Sons Break Strongholds
I. Introduction
1. Sons are Builders of Fathers House
* Gal 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
* Your Marriage, Family and Relationships are Important must be built
- Relationships are like a garden…it must be cultivated and protected
- Unresolved issues can grow and sabotage both life and ministry
- Most people are unaware of hidden spiritual roots that sabotage relationship and intimacy
* Sons Breakthrough Spiritual Strongholds and overcome unseen spiritual resistance …
* Breakthrough and then Build
2. A Tree is Known by its Fruit
* Luk 6:43 For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
* Luk 6:44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
* Luk 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
* Insights:
- Naturally we recognize a tree by the kind of fruit that it brings forth
- In the same way spiritual roots produce spiritual fruit good or bad
- Unless the root is removed it will continue to sprout and produce fruit
- Jesus reveals that the Heart is a soil that produces fruit good and bad
- Learning new skills, or making resolutions, or trying harder will not deal with the spiritual root
- Spiritual roots must be identified and removed, and love must be cultivated and increased
3. Strongholds must be Demolished
* 2Co 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
* 2Co 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ
* Insights
- We are in a warfare against unseen wicked spirit beings in the spirit world, not against people
- Conflicts with people are often the fruit of the activity of unseen wicked spirits
- Jesus has equipped us with spiritual weapons and given us authority to overcome wicked spirits
- “Pulling down”…. Greek ..kathairesis;
a pulling down: destroying, destruction, tearing down, demolition
- There must be an intentional effort to remove spiritual roots and strongholds
- Freedom is the legacy given to sons... we must take hold of it
II. What is a Stronghold?
Definition:
* A fortified place or a fortress.
* A place of survival or refuge
* An area dominated or occupied by a special group or distinguished by a special quality
* A place that serves as the center of a faction or of any group sharing certain opinions or attitudes.
Spiritual Stronghold:
* An ungodly mindset, way of thinking and way of behaving that
(i). Has become established over time,
(ii). Strongly resists change
(iii). Is empowered by unseen evil spirit beings,
(iv). Undermines building relationships and success in life
(v). Increase loneliness and isolation
(vi). Actively obstruct experiencing and knowing God
III. Examples of Strongholds
- Each generation contributes good and bad to the following generation…..legacy
- Many personal strongholds are patterns that have been in a family line for generations
- Each generation has struggled with hidden spirits. No one has been able to overcome them
- You are the generation to overcome those strongholds.
- Sometimes they are secret ………covered over, hidden away to avoid possible rejection, shaming
- Sometimes they are obvious…….attracting criticism, judgments and rejection, strife and conflict
- All strongholds are a source of suffering and shame
- Conflicts and strife in relationships reveal the lack of mature love, and presence of hidden strongholds
Examples of Strongholds:
1. Bitterness and unforgiveness
- Bitterness is a root that defiles all relationships and produces destructive behaviour cycles
- Unresolved childhood issues are a major source of anger and bitterness
- Frequently this is directed at a parent who has failed or withheld love
- The unresolved pain experienced grows into bitterness and dishonour of parents
- This introduces an ongoing cycle of relationship issues in marriage and family Eph.6:2
- Bitterness causes major struggles with intimacy and connection to love
2. Sexual sin and lust
- Many men struggle with pornography, sexually perverted thoughts
- These can be generational, rooted in rejection, or originate from previous sexual experiences,
- Thoughts and emotions are defiled by demonic spirits and ungodly soul ties to previous encounters
- Lust causes major struggles with intimacy and connection to love
3. Rejection
- Rejection is a deep painful wound in the heart that can arise from many sources
- Rejection often arises very early in life from painful personal experiences
- Rejection can be rooted in a performance based family relationships…”loved if do well”
- Rejection defiles how we interpret life experiences and results in bad communication and reactions
- Rejected men struggle with passivity and addictions, or with aggression and competition
- Rejection causes major struggles with intimacy and connection to love
4. Shame
- Shame is a feeling of dishonour or disgrace and embarrassment caused by our own actions or the wrong actions of others against us
- Shame carries a mindset: “Something is wrong with me”… “I am the problem”
- Shame causes people to hide from intimacy…Eg Gen.3:10 Adams and Eve, isolate and blame
- Shame causes major struggles with intimacy and connection to love
5. Addictions:
- Addictions are a common stronghold
- Common addictions are alcohol; drugs, pornography, media, work.
