Understanding Strongholds (Part 2)

Sarah’s Corner

Volume 96 - 19, June 2019

www.thecarpenterschurch.org/sarahscorner

Understanding

Strongholds (Part 2)

Pastor Charles Omofomah In the part one of this article, I de2ined a stronghold as to hold strongly or to holdfast. I pointed out that strong holds have the tendency to have a strong hold over people because they are fastened to them, so they need to be pulled down. I also showed you how strongholds are often built in the areas of your mind, through the element of your memory and your imagination. In this concluding part of this article, I will be teaching on one more thing about strongholds, and how you can pull them down.

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the 2iery darts of the wicked one.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-

Ephesians 6:10-18 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 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, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is ful2illed.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6

Strongholds Stand As Opposition To The Will Of God When strongholds are built, they stand as opposition to the will of God or

worse still, they stand as rebels against the Word of God, consequently, against the purpose of God for your life. This is because, when you say, “By His stripes I am healed,” the image of health comes to your mind. If you also declare, “He sent forth His Word and healed me,” the image of what you have declared is what comes to your mind. Someone may say, “I have been attending Broken Wall Healing School since it started. I’ve not experienced any healing in my life.” Yes, you may be right, but that is because for thirty-2ive minutes or forty-2ive minutes in one month, you attend Broken Wall Healing School and are exposed to the healing message. This is the amount of time competing seriously with all the carnal videos you watch. These carnal movies are competing with God’s Word on healing. How then, can there be healing? Even if you were able to watch some Christian programs, you may have done so with all manner of distractions such as: analyzing the dress worn by the preacher, the hairstyle, and so on. They all stand as opposition to the will of God. I dare you, try God according to His will, and according to His pattern. I know that, ”God is not a man, that He should lie,…” (Numbers 23:19). A lot of people get healings just by the mercy of God. It’s not like they even took advantage of God’s Word. When you go to a doctor and He gives you a prescription, do you just take your pills in the morning, afternoon, and at night, and then rush off to the doctor claiming it doesn’t work? Nobody does that. In the same way, take this “prescription”of God’s Word for one month, three weeks, or two weeks. “Guard your heart with diligence, for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Saturate your being with the Word of God. When you begin to argue and attribute life outcomes to chance, you may never walk in your victory in Christ. The world system is such that it wants to build strongholds in you everyday but you must recognize that they are opposed to God’s will. I will show you three keys for combating strongholds.

The Knowledge Of God’s Word 5 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,

2 Corinthians 10:5 The first key for combating every stronghold is the knowledge of God through His Word. The Bible says, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom…” (Matthew 16:19). If you want to be wealthy, you don’t go about casting out demons? I know

The Carpenter’s Ministry: All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or any other, without the prior permission of the above.

Sarah’s Corner

Volume 96 - 19, June 2019

www.thecarpenterschurch.org/sarahscorner there are times you need to cast out demons. For some people, being tight-fisted has become a stronghold, and a demon is perching on it.

Jesus says, “I give you the keys of the Kingdom.” If you want to be healed, have the knowledge of your healing. In the past, when I have symptoms in my body, I get into the Word of God, and I start looking.

That is not the time. If it’s something you have known and it has settled in your heart you don’t need to search the Bible at that time.

You have already searched the Scriptures and what you do at that time is to meditate on the revelation you already received by talking about your healing! Did you notice everything enumerated in our key text (Ephesians 6:10-18), right up to the very last had to do with prayers? When Paul was done enumerating the weapons he said, “Pray with all prayer for all saints.” Prayer is not one of the weapons.

