Key Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10
What are strongholds according to the Bible?
Strongholds are the arguments, ideas, and philosophies that we have accepted as true and allowed to influence our belief system, and subsequently shape our behaviors. These strongholds contradict God’s truth but are so subtle that we sometimes are not even aware of their presence and influence in our lives. In the Old Testament, a stronghold provided a fortress for warring parties to hide and launch attacks. In our case in the New Testament, these strongholds can help the enemy defeat us even without even having to possess us.
Strongholds can be subtle
Many of the beliefs, assumptions, and philosophies are truly logical and rational when viewed from a human perspective. As a personal example, I always believed that my melancholic temperament predisposed me to short tempers. In reality and according to psychology, this is the truth: melancholic people are moody and short-tempered! Now, how can one reconcile this reality with the word of God that says we received the spirit of self-control and also equates short tempers with foolishness? I had to believe the word more than psychology. That is just one example. Typically, strongholds are predicated on human reasoning and reinforced by what people call reality.
Why Should I hold thoughts captive?
Because the mind is good at wandering– The human mind reacts to any external and internal stimuli. The mind can then conceive anything, good or bad. Whether the conceived ideas become a reality or not depends on an individual’s values and commitment. You only need to read about Hitler to see the extent to which a human mind can go to conceive evil.
Because thoughts form our identity– When Paul says we’re to hold every thought captive and subject it to Christ, he wants our identity to be like that of Christ. Paul knows that thoughts become the foundation of everyone’s identity. A person is regarded as a thief, rapist, murderer, or anything else because their outward behavior aligns with these labels, yet the process starts in the mind. Therefore, by capturing thoughts and forcing them to submit to Christ, we’re essentially entering a process that will ultimately make us display Christ-like behavior.
Because defilement and impurity start in the mind– In Mathew 15:11-20, Jesus explicitly said that whatever defiles a man comes from the heart (emotions center), which influences thoughts and reasonings. So, when we desire something, the mind tries to justify it and triggers the brain to force the body to act.
How do strongholds hinder God’s plan?
By dictating our thought patterns, which contradict God’s will– The more we accept our ideas, the more we miss God’s will and power. God does not do much for a person who continues to hold on to his erroneous beliefs.
By shaping our behavior- Since a man’s actions are a result of thoughts and habits, failing to confront strongholds introduces behaviors that do not conform to God’s plan. We end up pursuing our desires instead of God’s plans.
By sabotaging our faith– Faith is simply forcing your thoughts to accept something as true. When we consistently believe lies or fears, we cannot trust God. As a result, we stagnate as the Israelites did. Strongholds that challenge God’s commitment to us will always lead to defeat because we will never believe what God says.
Identifying strongholds
Check how you react to issues in life-
Since strongholds can be very subtle, it takes an honest personal reflection. You can tell the kinds of strongholds in your life by checking how you respond to real-life issues, such as uncertainty, opposition, obstacles, and frustrating situations. When there is a stronghold of unbelief, poor self-image, low self-efficacy, and a wrong perception of God, your reaction to such issues will always be negative. All individuals with a transformed or renewed mind hardly allow these things to determine their emotions. That’s why Moses, unlike the other Israelites, never complained when Pharaoh pursued them. Likewise, Gideon did not change his mind when asked to fight an army of 135,000 men with only 300 soldiers. If your reaction to life issues does not align with God’s word, it means there is a stronghold that must be demolished. We demolish strongholds by abandoning specific mindsets and ideologies and sticking to what God says.
Examine how much influence God has over your life-
Strongholds are reinforced or weakened by the philosophies and ideologies we adopt. If everything or most of the things you do in your life are based on the inspiration of God’s word, it is unlikely that strongholds will have a place. The opposite is also true.
Review your values system-
In other words, check the principles or foundation that inform your beliefs. If we have sets of beliefs that do not conform to what God says, we’ll have strongholds that will work against us. These feelings ignite the mind to think in a specific way. Here, the mind can rationalize or justify an action and go on to influence the brain to force the body to act. Note: We can NEVER control our feelings because they are a result of an internal or external stimulus, but we can take charge of our thoughts. Paul does not ask us to hold captive our emotions or feelings. If someone wrongs you, the truth is that your immediate feeling will be anger or bitterness. However, if you do not act on those feelings or allow them to shape your thought process, then you remain undefiled. Defilement does not occur until a thought is allowed to influence behavior or become part of you.
Why should I pull down strongholds and hold thoughts captive?
