By Francis Frangipane
There are satanic strongholds over countries and communities, and there are strongholds that influence churches and individuals. Wherever a stronghold exists, it is a demonically induced pattern of thinking. Specifically, it is a house made of thoughts, which has become a dwelling place for satanic activity.
A Warning Before Deliverance!
Now when the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. Then it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” (Matt. 12:43-44)
Although the nature of an unclean spirit is, by definition, spiritual and not physical, it still seeks a dwelling place, a “house” where it may “rest.” Jesus revealed that there is a dimension to human nature that actually can host an evil spirit and provide it a type of rest. If that is so, let us expose the nature of man and uncover that aspect in us that can become the construction material within which a spirit might lodge.
First let us realize that a demon cannot dwell in a true Christian’s spirit. Through regeneration, the human spirit becomes the home of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, it is because the Holy Spirit is within us that we have discernment concerning the enemy’s inroads.
The dimension of the human soul that is most similar in disposition to the demonic realm is our carnal nature. It is uniquely in our uncrucified thoughts and unsanctified attitudes that unclean spirits, masking themselves as our thoughts and hiding themselves in our attitudes, find access into our lives.
Thus, to secure deliverance, Jesus explained, “When [the unclean spirit] comes, it finds [its house] unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first” (Matt. 12:44-45).
If we are going to be successful in spiritual battle, we must seek more than just relief from our enemy; we must pursue conformity to Christ. Thus, for deliverance to bear fruit, the nature of Christ must be assimilated into the delivered soul. Otherwise, there is the danger that the “last state of that man” might become “worse than the first” (Matt. 12:45; 2 Peter 2:20). Our quest is to seek to establish the righteousness of Christ in the very area of our hearts where Satan once dwelt. Except in cases of physical affliction or mental torment, we should not attempt deliverance for anyone unwilling to repent and submit their thought life to Jesus Christ.
Removing Satan’s Armor
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder. (Luke 11:21-22)
Before we were saved, you and I were “undisturbed” possessions of the devil; Satan was like a fully armed “strong man” guarding the homestead of our souls. On the day of our salvation, however, “someone stronger,” the Lord Jesus Christ, attacked and overpowered Satan and stripped him of his armor. Our born-again experiences may be widely varied on a natural level, but in the spirit realm, a very similar war was waged and won for each of us. If we could have seen into the invisible world, we would have observed the Holy Spirit working with the angels of God to destroy the enemy’s first line of defense, his “armor.” What exactly was this armor that protected the devil and kept us from salvation? The armor upon which demons rely consists of our own thoughts, attitudes, and opinions that are in agreement with evil.
What Jesus described as “armor,” the apostle Paul classified as “strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4 NKJN). It is important to recognize that in speaking of strongholds the apostle was addressing the church. It is foolish to assume our salvation experience has eliminated all the wrong ideas and attitudes-the strongholds-that are still influencing our perceptions and behavior. Yes, old things passed away and truly new things have come, but until we are walking in the fullness of Christ, we should not assume the process of change is over.
For now, let us say that on an individual level the foundation of our continued success in warfare comes from yielding to the Lord as He reveals these strongholds and agreeing with Him through repentance in pulling them down.
It is important to recognize that when we speak of strongholds we are not talking about random thoughts or occasional sins. Rather, the strongholds that affect us most are those that are so hidden in our thinking patterns we do not recognize them nor identify them as evil. Remember, in our initial text, Jesus revealed that unclean spirits are seeking “rest.” The sense of rest they seek originates from being in harmony with their environment. In other words, when our thought life is in agreement with unbelief, fear, or habitual sin, the enemy has rest.
It is significant that the process of deliverance quite often involves a season of inner conflict and turmoil. This is a good sign, signifying the individual’s will desires to be free. We should expect a time where we must exercise our authority in Christ as we “resist” the devil (1 Peter 5:8-9). Paul spoke of the “struggle” of the church against principalities and powers (Eph. 6:12). There will be a period of fighting involved in the process of pulling down strongholds, for you are breaking your agreement with a foe who will fight to remain in your life.
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Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s book, The Three Battlegrounds, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.
