Breaking Strongholds: Aligning Thoughts with God's Truth

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
2. Proverbs 23:7
3. Ephesians 6:17

#### Observation Questions
1. What does 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 say about the nature of our spiritual weapons and their purpose? [37:38]
2. According to the sermon, how does the enemy subtly influence our thoughts to build strongholds? [36:53]
3. What are some examples of deeply rooted sins or strongholds mentioned in the sermon? [35:20]
4. How did Jesus use Scripture to counter the enemy's temptations, as mentioned in the sermon? [01:00:29]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) apply to our daily lives? [38:21]
2. Why is it important to identify and repent of strongholds, and how does unconfessed sin give the enemy legal rights to torment us? [50:48]
3. What role does community support play in overcoming strongholds, according to the sermon? [01:11:21]
4. How can declaring God's Word out loud with faith help in dismantling strongholds? [01:01:08]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there any recurring thought patterns or behaviors that might indicate a stronghold? How can you begin to address them? [45:42]
2. The sermon emphasized the importance of repentance and forgiveness. Is there someone you need to forgive or something you need to repent for to break a stronghold in your life? [50:48]
3. How can you incorporate the practice of declaring God's Word into your daily routine to combat negative thoughts? [01:01:08]
4. Think about the role of community in your spiritual journey. Who are the trusted Christian friends, family, or mentors you can turn to for support in overcoming strongholds? [01:11:21]
5. The sermon mentioned the power of praise, prayer, and fasting as spiritual weapons. How can you integrate these practices into your life to strengthen your spiritual warfare? [01:06:20]
6. Identify one specific thought or lie that you struggle with. What Scripture can you use to counter this thought, and how will you declare it this week? [01:01:08]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt trapped by a stronghold. How did you overcome it, and what steps can you take to prevent it from reoccurring? [45:14]

Day 1: Recognizing Strongholds
Strongholds are deeply entrenched mindsets that are contrary to God's truth. They are built over time through repeated thoughts and behaviors that are not aligned with God's Word. Recognizing these strongholds is the first step towards dismantling them. Strongholds can be likened to swallowed hooks in fishing; they are deeply embedded and require more effort to remove. These mindsets are often formed through subtle suggestions from the enemy, leading us away from God's truth. Identifying these strongholds involves self-reflection and a willingness to confront the areas in our lives where we have allowed contrary thoughts to take root. [36:08]

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (ESV): "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ."

Reflection: What are some recurring thoughts or behaviors in your life that you suspect might be strongholds? How can you begin to identify and confront them today?


Day 2: The Influence of Our Thoughts
Our thoughts significantly influence our lives. God intended for our thoughts to align with His Word, but they are often influenced by external factors like culture, media, and personal experiences. These contrary thoughts can build strongholds in our minds, making it crucial to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The enemy uses subtle suggestions to influence our thoughts, leading us away from God's truth. By recognizing the power of our thoughts and their impact on our spiritual lives, we can begin to align them with God's Word and dismantle the strongholds that have taken root. [38:55]

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV): "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

Reflection: What external factors most influence your thoughts? How can you guard your mind against these influences and align your thoughts with God's Word?


Day 3: The Importance of Repentance and Forgiveness
Identifying a stronghold is just the beginning. Repentance and forgiveness are essential steps in dismantling strongholds. Unconfessed sin and unforgiveness give the enemy legal rights to torment us. Bringing these issues into the light removes the enemy's power and allows us to use our God-given authority effectively. Repentance involves a sincere turning away from sin and a commitment to align our lives with God's truth. Forgiveness, both receiving and extending it, breaks the chains that hold us captive and allows us to move forward in freedom. [50:48]

James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Reflection: Is there any unconfessed sin or unforgiveness in your life that you need to address? How can you take steps today to bring these issues into the light and seek healing?


Day 4: Declaring God's Word
The Word of God is a powerful weapon against strongholds. By declaring God's truth out loud with faith, we can counter the lies of the enemy. Consistency and perseverance in this practice are key to breaking down strongholds. Jesus demonstrated this when He countered the enemy's temptations with Scripture. Speaking God's Word with faith and conviction helps to renew our minds and align our thoughts with His truth. This practice requires dedication and a deep understanding of Scripture, but it is a vital part of the process of dismantling strongholds. [56:08]

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV): "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Reflection: What specific Scriptures can you declare over your life to counter the lies of the enemy? How can you incorporate this practice into your daily routine?


