Let’s recap: The first milestone Gilgal, represents circumcision and dealing with the flesh. The second milestone Bethel, represents encountering the presence of God. Today, in episode 7, we will look at the third milestone Jericho, and ‘Tearing down Strongholds’.

Jericho was a fortress city, with high walls. It was tightly shut and very well defended. Jericho represents an area of enemy power or sin – a stronghold - that prevents the advance of the Kingdom of God – our entering the Promised Land.

When we try to move from Bethel to Jericho, we are not able to experience the presence of God because these strongholds prevent us from doing so. The more we can first identify and subsequently tear down these strongholds, the better we will experience God’s presence and victory in our lives. The more ‘Jerichos’ we remove from our lives, the faster we’ll recover from our setbacks and trials, overcome guilt and condemnation and obtain personal victory.

How does Jericho manifest in our lives? Strongholds are thoughts, mindsets, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour patterns in our lives that are contrary to the true knowledge of God. All these are what Hebrews 12:1 calls weights or ‘baggage’ that must be thrown aside.

Where do strongholds come from? When we harbour thoughts, mindsets, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour patterns which are contrary to God’s Word, their negative effects may not be so obvious initially, but if they are not dealt with, over an extended period of time they start to come together and like concrete, become hardened and resistant to breaking down.

What do spiritual strongholds consist of? Listen to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5:

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Did you hear that? The spiritual strongholds are:

1. Arguments
   The Greek word is ‘logismós’, which literally means ‘reasoning’ or ‘thought’—that is, a personal opinion. Those opinions come from our natural thinking and mindsets which are often learned from the ‘wisdom of the world’.
2. Pretensions or ‘high things’
   The other component of a spiritual stronghold is what Paul called a ‘high thing’ or ‘pretension’ (‘hupsóma’ in Greek). It refers to a height or bulwark, something that is lifted up as a symbol. The roots of pretensions are spiritual in origin and not from God, because they oppose what God has revealed in His Word.

There is a natural progression towards the formation of strongholds in our lives. When we were pre-believers, we were in spiritual blindness and darkness, but when we received Christ as Saviour in our hearts, we move from spiritual darkness to light. As a result, we receive revelation through the Holy Spirit and become enlightened in our understanding (Ephesians 1: 17-18). However, if as believers, we continue to rely on our natural arguments and reasoning instead of depending on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, then pretensions come in and reinforce these arguments in our flawed thinking. The result? The spirit of error and deception will begin to form as a stronghold in our lives.

Strongholds are established when there is a foothold, doorway or ground given to the evil one. When this happens, his demons are free to oppress and harass us. There are four ways this can happen.

1. Consequences of Generational Sin
   The first way strongholds are established is through generational sin, which is the ‘twistedness’ due to the accumulated sins of our forefathers. This is manifested through our genetic make-up and psyche. Some common consequences of generational sin include sickness and disease, sexual sin, marital problems, fear and anxiety, and feelings of rejection and abandonment. Another common generational sin is the inability to control our emotions, manifesting in outbursts of wrath or a surge of anger.
2. The Fractured or Wounded Soul
   ​There are three main areas of emotional wounds which, if not addressed, will lead to strongholds being established in a person’s life.

• Unhealed hurts
  These hurts come from broken relationships and rejection which are not dealt with by the believer. Consequently, they are buried deep within our soul, and could cause strongholds of anger, bitterness and unforgiveness.
• Unmet need
  These are things we need in life but of which we were deprived. For example, we all need to experience a father and mother’s love. If we have never experienced that, it leaves a void in our lives. God can meet that need to fill the emptiness, but if we don’t turn to God to do so, the void remains.
• Unresolved issues
  Life brings us many questions which we cannot resolve immediately. They can be struggles over how God allows natural disasters or evil, or why an accident happened to us. When faced with serious trials, it is often difficult—and impossible at that point in time—to see the good in them. Such incidents can and do work to cause believers to stumble. Unless and until there is closure, they remain as stumbling blocks.

