ASSAULTING STRONGHOLDS OF MIND AND HEART
There is a connection between spiritual warfare and intercession, especially in regard to praying for the lost. Part of the veil that blinds unbelievers are the strongholds referred to in 2Cor 10:4: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds” The word “stronghold” is translated from the Greek word ochuroma, coming from the root word echo, which means “to have or hold.” This word for “stronghold” or “fortress” is literally a place from which to hold something strongly. It is also the word for a fort, a castle or a prison. Strongholds are not demons; they are places from which demons rule. Satan has a place of strength within unbelievers from which he can imprison, or hold on to them strongly. They are prisoners, captives, slaves. Christ was sent to “proclaim release to the captives” (Luke 4:18).We participate in the destruction of these prisons through spiritual warfare.
The concepts embodied in the word “pulling down” are translated from the Greek word,kathairesis. This important and powerful word has a couple of pertinent meanings. One of them is“to bring down with violence or demolish” something. God’s plan is for us to become demolition agents, violently tearing down Satan’s strongholds. Unlike an exploded physical building, we don’t usually see the answer to our intercession within seconds, we may be strategically placing the dynamite of the Spirit for days, weeks or months! Every time we take up our spiritual weapons and use them against the strongholds of the enemy, we are placing our explosive charges in strategic places. Sooner or later the Holy Detonator of heaven is going to say “Enough!” Then strongholds will crumble to the ground and people will fall to their knees. God will show you how to pray so that you can demolish every part of Satan’s fortress. Verse four says our divinely empowered weapons are for the destruction or demolition of strongholds, and verse five elaborates more fully on just what comprises the strongholds we’re going to demolish. The Holy Spirit breaks down for us exactly what the stronghold or prison is made of. This is critical information as we begin to war for the lost. 2 Cor 10:4-5 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
Breaking the Foundations of Resistance
We see three major components of the fortress or prison. These are the things we will begin focus on in prayer and demolish as we war over individuals with our divinely empowered weapons. The first aspect of the stronghold is “speculations” logismos . This word speaks not of the scattered individual thoughts of humans but of their calculative reasoning, their wisdom or logic. It becomes what one really believes the person’s mind-set. Now James 3:15 tells us they come from the earth, the soul or intellect and demons. The word logismos includes philosophies (conscious or unconscious), anything that causes a person to think a certain way. How does a logismos blind an individual. How do they veil truth? The way the human mind functions dictates that when people hear the gospel, before they even have time to think or reason about what they are hearing, it is filtered through the subconscious or memory where all other information including these logismoi is stored.
This means that unbelievers don’t hear only what we are saying, they hear what we are saying plus what they already believe. Perhaps you already know what these logismoi are in the person for whom you are praying. If not, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them to you. He will. When He does, mention them by name, quoting 2 Cor 10:3-5. Say, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I am destroying you, stronghold of . .. “
Do it daily until the person comes to Christ.
The second part of the stronghold we must demolish is “every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.” I like using the KJV for this verse because it uses “high thing” to translate the Greek word hupsoma, which is actually the same root word for “Most High” God. It actually means “any elevated place or thing.” This is referring to the same root of pride we discovered hidden in the word “blinded” in
2 Cor 4:3.4. It is the “most highness” that came to humanity at the Fall when Adam and Eve bought the lie, “You will be like God” (Gen 3:5) One lexicon defined hupsoma as “all pride that rises up.” The word then encompasses all mind-sets that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. It involves a desire to rule our own lives, decide for ourselves right and wrong and basically be our own god. The good news is that we can also tear down his stronghold in people through spiritual warfare so they can humble themselves and bow their knees to Christ. Read and declare for each of the person you are praying for using 2 Cor 10:5 again, this time from The Living Bible: These weapons can break down every proud argument against God and every wall that can be built to keep …( name ) from finding him. With these weapons we can capture rebels and bring them back to God, who can change them into people whose hearts’ desire is obedience to Him. The Lord doesn’t wish us luck or tell us that we will win a few once in awhile. He lets us know we can break down every proud arguments and every wall; we can capture rebels!
Consider the third aspect of strongholds. The Lord tells us we can take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” The word “thought” isnoema, which also means plans, schemes, devices or plots. It refers to the spontaneous thoughts and temptations Satan uses to assault the unbelievers, as well as the schemes and plans he uses to keep them in darkness. In intercession we must :declare boldly that no weapon of Satan’s will prosper, bind his plans and stand against them through prayer. Pray that the unbeliever be shielded from Satan’s thoughts and temptations. Never stop praying for “hopeless” cases, for no one is beyond the Lord’s ability to convict or convert. We can turn unbelievers “from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18). We are called to enforce and make effectual the freedom Christ procured. The unbeliever cannot battle for himself. He cannot and will not overcome the strongholds of darkness, and he will not understand the gospel until the veil lifts. We must take our divinely dynamic weapons and fight. The powers of darkness will resist, but do not be afraid of them,remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses” (Neh 4:14).
Carrying the lost to Father in Prayer - Let’s each one reach one!
