S t r o n g h o l d s
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds
2 Corinthians 10:4
For 30 years as a Christian I experienced incredible amounts of frustration and it turned into deep anger. I knew God’s word and I did so much to be free from anger, but I had this growing resentment towards God. It seemed like everyone had some kind of wonderful testimony, and I was just becoming more bitter. The reason was that I a stronghold in my life, an area in which the enemy of God had a foothold. It wasn’t until I came to a certain point, under certain conditions that I was able to pray for it to be removed and it was finally gone. You may have been a christian for many years, but there is an area that is controlled by the enemy. this will keep you from changing.
A Stronghold
A stronghold is something that is blocking your heart from being completely free in Christ. It can be just one thing or several things. Most of the time it is something that you do not recognize in yourself. Others may notice it in you, but you do not. There are a set number of areas in our heart and if just one of those areas is sinful and controlled by the influence of the enemy, than you can never fully feel free, because you are not free. Totally free means that there is absolutely nothing in your life that you are not willing to pray to Christ to remove from your life.
A belief in something that is against God’s word
Anger towards God
Hatred towards a person or a group of people
Not being able to admit you are wrong
An addiction to something
Something that means more to you than Christ
Desire for revenge
Refusal to forgive a person or people
Not being able to love or show love to others
Angry outbursts and rage
Hatred
Lying
Lust
Self Centered
No self awareness
Unhealthy relationships
You have been going to church, reading your bible and praying, but you are not much different than before you gave your life to Christ
The reason can be that you have a stronghold in your life, an area in which the enemy of God has a foothold. You may have been a christian for many years, but there is an area that is controlled by the enemy. this will keep you from changing.
Can a believer have a demonic stronghold?
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”."
2 Corinthians 12:7-9
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 we have not just any believer, but the apostle Paul himself, a man who clearly lived by the Holy Spirit, telling us that he not only had a demon, but it was God who gave it to him. Paul was not possessed, he was oppressed (harassed) by a demonic entity. Some may say that this entity was not an internal harass, in his mind, but externally harassing him in some way. But Paul actually tells us where the demonic entity is located, as he says it was “in the flesh”. This was inside him, inside his mind and body. Most demonic oppression happens in our minds, not outside of our bodies. We also see what Paul does when he recognizes that there is an evil entity harassing him, he prays to God to to remove it “that is should leave me”. We also see that God will not remove it from him for a reason. Not only do we have a believer who has the Holy Spirit in him, and lives by that spirit, but he has a demon harassing him.
Most people today, I would guess, believe that once you ask God to save you, and pray that you believe in Him, and ask Him to forgive you and help you be a believer and follower, that you are free from all of your sins, and are able to live for Him completely. That any and all demonic strongholds and influences, however they may be, are gone. I believed that way myself until my conversion. I now see there there is a second step before you can fully be free. That step is to cleanse yourself from everything that is impure and sinful inside you, that you had before you were saved.
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Galatians 5:17
Some people upon getting saved say they instantly stopped smoking, or swearing, and I do believe that God does that. But I think the majority of us still have most, if not all of the sinful habits and thoughts we had prior to being saved, with us after we are saved. This one step is a process that we repeat for the rest of our lives. It is not that you pray a few times, and it all leaves you, and you are free for the rest of your life from any and all oppression. I am not saying that there is a way to pray that God removes all sin from your mind and your life. Galatians 5:17 makes it clear the struggle between flesh and spirit goes on for our whole lives. What I am saying is that strongholds are different than your normal sinful desires.