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Demonic Strongholds

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Yesterday we saw how a demonic foothold can turn into a demonic strong man. Unfortunately it doesn’t stop there. If the agreement or contract is not broken then the strongman that began as a foothold becomes a stronghold. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 states: For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds,…

Let us revisit the demonic stages of torment or demonization. Yesterday we saw how a small demonic foothold left unaddressed transforms into a demonic strong man. Yet, when these two stages are ignored the strong man becomes a stronghold, or demonic fortress. What’s a demonic fortress? Demonic strongholds are spiritual fortresses – mental and soulish – built from lies, ungodly beliefs, habitual sins, traumas, soul and spirit hurts or wounds, generational cycles of sin, deceit, deception, and demonic agreements. Any of these give the enemy forces influence and control of a person’s mind, emotions, and lifestyle – hindering spiritual growth. Obviously, they aren’t physical places but entrenched mindsets like fear, pride, bitterness, judgments, hate, unforgiveness, etc. – that we have allowed to control our thinking and our living. 

What do we do? Ephesians 4:26-30 offers some exhortations: When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath (your exasperation, your fury or indignation) last until the sun goes down.27 Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].28 Let the thief steal no more, but rather let him be industrious, making an honest living with his own hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.29 Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

Take note of the steps: 

Don’t let anger remain

Do not give the devil any more room to have a foothold in your life

Let the thief steal no more

Get rid of foul or polluting language – this isn’t just talking about profanity, or profane speech. (If there is sacred speech there is profane speech). What it is talking about is speech that is attached to the feelings of anger, unforgiveness, criticism, judgments, malicious talk, bitterness, slander, gossip, etc.

Speak only what is beneficial to the spiritual progress of others

Give Grace to Others (that’s what’s still begin given to you by God. You didn’t deserve it when you first believed and confessed Jesus as Lord, and you still don’t. That’s why it’s called GRACE. You and I are saved by it – continuously)

Do not grieve the Spirit of God – do not put out the Spirit’s desires through disobedience; through His thoughts, words, and ideas. Remember, Rom. 3:10-12. No one is righteous, seeks God tries to understand, or seeks to be good. Any desires that align with these things is the Spirit – not the devil.

How do we apply these truths – practically? First, IDENTIFY the agreements you have made with the enemy. Second, AGREE with God and His Word. This is what confession of sin should be. Sin is agreements made with satan, and confession of sin is agreement with God and His Truth. This is followed by the third step, REPENTANCE. Repentance is where we change our thinking, activity, language, and lifestyle. True repentance involves no longer wavering between two opinions. Additionally, this is what the Bible describes as faith. Wavering between two opinions is unbelief. Fourth, ADDRESS THE STRONGHOLD, as a demonic strong man. For example, let’s say you cannot stop thinking about pornography, or fear, or anxiety. Once the thought begins you are powerless to resist it. So what do you do? What would you do if you could see a demon of fear, lust, pornography, or anxiety sitting on your chest and grabbing you by the throat?

Submit to God through surrender to His Lordship and specific confession of the sin. For example, let’s say it’s “fear.” Confession of sin is followed by addressing the demon sitting on your chest. “Fear” (or whatever the controlling sin is) I agree with you that I invited you into my life through___________. I invited you into my life but now I am inviting you to go. I am created in the image of God. With my freewill I invited you into my life and with my free will I am inviting you to go. With my freewill I can say, “Yes!” to God and with it I can say, “No!” Since God cannot violate my freewill neither can you. So, I’m serving you notice: “Fear” you have got to get out of my life, out of my spiritual house and temple. And one more thing. “Fear” I have been bought, purchased, and redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb – Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I don’t belong to you anymore. I belong to Jesus. Get out of my life and do not return! I do not want you. I don’t need you. I am temple for Jesus. You are not my friend – go to the feet of Jesus! NOW!

Last step: Begin thinking, talking, walking, and acting with and in the opposite spirit. In other words begin to practice what a follower of Jesus looks like who knows and believes, and trusts – that they are perfectly loved. Perfect love drives out fear. Thank the Lord for those things that are yours now by and through the Blood of Jesus, and by the Spirit of God. Begin talking like someone who knows they have been delivered. Begin acting, and walking like someone who is bold as a lion; is surrounded by angels; is washed in the Blood of the Lamb continuously – never stopping. Begin living like the fullness of the Godhead dwells within you. What does every knee have to do before Jesus? You are a child of the King, a new creation, seated in heavenly places with Jesus. Your name is written on His palms and His Book of Life.

The Intercessor John Welsh – Part 2

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In 1595, Welsh was offered and accepted a pastorate in the town of Kirkcudbright. Welsh and his wife could not find anyone in Selkirk, except one poor young man by the name of Ewart, that would lend them any assistance in moving their furniture to their new destination. Needless to say, I am sure Welsh felt relief as he knocked the dust of that city from his shoes and headed toward his new home. For all practical purposes it was not much different from Selkirk. Kirkcudbright was a hotbed of Catholicism, and its previous Reformed Scottish Church minister, Andrew Blyth, was murdered as a heretic in the town square for preaching reformation. It was his shoes that Welsh was sent to fill. Buoyed by his amazing prayer life, Welsh entered that town and pulpit wearing the full armor of God and wielding the Sword of the Spirit.

