Written by: Elizabeth
Oath of God Ministries

According to Merriam Webster dictionary a stronghold is “a fortified place”.  It also can mean “a place of security or survival” or “a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic”.  

From a spiritual standpoint, a stronghold can also be a fortified belief in a Christian’s thought process or behavior that is unwilling to submit to God’s authority.  When a person has a stronghold a repeated pattern of negative behavior is noticeable.  This type of stronghold can actually prevent a Christian from experiencing a more enriching relationship with God.  Typically a negative stronghold is built on gross misconceptions about God as well as one’s own identity in Christ Jesus.  A spiritual stronghold of this sort will influence how a believer responds to certain situations in his life as well as how he interacts with other people.  Ultimately a stronghold will prevent a believer from experiencing a spirit-filled life.  For an unbeliever who has not received Christ Jesus as his personal Savior, the struggle may seem hopeless and never ending.     

To prevent a spiritual stronghold from developing, Christians should be self-judging their own behavior on a regular basis.  This is accomplished by reading scripture which points to God’s standards of virtue as well as staying in prayer which helps to build one’s relationship with God.  On a daily basis Christians should be asking God to reveal any sinful areas in their lives.  Once a stronghold behavior has been sited, the Christian should repent of this behavior.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  (I Jhn 1:9)  What person in his right mind wouldn’t want to be cleansed from sin and all unrighteousness? 

Before understanding mental or negative spiritual strongholds which resist God’s plan for a believer’s life, let’s review the strengths of a well known historical stronghold.  This will help the reader to better understand just how powerful and anchored some spiritual strongholds can become.  Let’s take a brief look at Nebuchadnezzar’s City of Babylon.  It was a stronghold which provided security for the heathen Babylonian people.  Behind those fortified walls was a pagan society which worshiped false gods. 

According to historian Herodotus (Bk 1, 178-186) the exterior brick wall was 56 miles long, 300 feet high, 25 feet thick with another wall 75 feet behind the first wall.  This wall extended 35 feet below the ground.  There were 250 towers that were 450 feet high where the watchmen could see for miles.  A sizable moat encircled the city.  The Euphrates River also flowed through the middle of the city providing water for the community.  Ferry boats and a 1/2 mi. long bridge with drawbridges closed at night.  There existed eight massive gates that led to the inner city and 100 brass gates.   Streets were paved with stone slabs 3 feet square.  The great Tower (Ziggurat, 53 temples which included the “Great Temple of Marduk” as well as 180 altars to Ishtar were built for the people to worship.  In addition was the Golden image of Baal and the Golden Table both weighing over 50,000 lbs of solid gold. (Bible-history.com)

Despite Babylon’s strength as a fortressed city, it was eventually conquered by strategy not manpower.  Can you imagine having a mental and spiritual stronghold that is equal in strength to the ancient city of Babylon?  Some strongholds can make people feel like they will never be set free.  Nevertheless it is our Heavenly Father’s desire to remove every stronghold of false thinking that thwarts a Christian from having a fulfilling relationship with Him.  It is deception that ultimately prevents a believer from experiencing a spirit-filled life in Christ Jesus.   Every brick in a spiritual stronghold represents a lie and every lie or misconception about God or one’s true identity in Christ must topple.  “But He answered and said, “Every plant which My Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.”  (Mat 15:13)  Just like the weeds that must be uprooted, the bricks which support a stronghold must topple.   

God desires to be the only fortress of protection in a Christian’s life.  “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  (Psa 18:2)

Mental and Spiritual Strongholds

In scripture Apostle Paul writes “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds”. (2 Cor. 10:4)  The strongholds spoken of by Apostle Paul in this scripture are not fortified cities but instead a person’s mental fortress which is built on false thoughts and erroneous ideas about God.  According to Strong’s G3794 (bible concordance) the Greek translation of “stronghold” is ochyrōma which basically means “of the arguments and reasoning by which a disputant endeavors to fortify his opinion and defend it against his opponent”.   As believers we need to be very careful that our ideas towards God align perfectly with scripture and not with our fleeting emotions or strong willed opinions.    

From a Christian standpoint, the core adversary is one’s own carnal mind or flesh because these factors are prone to sin and therefore stand in opposition to God.  “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.”  (Rom 8:7)  It is the carnal mind that operates in the Christian’s walk doing just the opposite of what God requires.  Apostle Paul discusses this problem further.  “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.  Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.  I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.  For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  (Romans 7:19-25)  Apostle Paul makes it perfectly clear that although we have the righteousness of Christ as born-again believers and the indwelling Holy Spirit, our feet are still marred by sin which causes a battle from within our members which only Christ Jesus can deliver us from.   

We can rejoice knowing that through Jesus Christ we can receive deliverance from every negative stronghold that hinders our walk with God.  “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.” (2Cor. 10:5).  Isn’t that what a lie does?  It exalts itself above God and then promotes arguments against the knowledge of God.   But the weapons of our warfare such as scripture, faith and prayer allow the Holy Spirit to cast down both the argument which springs forth from the stronghold as well as the stronghold itself.  

Truth vs. Lies

When a person experiences his conversion in Christ, he becomes a born-again believer and a new creation in Christ.  Yet despite his conversion, many of his previous and somewhat erroneous ideas about God do not necessarily change overnight.  God uses the process of “sanctification” on a daily basis to transform the believer into the living image of Christ whereby these false ideas die a natural death over time.  The Greek word translated “sanctification” (hagiasmos [aJgiasmov”]) means “holiness.”  To sanctify, therefore, means “to make holy.”   In order to cooperate with the Holy Spirit throughout the process of sanctification in our lives, we must renew our minds daily in the Word of God, stand strong in our faith walk with God, self-judge our behavior when it is obviously in question and remain in prayer for both ourselves and others on a daily basis.  

