Spiritual Strongholds

Happy Monday! Or at least, OK Monday!

A friend’s post reminded me of something this morning: the nature of spiritual strongholds, and can Satan really influence us?

Let’s be 100% clear: Satan or his demons can NOT possess a Christian. Can’t do it. The Holy Spirit is within us, and “He who is within us is greater than he who is in the world.”

However, he CAN influence us if we let him. And since we’re imperfect sinners in a fallen world, sometimes that will happen. It’s called sin and is why Jesus Christ died on the cross so He could bless us with His resurrection and salvation.

Now, about strongholds: 2 Cor. 10:1 is the key verse. Paul writes, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

I believe that this verse refers both to external power structures and corporate sins like injustice, AND our inner lives and thoughts. It’s the latter that I teach.

None of us are perfect, or even near it. But some sins are done and over with, or sins that you used to engage in, you stopped.

But other sins are inner beliefs that we feed by agreement with the evil one., Like secret shame because you’ve been abused. Or serious fear because you’ve lost something in the past. Or a state of anger, bitterness, or rage. Or pride that masks inadequacy.

When you engage in this way of thinking frequently over time, it may develop into an emotional stronghold that is also a spiritual one.

This is when you need to call on the power and love of the Holy Spirit to release you.

The spirit of fear? I released it for the first time a few years ago, in my early 60s. In my living room. With my dog wandering what I was doing as I paced around and prayed.

If you have spirits infesting your psyche and spirit, you are not “possessed.” And the devil did NOT “make you do it.” You just agreed with certain thoughts and built them into a vulnerable and hurting place.

And you CAN be freed. One of the things that freed me were other people’s spiritual gifts of prophecy, discernment of spirits, and wisdom. When an old friend said brightly, “You have a spirit of fear.” I was like, “I do? Hm.. wait… I DO.” I hadn’t recognized it! The second she pointed it out to me I suddenly understood certain actions of mine that I could never justify.

Anyway, there’s more, but this will do for a Monday start. 🙂

Action: Ask the Lord if you have developed resistant attitudes of pride, bitterness, shame, fear, envy. They happen to us all; you’re want to see if it’s an attitude you often engage in.

Then pray for release. He’ll start working in you that very moment. Hallelujah!