Title: Discovering our Strongholds
Date: November 8, 2009
Text: 2 Cor 13:5
Introduction
- Last week we looked at what a stronghold is
- We discovered it is a fortification with a number of characteristics
- It is often built on a hill, and has high walls
- This makes entry difficult for an invading army
- A stronghold is also a place the enemy uses as a base
- From the stronghold the enemy can invade surrounding territory
- When territory has been captured, the enemy plants a fresh stronghold, to control that area
- The strongholds are used to keep control of the captured territory
- Today we are going to look at how to discover our personal strongholds
The Bible defines a stronghold
- 2 Cor 10:3-5 – Paul defines a stronghold as anything that exalts itself against God
- In other words, it can be anything that hinders us in our relationship with God
- Ultimately, it is sin which cuts us off from God
- Isaiah 59:2
- In the Old Testament, when a person broke the law in a big way, it would say that that person would be cut off from his people
- This expression referred to that person being executed for his flagrant breaking of the law (here we are talking about such things as murder, etc)
- It is interesting that the expression cut off is used here
- Because when we sin, we incur a penalty
- Romans 6:23 – the wages of sin is death
- That death is described as eternal separation from God in a place of pain
- So a stronghold can be anything that cuts us off from God
- In other words, a stronghold is a sin in our life
The nature of a stronghold
- The nature of a stronghold is that it is strong, almost impossible to overcome
- When the enemy starts building a stronghold, he lays a foundation, and then starts building on it
- Christianity builds on Jesus, he is our foundation (Eph 2:20)
- I am the way, truth, life (John 14:6)
- The enemy builds strongholds on himself and his nature
- John 8:44
- The enemy is known as the father of lies
- So the enemy plants lies in our life
- These lies are the foundation for the structure he builds, which is so impregnable
Need to examine ourselves
- 2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?
- Paul gives us a number of quizzes, to examine where we may have strongholds
- He refers to these strongholds as works of the flesh
- Gal 5:19-21 - "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God".
- Col 3:5-10
- Some of these can be briefly summarized as immorality, idolatry, control, hatred, selfishness, deception and division
- A person who desires to continue living in this manner, cannot be a child of God – we are not talking about temptation, but about a willful choice of direction for our life
- When we examine ourselves, we need to identify which of these strongholds apply to ourselves.
- Col 3:5-10 "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator"
Conclusion
- We are on a journey, right now, looking at ourselves. And what makes us tick
- Today we may have touched some raw nerves, some sensitive areas we know should not be there in our life
- Our next step will be to discover how to overthrow these strongholds
- We will examine how to do that, in the next sermon in this series.
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