The strongholds of the devil have one purpose and that is to prevent the Kingdom of God from being established on this earth. There are many spiritual strongholds, but the biggest strongholds of the devil are built in the minds of people. These strongholds in the mind are built by nurture, education, media, the wisdom and knowledge of this world, etc. The mind of a person is the result of the things, to which the person has dedicated and devoted himself or herself to and the things the person has fed himself or herself with. The strongholds of the devil always exalt themselves against the knowledge and the wisdom of God and His Word, which results in sin and iniquity. What are the strongholds in the minds of people?
Take the mind captive
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;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
The devil knows, that all actions of people derive from the mind. Therefore he wants to captivate the minds of people. From a young age, he tries to captivate the minds of children, by nurture, education, amusement; television, books, gaming, music, social media, amusement parks, toys, witchcraft, etc.
The strongholds, which the devil builds in the mind of the child ensures, that the child will develop his character and walk according to his will. The child will develop a strong will, become rebellious against parents, and will not submit to others.
When the child matures, the person will walk and talk according to the will of the world; the devil. Because throughout the years, the person has developed imaginations, thoughts, reasonings, arguments, barriers, intellectual knowledge, and wisdom, that exalt and rise against the knowledge of God.
Believers, who think, act, and live like the world, are not able to preach and establish the Kingdom of God on this earth. Because their mind; the way they think, goes against the Word of God.
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (1 Corinthians 1:19-20)
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness (1 Corinthians 3:19)
The stronghold of education
Education also plays an important role in the development of a person’s mind. Unfortunately, many schools teach children things, that go against the will of God and His Word. When a child is being taught evolutionism at school, and after high school enters university, the person shall be fed and filled with this worldly knowledge and wisdom, that is based on science and the philosophies of man. The person shall have faith in science. Because faith is built by the words you hear and accept as the truth. The person shall believe in evolutionism instead of creationism and will reject God and His existence. This worldly wisdom and knowledge will become a stronghold in the mind of the person, and therefore the person shall belong to the world and talk, act, and walk according to the world system. According to the world, the person is considered wise and smart, but according to the Bible; God’s Word, the person is considered a fool.
Many times scientific studies have caused Christians to become apostates from the faith in God and Jesus; the Word. How did this happen? Because they began to doubt the Word of God, after hearing the wisdom and knowledge of man and their philosophies, reasonings, and so-called scientific proof. Just like Adam and Eve began to doubt the words of God, by hearing the words of the devil (Genesis 3:1-6)
The wisdom and knowledge of this world not only causes apostasy but also causes pride. Because through this knowledge, that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, man exalts him/herself above God and above other people. That’s why you know, that this knowledge derives from the devil because it forms a person after his character and image. The devil was and is still prideful and still wants to exalt himself above God.
Lay down worldly wisdom and knowledge
When a person comes to faith at an older age, the person will have to destroy these strongholds of worldly knowledge and wisdom. Because otherwise, the person shall not be able to believe in God’s Word, become born again, and act and live according to God’s Word.
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise (1 Corinthians 3:18)
The person may gain a lot of head knowledge of the Bible and quote every scripture of the Bible. But the knowledge of the Bible will only remain head knowledge instead of experiential knowledge and will cause the person to become puffed up.
The person will not be able to walk in faith, because the mind of the person, that is formed by the wisdom and knowledge of the world, still belongs to the world, and goes against the Word of God. Therefore, the person will combine God’s Word with the philosophies of man and adjust the Word to the knowledge and wisdom of this world.
The person will not be able to become born again, because the person has a carnal natural mind and will reason everything. Therefore regeneration shall be considered a strange phenomenon, that deviates from the way the world thinks. Because of that, the spirit of the person remains dead and shall not be raised from the dead, by faith in Jesus Christ and by dying and be resurrected in Him.
