How To Tear Down Spiritual Strongholds

The Spirit of God desires each of you to break free from any demonic strongholds that are holding you hostage.

I believe it would be beneficial to think about the metaphor's metaphorical element a little further.

9:9 (Psalms) The LORD is a stronghold in times of adversity for the oppressed.

Because it is high and inaccessible to adversaries, a cliff might be used as a stronghold.

1 Samuel 23:14; 1 Samuel 23:15; 1 Samuel 23:16; 1 David lingered in the fortresses of the desert and the highlands of the Ziph Desert.

and my deliverer; my shield, and the one in whom I put my trust; the one who subdues my people under me

Why would a “high thing” want to elevate itself by hanging out in a high cliff or a high tower?

It's considerably easier to drive an adversary away from a fortress on a high vantage point.

In the history of Israel's conflicts, you can learn about the strategic value of strongholds.

It's just off the main route leading up to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and the airport.

The problem with this location was that it was a stronghold located along the main roadway.

The Arab Legion held the fortress of Latrun when the War of Independence began.

They could pick off the caravans delivering supplies up to the Jews in Jerusalem from this vantage point.

This was a stronghold that needed to be conquered!

It had a suffocating grip over Jerusalem!

The fledgling Israeli Defense Forces attempted to take it five times in five different ways.

The Arab Legion—the greatest, British-trained warriors on the Arab side—has proven itself time and time again.

As a result, the Israelis construct a “Burma Road” around the bastion, traversing tough terrain.

Until 1967, the Arabs controlled this fortification, which was located just five kilometers from Ben-Gurion Airport.

Nasser dispatched Egyptian troops to Jordanian garrisons shortly before the 1967 conflict.

includes an impressive display of Israeli army tanks that were purchased, manufactured, or captured.

For the past two decades, that location has posed a threat to our people's safety in the heart of the country.

How long has a stronghold in the center of your thinking life jeopardized your safety?

Is it possible?

Hey, David conquered Jerusalem and established it as his capital!

Joab unlocked the citadel's gates by breaking through a tunnel that led to a spring.

“Even if Babylon climbs the sky and fortifies her lofty stronghold,' Jer 51:53 declares.

by diverting the city's river and marching into the city on the riverbank!

God is well-versed in strongholds and understands how to overthrow them — and he'll show you how.

Do you ever want to quit up when you come up against a stronghold in your life?

Individuals who are willing to battle, people with courage, capture strongholds!

God will assist you if you ask for it. The Bible and the Holy Spirit will show you how. Amen?

One thing to remember about a stronghold: it's a location, not a person.

The mind is the castle of the soul, and Satan and his henchmen aim to capture people's minds.

“Have nothing to do with the unproductive deeds of darkness,” Ephesians 5:11 exhorts us.

If you wish to allow God's light shine on the darkness, you must have a humble attitude.

“Test me, O LORD, and try me, probe my heart and my intellect,” David begged in Ps 26:2.

After you've identified the stronghold, repentance is the next stage in bringing it down.

Honesty before God is the best policy, and humbly allowing the Spirit to reveal the stronghold in the darkness is the best policy.

It's possible that you'll have to mute the tiny lawyer who emerges from a dark corner of your mind.

A frontal assault on a stronghold doesn't always appear to work.

So, what are your options?

With a frontal attack, Jewish warriors attempted to take the Old City of Jerusalem.

From the east, I've seen a photo of Israeli generals looking down on the Old City!

They were able to cut off supplies and reinforcements after encircling the city.

After that, the Israelis were able to enter the city with little resistance.

What was the game plan? March for seven days around the city, then blow your trumpets!

How can you encircle a fortress of pessimistic thinking and old rumours?

How about some compliments?

32:7 in Psalms. “You are my safe haven; you will keep me safe from harm and surround me.”

Praise God by singing psalms and spiritual hymns around the fortress.

There's a powerful technique to surround every bad stronghold with God's contrary truth.

If you're fighting a stronghold of rejection, surround it with Abba's acceptance.