Day 5: The Role of Community Support
Overcoming strongholds is not a solo endeavor. It requires the support of a faith-filled community. Wise guidance, accountability, and prayer from trusted Christian friends, family, and mentors are crucial in this journey. Together, we can dismantle strongholds step by step and brick by brick. Being part of a supportive community provides encouragement, strength, and perspective that we might not have on our own. It is important to seek out and invest in relationships that will help us grow spiritually and hold us accountable in our walk with Christ. [11:59]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

Reflection: Who are the people in your life that can provide spiritual support and accountability? How can you actively engage with them to help dismantle strongholds in your life?

**Hooked. Hooked. Hooked. Not yet? Okay. Good morning. I'm a little ahead of myself. Oh, look at these good-looking people. Thank you for joining us. You're looking so good. I want to thank all of you who are online for joining us as well. We're going to have a, uh, trying to never say, it's going to be interesting today. So I'm going to just go ahead and jump right in. There's a lot I would like to cover.**

**And I really love to fish. Anybody here like fishing? Not many of you. Well, my dad taught me to fish, how to fish, when I was just a little girl. Now, in full transparency, he baited the hook. Squishy minnows and worms. Yeah, but the rest of it I loved. I loved spending time with him. I enjoyed just letting the baited hook sink down in the water, waiting for some interest of the fish. And I learned that at first, fish can be cautious. So they'll just kind of tap the bait. So it's best if you wait to make sure that the fish is on the line. You know, feel the weight of the fish. Anybody here know what I'm talking about? Yeah. And, you know, kind of pulls it down a little bit. Then you can set the hook, as Pastor Brent showed, with the big hook, the tuna hook. And then you can reel it in.**

**Now, I really did not want to bring a real hook up here with me. I think it would be dangerous while I'm preaching. But the wonderful thing about it is that most of the time it's very easy. Two. Nah. Nah. Nah. It's very easy. What I was going to say, it is so easy to get the hook. It's easy to get the hook out of the fish's mouth, normally. But, you know, sometimes I waited too long. You know, because I was trying to make sure that the fish was on. And I waited too long, and then the fish swallowed the hook. And then it's not so easy to get out. Yuck. But it's harder. Some sins are easy to unhook. You have just taken the bait. And you were hooked, just kind of hooked in the lip. So all you really have to do is repent, receive forgiveness, and avoid that temptation like the plague. It really is. It really is that simple. If you, you know, you really truly, sincerely do these things. Easy. Turn to your neighbor and say, easy peasy. It is.**

**But sometimes sins have been there a while. You've swallowed the hook. And so it's harder to get the hook out. It's harder to find freedom. Now, not impossible. Of course, it's not impossible. But it is harder. And today I'm going to be talking to us about those kind of sins. Those kind of sins that are more difficult. That repentance alone won't resolve. Because they're stronger. They have a stronger hold on us. Because they've been there long enough for strongholds to be built. And they require spiritual warfare. That's what I'm going to talk about today. Now, don't get nervous about it. Please, don't get freaked out, okay? I know I just use words like spiritual warfare and strongholds. And, you know, those words kind of freak somebody out. Some people out. Especially if you talk about the devil and all. You know, I think it's because they envision wild-eyed people with otherworldly voices tormenting people like the horror films they've seen. Shame on you. Okay, sorry. I just put my two cents in there. But, you know.**

**I just have to tell you, though. The enemy is slyer than that. Listen, he doesn't like to show his hand. Overt examples of his involvement will show his hand. And that's the last thing that he wants in most cases. He doesn't want you to know. And I think that's why so many of us don't know how the enemy is operating in our lives. Because it's so sly. It's so underneath. The surface that you don't even realize is what's happening until you swallow the hook. And then you are trapped. And today we're going to be talking about, we're going to be exposing, really, the enemy's strategy of strongholds and what to do about it. So what is a stronghold? Well, the best verse to explain it is found in 2 Corinthians 10, verses 4 and 5. I'm sure you know this verse. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Exactly. And casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. You need to sit on that verse for a while to get it to full meaning. But it's awesome.**