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  3.Personal Habitual Sins

Our own habitual sins, if not repented of, also establish strongholds. Believers can fall into a cycle of compulsion and addiction. This will continue to happen until they have a personal encounter with God and come to the realization that this is a stronghold.

  4.Occultic Involvement

Any personal involvement in the occult is offensive to God. When we place our hope and trust in anything other than God, it becomes an idol. When we seek certainty and knowledge, especially about what is coming in the future. This is another possibility of a void - but it is a need which can only be met by God.

How do we tear down strongholds? Let’s listen again to 2 Corinthians 10:4:  

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…

What are these weapons which are not carnal, not of man’s device nor are wielded by human power? These are:

1. The name of Jesus
2. The blood of Christ
3. The Word of God
4. Prayers of binding and loosing

Let’s go over them.

1. The Name of Jesus

Jesus Himself tells us there is great power in His name (Mark 16:17-18).

As believers, we always pray in Jesus’ name (John 16:24 and Hebrews 3:1). We pray to Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God who became the Son of Man, who died for us and who shed His blood for the remission of our sins. He is now mediator between God and man (Romans 5:1-2).

Because strongholds have a demonic origin, we use the name of the Lord as a spiritual weapon to demolish arguments and cast down ‘high things’ which are part of the stronghold in our lives and those to whom we minister.

Proverbs 18:10 also reminds us, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

When we use Jesus’ name as a weapon, we know we are safe when we call on His name.

Whenever we pray together in Jesus’ name, we should use the word ‘we’ instead of ’I’ (Amos 3:3, Matthew 16:18 and Matthew 18:20). When there is agreement, there is tremendous power in our united prayers.

2. The blood of Christ

Christ shed His blood on the cross for us. The blood of Christ cleanses us from defilement because of our sins. It covers our sins where Jesus Himself is the atonement for our wrongdoing (1 John 2:1-2).

When we appropriate the blood of Christ, we receive Christ’s life flowing in our spirit, soul and body (Leviticus 16:14). Finally, His blood represents the eternal covenant of God with His people. We use the blood of Christ as our spiritual weapon to overcome Satan.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11a)

3. The Word of God

As part of the full armour of God in Ephesian 6:10-18, the Apostle Paul urges us to take up “… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (v17). We need to know the Word of God to understand the authority and power that we have been given. When we declare the Word of God, over our situations or circumstances, it is a powerful spiritual weapon. Even Jesus, when tempted by Satan, used the Word of God to refute him (Matthew 4:1-11).

4. Prayers of binding and loosing

To bind is to tie up, to bandage, to make powerless and to capture. Binding can be positive or negative. In Matthew 18:18-20, Jesus assured His disciples that “if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that [you] ask”, God would do it for them. This is positive binding – praying and asking God to bind what is good together, e.g. bind husband and wife together with their marriage and family, bind our cell members together in unity, bind the local church together as one, and for unity in the larger body of Christ, across denominations. We can also pray for the healing of hurts; this is in Psalm 147: 3 – “binding up their wounds”.

Negative binding is for capturing and nullifying. We bind the schemes of the evil one directed against us and our families, to ensure they have no effect on us.

The other aspect is loosing, which means releasing or casting away. When we are loosed, we are set free. Loosing can also be positive or negative. Positively, we ask God to loose or release His Holy Spirit to anoint a person, or loose healing into a sick body, release harmony in our cell groups, give us revelation and wisdom, bless the works of our hands, families, marriages, workplaces and churches.

We can also ask God to loose someone of the negative effects of bondage to a particular sin, such as addiction to gambling or drugs. As parents, we can pray to God to loose our children from addiction to computer games, pornography or unwholesome relationships.

For our reflection

• What are some human reasoning or high things that are against the Word of God?
• Are there any unhealed hurts, unmet needs, unresolved issues or unforgiveness that result in strongholds that prevent you from having a breakthrough in your life?
• What are some prayers of binding and loosing which you can pray for yourself, your family, work and ministry?

Next week, we’ll continue to share Pastor Daniel Foo’s ‘Jericho: Six Steps to Remove Strongholds and ‘Taking Every Thought Captive’.

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