The idea of demonic strongholds is found only once in the Bible. 2 Corinthians 10:4 declares, “The weapons with which we fight are not of the world, but have divine power to tear down strongholds.” How can such demonic strongholds be overcome?
Paul begins by instructing believers to use the correct weapons. 2 Corinthians 10: 3 says: “[…] although we live in the world, we do not fight battles as the world does.” We do not use human weapons; Believers depend on the power of God to overcome the powers of evil. How? Through prayer for God’s help and dependence on the Holy Spirit who lives in the believer.
Verses 5-6 offer details on how to overcome these spiritual strongholds: “We destroy arguments and every proud thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to submit to Christ. And we are ready to punish any act of disobedience once I can count on your complete obedience.” Our dependence on God includes dealing with false lies or ideas of evil, taking “every thought to submit to Christ,” and being willing to confront evil when it occurs.
Dealing with false ideas or “destroying arguments” involves identifying the lies that Satan, demonic forces, or the world around us may present. How can we identify these lies? We compare the beliefs with the biblical teachings of God. The Bible provides a clear basis for right from wrong to help us determine if an idea could be from God or if it is a lie from Satan.
Second, how do we take every thought captive to obey Christ? This happens when we both identify the right thing and then apply it. James 1:22 teaches: “Do not be content with just listening to the word, for in this way you deceive yourselves.”
Third, how do we oppose evil when it occurs? In Paul’s original context, he commanded the Corinthian Christians to oppose a sinful sexual practice taking place with a member of his congregation. This is one of many examples of dealing with sin when it occurs. When we see another Christian living in sin, we are called to lovingly confront them and help them turn away from evil. In doing so, we must also evaluate our own life (Matthew 7:1-5) and be careful not to fall into the process of helping someone else (1 Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 6:1-5).
Overcoming demonic strongholds is not really about casting out demons or other spiritual encounters like someone might see in a movie. Instead, it involves identifying sinful lies, comparing them to biblical beliefs, opposing evil, and doing so by the power of God’s Spirit.
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