**But I think the way I'll begin talking about strongholds is just to remind us that God places great importance on our minds. He really did. He created, this is how he created us. He created us so that we will move in the direction of our dominant thoughts. Okay? Our thoughts really influence every area of our life as he thinks in his heart. So is he, Proverbs 27, 3. And so the thing is, God really intended that we would follow after his words so we would move into the direction of God. But unfortunately, our thoughts follow, are influenced by rather than God, it's influenced by our friends, culture, media, social media, how we are raised, personal trauma, personal experience. And those thoughts are not, everybody say not, in alignment with God's thoughts. You know, these thoughts that come from social media and friends and all this other stuff, these thoughts are contrary to the word of God. And because it is, turn to your neighbor and say, okay, here she goes. They build strongholds in our lives. Okay? Those thoughts build strongholds.**

**Now, we may not even be aware of what we're thinking. A lot of times we're not, you know, because our thoughts are going all the time. And we might not be aware of it, but we should be aware of them because, like I said, if your thoughts are contrary to the word of God, they can create a stronghold in your mind. So no matter what you've heard, I don't know, all of our backgrounds are different, right? But whatever you've heard, the enemy has no power to control a child of God because of Calvary. He has no power to control you because of Jesus' death, burial, resurrection. He brought us victory. And he has no power to control us. He has no power to control us. So the enemy's modus operandi is to try and influence us by our thoughts. He can't control us, but he can influence us all. So what he does is he gives a suggestion and then he sits back and waits to see what we're going to do with the thought. Are we going to accept it? Or are we going to reject it? Now, it seems like a no-brainer that we should just reject all of the enemy's thoughts, right? Yeah, just reject them. But the problem is they sound just like our thoughts. So we don't even realize that they're being planted by the enemy. And then, if we dwell on those thoughts longer than we should, a stronghold is built. Brick by brick. And from that stronghold, the enemy can attack us at will from within us. What I'm talking about today is very, very serious, but I need some help to build my stronghold. So I'm going to look at somebody who's not a teenager because they get embarrassed so easy. Bennett. You're not a teenager yet, right? Bennett, what I'd like you to do is I would like you to pick up all of these bricks, and I want you to build a wall four across and four high. Can you do that for me? Okay, cool.**

**While Bennett is building our stronghold, I'm going to give you a quick definition of what a stronghold is. A stronghold is a mindset that is contrary to the truth of God's word. So the enemy builds a fortress and lies out of, oh, you know, incongruous ideas or inaccurate thoughts about scripture, about God, about ourselves, about others, about the nature of sin. He builds that fortress with those lies. And in our heart of hearts, we know it's not true. We know it's not true. But we just can't stop thinking it. Now we're really talking about strongholds here today. Because a mindset, strongholds are like a mindset that's impregnated with hopelessness that causes a believer to just accept as unchangeable something that's contrary to the will of God. Oh, Bennett, such a good job. Let's give him a hand. Thank you. You can sit down. There, see? Love you, Bennett. You're going to be a teenager soon, though. Then I won't be able to call on you. Okay. So what I'm saying is that a mindset, that mindset is hopeless. You feel like you just are trapped, that you can't get out of it, you can't change it. But the problem is that the thoughts then lead to behaviors that give the enemy judgment. So we're talking about legal rights in our lives to torment us. This is so serious, saints of God. And that's why we're talking about it today.**

