PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS AND

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

PART IV 

II CORINTHIANS 10:3-5 

This week I want to finish up the series on pulling down strongholds and overcoming obstacles. Here in 2 Corinthians 10:4 Paul says that we have weapons that are to be used in this spiritual battle that are mighty and can pull down strongholds.  Over the last couple of weeks we have said that strongholds are fortified areas in our lives that have been designed by our enemy (the devil) in an attempt to keep out his enemy (God).  Thus we have said that in the lives of Christians, strong holds are obstacles or fortified areas designed by the devil to keep the Spirit of God and the Word of God from being effective in our lives and thus block us from developing the character of God. 

          However, no matter what the stronghold or obstacle, Paul says that we have mighty weapons that can be used to pull down these strongholds.  We defined a weapon as anything that God uses to attack and pull down the strongholds of the enemy or to cause us to overcome the obstacles set up by the enemy.  This morning I want to give 3 final examples of situations that presented themselves as obstacles and talk about the weapons that were use to overcome the obstacles.

ACTS 16:25-34

          It is obvious what the obstacle was in this situation.  Being locked up in jail was a hindrance to mission of spreading the gospel.  Paul and Silas were in bondage.  Theirs was a physical bondage and there are some Christians who today face the same physical bondage.  They are in jail, though I doubt that there are many there because whose crime was spreading the gospel.  However, I am willing to bet that there are more Christians locked up in emotional and doctrinal bandage than there are those in prison.  Also, I have come to understand that there are other forms of physical bondage other than prison.  Did you know that your job can be a form of physical bondage?  Many absolutely hate their jobs, but because of the financial situation feel like escape is impossible.  A bad marriage can feel like physical bondage, especially if you are a Christian and believe that divorce is not the will of God for you.  There are physical handicaps like paralysis that cause some to feel trapped in an unwanted situation.  So bondage can take on many forms. 

          Here in Acts, in this time of bondage Paul and Silas began to sing praises to God and to pray.  When I first began to type this sentence I said that they resorted to the only thing they could do.  But then the Holy Spirit reminded me that they had another option.  They could have begun whining and complaining about being locked up.  They could have told God how unfair it was for Him to let them be put in jail for doing what he asked them to do.  But what good would that do?  None, but that does not stop us from whining and complaining when we are not satisfied with the outcome of situations in our lives.  I know that I have too many times told God how unfair it was that I did not get what I wanted when I was trying my best to do as He requested.  And just for the record, let me tell you that in all of my complaining God never changed the situation or the outcome.   I and you too, should do like Paul and Silas pray and praise our way to deliverance in whatever form it comes.

PSALMS 50:23  

          Maybe Paul and Silas knew this scripture.  If we choose to glorify God through praising Him and to walk upright before Him He promises salvation and nested in salvation is deliverance.  To glorify means to exalt, to honor, to make larger and better.  When we glorify God in the midst of trying circumstances we make Him larger than the situation.  We make know that His presence in our lives is better and more important to us than anything the Devil can throw at us.  In other words, the trying circumstance can not tip the scale and cause God to lose favor with us.  Glorifying God in the midst of hard times makes Him larger than life and its heartaches. 

HEBREWS 13:15

          It is easy to praise God when all is going well.  But in Psalms 150 when David said let everything that have breath praise the Lord, he did not say if things were going the way you want them to and you have breath, then praise him.  Many times we have to choose to praise him in spite of how we feel, whether happy or sad, healthy or well, rich or flat busted and disgusted.  We must offer a sacrificial praise to him.  Paul and Silas praised God and prayed and the prison doors were opened and the stocks that held their feet popped open.  They used pray and praise as a weapon against bondage.  I have over time come to understand that when we choose to focus our attention on praying and praising God we can find freedom even in the midst of binding situations.  Focusing on God takes us beyond our circumstance, to a place of freedom and joy; a place where there is peace that passes all understanding.

LUKE 22:39-46, MARK 14:32-42

          One might think that here the obstacle that Jesus is fighting is death, but it is not.  Nor is Jesus resisting the will of God.  The real obstacle is self.  He does not want to die, not because he is afraid of death, but because he enjoys life.  He has formed human attachments and he is not ready to give them up.  Look at the terms used to describe Jesus’ struggle.  Luke says that he was in such agony that his sweat was like large drops of blood.  Mark says that he was amazed or overwhelmed with heaviness and feelings of sorrow.  He did not want to die.  Now sometimes we have to do things because we have no other choice.  We could exercise free will and disobey God, but if we want to obey God we must simply do as he says.  But this was not the case with Jesus.  He had another option.

JOHN 10:14-18, MATTHEW 26:52-54, JOHN 19:10-11

          Jesus did not have to go through with it.  He had the freedom from God to do whatever He chose to do at that point and it would not have been a sin.  Maybe it would have been easier for Jesus if he felt he had no choice.  But he did have a choice and having that choice caused him great agony.  Jesus knew what his mission in life was and he was in complete agreement with the need to provide salvation for mankind.  However, if there was another way to accomplish the goal, he wanted God to take the alternative route.  His flesh did not want to die, but his spirit wanted to fulfill the will of God.  It was a strong battle going on.  His flesh put up a good fight, even resulting to sweating blood.  But his spirit, pulled out a weapon. 

JOHN 15:13

It pulled out love.  Jesus’ love for mankind overrode the desires of self.  You see love causes you to seek the highest good of another over that of your own.  Love caused Jesus to choose what was best for us over what he wanted to do.

I PETER 4:8

          Romans 5:5 says, “The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”  We must exercise that love rather than our own selfish desires.  When we exercise love it will cause us to overlook the faults of others.  Love will cause you to see a blessing in those who sometimes present themselves as obstacles.  Love will hold your flesh in check when it wants to remove the obstacle out of your life or when it wants to strike back at those who burden you.  Love is a powerful weapon that can be used against selfishness, greed, bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness and other ungodly attitudes.  And believe it or not we have the capacity to love as Jesus did.  We like Jesus must choose to exercise the weapon of love.

          The final obstacle is a catch all.  It covers everything that has not already been talked about.

I PETER 5:8

          This obstacle is just the Devil himself and anything that he and his evil cohorts throw our way.  This includes the trials and struggles of life, temptations, persecutions, diseases, pressures, etc; anything that is being used in an attempt to hinder you from growing in God to the mature Christian that you are intended to be.

REVELATION 12:10-11

          Look at the weapons used here to overcome the devil.  They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.  Jesus has already purchased our victory.  They overcame him by the word of their testimony.  They overcame him by speaking of the goodness of God expressed towards mankind through His deliverance, salvation, faithfulness and continual blessings.  They overcame him by sacrificially surrendering their lives to the will and purpose of God. 

I CORINTHIANS 4:8-12, 16-18

          No matter what the devil throws at you, recognize that we are not beaten.  Our victory has already been secured.  As long as we stay in Christ we can not lose.  No matter what is going on inside of us, around us or what is being done to us, we must remember that none of it can be compared to the blessing God has in store for us.  Though the obstacles seem great, they are but light afflictions. They are no match for our powerful weapons here on this earth and have no value when compared to our heavenly reward.   

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  

1 Tim. 6:12 encourages us to “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life.”  In order to fight a good fight, we must know and use our weapons.