s grand and glorious goal is to demolish spiritual strongholds.
So, what are these “strongholds” that we consistently confront? In the very next verse, Paul places it on a shelf of comprehension so we can grab it.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
So, we biblically bulldoze the bamboozlement of all arguments and dispositions that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, as well as enslaved every thought to make it compliant to Christ” The “arguments” are the philosophies, interpretations, and ideas of the world.
Therefore, here is what it looks like. The Christian, dressed in his divine spiritual armor and carrying his spiritual weapons, heads out to win the war with the world for Christ, but he almost immediately finds himself facing obstacles.
The enemy has established strong holds to defy the Truth and obstruct God’s plan of redemption. One such strong hold is the stronghold of human reasoning. Which is basically leaning to your own understanding- and an establishment of emotions that interpret your experiences as opposed through the word of God.
This strong hold is reinforced with rebellion- passions, lust, fear, and hardened by a will poisoned and powered by pride.
When we wage our war against the world with the weapons from Heaven we will deconstruct and destroy every stronghold.
Not A Sermon Just Some Thoughts
For the Glory of God,
PBKSR