Pulling Down Personal Spiritual Strongholds

 Hebrews 1:14 (AMP)

Are not all the angels ministering spirits sent out [by God] to serve (accompany, protect) those who will inherit salvation? [Of course they are!]

What are spiritual strongholds?

In 2 Corinthians 10:4 the Apostle Paul explains that a born-again Christian’s weapons in the fight against the devil’s spiritual forces are not the usual weapons of the world like guns etc but are spiritual and have divine power. Divine power (the power of the Holy Spirit) is the only way a Christian can fight the enemy – Satan and his followers!

There are two types of enemy stronghold:

1.The strongholds that Satan has set up to control countries, cities and other areas of the physical world as told to us in the Book of Daniel.

Daniel 10:13 (AMP)

But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days. Then, behold, Michael, one of the chief [of the celestial] princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.

In the example in the above verse an angel of Lord is speaking to Daniel and telling him he was delayed in reaching Daniel by the kings of Persia. These kings are demonic commanders of the area of Persia set up by Satan.

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians and 2 Corinthians reminds us of the enemy’s territory.

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

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.

Satan has his ‘generals and other minions’ set up all over this world! If anyone ever tells you that you shouldn’t look for a demon behind every bush, rebuke them in the name of Jesus, they have believed a lie of the enemy and do not have the things of God in mind!

The Lord himself tells us to drive out demons!

Matthew 10:8 (NIV)

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

2. The second type of stronghold that we need to combat are the personal strongholds that we have allowed Satan to set up in our minds for various reasons which will be explained as we go along.

These are the strongholds (the second type) that I want to chat with you about in this article! We have all heard the saying, “The mind is the devil’s playground!” Well, the mind is where personal strongholds reside, and they are not playing games.

The devil can only set up shop in our minds if we allow him control of our minds through fear, lies and other ways that he intimidates, but as I have said, only if we allow him to!

A Christian should always be alert and mindful and ready for the attack of the evil one. The devil is out to destroy the Church, God’s children. He is already leading the unbeliever to destruction and does not have to focus on them. But the born-again Christian is his prime target, and the Bible warns us of this.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (AMP)

8 Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. [You do not suffer alone.]

James 4:7 (AMP)

So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.

How are these personal strongholds established in a Christian?

Let me start this section by presenting you with my definition of a personal stronghold.

A personal stronghold is something, situated in a person’s mind, that proves to be a constant hindrance in a Christians walk to maturity. It is caused by an area of a Christian’s life that is not completely submitted to God and is fuelled by unbelief and the lies of the enemy.

Most born-again Christians, including myself, enter the Kingdom of God carrying baggage from their past lives as unbelievers. We can even allow strongholds in our lives after walking with the Lord for a number of years, especially during times lapsed faith in Jesus and willful sinning.

These can include many things such us drunkenness, lying, sexual sin, unforgiveness and many, many more. Even though, once we have come to the Lord, our sins have been forgiven and we are a new creation, we still have to deal with this baggage and release it to the Lord and receive restoration and healing.

The length of this ‘cleansing’ period depends solely on the individuals’ willingness to be obedient to the Word and the willingness to forgive others and oneself!

A mind that is fully submitted to God will heal much faster than the one that is not fully submitted to God!

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

From my own experience in my walk with the Lord over the last 34 years I can pinpoint a number of strongholds I have had to overcome at different times, and I know that others of my brothers and sisters in Christ have had the same thing. We have to deal with them and lay them down at the foot of the cross – give them to Jesus for He cares for you. Confess your sins to one another so that you may be healed!

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

How do we identify a personal stronghold?

A personal stronghold is something in a Christian’s spiritual life that sets itself up against God and continually manifests in our lives to hold our souls in captivity and prevents us from reaching spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus.

A personal stronghold manifests as a constant and relentless battleground in your life that you have been unable to shake off or overcome.

