Destroy Strongholds
2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
Where are you taking the fight?
Satan knows that through Jesus Christ, we have eternal victory and present power. He is aware of the authority we carry under the banner of the name of the Lord. That is why his first strategy is to trick us into fighting battles in the flesh.
This manifests through the religious spirit that says you have to earn your way to spiritual freedom through physical and mental discipline, but life in the Spirit looks like Romans 8:11 ESV. This verse says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
Life in the Spirit is the exact opposite of what we might suppose. All of our religious striving, pushing, and straining only leave us more condemned. When we strive for holiness, we will fall short every time. Given our hopeless state, it seems radically unbalanced and unfair that we would be given any authority in Christ to live victorious in this life. Yet that is precisely what Christ has done. Not because we deserve it, but becasue of God’s generosity and love.
The gift of grace far surpasses the works of the flesh. It actually produces life within us. We can never earn our freedom, but we can freely receive it right now.
Why do we choose to fight in the realm of the flesh when our weapons are of the spirit? Either we receive the power and grace God has given us with gratitude or reject it. If we receive it, we recieve it with humility. If we reject it, we push God away in our independence and pride.
It is much better to learn to receive the grace of God with gratitude. Have you sinned and fallen short? God still offers his grace. Have you missed an opportunity for obedience because you were afraid? God still provides his power. Have you forgotten the first love and grown idle in your faith? God still offers his mercy.
No matter what we do, the promise of freedom through the Spirit never changes. And if we are ready to receive his grace, we are also prepared to receive his power. This power tears down strongholds through the name of Jesus. It is no physical power, and it isn’t a magic trick. It is a heavenly authority reserved for the children of the Kingdom of God.
Take this opportunity to refocus the fight. Are you fighting a spiritual battle in the flesh? Take God at his word and receive the power of the Holy Spirit to pray as a champion in the Kingdom of God. It looks like worship, gratitude, humility, bold prayers, and much more.
Father, we are open to you today.