Because temptations occur in the mind–
Temptations start with desires, but feeling like doing something sinful does not make one a sinner. Let me illustrate, if I feel like attacking someone who unjustifiably attacked me earlier, it does not mean I have sinned. However, if feelings of revenge drive me to hatch a plan to attack such a person, it means I have acted on this temptation. If I go further to execute the plan, it means this evil or temptation has overcome me. So, feelings are not sinful by themselves; they only defile us when we respond to them. Temptations come from Satan and our flesh. In Luke 4:1-13, Satan tempted Jesus, but James 1:13 says, “For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.” So, our flesh often desires things outside God’s will, and this is where we’re to take charge. Now, Satan does not need to possess us to execute his temptations; he uses ideas and philosophies to influence us.
Because sin slows us down-
When we act on the feelings and thoughts in our minds, sin occurs. When this happens, we find ourselves growing very slowly in the things of God. Hebrews 3:13 challenges us to lay aside every weight and sin that ensnare us so we can run the race.
Because our growth as believers is contingent on controlling our thoughts– You see, if we are not intentional about controlling our thoughts, two things will happen. One, we will not grow like Christ. The mind of Christ, which is in our spirit will not influence our human mind. Two, we’ll become puppets for the devil and our bodies. We will be easy to manipulate because we will always act on the impulses of our mind or heart. As a result, we will never be stable spiritually.
How to break and destroy strongholds and hold thoughts captive
Paul says we have to use spiritual weapons for they are more powerful. We break the strongholds by abandoning those beliefs and firmly embracing God’s word. Destroying strongholds means that we analyze our thoughts and ensure that they all align or submit to the values and will of God. It is ensuring that thoughts that contradict the will and heart of Christ do not become part of us. In a real-life scenario, it’d mean that when someone wrongs you and thoughts of bitterness try to flood your mind you will suppress them to ensure they do not shape your behavior or reaction towards others. You will notice that in this chapter, Paul is addressing some people who have vehemently criticized him. Despite the fierce criticism, Paul is not abrasive. So he practices what he teaches.
Forcefully–
Paul uses the words “hold thoughts captive.” This shows that we must forcefully prevail over our thoughts and ensure they match the will of Christ. So, when my mind thinks of anything sinful, I am to tell it that such ideas are unacceptable.
Confront philosophies and mindsets
We are also to evaluate all the thoughts we have come to believe and ensure they match those of God. Social constructs have caused us to believe things that contradict God’s will. False teachers like those Paul addressed in this chapter (2 Corinthians 10) will also emerge. Atheists and greedy preachers will also try to promote certain ideas. We are to resist such ideologies. Remember, confronting does not mean verbally or physically attacking anyone. It is challenging and opposing the ideas being propagated. Paul is very clear that this fight is not carnal.
Limit exposure to unnecessary ideologies and arguments-
The more we expose ourselves to ideologies and arguments that confuse us as believers, the more vulnerable we become. Watching movies that repeatedly challenge God’s existence, Christ’s nature, and other ideas will only sow seeds that the mind will try to explore. Remember you are influenced by what you pay attention to.
Apply the 3Rs of Capturing–
Since the mind and heart will always wander, beware of this reality and take charge. Recognize any thought that sneaks from your mind and scrutinize it to see if it agrees with what God has said. This step requires honesty. Replace that thought with what the Bible says concerning the matter in question. This step demands intentionality. Reinforce the new thought by acting on it. Let me illustrate. Assuming you’re tempted to watch porn. When this thought comes, recognize it. You can even address your mind verbally. Then, speak to yourself and say, “My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.” After that, go ahead and do something opposite of that initial thought. Instead of watching any movie, you can listen to a sermon.
Dangers of ignoring strongholds.
We should be sincere and aggressive about fighting strongholds because they are extremely detrimental to our lives. Failing to confront and demolish strongholds can affect our lives as follows.
Turn us into victims of circumstances–
When Saul was told about God’s decision to anoint him the king of Israel, he said that he was from the least tribe and humblest clan (1 Samuel 9:21). Gideon makes the same belittling comments about himself (Judges 6:15). The two had strongholds that made them believe more in what society dictated than what God intended of their lives. That is exactly what happens when we fail to confront strongholds. They limit our lives and cause us to bow to social norms.
Strongholds hinder God’s power–
Since we cannot adequately cooperate with God while bowing to strongholds, we end up living limited lives. Later in 1 Samuel 13, Saul, driven by fear (which is evidently driven by his lack of faith in God) unlawfully offers the sacrifice, thus hindering God’s plan.
Strongholds can stifle and kill God’s calling–
What would have happened if Saul and Gideon had chosen to hold on to their beliefs that coming from the weakest tribe stopped them from being used by God? They’d remain in misery.
