When the Lord impressed upon me the words of 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, immediately, I saw that strongholds were the major stumbling blocks of God’s people. It was not difficult for me to believe that strongholds could include physical disease, spiritual oppression, temptation, financial bondage, and relational difficulties in marriage and family.
One day, it suddenly occurred to me that the strongholds that Paul talked about in verse 4 were further described in verse 5. Evil imaginations and every high or proud thing that exalts itself against God could be strongholds. Then Paul says we are to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Paul was describing thoughts as strongholds.
Suddenly it became clear. Satan had been operating in my life by establishing a stronghold based on a thought system. There is no doubt in my mind that the modus operandi of Satan’s kingdom is to create strongholds in our lives by the manipulation of our thought life.
David knew what he was talking about when he said, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes” (Ps. 101:3); he knew the secret of guarding his mind. He also said, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord” (Ps. 19:14). The meditations of our heart, our thought life, should be acceptable to God.
The area of our thoughts is both the first and final battlefield. The warfare is in the mind before it goes to other areas. It’s amazing in a practical sense to see how the Devil works against us on a day-by-day basis.
Over the years I have seen Christians endure violent attacks in their mind and body. The Devil tells them that their loving, heavenly Father sent the sickness. He tells them they must suffer patiently and be faithful for this is God’s doing. This is nothing but a lie from hell!
We do not wrestle with flesh and blood, but we wrestle with principalities, powers, and strongholds in the heavenlies. When we praise and worship God, we attack the strongholds in our lives and in the lives of other believers. When we do this, we will see physical manifestations here on the earth. We will see people healed and delivered. We will see homes healed. We will see tremendous manifestations of healing in marriage, and in every other area where people are bound.
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Make It Personal
Every human being ought to be able relate to the message of today’s devotional. In our minds is where spiritual battles are fought and won. It is where we choose to believe what scripture says, or to not believe.
Revelation 10:12 describes Satan as the “accuser of the brethern”. He masterfully accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, falsely claiming to be God, etc. to discredit his ministry.
What accusations do you hear? Which ones do you entertain? How do you combat thoughts that set themselves up against (and contrary to) the word of God?
Praise and worship tears down strongholds in our thinking and keeps us from entertaining demonic accusations. It is absolutely vital to winning the battles in our minds.
Have you spent even five minutes of your day praising and worshiping God? If not, stop now and play the song below. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise!
Scripture Meditation
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14 (NKJV)
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
Praise & Worship
Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble sung by Sean Feucht