Spiritual Growth 2 Lesson 14

4. Use the spiritual weapons which have been given unto you:
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds;
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ
— ii Corinthians 10:4-5
Strongholds are walls which defend a place from the attack of the enemy.
Before an outpouring of the Holy Ghost can come to a nation, a state, a
city, etc., the people of God must use the weapons given unto them in order
to pull down the strongholds of hindrance and resistance.
We also need to realize there can be some strongholds in our own spiritual
life that have brought us into captivity, and keep us from truly being free in
Christ Jesus. See verse 5 above. For instance, many people have been hurt
by others, and are not willing to forgive them. This is a stronghold that
needs to come down in their lives. Only by forgiving others can we receive
forgiveness from Jesus, and truly be free (Matthew 6:14-15).
Racial prejudices, and all other types of prejudices are strongholds that must
be down away with. Evil imaginations towards others, inclinations toward
immorality because of something that has happened in our past, the list
could go on and on. God forgives sin, but He died to give us more than just
forgiveness. He died to give us complete victory over the power of sin. If we
fast and pray sincerely, the Lord will show us if we have any strongholds, and
through His power they can be removed, so that the enemy has “no hiding
place” in our lives.
For years, I struggled with a weakness in my character. It required much
prayer and fasting to keep this weakness under control. I suffered much
condemnation. Satan had convinced me that this weakness was God’s will
to keep me humble, and to cause me to pray and fast much. However, a
few years ago I went on a ten day fast, and was given complete victory over
this weakness. How much better it is to fast and pray for lost souls than to
be forced to fast and pray in order to keep from sinning! Jesus wants to be
more than just our Saviour—He wants to be our Deliverer.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed
— John 8:36
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