When Lies Crumble: The Power of Scripture Against Strongholds
When you say yes to Jesus and become a christian, you are immediately thrust into battle. This battle has been persisting continually since the beginning of creation from the moment that Adam sank his teeth into the flesh of the fruit that God clearly commanded him not to eat (see Genesis 3). This battle is not a physical one, but spiritual and is raging over our inner man (the soul and spirit), our heart (the seat of our emotions, thoughts, and intentions), and mind (our intellect, reasoning, and understanding). The heart, soul, and mind are interconnected; but in this blog post I want to focus on where this major spiritual battle is mostly taking place, and that place is in our minds.
“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
The good news is that you are not in this battle alone and without any form of protection or weapon. When you belong to Christ, through Him alone, you have all of heaven’s resources readily available to overcome anything the enemy hurls at you. Ephesians 1:3 says that you, who are in Christ, are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Notice that the word “blessed” is in the past tense. It’s a done deal! You don’t need to beg God to bless you, He has already done it! Every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places literally refers to divine privileges and resources of God, including the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12) So, you are fully equipped through Jesus to walk in total victory in your life, and the way to see that victory is to have your mind guarded and continually renewed by God’s Word.
In this blog post I will unpack three points to arm you with the truth of how God’s Word is our weapon and how to walk in complete victory over the enemy. Those three points are:
- The Lies We Believe
- The Truth that Confronts
- Walking in Freedom with a Renewed Mind
The Lies We Believe
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-6
What is a stronghold? The Greek translation for stronghold is ochuroma and literally means a stronghold or fortress. A stronghold is a fortress constructed in our mind, by the enemy, that must be destroyed. Unfortunately, in this ever present battle for the minds of believers, strongholds are not easy to identify. Satan is crafty and cunning in his workings. This is why we must always be alert and on the lookout for his tactics.
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8
The main weapons that Satan will hurl at our mind to construct his stronghold are lies. Behind every stronghold is a lie that we believe is true. Many strongholds begin as subtle lies—distorted beliefs about ourselves, others, or God. When we believe a lie that Satan presents to us it is as if we come into agreement with it, giving the enemy access into our minds to overtime build a stronghold. When we cling to beliefs that contradict the truth of Scripture, we trap ourselves in a bondage of our own making. To embrace what opposes Scripture is to walk willingly into a prison of our own design. God never intended us to carry the burdens that we place ourselves under. He has fully equipped us to be victorious, totally free, and at peace in all circumstances.
Here are five areas of lies that many women struggle with at different points in life.
- 1. Identity and Worth:
- “I’m not enough.”
- “My worth is based on what I do or how I look.”
- “I have to be perfect to be loved.”
- 2. Comparison and Insecurity:
- “I’ll never be as good as her.”
- “If I can’t do it all, I’m failing.”
- 3. Fear and Control:
- “I have to control everything or it will fall apart.”
- “If I let go, I’ll get hurt.”
- 4. Purpose and Calling:
- “God can’t use someone like me.”
- “I’ve messed up too much to have a future.”
- 5. Relationship and Love:
- “I need a relationship to feel complete.”
- “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t love me.”
Do any of these strike a chord in your heart? I know some do for me. In my past, when I have believed one of these lies, over time it sent me into a downward spiral of anxiety, depression, and bondage. When we believe these lies, a stronghold will take root in our mind and negatively influence our emotions, decisions, and spiritual growth. Friend, that is not God’s will. God’s purpose for you is to be completely victorious in this life by pulling down those strongholds.
The Truth That Confronts
How do we pull down strongholds? By God’s Word. The Word of God is living and active, capable of exposing and confronting these lies (See Hebrews 4:12). In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul lists what the full armor of God is that we are to put on daily. In verse 17 he says,
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The Word of God is our offensive weapon. It is actually the only piece of the armor that is for the offense. This weapon of God’s Word is what Paul was describing in 2 Corinthians 10:4. He says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,” What this verse is saying is simply is this; we are in a spiritual battle, therefore our weapons cannot be guns, swords, arrows, or anything else in the found in the natural realm. Our weapons are spiritual. Specially created by God to destroy all the supernatural attacks of the enemy.
God’s Word directly opposes lies by capturing any arguments that are in opposition to His truth (lies) or high thing (prideful thinking) to the obedience of Christ. His Word brings His light into the darkness of our minds illuminating them with His truth.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32
Imagine your thoughts that do not line up with God’s Word as enemy soldiers that must be taken captive and brought into submission to Christ. The more you study and immerse yourself in God’s word; memorizing it, speaking it out loud, writing it on your life, obeying it, then and only then will you be able to recognize when a demonic thought enters your mind. It’s possible! Every thought that doesn’t align with the truth of the knowledge of Jesus can be taken captive and destroyed.
How is this done? Whenever you recognize a thought that is not from God, you “capture” it by stopping it in its tracks, do not entertain it. You then must immediately counter it with a scripture to bring your thinking into the submission of Jesus.
Let me give you some examples by revisiting the lies that we discussed earlier.
- Identity and Worth:
- Lie -“I’m not enough.” Counter it with, “You are fearfully and wonderfully made” – Psalm 139:14
- Lie – “My worth is based on what I do or how I look.” Counter it with, “My worth is found in being a daughter of God” – Romans 8:16-17
- Lie – “I have to be perfect to be loved.” Counter it with, “God’s love is unconditional.” – Romans 5:8
- Comparison and Insecurity:
- Lie – “I’ll never be as good as her.” Truth – “God has uniquely gifted each of us.” – 1 Corinthians 12:18-20
- Lie – “If I can’t do it all, I’m failing.” Truth – “God gives grace, not pressure.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
- Fear and Control:
- Lie- “I have to control everything or it will all fall apart.” Truth – “God is sovereign and trustworthy.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
- Lie- “If I let go, I’ll get hurt.” Truth – “God is my refuge and strength.” – Psalm 46:1
- Purpose and Calling:
- Lie – “God can’t use someone like me.” Truth- “He uses the willing, not the perfect”– 1 Corinthians 1:27-29
- Lie – “I’ve messed up too much to have a future.” Truth – “There is no condemnation in Christ.” – Romans 8:1
- Relationships and Love:
- Lie – “I need a relationship to feel complete.” Truth – “Only Christ can truly satisfy” – John 4:13-14
- Lie – “If people really knew me, they wouldn’t love me.” Truth – “God knows you completely and still loves you fully – Psalm 139:1-4
You see? Whatever you’re struggling with today, the answer is found in God’s Word. There is no power in hell that can overpower the Sword of the Spirit.
Walking in Freedom with a Renewed Mind
God wants you to be victorious, but there can be no victory unless the mind is protected with God’s Word.
“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. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:5-8
We cannot view our life with only our natural senses; what we can see, taste, smell, touch, and hear. It is imperative that we view everything through the eyes of the Kingdom.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
To truly experience the power of God we must be careful to protect our minds from wrong thinking and be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2
The way the world thinks and our thinking cannot be in alignment, we are called to be different! We must think differently than the world by keeping our minds STAYED on God through the study of His Word and fellowship with Him, obeying Him in everything. That is where strongholds are destroyed and true lasting peace reigns.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3
It’s that simple.
If this has blessed you, or if you have any questions, leave me a comment below!