**So how do you recognize if you have a stronghold in your life? Well, you know, the real defining mark of a stronghold is its recurring pattern. In other words, what I just talked about, you're caught in a loop. You know what I'm saying? The thought keeps coming, the behavior, the desire keeps coming, and you're just kind of caught in that loop. It literally has a stronghold on you that you can't seem to break free. And if you keep coming back to a thought pattern or to a behavior, it might be the first indication that you have a stronghold. Because you're caught in a loop that you can't break free of. Now some strongholds are easier to identify than others, you know. Lost, you know, any kind of sexual sin, pride, self-hatred, maybe even addictions. All these are kind of easy to identify, you know. But then there's other strongholds that are harder to identify because they just, they don't seem so bad. You know, these strongholds can be, you know, something as simple as food. Religious addictions, worry, perfectionism, innocuous type of things. But, because they are rooted in a demon-inspired thought or lie, it gives the enemy the legal right to compromise God's kingdom purposes and power in our lives. You're going to hear me a lot talk about, um, legal rights because this is all about a legal battle. And when you dwell on thoughts that you know are contrary to the word of God, you are building strongholds from which the enemy can attack you at will from within. Turn to your neighbor and say, you're not getting it yet, but hopefully you will.**

**Now, you know, I guess really the best question to be answering today is, that is not what is a stronghold, but how do you get rid of it, right? How do you pull down strongholds, some of which have been there since we were children or teenagers? So we're just going to spend the rest of the message talking about how to dismantle strongholds. And this is where spiritual warfare comes in. Okay, now, we're not going to cover this up. It would take weeks and weeks and weeks to cover this subject fully. So we don't have time for that. Who wants to stay around for weeks and weeks? Not me either. So I'm just going to give you five simple steps that will help you to dismantle strongholds brick by brick. Okay, so first, you have to identify the stronghold. I mean, that makes sense, doesn't it? How can you destroy something you don't even know is there? You know, so you identify, ask God even. Ask God to show you the lie that you have believed or the thought that just dominates your mind that you know in your heart is not true. I mean, it could be something that people have said over and over again over you until it became a part of you. It could be a lie that you've told yourself repeatedly. Just ask God to illuminate any thought patterns or consequent behaviors. Okay? Starts with a thought. Then it goes into actions. So ask God to illuminate any thought or behavior that are contrary to his word. Open your eyes and see it. And also, you can ask yourself the simple questions. What's a consequence? What's a constant battleground in my mind? What is a thing that I'm constantly in my life? What am I constantly battling with? What habit or thought pattern can I seem to shake no matter how hard I try? You know, what do I constantly struggle with? Because once you identify that stronghold, then you need to repent. Yeah, they're not real bricks. You knew that. You need to repent and forgive. Because once you identify the stronghold, you have to repent, receive forgiveness, and give forgiveness. Now, if it's truly a stronghold, this won't destroy the stronghold all by itself. But it's absolutely a must. It's part of the process. You must repent, you know, identify it, absolutely. And then confess. Confess it as sin. You know, we don't like to talk about sin. We like to call it a mistake. A mistake. A failure. Yeah, no. Call sin what it is. Sin. Confess it as sin. Repent and receive forgiveness for the last time. Because we're doing this legally, right? The enemy of your soul thrives on what is done in secret. And he will build a stronghold on any long-term behavior, unexposed sins that you have in your life. You need to bring what's in the darkness into the light. Because sin and unforgiveness gives the enemy legal right to torment you.**

