Strongholds

“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 strongholds;) 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; And having a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled” II Cor. 10:3-6.

Though the Corinthians were made spiritual creations, yet Paul writes that they were acting in a carnal manner. “I could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal. . .there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” I Cor. 3:1,3. It is apparent that the Corinthian brethren were hedged about with many strongholds, which greatly hindered their Christian growth: they were “even as babes in Christ” I Cor. 3:1b. In the second letter to the Corinthians, it appears that they had now grown to some degree, and Paul may now speak unto them as ‘spiritual,’ concerning the warfare of believers and the pulling down of strongholds.

But what is a stronghold? It is defined, a high place, ophel; a cut off, fenced place, mibtsar; strong place, strong hold, mhoz; a fortress, metsad; a bulwark, matsor. Bulwark, of itself warrants defining: chel, an army, an intrenchment, wall; matsuwr, defense, fortress, tower; pinnah, a pinnacle, chief, corner; mtsodah, a net for capturing animals or fish; a besieging tower, a snare. This final definition well describes Satan’s stronghold; a net, a besieging tower, a snare. Satan’s stronghold is a place of reigning wickedness, of evil: a place where he is a domineering tyrant; the prince of darkness, a ferocious lion, a cruel taskmaster. Of the Lord God may we say that He is our wall of defense, our fortress, our safe haven, our Rock, our high tower: the armies of the Lord hedge us about. He, the Most High God, rules and reigns forever, unchanging, in love, in mercy and in grace; but never compromising His Divine Law nor His Purpose. But to rightly define stronghold - I cannot.

The stronghold of the ungodly.

“Every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God?” “He [Satan] beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride” Job. 41:34.

“He that hateth dissembleth [nakar, scrutinize, with suspicion, be strange toward, disregard, reject] with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him; When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart” Proverbs 26:24,25.

Compare this scripture with that which is found in Matthew chapter twelve: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and finding none. Then he saith, I will return unto my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself. . .”Matt. 12:43-45a.

An unlawful structure.

Satan has no building permit. Further, he is trespassing on private property. The house or ‘stronghold’ which he would build is not of gold, silver, and precious stone; neither of brick and mortar; at best, of wood, hay, and stubble. “So are the paths of all that forget God. . .He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure” Job 8:13a, 15. “The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand” Pro. 12:7.

His ‘strongholds’ are built with lies, deceit, wickedness. Remember the old axiom, “The devil made me do it!” Satan tempts, he beguiles. But when Eve was confronted by the Lord God she said, “The serpent beguiled [enticed, lured, charmed] me, and I did eat.” Because of his sin and rebellion against God and His Word, man became, and is to this day, a totally depraved creature. “And he [Jesus] said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man” Mark 7: 20-23.

Casting down the stronghold!

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil” Luke 4:1. Are we to pray, “Lead us not into temptation?” But Jesus was led, by the Spirit, into temptation! Led there, that he might conquer the tempter! At the end of the recorded temptations, the devil set Him on the pinnacle of the temple saying, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence.” But it was Satan and his ’stronghold’ that would be utterly ‘cast down!’ Satan could in no wise have established a stronghold upon the Lord Jesus. The Lord God, His Father, was, and is, a Mighty Fortress unto Him! What! Shall Satan think to build a stronghold where the Mighty Fortress reigns!?!

If the stronghold at last be pulled down, shall we leave the foundation where it stood, empty, vacant? Then might the temper return, determined to rebuild his stronghold! NO! Let us build a fortress, a Mighty Stronghold! (Yet, not I, but Christ.)

A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing;

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our strivings would be losing;

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us;

We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph through us.

Martin Luther

Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

When I have thoughts that are “conformed to this world,” shall I ignore them, attempt to deny their existence, make excuses for their being there. . .? Or bring them into captivity by hedging them about with the Truth: acknowledging them; bringing them unto Christ; allowing Him to handle the captives; to “lead captivity captive.”

“be transformed by the renewing of your [my] mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” Rom. 12:2. When our worldly thoughts are brought into captivity, then are we not free to think on the things of Christ?

Leading Captivity Captive.

One of the basic laws of interpretation is that of the “law of first mention,” and it well applies here. The first scripture reference to leading “captivity captive” is found in Judges chapter five.

“Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam. Then he made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people: the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty” Judges 5:12,13.

Israel’s second judge, Ehud, led the people against the Moabites after slaying their king, and the land had rest for eighty years. But after his death Israel once again fell back into sin. “And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan. . .twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.” At that time the Lord raised up a “prophetess”, Deborah. She sent word to Barak the son of Abinoam: he was to assemble ten thousand men at Mount Tabor; Jehovah would draw Sisera (Jabin’s general) and his armies to meet him at the river Kishon; there He would deliver them into his hand. But the death of Sisera would be given into the hand of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. Sisera’s death came as she drove a tent nail through his head. The victory was secured and Israel rested for forty years.

“Then sang Deborah and Barak. . .Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves” Judges 5:1. In the song there is conveyed a poetic illusion, “Awake, awake, Deborah: awake awake, utter a song: arise Barak, and lead thy Captivity captive” vs. 12. The term most surely would have rung with familiarity among the Israelites! “Captivity” in the song was portrayed by the oppressors, the Moabites. Israel was the oppressed, the captive. But now the tables are turned: Israel is the captor, while Moab is the captive!

A defeated people might find their entire city or district removed from the land and relocated nearby their captors, where they were made to serve as slave labor. Removal was thought to sever a people from the care and protection of their god: it implied the defeat of such deity. Their prominent leaders were likely to be chained, to be treated with indignation and cruelty; the victors leading them down the main streets of the city in great celebration of their triumph.

Let us make the application: Sin was our Captivity. It drew us away; it bound us; it enslaved us. It “removed us from the care and protection of our God: it implied the defeat of such deity!” But He has slain the enemy! They are overcome by His power! He is triumphant, victorious! Death and hell are vanquished foes! He is risen from the grave, alive evermore. He has delivered His people from Captivity! He has taken Captivity captive!

Building a Stronghold.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” Phil. 4:8.

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keeping yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus unto eternal life” Jude 20-21.