Pull Down Your Strongholds
ICS Daily Devotions
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.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.
In our spiritual battle, the wiles, devices, and deceits of the evil one come through the mind. Therefore, we must put on our helmets of salvation and renew our minds with the Word of God because this is how we win in our thought life.
In the opening passage, Paul emphasises that our warfare is not against flesh and blood but against strongholds that the enemy builds in our minds, and we are responsible for pulling down the strongholds by subjecting them to the Word of God. The word “stronghold” in Greek describes a fortress or prison. They are not built overnight but over time when the enemy makes inroads into our minds through lies. When these lies are unchallenged, they will gradually become thick and impregnable walls around our lives.
Strongholds can be rational or irrational. “Arguments” in the above Scripture (or “imaginations” in other translations) refer to rational strongholds because the word “imagination” is taken from the word logos, from which we get the word “logic,” as in logical thinking.
The flaming darts or arrows of the evil ones are not in physical form but come from our thoughts about life and circumstances brought about by tribulation. Argumentative attitudes use logical means to refute the Word of God when faith is required to believe it because the mind cannot understand. The unsubmitted mind will always talk us out of obeying God, which will, in turn, completely dominate and control our obedience to God.
For example, the thoughts of someone with a stronghold where their identity in their “doing” might be: “I am a maker of my own destiny. I have the strength and ability to attain wealth, my position in the company, and my standing in society”. Then, when all these crumble, the flaming arrows from the devil will tell them that the Lord has abandoned them, they are a failure, and the future is bleak because the devil wants them to be downtrodden and depressed.
However, we can pull down the stronghold by declaring, “I am a child of God. I have the imputed righteousness of Christ though I am imperfect. God will listen to my prayer when I am under stress, tribulation, and affliction because the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. He is my covenant partner, and He will not attack me but protect and provide for me. My identity is in my being a child of God. Therefore, I seek God’s affirmation rather than man’s. I can accept any job or plan the Lord has for me. God’s love will never leave nor forsake me because He loves me unconditionally”.
Sermon Series: The weapon of our spiritual warfare
