If you've been a Christian for any time at all, you've probably heard about the weapons of warfare and the pulling down of strongholds.
'For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses [or strongholds—KJV].
'We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...' [2 Corinthians 10:3-5]
We've all heard it...but what does it mean?
Since we don't live in ancient times, we really have no idea what a stronghold is. A stronghold is defined as a castle, stronghold, fortress; or metaphorically, anything on which one relies.
If you've see Troy, or one of the Lord of the Rings movies, you've seen examples of fortresses. They are fortified cities—walled and defended by armed soldiers. Enemies try to defeat them by siege, force or deception.
The Trojan Horse
The most famous story of conquering a stronghold by cunning is that of the Trojan Horse. For 10 years, the Greek army had tried to conquer the fortified city-state of Troy without success. Finally, a cunning Greek general decided to trick his way in and built a giant wooden horse. He filled it with soldiers, left it at the gate of the city and retreated. Tradition of the time said the defeated offered gifts to the conqueror, and human nature being what it is, the Trojans opened the door and took the horse inside the gates. The rest is history, or at least legend...at night, the soldiers climbed out and took the city!
Why is this relevant? Because Paul was writing to people who knew exactly what a fortress or stronghold was, and knew by current events how they were destroyed. So he tells them that they have weapons to destroy fortresses that are divinely powerful—God-powered, if you will.
Then he tells them what these fortresses are—speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God.
Think of the fortified city of Troy as any strongly held beliefs, assumptions or deceptions that are built up in your mind that are contrary to the true knowledge of God. A contemporary example would be the heresy that God might want to teach you something by sickness or disease. We know from scripture that by His stripes we were healed—3 John 2 says 'Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.'
Or, my personal favorite, we can't know why God does things. First, if it's killing, stealing or destroying, He didn't do it [John 10:10].
Second, 1 Corinthians 2:10, 16 tells us specifically that the role of the Holy Spirit is to reveal all things to us and that we have the Mind of Christ. 1 John 2 tells us that the anointing that we have teaches us all things, and 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus became to us wisdom. Not only can we know God and His will, He wants us to know!
These strongly held beliefs are thousands of years old, reinforced by society and religion. Even when we see the truth in the Word, it's hard to hold onto it when these speculations raise their ugly heads. Fear and doubt set in and unbelief follows. And, according to Hebrews 3 and 4, unbelief keeps us out of the Promised Land—His rest.
Divinely Powerful Weapons
What are these weapons, then, and how do we use them?
2 Corinthians 6:7 calls them '...the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left...' We know that the primary offensive weapon described in the New Testament is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God [Ephesians 6:17]. The Word is described as being '...living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword...' [Hebrews 4:12] and it comes out of the mouth of Jesus [Revelation 1:16; 2:16; 19:15,21].
Get that? The sword which we have been given is Jesus' own weapon...and IT COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH!!!
Okay, if the Sword of the Spirit is in our right hand, what is in the left? The shield of faith, of course. Ephesians 6:16 tells us to take up '...the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.'
The shield is a defensive weapon, protecting from the attacks of the enemy. So we see we are given not only an offensive weapon, but a defensive one as well.
Then of course, we are given the FULL ARMOR OF GOD. Not just a piece of His armor, or a junior-sized version...we are given HIS armor to protect us. And guess what? If you read Ephesians 6, you'll see its all the Word! Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation—everything that is summed up in Jesus, the Word that was with God and was God from the beginning, the Word that became flesh. [John 1:1,14]
These are the weapons by which we destroy fortresses of unbelief, deception and heresy in our lives. If a thought comes against the knowledge of God as revealed in the Word, destroy it by your Divinely powerful weapons. Use the Word like a sword, use your faith like a shield. Refuse defeat and you will not be defeated.
Knowing God
Of course, you must know the true knowledge of God before you can discern anything that is contrary to Him to destroy it. If you know someone well, you can easily spot lies told against him or her.
Romans 15:14 says we are filled with all knowledge and 1 Corinthians 1:5 says '...that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge.'
Get this...2 Corinthians 2:14 tell us that we manifest the '...sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.' We smell like the knowledge of Jesus! Hallelujah!
2 Corinthians 4:6 says 'For God, Who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One Who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.' And let's not forget the Holy Spirit's prayer in Ephesians 1:17 '...that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and or revelation in the knowledge of Him.'
Colossians 2:3 says that in Jesus '...are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge' and we're in Him and He's in us!
So we see that knowing Him is not only possible but His will for us, and that knowledge has already been given.
2 Peter 1:2-4 sums it up beautifully.
'Grace and peace be MULTIPLIED to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him Who called us by His own Glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.'
Back to the Word! We know Him by His Word...by His precious and magnificent promises! Not by His desire to kill our children or blow down our houses, but by His precious and magnificent promises!
The Trojan Horse is a great metaphor for the Word of God. It's a gift—let it in and let it do it's job. Let it take over your life and pull down the strongholds!