From the first day he arrived, the town was shaken by his powerful preaching. Worldliness and a religious spirit were the first strongholds he began to tear down. He next attacked the worship of idols and observation of man-made doctrines: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with the lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines of God the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9

Next he preached against the lack of true repentance for sins, saying: “There is a godly sorrow which leads a man to life; and this sorrow is wrought in a man by the Spirit of God, and in the heart of the godly; that he mourns for sin because it has displeased God, Who is so dear and so sweet a Father to him. And even if he had neither a heaven to gain, nor a hell to lose, yet he is still sad and sorrowful in heart because he has grieved God.

Converts began to trickle in and soon the harvest was plentiful. The reformed Presbyterian message of Welsh and a few others soon overflowed into a great revival throughout Southern Scotland. It wasn’t only the people, but also the ministers, who were experiencing this wonderful “refreshing from the Lord.” By 1596 a General Assembly in Edinburgh was called, and over 400 men were present for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The business of the Assembly was prayer and the confession of ministerial sin. Many were humbled to tears of conviction and repentance for the sins of their office. The hours and hours of prayer that John Welsh spent over the years now seemed to be bearing fruit. David Calderwood described the scene on a Tuesday morning: “While they were humbling themselves, for the space of quarter of an hour, there were sighs and sobs, with shedding of tears…everyone provoking another by his example…. so that the place might worthily have been called Bochim; for the like of that day was never seen in Scotland since the Reformation, as every man confessed.

Turn The Tables On Me

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In 1517, an obscure Catholic priest named Martin Luther placed his life in God’s hands when he nailed his 95 theses, his 95 arguments against the Catholic church, on the door of the Wittenberg Church. There was nothing wrong with nailing pages to the door. Everything was posted there for everyone to read. It was the community bulletin board. But Martin Luther had been studying the Bible personally and realized that Catholic ceremonies did nothing to dispense grace and the church had no right to sell indulgences. Salvation is received through faith in Jesus. His 95 theses specified errors of the Catholic church in the light of personal Bible study. He began his argument by stating: Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Theses 1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance.

As a result of this simple, but obedient action, Heaven came down, and Hell broke loose, as a firestorm of revolt, and controversy erupted within the Catholic Church, and the countries it held sway over. The 95 Theses confronted many of the injustices, beliefs, and wicked practices of the Catholic Church, its Pope, cardinals and priests. Luther’s action created a ground swell of what was later called the Protestant Reformation.

2000 years ago the greatest event in human history occurred through Jesus’ week of Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. During the week leading up to His Crucifixion Jesus created His own firestorm by entering the Temple grounds and driving out the money changers, and those involved with the sale of sacrificial animals. This action ultimately led to the verdict to crucify Him.

As we have noted in earlier blogs, self-centeredness, and fear strangles faith blocking any attempts of the Spirit of God from rising within us to new heights. Our floor becomes our ceiling as our feet remain firmly rooted to the ground of self. Making matters worse is the introduction of man-serving, self centered religion. Instead of being molded and shaped into the Imago Dei (Image of God), conformed to the Image of Jesus, we only become more corrupted images of our self. Self-serving, man created religion, crucifies Jesus afresh every time it is practiced, discounting His Resurrection Power.

In 1992 a man invited me to join him and another for prayer at our church. I was on staff as a youth minister. My passion, and heart at this time was to see revival break out in our church, and country. During this season of prayer I was challenged by the Spirit of God to begin praying for revival to come to my life. I took the challenge ignorant of the adventure that awaited me. During this season of prayer, and seeking, the Lord revealed the nastiness of my bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, lust, and demonic strongholds. The final challenge came through a song I was listening to written by Mylon Lefevre, entitled, Turn The Tables On Me. The lyrics which got my attention, and the Lord used as a challenge, were the following:

My heart belongs to Jesus, But it’s trapped inside of me, Trying to live for Him, But the world won’t let me be, I know my spirit’s willing, But my flesh is not as strong, I want to do what’s right, Oh, but sometimes I’m so wrong. Buyers, sellers, Cheaters, liars, Have had their way too long inside of me. Jesus, Master, Take this temple, set me free
(Jesus, set me free) Turn the tables on me.

As I listened to this song the Holy Spirit whispered, Can you pray that? And my response? Go For it Lord! I chuckle as I write this thinking back to the arrogant, self-centered individual I was at this time. Little did I know what that simple agreement would ignite in my life, and my life has never been the same. I want to challenge the few people that read these blogs to accept that same challenge, inviting Jesus to come to your temple (Which really belongs to Him) and clean house. You don’t have to pray as violent as the song, but maybe that’s the kind of fearless, passion you need to be set free from all that has prevented you from becoming who He has made you to be. As I repeatedly state, Jesus made you for more than coming to a building, looking at the back of someone’s head, and calling it Church (or worse calling it worship). Jesus has made you for more than pre-setting your radio stations to Christian radio. Jesus has made you for more that pasting a fish on the back of your car, or wearing Christian T-shirts. He has called you to be a son or daughter of the Most High God. He has called you to co-reign with Him in this foreign country we call Earth. Don’t you desire for Jesus to loose His reformation in you?