**See, here's my problem. This is why I want to talk about this so badly. It's because some people ask me to pray about this or to pray about that. And really, why bother? Because you're letting it happen. Yeah. Ouch. Because you can't pray this away if you've got sin or unforgiveness in your life. You are giving the enemy legal right to torment you. He has the right. Now, God has given you weapons. Weapons and the legal authority to use them. But there's only two things that can stop you from using your legal authority. Two things. Can you guess what they are? Sin and unforgiveness. So he's given you the weapons. He's given you the authority to do it. But there's only two things that can stop you from using it effectively. And that is sin and unforgiveness. That's why we need to deal with these things as quickly and completely as we can. It's crucial for you to forgive anyone, everyone who has harmed you or caused you hurt in any way, large or big, long time ago or just today. Because if you, I'm going to say another hard thing, but if you have unforgiveness in your heart, God cannot forgive you. That's Matthew chapter number six, verse 15. I didn't pull that out of my hat. And if you have unforgiveness in your heart, then God can't forgive you. Then you've got sin in your life, which again gives the enemy legal rights to torment you. But once you've repented and once you've forgiven, now the enemy has no legal rights. No legal rights. No legal rights. Okay? Now, he will probably still try to squat. You know, squatter. You know, he will still try to squat. But you've got to know that now you have the legal rights and you can take care of him. Turn to your neighbor and say, hey, I want the legal rights to kick the devil's butt. Yeah. But see, when you recognize, okay, I've taken care of this stuff, so I have the legal right here, not the enemy. Now you're ready for the next step, which is to declare God's word. You know, I mentioned it before, but I'm going to mention it again. And sometimes we're just not really aware of the thoughts that we've been thinking, but we need to be aware because every thought needs to be reined in and pulled into alignment with God's thoughts. All thoughts need to be compared to the word of God. So examine all your thoughts. Okay? I mean, we are so lax. We just think we can think anything we want to think and it's not going to bother anything. It's just in our head. That's where the battle is. You have to be very mindful of your thoughts. And if a thought does not agree with the word of God, then that thought needs to get its walking papers. Okay? It needs to go. It needs to go. And honestly... Honestly, you probably should banish all thoughts that don't make you Christ-like, like negative, doubtful, prideful, anxious, self-centered, discouraging thoughts. Yeah? You might as well get rid of them all, right? Because it's going to keep you from being Christ-like. David said, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart... You all know this. Oh, that was really weak. Let's try it again. Okay. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Yes. So, according to Philippians chapter number 8, if thoughts are not true or honorable or lovely or pure, excellent or praiseworthy, those thoughts need to be dealt with. We need to deal with our thoughts. And they don't meet the criteria of Scripture. They need to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. That's our theme verse, remember? 2 Corinthians chapter number 10, verse 4 and 5. Bring those thoughts.**

**Now, all of us have thoughts that come to our mind that we need to reject. All of us. Don't be sitting there thinking, no, I don't want any bad thoughts. Because we all have thoughts. Thoughts like, he's so fine, she's so hot. I'm sorry, I can't help but laugh. It has been a long time, folks. I'm 70 years old. What is the right way to say that stuff now? Seriously. How would you think about that? I'm still lost. I'm still in the dark. But here's the thing. Whatever the thought is, it's not really so bad in itself. But it's where the thought then leads you. He's so fine, I wonder. You know? She's so hot, I wonder. And then you start comparing with your spouse to their detriment. And you see, it's just where the thoughts are going to take you. So you might as well deal with the thoughts at the beginning so it doesn't take you down a place that you don't want to go. There's other thoughts we need to watch. And that's thoughts like, no one will ever know. It's not going to hurt anyone. Just this once won't be so bad. I can always repent afterwards. There should have been more oohs. I was like, oh, no, that's not good. I deserve this. I've had a rough day. Why not? These thoughts, we need to make sure that we eject them. Because if they're... If they're not a stronghold today, if we keep going down that path, it can end up being a stronghold. So, yeah, the Word of God is a measuring stick by which we must judge all our thoughts. But it is also a weapon. Ephesians chapter number 6, verse 17 depicts the Word of God as the sword of the Spirit. And if we use the Word like a sword, it will pull down strongholds. And Jesus gave an example how to do this in Matthew chapter number 4. You know, remember when the enemy, the tempter, approached Jesus in the wilderness? Remember that? Some of you do? So, every time the enemy tempted Jesus, Jesus would say, it is written. Every time. He showed us what to do about it. He said, it is written. And then he would quote Scripture. That's why we need to read and study and meditate and even memorize God's Word because how are we going to use the sword if we don't even know anything about it? Amen. Everybody said, amen. John 8, 31 and 32 says, So Jesus said to the Jews, who believed him, if you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. So identify the truth in God's Word that can counter the lie of the enemy and then declare that truth out loud with faith. You see, the devil will not run from the Bible in your hand. He will not run from the Word in your mind. He can't even read your mind. But he will run when you use the Word of God. You speak it out loud with confidence, with conviction, knowing that it will get the job done. You know, he has to retreat when we verbally resist him with the Word of God.**