The person will not see, nor enter the Kingdom of God because the spirit is still dead. Let alone, speak in tongues, build himself/herself up in the most holy faith, pray in the spirit, and fulfill the great commission of Jesus Christ (Jude 1:20, Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16-18)
The person may call him or herself a Christian on the basis, that the person believes in God, reads the Bible, prays before meals and before going to bed, visits a church, gives to charities, and maybe even does charity work(s), but that doesn’t make you a Christian. The person shall be a carnal humanist, who still belongs to the kingdom of the world.
The fruit, which you produce in your life and your walk will prove if you believe and are a new creation; a son of God.
The stronghold of false doctrines
Another big stronghold of the devil in the mind is false doctrines. Yes, even churches can build strongholds of the devil for the benefit of his kingdom in your mind. They build these strongholds by using false doctrines, that derive from the wisdom and knowledge of carnal man and their philosophies (Read also: How doctrines of devils are killing the church).
These false doctrines, which will become strongholds in the mind, will cause believers to depart from the will of God and His Word, become passive, and fall asleep spiritually. These false doctrines ensure that believers will stay ignorant of the truth and therefore prevent them from walking in the truth as a son of God.
Some of these false doctrines are: that a person always remains a sinner despite the finished work of Jesus Christ, that it doesn’t matter how you live, that you are once saved always saved, that you won’t have to die to the flesh and put off the old man, that you can live like the world, that there is no more sin, that you cannot sin anymore, because Jesus has taken all sins away, that there is no hell, that you don’t have to fast, that it’s all grace, that the love accepts everything, including sin, religious rituals in church, etc. But these are all lies of the devil, that proclaim the opposite as what the Word teaches.
But because most Christians don’t study the Bible for themselves and listen to Him, but only listen to what their pastor (reverend, preacher) in the church, or on television says, they immediately accept their sayings and consider their sayings as the truth.
The stronghold of inferiority (lack of self-confidence)
Another stronghold, that the devil builds in the mind of many people is a lack of confidence and low self-esteem. This stronghold can prevent a person from fulfilling God’s plan for his/her life. Because God has a plan for every believer, who is willing to lay down his/her own life and follow Jesus. These lies are from the devil and don’t line up with what the Word of God says about the new creation. Therefore it’s important to find out the truth and hear what God has to say and believe His sayings.
How can you find out the truth?
To find out the truth of God and to find out who you really are, you should study the Bible: the Word of God. Only when you read and study His Word, you shall find out what His Word says about you. Because the Word is the mirror of the new creation (Read also: God’s Word is a mirror).
However, we live in an age, where people rather be lazy. They don’t want to make time and don’t want to put any effort into reading and studying the Word of God.
Many Christians spend hours on the things of this world, but are not willing to spend even one hour with the Father and His Word. That’s very sad. Because of that, they shall never get to know Jesus; the Word and the Father, and find out the truth and walk in the fullness of the sonship of God (Read also: How a counterfeit Jesus produces counterfeit Christians?).
They will always remain spiritual hitchhikers, who will lean on other people’s faith. When they have a need or are in trouble, they will always depend upon other people and go to them to seek help and advice.
How to destroy the strongholds in the mind?
There is only one way to destroy these strongholds of the devil and that’s by the Word; Jesus Christ. By taking every thought, imagination, reasoning, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, captive and bringing in captivity every thought in the obedience of the Christ. This means, that you renew your mind with the words of God so that you will find out His truth and get to know His will and His Kingdom.
Every thought and imagination that doesn’t line up with the Word, you destroy with the truth of the Word.
By renewing your mind and speaking the Word you attack and destroy these strongholds in your mind.
You do this until these strongholds are completely destroyed and your mind is conformed to the Word of God and His will.
During this process, you will be tested. During the tests, you will prove, if these strongholds are still there, by acting upon the words of the devil or that these strongholds are destroyed, by acting upon the Word of God.
When your mind is conformed to the Word of God and you become a doer of the Word, you shall think and live according to the Word. You shall submit to the Word and live in obedience to Him in holiness and righteousness. Through your life, the way you walk, and the fruit you bear, you shall represent, preach, and establish the Kingdom of God on this earth.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