Everything that is named has to do with the knowledge of one aspect of the Word of God or another. The knowledge of God’s Word is a powerful force and it’s in two dimensions. It is both preventive and curative, because it says, “…Pulling down imaginations or arguments…”

When a thought has developed into an argument you can pull it down by the Word of God. Implant the Word of God, speak the Word of God and act on the Word of God. Every doctor will tell you preventive measures are better than curative measures. So, before you’re even exposed to some of the things that will become strongholds, prevent them, and avoid them. You avoid them by staying on the Word. If there were already strongholds before you became saved, or even after you became saved, just dwell on the Word of God that talks about who you are in Christ, what He has given you in Christ and what you can do in Christ. As you dwell on those revelations over and over again, there would be something that will begin to swell on the inside of you. You may begin to ask yourself, “Is this really me?” When you talk, people will say, “Why does he always talk like there’s something about him?” Yes there is! When you meditate enough on the Word of God, your lips will utter the unusual. As you begin to talk, everything that is standing as a rebel or opposition will be quelled when your obedience is ful2illed. How is your obedience ful2illed? When you begin to act in spite of what you see. You begin to act on the Word of God that has become a revelation to you.

The Knowledge Of Your Righteousness 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, Ephesians 6:14

You need to be equipped with the knowledge of your righteousness.

There are times, that you see some symptoms in your body and you don’t even need to quote the Scripture; “By His stripes I’m healed.”

You’ll just say, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus,” and when you begin to meditate on the truth of your righteousness in Christ, your healing will manifest. In Ephesians 6:11, the Bible says, “Put on the whole armour…” The armour that was mentioned is not prayer. When you pray, no matter how you pray, if you are ignorant about your righteousness and your peace, and all the other things that were enumerated, all you’ve done will be efforts in futility. Read the Word of God, dissect the Word of God and understand the Word of God. The Word of God is powerful. If it is not working in your life, it may be because you lack the understanding of God’s Word. When

you meditate on the Word of God and it forms part of your thought processes and your imaginations, you will come out of any barren situation in your life.

The Anointing 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38

You may be thinking, “You don’t know how long I have been waiting to have my own babies. Let’s not even talk about my medical condition.” Friend, God does not place emphasis on the manner of sickness or disease. Once the anointing of God is there, the guaranteed outcome is that, goodness will come out of it. The Bible talks about the sword of the Spirit. The anointing comes from The Holy Spirit. So, if you have the knowledge of the anointing, and you patiently meditate on it, it will form a force that the enemy and any of his weapons wielded against you cannot withstand. Notice it didn’t say, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth, who went about doing good and healing only headaches and fever. The Scripture says, “…all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him.” It also says, “How God anointed Jesus…” It didn’t say, “Jesus Christ.” The Bible says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth…” That means it was His humanity that was anointed. God anointed Jesus, not Jesus Christ. It was because He had anointed Him, that He became Jesus Christ. God can anoint you as a human, so it’s not an issue of some peculiarities with Jesus. God anointed Him in His humanity and He went about doing good.

When you’re anointed, it is meant only for good. No matter what may seem wrong now, the anointing will cause good to come out of it. You will come out alive and intact in the name of Jesus Christ. You are good enough to be anointed. Signi2icantly, you are human. God has even anointed something that was not human. He anointed the bones of Elisha after Elisha died and a dead body that came in contact with his grave was brought back to life (2 Kings 13:21), but you are living. He will anoint you, and by the anointing of the Spirit of God, every sickness and every disease will have to go. You need to know this. Don’t say, “God anointed pastors only.” No! God anointed Jesus as a human. Then, He became Jesus Christ. The anointing can stand against any foul spirit from the pit of hell. Don’t just stay there, and say, “I’m just an ordinary person.” God always anoints the ordinary and turns them into the extraordinary. It’s the anointing that makes the difference, but you’ve got to have knowledge of this.

When people picture Samson, they picture him with muscles, and all. No, It’s the anointing. He could have been as normal in stature as anybody else.

Once the anointing comes in, the normal and ordinary steps out. You can have victory over strongholds. Begin to take steps! Your obedience is not complete until you begin to act. When you are told, “Get up and begin to do what you couldn’t do before.” Don’t say, “I have been here for too long.

Whatever the length of time; let the Spirit of God move me.” Remember the Scripture says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth, Who went about…”

He took action, He saw the manifestation of the anointing when He started acting. That’s when your obedience is ful2illed. When your actions begin to line up with God’s will, every stronghold will bow to the obedience of Christ.

The Carpenter’s Ministry: All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or any other, without the prior permission of the above.