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UNCOVERING HIDDEN STRONGHOLDS Salvation means to be made whole; body, soul, and spirit. I could accept the fact that people’s salvation or wholeness had been made complete upon receiving Christ as their Savior, if they never did anything evil again. The fact is, however, that those who have asked Jesus Christ into their hearts have made a declaration of faith. They have entrusted their lives to the Savior of all mankind, and the salvation process has just begun. The emphasis here is not on the question of eternal security, but rather on attacking those things that hinder you from being made whole, and uncovering those things that keep you from walking in the fullness of the Gospel. (2 Cor 10:3-4) "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;" A stronghold is a fortress, or a secured enclosure. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a stronghold as, "an area dominated or occupied by a special group." The devil uses strongholds as secret storage areas. He uses them like secret weapons brought forth in the most opportune time to cause Christians to hurt themselves and others. Through strongholds the enemy controls the actions of those who are in the church. If we are to take our rightful seats in the heavenlies, we will have to identify and destroy hidden strongholds. How do strongholds occur? First, they invade: (James 1:14) "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." Next, they conquer: (James 1:15) "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." And: (John 10:10) "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…" Finally, they settle: (2 Pet 2:20) "For if after they have escaped the pollution’s of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning." A stronghold only retains its strength as it remains concealed. That is why the enemy wants us to keep hidden the secret places in our hearts. These are the places that we have been convinced we could never totally surrender to the Lord. Some strongholds are so protected through deception that they can only be seen by someone other than the person possessing them. Even when we start to recognize these hidden areas, we find they are not only fortified with thick walls, but they are also reinforced with a barbwire of fears. They seem totally impenetrable. When made obvious, the pain and fear seems to be more than an individual can deal with; but deal with it we must. (2 Cor 10:5) "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" Fears are based mostly upon speculation. A speculation is a conclusion based on an assumption that cannot be proven. Know this, fear is a part of our imagination that has a severe effect upon our feelings and emotions. Fear is the atomic bomb that the enemy uses to annihilate our faith in what God can do. Fear must not be suppressed; it will only surface with more strength at a latter time. There is only one way to deal with fear: overcome it, conquer it, rise above it by faith in Jesus Christ and the word of God. (1 John 4:4) "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." When uncovered and dealt with biblically, strongholds will be disarmed and rendered ineffective. People shriek at the thought of their lives being an open book, but we must keep ourselves accountable to someone and accept responsibility for what we do and say. It doesn’t matter how bad we may look at the present because the result will be an increase in righteousness that will shine forth like refined gold through the grace of God. Come on, let the truth set you free! What have you got to lose? God always makes a way of escape. He is our mighty deliverer. He parted the waters for Moses, Joshua, Elijah and Elisha. He made the walls fall down at the stronghold of Jericho. Jesus paid for our freedom with the price of His life; now it is time to let Him deal with the hidden strongholds. -Kurt Thurston September Newsletter 1998 | Sin - Sin - Sin | Uncovering Hidden Strongholds Pastor's Journal September 1997 | A Family That Prays Together | A People of Understanding part 2 of 4 Revised: August 29, 2007. |
Biblical Counseling for Leaders
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