In the above diagram I have identified a number of strongholds that I have dealt with and am still dealing with from my own experience as a born-again Christian over the last 34 years. This list is by no means exhaustive as I am pretty sure you will be able to identify others from your own experiences.

Let’s examine six of these strongholds one by one and examine how we can overcome them ourselves and with the help of others praying for us and with us – spiritual warfare! I have chosen only six as the other strongholds usually manifest through them and can be dealt with in the same way.

1. Unbelief

Are there any areas of unbelief in your heart or areas of the Bible that you choose to ignore? We either believe all the Bible or we believe nothing. There is no fence sitting for a born-again Christian. If you are not for God, then you are against Him! Do you choose to ignore certain parts of the Bible or certain verses because you do not agree with them? Do you still swear when we are told in the Bible not to etc, etc?

Unbelief is a stronghold in your life and needs to be repented from or it will stunt your spiritual growth and cause you to become lukewarm and spiritually useless!

Revelation 3:15-16 (AMP)

15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold (invigorating, refreshing) nor hot (healing, therapeutic); I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm (spiritually useless), and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth [rejecting you with disgust].

2. Unconfessed, hidden sin

Do you have unconfessed sin in your heart? Something that you are deeply ashamed of so you hide it and ignore it hoping it will go away by itself or is it something that has got you so hooked, like watching pornography, that you actually enjoy it?

However, what we keep hidden will remain hidden and continually hinder us until we bring it to light or God shines His light on it. The spiritual enemy of your soul thrives on secrecy and from this will establish a stronghold of unexposed sin in your life.

Hebrews 4:13 (NIV)

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Unconfessed sin is an extremely destructive stronghold. You cannot hide from God and there is no sin He will not forgive apart from blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is attributing the works of God to the devil!

James 5:16 (NIV)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Matthew 12:31 (NIV)

And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

3. Unforgiveness

If you are still nursing bitterness against someone, the enemy will take advantage of that to keep you in bondage. The person or people who wounded you may not deserve to be forgiven but we must forgive others because Jesus Christ forgave us for an even greater sin against God. Secondly, we forgive because it sets us free from the bondage produced by bitterness. If you don’t forgive others how can God forgive you?

Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

4. Occult involvement

Have you been involved in any form of occult activity, some of which you may still be participating in? For example: Wicca, Fortune Telling, Black or White Magic (even today’s “magic for entertainment”), Spiritism, conjuring spirits, yoga, secret societies such as Freemasons and the Magic Circle or even the so called “Fellowship of Christian Magicians”.

Many of these organisations have interwoven relationships and have the same patrons that are first and foremost high ranking and demonically controlled Freemasons.

Being involved in occult practices in anyway is like placing a “vacancy” sign on your life for evil spirits to enter freely. Have you knowingly or unknowingly dabbled in any occult-like practices in your past or have you any close relatives and friends that have? This could be where many your issues stem from.

Renounce and repent of any commitments or oaths you made to any of these groups that you have been or are still associated with and declare your submission to Jesus Christ as the Lord and Saviour of your life. As you do, remember that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, including Satan and his demonic followers and beings!

Ephesians 1:20-23 (NIV)

20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

5. Lies you have believed sewn in your mind by the devil through the words spoken by others or by your own vain imaginations.

These include lies about God, about yourself, and lies about how God sees you. Lies that the enemy has been playing over and over in your mind for years, which, in your pain, you’ve unfortunately bought into.

What lies have you believed? The truth of the Bible and the knowledge of Jesus will set you free. When you are in sin you are a slave to sin!

John 8:36

34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

6. Hereditary strongholds

These are strongholds that are passed down through your bloodline. Certain unhealthy behavioural and thought patterns may present in your life that were also present in your father’s (or mother’s) life, and his father, and so on. Sometimes, unhealthy, even ungodly family traditions and family patterns are passed down from generation to generation to generation until someone deals with them Biblically, destroying them forever!

