Pulling Down Strongholds

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.”
— 2 Corinthians 10:4 NKJV

Our focus this morning is on pulling down spiritual strongholds in our lives. Strongholds are barriers, much ike wals. Our enemy, the devil, erects some of these barriers; others we erect ourselves. A spiritual stronghold is anything that has been fortified with weaponry to protect it from attack. Since birth, Satan has erected numerous barriers in our lives that prevent us from realizing God’s purpose and plan for our lives. But God tears down walls, and with His help, we can dismantle these strongholds brick by brick.

God has equipped us with spiritual weapons to pull down strongholds. They are not going to fall by themselves; we must pull them down brick by brick. When pulling down your stronghold, the number one rule is to avoid foolish arguments. They add nothing to your knowledge of God, nor do they help anyone.

Examples of Spiritual Walls

When we hear the word “stronghold,” we think “big.” But sometimes small things can be big barriers. Many things contribute to the erection of these fortresses; they are built one brick at a time.

For example, worry is a brick in the wall that separates you from achieving your goals. Overeating is a brick that hinders our health. Each time we worry or overeat, we add a brick to that wall, contributing to our anxiety. Likewise, when we believe Satan’s lies, we help him erect strongholds that incite confusion, causing us to develop a low opinion of our self-worth.

Strongholds don’t just happen; they are built. We build emotional strongholds that prevent us from reaching out to others, and others from helping us when we harbor feelings of unforgiveness, jealousy, and bitterness. Negative thoughts and actions become patterns that take root in our minds and eventually become mental strongholds. Negative thought patterns, such as doubt and fear, add unnecessary stress. We must pull down these strongholds one brick at a time. But we can only pull them down through faith in God.

We do not fight with the same weapons as the rest of the world. Our weapons are spiritual and designed for pulling down strongholds. Our two most powerful weapons are God’s Word and prayer. That is why God instructs us to put on the helmet of salvation, take up the sword of the Spirit —the word of God —and continually pray (Ephesians 6:17-18).

It’s time we suit up for battle and take back everything that the enemy stole from us. Let us begin by pulling down the strongholds that separate us from our God and our goals.