If you're having trouble dealing with unresolved anger, try surrounding it with forgiveness.

Surround yourself with the knowledge of God's love if you're battling with a stronghold of fear.

If you're fighting a failing fortress, surround it with the triumph of the resurrection!

Once you've recognized a stronghold, go to the Bible and look up the contrary truth that God has revealed.

If rejection is your stronghold, read everything the Bible says about God's acceptance.

His resistance will quickly weaken, and if he isn't already gone, he will be soon!

Please forgive me for making a compromise. Give me the courage to demolish every stronghold I possess.

I bind any evil powers within me that were encouraging compromise and sin.

I submit to the light of the Spirit of Truth in order for any sin strongholds in me to be exposed.

I declare that every satanic stronghold is being demolished by the great weapons of the Spirit and the Word!

I intend to envelop this demonic stronghold in praise and affirming truth from God's Word.

I intend to capture every negative thought pattern and bring it into submission to Messiah.

By God's grace, I intend to persevere until even the ruins of this stronghold are razed.

I intend to consider everything that is genuine, noble, right, and pure.

If there is anything charming or admirable—if there is anything worthy of praise—

By God's grace, I intend to construct one fortress within my mind and heart:

“The LORD's name is a strong fortress; the virtuous will flee to it for safety.”

How can we stop spiritual warfare?

Because we know God and that he is bigger than the devil and his schemes against us, we can come up against and battle spiritual warfare.

As previously said, the name of Jesus is extremely powerful; we witnessed devils fleeing at the sight of Jesus.

The disciples of Jesus used his name to cast out demons, and Paul did the same in the book of Acts.

“I demand you to get out of her in the name of Jesus Christ,” I turned and said to the ghost. And it was released at that exact hour.

Even today, when facing spiritual warfare, it is effective to use Jesus' name because his name has power.

In the Bible, we see Jesus cast out a demon that his followers were unable to cast out. When the disciples questioned why not, Jesus replied,

Using Jesus as an example, we can see how scripture can be used to combat the evil one in spiritual battle.

After forty days of fasting, Jesus was tempted in the desert, and scripture was his defense against Satan.

We must know scripture in order to use it against the devil and his lies. When the devil lies to us about who we are in Christ, we must remember that we are a new creature, no longer our old selves, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says.

When we are in the midst of spiritual conflict, worship music can be very effective. It allows us to recognize both who God is and his vast power, as well as who we are in Christ. Worship music helps us focus on God rather than the world's idols.

We are constantly engaged in spiritual warfare, and hopefully, we will be prepared to fight back against the devil's schemes to lead us away from God. To avoid being led astray, we must be in God's word and recall Jesus' example.

What is a mental stronghold?

Strongholds are thought patterns that have become ingrained in your mind. They're referred to as “flesh patterns” by some. Memory traces seared into our minds over time or the intensity of traumatic experiences create these strongholds. A stronghold will form if the behavior continues. An inferiority complex, for example, is a mental fortress.

Who is the strong man in Matthew 12 29?

This tale is included in the Beelzebul argument in the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, in which Jesus' opponents accuse him of earning his power to banish demons by collaborating with Satan. The powerful guy is Satan, while the attacker is Jesus, according to one interpretation. However, this is the polar opposite of what Jesus meant. The demon is the one that “binds” the strongman before seizing him in Matthew 12:22-29, as they bring Jesus a man afflicted by a demon. The demon has taken the strongman's life. Because of the possession, the demon had rendered the strongman blind (to the truth) and unable to communicate. For example, if a demon “blinds” a strong man from the truth of the 7th-day Sabbath of mentally resting on Saturday, he will be unable to think properly and logically (not mentally resting at the proper time, just like not sleeping for two or three days, a person will be unable to think straight), making him easier to deceive and influence (possession). Many people misunderstand this to suggest that Jesus binds the strongman, but it is the demon who binds him before possessing him (his now-possessed illogically-thinking mind, as many people, including many Christians and theologians, have).

