Thoughts - Strongholds

In every one of our lives, there are thoughts from the past that attempt to come back to torment us. They can be thoughts of rejection, of abandonment, of lack, of sickness, of offense and hurt, of poverty, of loneliness. The list goes on and on. What we must remember is that we have been redeemed from all of the past. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law that The Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. We have been redeemed, delivered from our past.

Let’s deal with thoughts today and how they determine our present life and our future as well. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5we read that although we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal or fleshly (physical weapons of flesh and blood) but our weapons are mighty through God to the pulling down and the destruction of strongholds. We cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Let’s look at the verses in detail. Verse 3 tells us that even though we live in this flesh and blood world in a flesh and blood body, we do not war after our flesh. In other words, we do not tackle life’s situations with our own efforts and reliance on the things of this world. We are to go to God and allow Him to help us to overcome whatever has come into our life to block our pathway.

The weapons we use are not weapons of this physical earth. They are the mighty weapons of God, which He has provided for us as His children. What are these weapons? They are the name of Jesus, the Word of God, the blood of Jesus and the Spirit of God. When we use the name of Jesus, the spirit world sees Jesus speaking and commanding them. He has given us the authority, the power of attorney to use His name in His place. When we speak in His name, He is doing the commanding through us. God has given us His Word to be a light unto our path, to guide us in everything we do. His Word is our manual of instructions on living the Godly life in the earth. The blood of Jesus was shed that we might have eternal life abundantly. When we plead the blood of Jesus over our situations in life, we are calling on the life of God to protect us and to provide for us. The life is in the blood. And we have the Holy Spirit as our teacher, guide, comforter, counselor, advocate, standby, intercessor. What more do you want!

These weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. A stronghold is a house constructed of thoughts and it develops a pattern of thinking. Our lives are composed of patterns that are developed over a period of time from the same thoughts. That is the reason our thoughts must be based on the Word of God. His thoughts produce healthy patterns of thinking. In Psalm 28:8 we read that the Lord is our stronghold or strength of salvation to us as His anointed ones. What a powerful scripture. Trade the strongholds of the enemy who has held you back for the stronghold of God. His anointing on us turns us into mighty men and women of God, exercising His authority and dominion on this earth. His anointing causes us to do mighty exploits for Him.

As we read further in our foundation scripture in 2 Corinthians, we learn of our responsibility in this warfare, this battle. We must cast down vain imaginations, those thoughts that tell us we are going to fail, going to die, going to be second rate. We must cast down everything that tries to exalt itself higher than God. Fear is not higher than love. Doubt and unbelief is not higher than faith. Lack is not higher than prosperity. Sickness and disease is not higher than healing and health. Sin is not higher than righteousness. There is no thought that you can think that is fleshly that has the right even to attempt to be higher than God. Nothing can set itself up against the knowledge of God. And we are to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, the Anointed One and His anointing.

Our thoughts are to become God’s thoughts. How do we do that? We find out what His thoughts are. Look at Philippians 4:8. These are God’s thoughts---thoughts which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of a good report. These are the thoughts we are to think. If our thought does not pass this inspection, then we cast it down as a vain imagination and bring it into captivity to the obedience of the Anointed One and His anointing. When we turn that thought over to Him, He purifies it into His thought and it becomes a productive thing rather than a destructive thing.

We must allow the Lord Jesus Christ full access to our every thought, to correct, to purify, to encourage, to lift up so that we can come into agreement with Him. When we are aligned with Him, we are in His will and able to do what He has called us to do. He calls us, anoints us and equips us. It is our responsibility to stay aligned with Him in purpose, thought, and action. Alignment is agreement and agreement is unity and unity is the seedbed of doing the impossible. When we are in agreement with God and with one another, the world will see Christ in action, the Anointed One and His anointing bringing The Blessing of God into operation on this earth. And Christ in action is Love in action. When love is operating, people will be set free from the bondages that have held them captive all their lives. And then the scripture in 2 Timothy 2:26 (Amplified Bible) will become reality in people’s lives: And that they may come to their senses [and] escape out of the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him, [henceforth] to do His [God’s] will.