**Now, let me give you just a couple quick examples that might help us understand what this is all about. Psalm 56 and 3, Whenever I'm afraid, I will trust in you. I will not allow fear and worry to govern my life. I'm going to trust God in this situation. Fear will not stop me. Fear will not determine my decisions. Fear will not keep me from what God has for me. I will trust God in this situation. Okay? You speak the Word and make your declarations. Galatians 5, 16. So I say, Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives and then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. I refuse to give in to these desires. I choose instead to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I'm not going to do what my flesh wants to do. I'm going to do what the Holy Spirit wants me to do. He is Lord, not me. You hear? Okay. Last now. Do not judge others and you will not be judged. I will not be judgmental. God is the judge, not me. He is the one that has all the facts, not me. It's His job, not mine. I will not criticize. I will not judge, especially in the church. Everybody say amen. Yeah, this is a couple of simple examples. Amen. Amen. You can tell it's not a passive thing. We're warring. So you say it with passion. You say it with confidence. You say it with faith. You use your sword and make declarations and it will defeat the enemy. But you've got to say it over and over and over again. Every time you think the thought, every time the desire, you know, comes, you've got to rebuke it. You've got to take it as a lie and declare God's Word all over again. The key to this is consistency and perseverance. I know because I've had to break strongholds in my own life. And I wish I could tell you it's a one and done kind of thing, but it's not. Turn to your neighbor and say, this is going to take some time. You have to keep on declaring God's Word until the thought is no longer there, the desire is no longer there. You keep at it. You keep at it. You keep at it. I think that's why some of us have failed because we thought, oh, it should be gone by now. But listen, this didn't get built with one thought. It was thought upon thought upon thought and upon thought declaring God's Word is going to be over and over and over again until it's defeated. Don't give up. Don't quit. Keep doing it until it's gone. And it will work. It will work. And if the thought comes back later, do it again. It's all about consistency and perseverance, and you've got what it takes. You do. Tap yourself on the chest and say, I got what it takes. I got what it takes. And then you use the big guns. After declaring God's Word, you use the big guns, which is praise, prayer, and fasting. Now, some of us don't realize that praise is actually a spiritual warfare. It really is. I love Psalms 107, 13 through 16. It says, Lord, help, they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom. He snapped their chains. Let the praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them, for he has broken down their prison gates of bronze and cut apart their bars of iron. Oh, man, Christians underestimate the power of praise. It's an effective weapon because it honors God, which the enemy hates. It's making him the focal point. And the enemy hates that. He wants the attention. Years ago, we were having trouble with the church, and I just went home, and I thought, I'm going to praise right through this. And so I got into my kitchen, and I started praising God. It was not a, praise you, Jesus. No, it was, white women can't dance, but they do it anyways. So, I mean, I was dancing. I was stomping my feet. I was clapping my hands. I was waving my arms. And then the thought hit me, what will other people think about you? Where was I? At home alone. And I did with everything. Ugly worship. Everything within me until I felt a break. I knew we had the victory. One of my favorite passages of stories in the Bible is really found in Jehoshaphat, the King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles chapter number 20. I love this. Plus he assigned singers to go before Judah's army. And the thing is that by the time they got to the battlefield, the battle was already over. The enemy was defeated without a sword of Judah being drawn because worship defeats the enemy. Praise reminds us how big God is and he is stronger than any stronghold, which increases our faith and crushes the enemy in the meantime. Win-win. Hey, how many is going to go home and really let it go? Now, once you're comfortable with that, I'd like you to do it here. Oh, that's another sermon. Okay, I'll keep moving on. Okay. And if you didn't realize that praise is spiritual warfare, well, I'm sure you're aware that prayer and fasting is spiritual. It's powerful spiritual tools, weapons that we can use. Once there was a father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus' disciples, but they weren't able to help him. So when Jesus arrived on the scene, he rebuked the spirit. The boy was made whole. And when they all went into the house, the disciples, you know, pulled him aside and privately said, why couldn't we cast it out? So he said to them, this kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting. Here's the thing. Consistent times of prayer and fasting denies the flesh. It's not about twisting God's arm. It's about denying our flesh. And when we deny our flesh, our flesh diminishes so that God's spirit in us can increase. And when that happens, when sin is a whole lot less enticing, so praise, worship, pray and fast. But last one, don't fight alone. Yes, overcoming strongholds require that you recognize and acknowledge a stronghold, that you repent and you forgive, that you make a commitment to bringing your thoughts into alignment with Christ, that you consistently worship, praise, pray and fast. But this is not a solo endeavor. Turn to your neighbor and say, I can't do it by myself. Because it is a journey that requires the help of a faith-filled community. Okay? So don't try to fight this alone. Share what you're going through with people you trust, Christian friends, family, spiritual parents, mentors, accountability partners. Proverbs 24 and six says, for by wise guidance, you can wage your war. Did you hear that? Did I read it too fast? Let me go slow. For by wise guidance, you can wage your war. And in abundance of counselors, there is victory. See, they can hold you accountable. They can pray for you. And if it's needed, help with deliverance. Now that's a two-bigger subject that we're going to even try to talk about today. I just really want you to understand that though this process can be challenging, with the help of your faith community, it can dismantle strongholds step by step and brick by brick. And this is not something that you should feel guilty about, ashamed about, hopeless about. This is, you know, you need to embrace this journey with confidence and hope, knowing that with the help of others and the supernatural power of God, every stronghold in your life can and will be broken. I love Ephesians chapter one. Verses 19 through 23. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realm. Now there's far above, you know, now he's far above any ruler or authority or power, anything else. Are you hearing me? He's far above anything else in this world or the world to come. And God has put all things under the authority of Christ. And he gave him this authority for the benefit of the church. Authority was given to Jesus for us. And the church is his body and is made full and complete by Christ who fills all things everywhere with himself, with his presence. You don't have to fight this alone because Jesus wants to fight this with you. You didn't hear me. Jesus wants to fight this thing with you. Do what you can do. Absolutely, you do what you can do. But then ask God to do what only he can do through the power of his anointing. Isaiah 10, 27 says, and it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder and his yoke from off thy neck and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. Now you may have come into this place fully aware that you had strongholds or totally unaware. But either way, I want you to know that God wants to empower you on this journey to freedom. If you've blown it over and over and over again, don't believe the lie of the enemy that it's over for you. Don't quit trying. Don't run from Jesus. Run to Jesus. He has the anointing that can destroy every stronghold. And know that no one, not even the devil, not every devil in existence can stop you from victory. If you walk out the steps that we've gone over here today, Philippians 2, 9 and 10 says, Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed upon him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. We're going to sing now. I speak Jesus. We speak the name of Jesus to every sickness in this place. I want you to speak Jesus to whatever sickness is in you. I want you to speak Jesus to whatever struggle you're experiencing today. I want you to speak Jesus to every problem. I want to pray, but I want you to speak it. You need to speak it over yourselves right now. In the name of Jesus, we speak healing to sickness. We speak healing to cancer. We speak healing to respiratory problems. We speak healing to arthritis. We speak healing to digestive problems. But I was in Florida during a praise and worship night. I was sitting there. And God said, What about me? And I'm going, What about me? And I realized that I've just talked. In my message, I talked about what all we do. But I had neglected to talk to you about what Jesus does. And so I went home right from there. And I changed. I just scrapped the whole ending. And I put the emphasis where it needed to be. In the name of Jesus Christ. Make Jesus the center. Make Jesus the center of your fight. In Jesus' name. Everybody say, In Jesus' name. In name. And don't forget, God's word tells you. Galatians 5 and 1. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free. And do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. When Jesus breaks it, you make sure that you don't go near that thing ever again. Amen? Amen. We're going to sing that song again, but I'm going to dismiss those of you who need to go. But before I do, I would like all of the altar ministry team to come forward, please. Because if you want someone to agree with you and to pray with you with the name of Jesus, these fine men and women will do that. So in a moment, I'm going to pray the blessing over you. And if you have to go, then you go. But I'm encouraging you. I'm really challenging you to come to the front, have prayer, or stand in your seat and pray. You know, you just can't go out the same way you came in. Amen? Amen. So, raise your hands for the blessing. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. In Jesus' name, come on forward, or just worship God as we sing again. Your name is power.

