Lesson Outline for Mar 5, 2026
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Goal – To understand anything other than God is a false stronghold
- Is our Triune God your only stronghold?
- Do you know what other strongholds are in your life?
- How are ungodly strongholds built?
- How do I demolish / tear down ungodly strongholds?
Hebrew and Greek Terms / Definitions
- stronghold #G3657 “ochyroma” a castle, fortress, fastness, anything on which one relies ie arguments and reasonings, to fortify an opinion
- stronghold #H4869 “misgab” high place, secure height, stronghold, high tower, high fort, a defense, refuge (of God)
The green is the author’s notations in the verses below. Bold text added for emphasis
Identifying ungodly strongholds (USH)
Everyone has built and taken refuge in ungodly strongholds
When you are hurt, tired, angry, scared, confused…, when you mess up – where do you go as your refuge?
- Sin habits
- Addictions – any and all / legal and illegal – food /eating, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, gambling, social media, sexual immoralities, politics, etc
- ID – culture, race, tribe, religion, ethnicity
- ID – Self-importance, rank, education level, job / military ID, self-sufficiency
- ID – church denominations, church pastors / leaders
- ID – income bracket, social / economic circle
- Turn to living for pleasure (hedonism) YOLO, entertainment – music / movie & TV, fitness, hobbies
- Your retirement fund, house, intellect, worldly wisdom
- Satanic thinking patterns (STP) – continuously held belief, thought or attitude contrary to God’s word, truth, instructions, guidance and promises – STPs are always ungodly strongholds
Don’t blame devils for what we build up
We build it up, demons use it against us
2 Cor 10:3-6 ESV – “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
Psa 144:1-2 ESV – “1 Of David. Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; 2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.”
- 2 Cor 10 is the only place in the NT where the word “stronghold” is used & it’s context is spiritual warfare and it is negative – not a good thing for us – used against us
- Destroy = pull down and demolish; Arguments = reasoning; Lofty = barrier, bulwark, rampart; Opinion = STPs; Thought = mental perception purpose – an evil purpose to pull us from purposes; Stronghold (Fortress) = anything one relies on for protection and defense
- Anytime we make something or someone other than God our stronghold we are double-minded / unstable in all our ways – see “additional scriptures” below
- There is ONLY ONE stronghold we can trust in, God – anything else is sin
What are you conforming to, and why?
Conforming to this “world” builds USH in our mind – the first battleground is our mind
Rom 12:2 ESV – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
James 1:6-8 ESV – “6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Rom 1:21-23 ESV – “21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.”
- Don’t let your intellect, worldly wisdom, rank, profession, education level, economic status, etc., be a stronghold
- STPs keep us from renewing our mind and increasing our sanctification
- We are to cast our cares on Jesus Christ
- We are deceived if we think we can DISCERN God’s will while believing something that’s UNACCEPTABLE to God
Last thoughts and considerations
It’s a spiritual battle. Don’t trade the…,
- “belt of truth” for a weapon of manipulation
- “breastplate of righteousness” for an image of worldly success
- “shoes of the gospel” for smooth talking worldly leaders and church leaders – including the You Tubers, Pod Casters, Social Media talking heads
- “shield of faith” for a perception of godliness and world power
- “helmet of salvation” for speculations, arguments and lofty opinions against God’s truth
- “sword of the Spirit” for weapons for human schemes and programs void of God and His power
Additional verses for self-study
James 4:7-8 ESV – “7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
- Guard your heart for everything else flows from it – check out Proverbs 4
- Your heart is part of your soul
2 Pet 3:16-18 ESV – “16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
- Don’t lose your stability – Standfast to God’s truth and advance against the enemy
- Every good fighter knows his fighting stance is critical to his stability and the fight
2 Cor 4:4 ESV – “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
- Don’t let your mind be blinded or God’s truth be dimmed for things of this world
John 8:43-46 ESV – “43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?”
- When we listen and believe on anything other than God’s truth, we believe a lie from a “stepfather” the father of lies – Satan. Satan is the first orphan and wants us to be orphans
- Seek Father God – this world’s wicked “stepfather” wants to lead us astray – we’re NOT of this world
John 14:30 ESV – “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,”
- Jesus is clear – Satan is the ruler of this world. All people not born-again are under his authority
- Born-again believers are NOT under Satan’s authority after repenting for their sin with godly sorrow. But, most Christians don’t know and understand this spiritual law – When we sin, we must repent or Satan has legal right, permission to demonize us
Gal 3:28 ESV – “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
- Don’t let race, ethnicity, tribe, language, culture be a stronghold
Psa 9:9 NIV – “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”
Psa 94:22 NIV – “But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.”