As a result, Jesus claims that he couldn't perform exorcisms (represented by stealing the strong man's property) unless he was opposed to Satan and had vanquished him (represented by tying up the strong man). R. T. France and others see the tale as echoing the Book of Isaiah: “No one plunders a strong man,” according to Craig S. Keener, while R. T. France and others see the parable as echoing the Book of Isaiah:

How do I cast down imaginations?

You must become a person of prayer and study of God's Word in order to actively strike down the enemy's fantasies. A person who prays will be aware of spiritual matters. If you don't have God's ideas, you won't be able to cast down or fend off the enemy's imaginations (vision, and images that come through His Word for you).

How do you pray effectively?

I adore Luke 5:16 because it demonstrates that, like you and me, Jesus needed to recharge his batteries and spend time with his Heavenly Father. The life of Christ is meant to serve as a model for us to follow and learn from. So, despite being God incarnate, Jesus didn't use his superpowers as the Son of God to deal with life's difficulties. Instead, he would “sneak away” to pray when he was tired, burdened, or in need of spiritual refreshment, tapping into the power, perception, and purpose that can only be found in God's presence.

Prayer is one of the most potent tools God has given us, and I believe it has never been more vital for God's people to be on their knees than it is now, as we look ahead to 2022. However, knowing how to pray isn't always simple. The followers of Jesus were perplexed as well. They were familiar with the Torah's frequently repeated prayers. But Jesus prayed with a might and authority they had never seen before, as if God was listening! So, according to Matthew 6, when they came to Jesus, they didn't say, “Teach us another prayer.” “Lord, teach us to pray,” they prayed.

Christ's response is the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13). It's a lovely prayer that every Christian should remember; I challenged my granddaughter to do so. I don't believe Jesus intended it to become another ritualistic prayer, as beautiful as the words are. It was intended to serve as an example of how to pray.

Here are eight strategies to developing a more strong and effective prayer life that I've discovered. I hope they inspire you to make the year 2022 a year of prayer.

How can you make it possible to pray together?

“Speak only what is beneficial in edifying others according to their needs, so that those who listen can profit.” 4:29 (Ephesians) (NIV)

“Again, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, my Father in heaven will do it for them.”

For where two or three get together in my name, I am present.”

19-20 in Matthew 18:19-20 in Matthew 18:19-20 in Matthew 18:19

It's a well-known fact that Christian couples find it difficult to pray together.

“The couple who prays together stays together,” it's been stated. and the evidence shows that this is overwhelmingly accurate. Couples who pray together develop their relationships and their intimacy with God and with their spouses. Why don't you join them?

• Invite your spouse to join you in prayer: Be sympathetic to your spouse's emotions of spiritual inadequacy. Share with him or her that he or she is not required to lead the process or even pray aloud. “You can simply take my hand in yours and pray silently with me,” is a nice place to begin.
• Decide on a time and location: The “when and where?” question is the first step in establishing a habit. When will we be able to connect without interruption? Is there a quiet place where we can pray? To overcome any aversions to praying together, it would be helpful to set aside some time.
• Make a list of issues you'd want to pray for as a family: Begin with demands that are personal to you, your spouse, your children, and your family. The more closely the issues are related, the more invested you will be in the process.
• Pray in a conversational style, which some refer to as “ping pong praying.”
• You each offer short sentence prayers for the first request before moving on to the next on your list.
• This strategy keeps your thoughts from straying and your time moving.
• “Please help Bart to recognize his need to soften his heart and let me do what I want to do…” is not going to encourage Bart's continuing participation!
• If you miss a day, don't give up: consistency will come with time.
• Relax and don't be discouraged by the enemy.
• Allow your partner to remind you that it is time to pray at any time.
• Assume joint leadership responsibilities for this process.

Take a moment to pray and ask the Lord to help you overcome your concerns and anxiety as you work through this list.

What you lock on earth will be locked in heaven?

“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth, you will bind in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth, you will loose in heaven.”