The Destruction of Spiritual Fortresses{Part 1}

There is a spiritual battle. The principal battlefield where this fierce conflict is being waged is in the mind of man. The greatest battles are not fought with guns and bombs or by combat soldiers on the battlefields of this world; they are fought in the minds of people. The mind is the oldest, most common battlefield known to the human race. Ever since God provided Adam and Eve clear instructions on how to live joyful, successful lives, a fierce battle has been raging over who will control man's thinking, God or Satan.

The first objective of the spiritual warrior is to capture his mind for God (CIM). & that is what I want to help you do today. I want to help you capture your mind for God.
God wants us to fully know Him and to tear down anything that holds us and others back from fully knowing Him. Old patterns of thinking and behavior keep us from right thinking and from right doing so that we are not actively involved in the ministry of God as He would have us be. Do you have beliefs, thoughts or actions that lessen or weaken your service to God? Do things, persons, or situations cause you anxiety or frustration? Are you hindered in your personal prayer life and in the coherency of your Bible reading? If so you need to listen intently to the Bible’s description of how to obtain victory through spiritual battle. Here God teaches how to tear down debilitating old habits and thought patterns that assail and thwart us when we attempt to move closer to God. May we learn what the weapons of our warfare can accomplish and put them into obedient service for the eternal glory of God.
SPIRITUAL BATTLE
A distinction is drawn between existence in this world and living for this world or age. People wanted to judge Paul as if all his action and abilities were focused on himself and his place in this life. But that was not the case, his energies and interests were focused on Christ, not himself.
This world focused people were waging a fleshly fight, but we are informed in verse 3 that it is impossible to win a spiritual battle with fleshly ability or weapons. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,”
The Corinthian were being led by fleshly thinking [and judged Paul’s ministry by outward appearances]. They lived and evaluated things according to the flesh and not according to the Spirit, so they completely missed the power of the Spirit that was available to them.
Paul however followed a different direction in life. He may live in a fleshy body like every other person subject to its laws and limitation that are common to all human flesh, but he would not let his old way of living before he came to know Christ direct his life. Though Paul lived in a body of flesh, he would not walk after the pattern of the flesh or according to the natural man, but he walked in the Spirit depending on God.
The follower of Christ cannot allow his conduct to be controlled by the considerations of expediency and self-seeking which are characteristic of his lost condition when he walked according to the flesh or in the way of this world. Paul’s strength was not found in the flesh. He refused to develop and use the fleshly weapons on which natural man depends. Paul’s weapons were spiritual.

He knew how to wage spiritual war. The term war (στρατος) is literally “lead an army.” The Apostle Paul states that though he does not fight according to the flesh, he does fight, he even admits that he leads a spiritual army to war. This war was not against flesh and blood though (Eph. 6:10ff). His foes were the devil and his demonic agents. He warred against the power of darkness. Thus Paul used spiritual weapons because you cannot win spiritual battles with fleshly weapons. We too must put on the full armor of God and fight with spiritual weapons. Again, our Christian life is not merely a walk but also warfare (1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2: 3f, 4:7; 2 Cor. 6:7).

SPIRITUAL WEAPONS FOR DESTROYING FORTRESSES
The thought of spiritual war is more fully developed in verse 4.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction (tearing down) of fortresses (strongholds).{ 2Cor 10:4}
Anyone can use fleshly weapons but few in Christian circles can use spiritual weapons. A Christian who engages in warfare or a campaign must have the weapons with which to fight. The armor of the Christian warrior is given in Ephesians 6:11-18. It is spiritual armor. The armor of King Saul, though splendid in the eyes of men, cannot overcome the spiritual giants who come against us. These are not flesh and blood foes and attempting to withstand them with fleshly weapons makes them laugh at our great folly.
No we need divinely powerful weapons. We need weapons that are made mighty by God. Paul’s attitude of humility is one weapon, since pride places us in the control of Satan. Spiritual weapons like the Word of God, prayer, love, peace, the Cross, the sinless life of Christ, the shed blood of the cross, obedience, surrender to His Lordship, the power of resurrection and the ascension are the weapons that defeat the enemy. As Jesus said in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
Only spiritual weapons are divinely empowered for over throwing the fortresses of evil. There is a temptation to meet a challenge of one who is in the flesh, who is under the sway of the evil one, with fleshly weapons of human wisdom and strength but that is not where true victory lies.
v A “stronghold” is an entrenched pattern of though, ideology, value or behavior.
v It is a mind-set that causes us to accept as unchangeable situations that we know are contrary to the will of God.
v [Stronghold: NT:3794, ochuroma (okh-oó-rō-mah); from ochuróō remote derivative of NT:2192 (meaning to fortify, through the idea of holding safely); a castle (figuratively, argument)]
v So then it something we have fortified or built up in our lives and now think we cannot remove it. [Some strongholds are good: those built up by the Word of God are good, those against the word are harmful.]
Developing a stronghold is like planting a tree. While it is still small it is easy to bend and mold, but that tree gets to be 25-30 years old it can’t be bent, the roots are deep and it becomes a major project to move.
One of the most basic of principles taught in the Bible is that of sowing and reaping. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8).
It goes like this: sow an action, reap a habit and it has been shown to take about 21 days to tear down one and start another, better one.
We start with one cigarette, one drink, one cuss, and then it leads to another, and another. Eventually we have a full blown stronghold with all the repercussion that come with them! Like cancer, sorosis of the liver, diabetes. We did this to ourselves and we cannot, dare not blame the devil for it.]
This verse promises that those who find and learn how to use God’s spiritual weapons in the power of God’s Holy Spirit are empowered by God Himself for the destruction of strongholds, in their life, in the life of their loved ones, in their church and in their community in which they battle. When engaging the enemy with these weapons the church is assured of victory. The world scorns these weapons wanting to provoke you to use fleshly weapons and we often turn to human methods and are overcome by demonic forces. When Joshua and his army marched around Jericho for a week, the spectators thought them mad. But the weapon of obedience to God’s Word brought down the high walls and the enemy was conquered (Joshua 6:1-20). These spiritually powerful weapons are the ones the powers of darkness most vehemently fight against and keep us from knowing, remembering and using because they are the only weapons by which they and their work can be torn down!
So we have some negative strongholds in our lives and we need to get rid of them, but it won’t be easy. You may have some hard difficult work in front of you. Tearing down bastion in your life must often be done the way they were erected, brick by brick, or thought by thought. Can God deliver you?
Yes, but you did this to yourself over time and it will usually takes time for us to get to the point of deliverance, so we must go through a continuous process to get to that point.
The Message will be Concluded Tomorrow; God Bless You.
Sermon by Dennis Davidson
Prayer Points
1.   Every Satanic Stronghold assigned against my destiny; I pull you down in the name of Jesus.
2.   O lord my father ; sanctify my heart in the name of Jesus.
3.   Stronghold of stagnancy and backwardness loss your hold in the name of Jesus.
4.   You my life; reject the voices of darkness, in the name of Jesus.
5.   Power of darkness occupying any area of my life; be evacuated by the fire of the Holy Ghost.
6.   You today; hear the word of the lord! You  shall favour me in the name of Jesus.
7.   My life shall magnetize blesses and goodness throughout today and the rest of my life on the name of Jesus.
8.   Blessings that I do not merit; locate my life in the name of Jesus.
Seven Fold Amen with Faith!!!
Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen! Amen!
2015 is your Year of multiple restoration and unparalleled Favor in the name of Jesus

IF THE ENEMY HAS STOLEN FROM YOU;
RECOVERY IS BY FORCE.
STOP THEM BEFORE THEY STOP YOU,
GOD BLESS YOU.


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