Demolishing Strongholds Daily Dr. Kenneth Jones Pastor, Practical Living Ministry
Beware of Contents Beware of Contents You find a packing list and on this list you find the following: The person(s) recognizes and receives the following items: bitterness, anger, depression, unforgiveness, fear, apathy, addictions, perversions, false doctrine Let s say you receive a package on your doorstep marked, Danger The package is addressed to Carnal Christian, It has your address, but this is not your name, meaning what s in it doesn t belong to you You have a knack for opening things that don t belong to or speak to you so you decide to receive the package and open it anyway Even though you know that the package is not for you, you decide or choose to receive its contents and bring the package and its contents into your home Once in your home, the contents start spilling all over the place getting into the cracks and under areas where they are concealed from view Outcome: Now you have a major infiltration and contamination on your hands You need help to identify, uncover, and exterminate what you have allowed in your home. If this situation relates to something you are familiar with, then you have dealt with strongholds in your life.
SIN Unmet/Unfulfilled Needs Hurtful Experiences Lack of Faith Selfishness Improper/Uncorrected Thinking Rebellion/Rejection of God s Truth As What is Good for One s Life
This is a spiritual battle that is both offensive and defensive in application. Offensive warfare is demolishing the strongholds the enemy has formed in your mind through deception, corrupt passions, generational strongholds, trauma and negative experiences, seducing spirits & error relying on a renewed mindset that comes from proper study and understanding of the word of God and reliance upon the spirit of god. Defensive warfare is guarding yourself against the tactics or schemes of the devil by submitting yourself unto God to include your pattern of thinking. This is enabled through the process of sanctification and not separation unto the lord.
There is an old saying Take Care of Business or TCB. In order to be able to demolish and resist strongholds from settling, we must do the following: Think Differently Commit to Change (Biblical) Behave Appropriately All of this must be accomplished under the rule of accountability
How Should I Change the Way I Think, I Believe, and Respond? To be able to Demolish mental and spiritual strongholds, we must have a perfected knowledge of God, His Word, and of the deceptive operations of the Enemy If I receive or reflect upon a thought and realize that it doesn t bring me life and peace, it impacts the way I view God, His Word, and life situations, and it does not reflect the character of God then I need to change the way I am viewing and reflecting upon these thoughts and repent and renounce them right away
What We Choose How We Behave What We Submit To or Follow What We Believe In As Truth What or Who Empowers Us
The Enlightment Period says All people are inherently good. Therefore No person is truly bad No Commitment to Study the Word No Discernment No Commitment to Change No Transformation due to No Renewal of the Mind
Other People Pursuits Other People s Passion If we pursue the things of this world, we will get the stresses and spirits that come with it James 4:1-3: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts Amplified Version (Vs 1,2): 1 WHAT LEADS to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fightings) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members? 2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war
James 4:1-3: From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Hate Murderous thoughts Hating others for your unfulfilled desires Envy & Jealousy thoughts directed towards other people; leading to bitterness Covetousness Thoughts of desiring other people s things; linked to greed Anger- thoughts boiling over due to a lack of contentment and self gratification Uncontrollable Sensual Desires thoughts and actions of sexual perversion and immorality Strongholds Thrive Due to a Lack of Prayer and Relationship with the Father.
This chapter speaks of a lust after worldly things, and a setting too great a value upon worldly pleasures and friendships, They were quarreling and accusing one another being overcome with thoughts of greed and selfishness Their worldly and fleshly lusts raised and managed their wars and fightings; but one would think here is enough said to subdue those lusts, but they didn t Here the word is the root for our word hedonism, which means the elevation of personal pleasure over all other considerations. More local churches have been destroyed by judging and maligning than by all other sins combined They were the victims of unbridled thoughts
A lack of spiritual activity is often good opportunity for increased stronghold activity James 3:16: For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. What s on your Mind? Anxiety Worldly cares Anger Carnal Desires Note: There can be legitimate and needful concerns that should come to your mind, but we are not to let it fully weigh on our minds.
Matthew 28:18 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Luke 9:1 - Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. God has given you authority, spiritual armor, His Word and the power of His Spirit to utilize in this spiritual battle. Christians don t lack spiritual authority they just don t exercise it
Carnality Rebellion/Rejection/Religion Ego developed from pride Elevation of Self over the nature of God Doublemindedness Indecisiveness to trust in God s Word A creed (also known as a confession, symbol, or statement of faith) is a statement of the shared beliefs of a religious community in the form of a fixed...
Ephesians 4:17 - This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Ephesians 4:17 - So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind,(nasb) Futility Defined: That the same unproductive/unfruitful thoughts and actions are going to achieve positive results The term futility means failing to produce the desired results, never succeeding.
Why do you go to the club every weekend? Because I want to have fun and be out with my friends What usually happens? Well, I usually drink too much, get sick, or doing something I regret later. I sometimes get angry and feel unfulfilled as if there is more to life. Are you going out next weekend? Yes Why Because I want to have fun and be out with my friends
If the way to victory is to Renew our Minds which comes through a biblical and experiential knowledge of the Word of God Why is that people are going to churches where they are not growing spiritually and saying that God has planted them there?
The findings of the Transformational Discipleship Assessment released by Lifeway Research noted that 19 percent of respondents report reading or studying the Bible outside of church "every day." Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-most-churchgoers-do-not-read-bible-on-daily-basis-81277/#gtuks68vmu2vhtb7.99 By contrast, 36 percent of respondents said that they either engage the Bible "once a week," "once a month," or "a few times a month." Eighteen percent reported rarely or never reading or studying the Bible outside of worship. Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-most-churchgoers-do-not-read-bible-on-daily-basis-81277/#gtuks68vmu2vhtb7.99 So Many Christians Have No Idea How to Read the Bible. A Barna poll indicated that at least 12 percent of adults believe that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife
Christians who lack biblical knowledge are the products of churches that marginalize biblical knowledge. Bible teaching now often accounts for only a diminishing fraction of the local congregation's time and attention. The move to small group ministry has certainly increased opportunities for fellowship, but many of these groups never get beyond superficial Bible study. Youth ministries are asked to fix problems, provide entertainment, and keep kids busy. How many local-church youth programs actually produce substantial Bible knowledge in young people? Fewer than half of all adults can name the four gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than two or three of the disciples. According to data from the Barna Research Group, 60 percent of Americans can't name even five of the Ten Commandments. "No wonder people break the Ten Commandments all the time. They don't know what they are," said George Barna, president of the firm. Based upon the article, The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It's Our Problem, by Albert Mohler
Janet Glascow: The Process of Biblical Change, believes that Biblical change is a result of a new heart that only God provides to those who are saved (Romans 3:23) Godly fruit is a result of what we think, desire, believe in our hearts, and that this kind of fruit is a result of a proper root system. Ephesians 3:17 - That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, Having no root in Christ leaves one susceptible to withering and drying up (Matthew 13:6,21 Therefore to change the way I behave I must be firmly planted and rooted in the right ground, where I can grow and prosper