For example, your father may use the name of the Lord in vain as part of his everyday speech, so you do the same or your parents continually argued with each other, so you do the same. Your father was violent and abusive, so you are too. Someone you know was manipulating and controlling over you, so you do the same to others.

How do we deal with strongholds?

We need to be fully submitted to God and consciously resisting the devil, when we do this the devil will flee. A half-hearted and lukewarm attitude and lifestyle towards God is not good enough when engaging in spiritual warfare or indeed for any aspect of your Christian walk!

1. Use the authority you have been given by God in Christ Jesus to overcome the devil.

Luke 10:19 (NIV)

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Every born-again Christian has the authority to bind and cast out the evil one and other demonic activity in one’s life. We can self-medicate spiritually – we can drive out our own demons in the power of the Holy Spirit as we are submitted to Christ.

2. Prayer
Come before God continually in prayer against any stronghold and ask him to fill you with his Holy Spirit and fill you with the Spirit of Truth and you will be set free. Ask others to pray with you, those who you trust and who are mature in Christ. Confess your sins to each other (trustworthy brothers or sisters who are mature in their Christian walk and with whom you have a relationship with) and pray for each other.

James 5:16 (NIV)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

3. Be in full submission to God
When we are fully submitted to God and are being led by the Holy Spirit, we will bring glory to the name of Jesus. When we are fully submitted to God in Christ Jesus there is no room for the devil to get a hold on us and it is the devil who sews the seeds of strongholds in our minds!

James 4:7 (AMP)

So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.

4. Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit
The Apostle Paul urges us to keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit and living a life that is continually led by Him, we give the devil no foothold in our lives. Once you have broken down and cast out the strongholds that have gripped you, fill the void with the Holy Spirit and there will be no place in you for the devil and his lies! This is something that we need to be continually working on for ourselves.

Ephesians 4:27 (AMP)

And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness (my comment: these are all strongholds)].

Ephesians 5:18 (AMP)

Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.

5. Clothe yourself in the full armour of God.
God has given us all a suit of protective clothing – the Armour of God! Clothe yourself in it and never take it off. Wear it permanently around your soul like your skin protects your body! Your armour not only protects you when you are under attack, but also protects you and destroys the enemy when you are on the attack – spiritual warfare!

Ephesians 6:12-18 (NIV)

12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Please read my blog posted on January 31, 2021: Why Is It Important For Christians To Be Clothed In The Full Armour Of God? https://rayskilton.blogspot.com/2021/01/why-is-it-important-for-christians-to.html

REMEMBER THIS:

YOUR VALUE AND YOUR WORTH AS A BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN IS NOT DEPENDANT ON THE LIES THE DEVIL TELLS YOU, BUT SOLELY ON WHAT JESUS DID FOR YOU ON THE CROSS AT CALVARY – VICTORY OVER THE ENEMY AND OVER DEATH!

His blood covers your sin! His blood gives you victory – you are more than a conqueror!

His blood set us free form all debt and when we live a life in the Spirit with a forgiving and repentant heart and loving others as He loves us – NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU WILL PROSPER.

Colossians 2:13-15 (AMP)

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (worldliness, manner of life), God made you alive together with Christ, having [freely] forgiven us all our sins, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.

Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit and you will not falter. This is what the Word of God says:

Zechariah 4:6 (NIV)

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

If you are not sure of how to deal with things and the strongholds the Lord has revealed to you, get help from your brothers and sister in Christ who are mature in their walk and who fully understand Spiritual Warfare!

But never forget that you and you alone are responsible for your walk as a born-again Christian!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father
I pray in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour that you would reveal to me the hidden strongholds and the strongholds that I have ignored and have allowed to form in my life and help me to overcome them and cast them out by the power of your Holy Spirit that my life from now on will be filled by your Holy Spirit and will bring all glory to Jesus. Amen.

All glory, honour and praise belongs to Jesus!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself! I am flawed the Bible is not!

Last update: 18/12/2023