The Battle is for Truth and your mind. The “strongholds,” is a word that spoke of walled fortress’s, with thick walls, which were not easily taken. “But God,” shows us in the spiritual realm it is speaking of “thoughts,” that are built up in a person’s mind, thoughts that are opposed to God, His Word, anti Him. Living life outside of Him and His will. Destructive patterns, that ultimately divide, destroy. When Lazarus was brought back to life, Jesus told those in attendance to release him from the grave clothes, as someone alive had no need of them and they were restrictive. When We are brought to newness of spiritual life, God imparts His Spirit to teach us and His Word. We are told to “renew our minds, so that we may prove what the perfect will of God is”-{Rom 12:2-3.}. But the evil one sows a seed, a thought, that we don’t need His Word, we are “wise,” enough, we are “sufficient” enough, and with the thought embraced and acted upon we respond to life through the lens of doing that which God forbids, namely leaning to our own understanding. We fall into a pattern of thinking that influences us emotionally and our actions. We believe a lie. We look at circumstances and conclude it is impossible, it can’t be done.
Two disciples did this in John 6, when Jesus said to feed the multitude, the first one said eight months would not be sufficient, the second was a little more positive, he said there was a boy there with a few fish and loaves and conclude, ”But what is that for so many? “They both leaned to their own understanding and forgot HIM. In John 6:6,- “He tested them for He Himself knew what He was going to do.” He fed the multitudes and showed Himself to them! Jehoshaphat said, “We don’t know what to do… But our eyes are on You LORD..,” that is the way of faith, to look to Him. This we do in His Word.
The enemy sows thoughts of fear, anxiety, despair, and says it can’t be done and tempts you to embrace and build up a “stronghold,” by appealing to a lie seeking to convince you that it is truth! This is an evidence of a stronghold been exposed. The evil one has sought to influence the believer. Thoughts such as “There is no way this will ever change. I can’t do this. You need to do something about this, God obviously doesn’t care. There is no hope for your marriage, for your kids… give up, it’s pointless praying..” Such thought’s that attack the character of God. So the attack that we are powerless, and the spiral into despair a result. These are the results of embracing thoughts that are not in aligned with His Character or Word.
The battle is for your thought life, to attack your faith in God. God’s Word is not an option but a spiritual weapon to protect and promote God’s perspective for your mind and life and is His gift to us and it it is imperative we embrace it, for we are in a battle, a “spiritual battle,” and He has given us His Spirit and Word to enable us identify the”schemes” patterns of the evil one, and not succumb, but instead build up your faith through submission to His Word, taking God at His Word, embracing it, and applying it. Don’t neglect it to your own peril.
“Man shall not live by bread alone BUT by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” – {Matt 4:4}