- Addictions are rooted in shame and hinder intimacy with secrecy and avoidance
- Addictions cause major struggles with intimacy and connection to love
6. Fear and anxiety
- Fear and anxiety are very common strongholds
- They arise from many different causes including generational
- Fear leads to controlling unloving behaviour in relationships hindering true intimacy
- Anxiety is rooted in fear and withholding love
- Fear causes major struggles with intimacy and connection to love
IV. Strongholds are Rooted in Violations of love….withered substitutes for love
1. All these strongholds are the consequence of violations of love or of love being withheld from us
- We are made in God’s image…we are made to receive and give love
- We all long to be loved…to be valued, accepted and affirmed for who we are without conditions.
- When love is violated or withheld from us we react with unloving actions towards ourselves and towards others
- Love is willing to understand and show mercy and forgiveness to those who have injured us
- 1Jn 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
2. Freedom comes when we connect to love and begin grow and abound in love
* Paul’s Prayer: Rooted and Grounded in Love
* Eph 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
* Eph 3:17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
* Eph 3:18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
* Eph 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
- “Comprehend”…… to take hold of and make your own possession, eagerly take.
- “Know”………………..to personally experience, know through the experience of intimacy
- The more we experience and become established in love and learn to draw from love, the more we become filled with God’s love and reflect His loving nature to others
- It is not enough to remove strongholds (roots)… we must grow and abound in love (fruits)
- 1Jn 4:12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
- “Perfected”….to make complete or mature, to bring to maturity, accomplish God’s purpose
V. How to Break Strongholds
We experience Freedom when we reconnect to love and become rooted and grounded in love
1. I need to believe I am loved, and align myself with Jesus to receive His love and power to break free
- Father God loves me. His love is constant and unchanging and is available
- Eg. Father welcomed and embraced the Prodigal Son and restored him
- Jesus loves us and has made provision to empower us to overcome all spiritual strongholds
- I need to become aligned with Jesus and His order for my life and relationships
2. I need to Identify and Remove Hidden Roots and Establish new ways of Thinking and Acting in love
- Strongholds resist change…. so humility perseverance are needed for lasting change
- Jas 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Practical Action Steps:
1. Recognise the Pattern
- All change begins with recognising and acknowledging there is a problem
- What is the problem or behaviour that keeps repeating and sabotaging relationships
2. Responsibility for Change
- Responsibility is the first step to maturity
- Stop blaming, denying, minimising, avoiding and face the issue
- What is my part in this
3. Resolve Hidden Pain
- Ask Holy Spirit to bring hidden pain surrounding the stronghold to the surface
- Grieve the loss.
- Bring your grief to the cross and exchange it by faith for healing
4. Release Forgiveness
- Who are you holding a heart grudge against?
- Forgiveness sets you free from the destructive actions of others against you
- Forgive from the heart speaking it aloud
- Bless those who have hurt you
5. Repent
- What ways have you violated God’s laws?
- We must repent , confess them and bring them to the cross
6. Renounce Agreements
- Where have you agreed with a demonic lie that is contrary to God’s word?
- Break your agreement with that speaking aloud
7. Resist and Remove
- Are there any spirits that you need to assert dominion over?
- They are invisible persons who are speaking and impressing you negatively?
Invasive intruding negative thoughts and feelings
- Assert your dominion over them verbally…speak to that spirit being and command them
8. Rebuild
- Become established in love…learn to give and receive love
- Meditate upon the Word of God
- Declare the Word of God
- Establish new patterns
- Catch thought patterns and resist them
- Maybe you begin by sharing with spouse what God has been showing you
- Do you need to Apologise? If so… do not blame
- Just acknowledge your action, the pain it caused and ask forgiveness
Gal 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Php 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
Php 1:10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
Php 1:11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
VI. Personal Reflection and Application
1. What has the Holy Spirit been speaking to you about during this teaching?
2. Can you identify or recognise where there are blocks in your relationship with God?
3. Can you identify any of the hidden spiritual strongholds mentioned in this teaching?
- Bitterness and unforgiveness
- Sexual sin and lust, or unclean defilement
- Rejection
- Shame
- Addictions
- Fear and anxiety
4. Are any of these generational, a continuation of a family pattern?
5. When did this first become an issue in your life?
6. What action steps will you commit to to overcome this issue?
7. What kind of support would help you in your transformation journey?