Demolishing Strongholds Through Declarations. 

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

“If you want to identify the hidden strongholds in your life, you need only survey the attitudes in your heart. Every area in your thinking that glistens with hope in God is an area which is being liberated by Christ. But any system of thinking that does not have hope, which feels hopeless, is a stronghold which must be pulled down.” 
Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds

God wants to transform and bring His freedom to every area of our lives. His plan is to cause of minds and emotions to be like a land flowing with milk and honey. To be people who experientially enjoy God's love, hope, joy and peace.

The new birth brings us into a relational promised land of enjoying God. Spiritual adoption is all a work of His grace, we receive the gifts of belonging, acceptance, forgiveness. The status of being a son or daughter is our starting point. 

Grace brings us home, once home we are called to experientially possess what is now ours through Christ. Practically this means our spiritual warfare guns need to shift from rebuking outward circumstances and instead point at our beliefs, strongholds, any arguments, lofty opinions, warped ideas and barriers that block the experiential enjoyment of God's truth of who we already are. The lies believed about God, ourselves, others and our circumstances are the giants in our thinking, that must be taken captive for us to enjoy the benefits of the land. It's not about fighting for victory but demolishing strongholds is about fighting from victory.The believer doesn't have to try and get something that has already been given. At the Cross Jesus took all our guilt, shame, rejection, in demolishing strongholds there is simply the decision to line up and agree with God. 

Strongholds are patterns of thinking that have been built up by habitually thinking in a particular way.  It is a fortified ways of reasoning and thinking.  Our manifest metamorphosis, and transformation requires that we demolish the strongholds that block the flow of who we truly are impacting the world around. We will know when a stronghold has been demolished when our emotions line up with what we say we believe. Faith, conviction, inner alignment and unity with truth will be expressed in emotions that agree with what we say we believe. 

Strongholds hinder progress, maturity and fruitfulness. Perfectionism, rejection, hopelessness, comparison, shame, guilt, and fear. These arguments can become the lens we see God, ourselves, others and our circumstances through.

Declarations are a powerful means of demolishing strongholds, for tearing down the argument that protects and maintains it's defence,  and for building up new ways of reasoning.   Freedom comes and is maintained through the capacity to think in a new way. To reason biblically is what tears down patterns that previously held us captive. Declarations harness the power of words to pilot us towards lived out freedom. 

It not about will power, or self effort, declarations are about positioning yourself to hear the saviours words, Jesus' words are spirit and life, God's word carries enabling grace. His words have divine power to tear down and build up. Declaring His words lets us see life from Heavens perspective. Through intimacy and connection with God, He becomes like a hammer in the believers hand, so that through co-labouring with Him we break apart the stones that form strongholds in our thinking.

 At first making declarations feels fake, it doesn't feel true. We need to remember that our minds are used to reasoning "if it feels true then it must be". Emotions become attached to a stronghold, these emotions form the warped way of thinks greatest defence, "you are rejected, because you feel rejected" These distorted arguments need to be taken captive, to take down a stronghold is a violent act, it may not go easily, there may be discomfort.

 It is also important when we start to make declarations we remember that many beneficial habits are not exciting at first. For example exercise and nutrition , it often takes time to overcome discomfort. Stick at, most often demolishing strongholds is a process, punctured by suddenly's, ah ha moments, illumination and revelation.

For more resources to encourage Intimacy, connection and trust in Father God please download the Dream Revolution smartphone App by clicking the link.

http://get.theapp.co/4ee1