Whenever a Christian is not entertaining biblical truths then he is most likely entertaining worldly lies. Whenever a lie is entertained – it is eventually put into action.  Scripture states, “….that no lie is of the truth” (I Jhn 2:21)  Right believing results in right living.  Wrong believing results in wrong living.  Once a lie is acted upon then the Christian is at risk for having committed sin.  To continue believing in a lie is like feeding off the dead carcass of that lie.  Instead Christians should be feeding on the Word of God where they will find spiritual health and well being.  Jesus said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4)  Christ Jesus is our Bread of Life and the Manna which came down from Heaven.   He is our Shepherd.  We are His sheep and He alone should be feeding us.  “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.”  We need not feed off of the dead carcass of a lie where disease and dysfunction will manifest.  When we read the Word, we will know the Truth.  Jesus said, “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)  This is the path to victory where the yokes and burdens that weigh us down are broken.

Let’s review two of the greatest misunderstanding that Christians sadly entertain.  They are the following:

What Causes Strongholds?  #1 – Misunderstanding God

A person’s misconception of God can fortify a negative spiritual stronghold.  It can prevent a born-again believer from maturing in the Word or experiencing a spirit-filled life in Christ by repeatedly acting out bad behaviors.  

Let’s look at one example.  A believer, whose biological father was wrathful or critical towards him during childhood, might begin to see God in the same dim light.  In this situation, the believer might view God as a task master who is unforgiving and judgmental rather than a Heavenly Father who is merciful and loving.  The same characteristics that the believer saw in his own biological father might be the same traits that he transfers over to God.  

A Christian who views God with this skewed perspective may even doubt his own salvation.  He may continue to perform various “works” in order to appease God despite the fact that scripture makes it very clear that works do not determine our salvation because “salvation is of grace, not of works lest any man boast”.  Nonetheless, this individual might sign-up for every outreach ministry at church in order to please God.  He may tithe just to prevent God’s wrath from targeting him.   When something doesn’t go according to schedule, he might blame God for not showing him any support, favor or mercy.  If his father was an absentee dad, then he would normally not expect God to show any interest in his activities either.  He will acknowledge all the scriptures about God’s love but he will never feel or experience God’s love in a personal way.  His erroneous thought processes will influence most of his decisions.  Instead of “dying to self” which is critical to his spiritual liberty in Christ, he will become more determined and self-sufficient in order to gain God’s approval.   His distorted perspective of God which is causing his aberrant behavior will carry over to his relationships with other people, including his family, friends, and co-workers.    

What Causes Strongholds?  #2 – Misunderstanding One’s Identity in Christ

Misunderstanding our identity in Christ Jesus is the second most common reason for the development of negative strongholds.  Christ Jesus is called the “second Adam” because his human blood lineage is traced to Adam and it was through the Cross at Calvary as well as His resurrection and ascension where He recaptured all of the dominions lost by Adam.  Christ Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith.  Therefore our identity is in Christ Jesus alone. “…..let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God.”  Our successes are strictly through Christ Jesus and not the world.  Our strength is in the Lord only and not our own self-sufficiency.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Self sufficiency was nailed to the Cross over 2,000 years ago and should not be picked up again.  We should never worship the works of our own hands as this tendency points to idolatry and can end in failure.

Rejection from others is oftentimes the means in which this stronghold is built.  There are countless ways in life whereby a person might experience rejection.  For example, a sense of rejection might manifest whenever an adolescent or teen is bullied at school by others.  A young boy might be bullied because of his physical characteristics, aptitude, weight or overall appearance.  Over time, he may become traumatized or emotionally wounded by this bullying.  Leading up to his adult years, his low-self esteem or feelings of inadequacy might respond to life’s challenges by overachieving in order to be approved by others.  He may also respond by underachieving in order to meet, what he believes to be, the low expectations that other people have of him.        

On the other hand, he might develop a root of bitterness where vindictiveness is expressed towards others.  If he misunderstands his identify in Christ – he will have great difficulty believing that forgiveness is both necessary and possible.  If he was passive during the numerous childhood bullying episodes and never experienced any justice – a path of vindictiveness might develop whereby he basically trains others not to tamper with him.  Privately he’ll ruminate over every historical incident putting each one carefully on a shelf where they can be retrieved over and over again thereby justifying his retaliatory behaviors.  He may become hostile over the slightest trespass even when no offense was ever intended.  His strikes are swift, calculated and deliberate.  As an adult, his retaliatory tactics are so skillfully accomplished; they leave those around him stunned by unbelief.   Should he reach the upper echelons of the corporate world, he will be labeled “the one who walks silently but carries a large stick”. 

He might apologize for an incident here or there but will not have the discipline to prevent future incidents.   Behaviors of resentment, vindictiveness and pettiness are often influenced by demonic spirits.  Forgiveness, repentance and reading scripture is the only way this man will fully realize his liberty in Christ Jesus and his ability to forgive others.  

In Summary:

Christ Jesus came to save the world not condemn it.  We all need Jesus.  His work is a good work which sets the captives free.  Receive Him today as your Personal Savior.  Ask Him to take control of your life.  Abide in Him.  Do not fear.  Let Him act through you.  Jesus said, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”  (Mat 10:39)