Demon Hunters

June 12

Read: 2 Cor. 10:3-6

Demon Hunters

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds…”

There is a spiritual battle we are all in the the midst of whether we acknowledge it or not. God has equipped us with “the weapons of our warfare” and they are “not of the flesh”. God has entrusted us with “divine power” to “destroy strongholds”. A stronghold is nothing more than a place where the enemy hides out and wages war against the place they occupy. It is a base of operations for the enemy… and - to use the words of the scriptures - they need to be “destroyed”

It is sobering to think that the enemy may occupy a space within our psyche. Many believers would rather ignore the scriptures than navigate this reality. Where exactly these enemy combatants hide is made clear by the following verses: “…We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” Strongholds are patterns of thinking and thoughts which war against the “knowledge of God.” When you believe something about yourself that God does not - this is an “opinion raised against the knowledge of God.” You do realize what those faulty ideas create don’t you? They create room for the enemy to set up shop and attack you. What are the faulty ideas that you are clinging to? What are the lies that you have set up as a base of operations for the enemy to attack from?

Take for instance the common idea that IN CHRIST we remain labeled as sinners. Where is that found? Where is it that the Father is continuing to call his sons and daughter adopted in Jesus sinners? Is this to remain our identity? And yet - week in and week out - you will hear well-meaning believers use this language and think this way. I would be careful to say things about yourself that God doesn’t say about you! Maybe you simply think you will never change… that you are beyond the scope of Jesus’ redemption? This is NOT TRUE either. Another lie… another “stronghold”. Maybe you have been told that God the Father only tolerates you because of Jesus… despite the fact that HIS LOVE for you moved him to send his son. (cf. John 3:16) The list of lies goes on and on. The list of “strongholds grows”.

It is not a passive or easy task to destroy an enemy position. There WILL BE A FIGHT. There are casualties. These thoughts that we run up against, we need to take them “captive”. it is not your job to “execute” them… just to take them captive and hand them over. That is what you do with a “captive” … you hand them over.

The enemy does not want you on the look out for “strongholds”. The enemy does not want you to realize that you have been entrusted with “divine power”. The enemy does not want you to wake up to the idea that you can actually “take captive your thoughts”! What strongholds do you need to confess to and tear down? What thoughts do YOU need to turn over? The time has passed for sitting back and watching. Take up your weapons! God gave them to you. It is time to demon hunt. Love you guys! - JDP