1. "Some sins are easy to unhook. You have just taken the bait. And you were hooked, just kind of hooked in the lip. So all you really have to do is repent, receive forgiveness, and avoid that temptation like the plague. It really is. It really is that simple. If you, you know, you really truly, sincerely do these things. Easy. Turn to your neighbor and say, easy peasy." [35:20] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "But sometimes sins have been there a while. You've swallowed the hook. And so it's harder to get the hook out. It's harder to find freedom. Now, not impossible. Of course, it's not impossible. But it is harder. And today I'm going to be talking to us about those kind of sins. Those kind of sins that are more difficult. That repentance alone won't resolve. Because they're stronger. They have a stronger hold on us. Because they've been there long enough for strongholds to be built." [36:08] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "The enemy is slyer than that. Listen, he doesn't like to show his hand. Overt examples of his involvement will show his hand. And that's the last thing that he wants on most cases. He doesn't want you to know. And I think that's why so many of us don't know how the enemy is operating in our lives. Because it's so sly. It's so underneath. The surface that you don't even realize is what's happening until you swallow the hook. And then you are trapped." [36:53] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "God really intended that we would follow after his words so we would move into the direction of God. But unfortunately, our thoughts follow, are influenced by rather than God, it's influenced by our friends. Culture, media, social media, how we are raised, personal trauma, personal experience. And those thoughts are not, everybody say not, in alignment with God's thoughts. You know, these thoughts that come from social media and friends and all this other stuff, these thoughts are contrary to the word of God." [39:33] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "A stronghold is a mindset that is contrary to the truth of God's word. So the enemy builds a fortress and lies out of, oh, you know, incongruous ideas or inaccurate thoughts about scripture, about God, about ourselves, about others, about the nature of sin. He builds that fortress with those lies. And in our heart of hearts, we know it's not true. We know it's not true. But we just can't stop thinking it." [43:36] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




