In last week’s video we began looking at strongholds, and how we can have freedom from them, not by efforts, but by resting and receiving the grace of Christ through our reborn identity in Jesus Christ.
Strongholds can be utterly debilitating, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Even if they don’t appear to be that harmful at first, the doubt, fear, and uncertainty they cause can be quite costly in the long term.
Although many of us can recognize at least some part of a stronghold when it grips us… we know on the inside that something just isn’t right, we also, at the same time feel powerless to do anything about it. We fight, struggle and try to break free, and we might experience some kind of success for a day, week, or even a month, but then we find ourselves right back where we started.
This vicious cycle can cause people to doubt the efficacy of their salvation; to just give up and throw-in the towel and become depressed, and disillusioned.
However, as we began to uncover last week, our victory through Christ is greater than our perceptions. And today we continue exploring how our new identity in Christ gives us freedom from strongholds.
Don’t War in the Flesh
The typically reaction when struggling against a stronghold is to try and fight it. We try to battle sinful desires, unwanted thoughts, or bad behaviors through self-effort, and what we refer to as “self control.”
2nd Corinthians 10:3-6 presents us with a different idea, when it says:
“ 3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Verse three begins with the principle that though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh— and this is the key. A lot of times we try to fight our spiritual battles using fleshly means; we simply dress up our efforts in a cloak of Christianity, and act as though we are being spiritual when we’re really still being carnal.
It’s very easy to take all of the Christian things that we learn in the scriptures and piece them together into a performance method, and remain in the flesh while totally missing the reality of Christ and our new identity in Him. As we began looking at last week, being reborn into Christ is the true unshakable foundation upon which we are called to stand.
So when a stronghold starts to creep in and take hold with lying thoughts, emotions and circumstances, if you’re not solidly rooted in your new identity in Christ, you’ll be shaken-up, turned upside-down and confused, and your automatic response will be Christian-performance, works, and legalism instead of the truth of Jesus, your identity as blameless and holy by His sacrificial atonement— and you’ll just spin your wheels in the flesh and wonder why nothing is working. That happens in church buildings, a lot!
When a stronghold is oppressing someone, the usual Christian response is: well just, pre harder, read an extra chapter of the Bible, or fast to “break the devil’s power.
No! The devil’s power has already been broken by Jesus! It happened on the cross! Colossians 2:14-15 says:
“ 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
He took the old ordinances away, because they were against us, he nailed it to His cross, and by doing so, He disarmed the enemy, so that the enemy cannot condemn you any longer.
This is all in your bible, this is the gospel, this is how you obtain freedom.
Mighty Through God
Going back to our verses in 2nd Corinthians 10, verse four says the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Carnal means having to do with natural ability, natural strength, natural weakness and all of the factors of your natural five senses; also including your natural thoughts, feelings and emotions. All of that is carnal. And the verse says that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; they are not in that realm and that is not how we are to resist the lies and illusions of the enemy. Many times we try to come against the enemy using natural carnal resources, and we are using the wrong weapons and then becoming confused, frustrated and disillusioned when we don’t see victory.
So if the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, then what are they? As verse 4 says, they are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. These weapons do not operate through ourselves, not of our strength, but through God.
This brings us back to the key principle of our identity. The only way that we have any power against spiritual forces, and the lies and illusions of the enemy is through God. Why? Because the only way that we can perceive the things of the Spirit is through the lens of Grace and Truth which Jesus Christ brings. Without Him, we are stumbling around in darkness and remain deceived and spiritually dead.
There is one final part to this mini-series on New Covenant Deliverance, and in the last segment we are going to dive deep into our Identity in Christ and how it relates specifically to being delivered from spiritual attacks, lying thoughts, feelings, emotions, and circumstances.
Be blessed.