6. "A mindset, strongholds are like a mindset that's impregnated with hopelessness that causes a believer to just accept as unchangeable something that's contrary to the will of God. Oh, Bennett, such a good job. Let's give him a hand. Thank you. You can sit down. There, see? Love you, Bennett. You're going to be a teenager soon, though. Then I won't be able to call on you. Okay. So what I'm saying is that a mindset, that mindset is hopeless. You feel like you just are trapped, that you can't get out of it, you can't change it. But the problem is that the thoughts then leads to behaviors that gives the enemy judgment." [44:40] (59 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




7. "The enemy of your soul thrives on what is done in secret. And he will build a stronghold on any long-term behavior, unexposed sins that you have in your life. You need to bring what's in the darkness into the light. Because sin and unforgiveness gives the enemy legal right to torment you. See, here's my problem. This is why I want to talk about this so badly. It's because some people ask me to pray about this or to pray about that. And really, why bother? Because you're letting it happen. Yeah. Ouch. Because you can't pray this away if you've got sin or unforgiveness in your life. You are giving the enemy legal right to torment you. He has the right." [52:52] (68 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




8. "You have to keep on declaring God's Word until the thought is no longer there, the desire is no longer there. You keep at it. You keep at it. You keep at it. I think that's why some of us have failed because we thought, oh, it should be gone by now. But listen, this didn't get built with one thought. was thought upon thought upon thought and upon thought declaring God's Word is going to be over and over and over again until it's defeated. Don't give up. Don't quit. Keep doing it until it's gone." [01:05:19] (42 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




9. "Consistent times of prayer and fasting denies the flesh. It's not about twisting God's arm. It's about denying our flesh. And when we deny our flesh, our flesh diminishes so that God's spirit in us can increase. And when that happens, when sin is a whole lot less enticing, so praise, worship, pray and fast. But last one, don't fight alone. yes, overcoming strongholds require that you recognize and acknowledge a stronghold, that you repent and you forgive, that you make a commitment to bringing your thoughts into alignment with Christ, that you consistently worship, praise, pray and fast. But this is not a solo endeavor." [01:10:35] (69 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




10. "You don't have to fight this alone because Jesus wants to fight this. With you. You didn't hear me. Jesus wants to fight this thing with you. Do what you can do. Absolutely, you do what you can do. But then ask God to do what only he can do through the power of his anointing. Isaiah 10, 27 says, and it shall come to pass in that day that his burden shall be taken away from thy shoulder and his yoke from off thy neck and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing." [01:14:30] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)