Strong Holds (Idols of the Heart)

Strong holds represent spiritual forts (garrisons) that the enemy has in our minds and hearts. They give devils (unclean spirits) open access to us: "And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine" (2 Chronicles 11:11). Strong holds and devils—principalities and powers—are the devices (2 Corinthians 2:11) Satan uses to keep us in sin. They combine to keep us in sin even if we desire not to sin—strong holds must be pulled down and devils cast out. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled" (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Moreover, strong holds are described as high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Ancient, unforgiven, forgotten sins buried in the heart could be manifested in unwanted, unseemly behavior, which could be changed if such sins were forgiven and the heart were cleansed. [There is] a vast difference between the original events, the sins of resentment and judgment which lie behind present behaviors, and sinful practices in the old nature. Sins need forgiveness. But our sin nature can only be dealt with by our own death on the cross. Forgiveness is done for us totally by Jesus. Death on the cross requires our participation.²⁷⁰

These "high things" are knowledge (information), thoughts, opinions, preferences, decisions and thought structures (beliefs, practices, and identities) that are in contradiction to the Word of God. They are things of the world and not of God. The world system incorporates seven areas of influence; which include ourselves; our family, friends, and associates; our religion and education; our community (neighborhood, job, organizations, affiliations, nationality, and information sources: books, magazines, newspapers, Internet, television, movies, etc.); our gender; our race and ethnicity; and our humanity (mankind). These all have routines, habits, customs—traditions—that we adhere to; often without thought. Notice, by controlling the inputs to our mind and controlling how our mind processes those inputs, Satan controls the output of our mind and heart. In the Old Testament, "high places," "groves," "altars" and "images" were used as physical examples of spiritual strong holds. "And when the LORD thy God shall deliver [seven nations greater and mightier than thou] before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: ... But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire" (Deuteronomy 7:2, 5).

And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment. (2 Chronicles 14:2-4)

High places represented places of worship of strange gods—devils. Spiritually speaking, strong holds in our minds and hearts are the high places that devils—spiritual wickedness—inhabit. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12). While sins open the door to darkness and admit evil spirits, strong holds act as a two-way portal (much like a fictional Stargate²⁷¹ to darkness through which unclean spirits can traverse. Whereas evil spirits present temptation to the mind, the designation of unclean spirit connotes that the devil possesses—controls—the mind of the person they enter.

In the New Testament, strong holds are sometimes represented as a state of drunkenness: not sober, not of a sound mind, but intoxicated with a reality that is false but is believed to be true. "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation" (1 Thessalonians 5:5-8). Strong holds keep us in darkness: we walk in darkness not knowing where we are going "because that darkness hath blinded [our] eyes" (1 John 2:11). These strong holds must be cast down: "And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind" (John 9:39). "Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places" (Deuteronomy 33:29). Strong holds, also called idols of the heart (Ezekiel 14:1-11), are evidence that we are in agreement with Satan in some area. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed" (Amos 3:3)? Strong holds encapsulate seven areas as shown in the table below:

Like sin, one strong hold acts as a catalyst for more strong holds. The first six, starting with false knowledge, combine together to build a "house" for unclean spirits (see "The Twelve Principalities of Satan"): an altar to a devil. "Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt" (2 Kings 17:29). These unclean spirits support the false identities that control a person—they exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and direct a person's thoughts toward disobedience of Christ. Christians who "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6) must diligently renounce "the hidden things of dishonesty" (2 Corinthians 4:2) until such a time when they can truly say: "the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me" (John 14:30). Strong holds—evil thoughts and thought structures—are mental barriers which work against the knowledge of God. In a nutshell, "as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7): we are (identity) what we do, we do (practice) what we believe, we believe (belief) what we think, and we think (judgments, decisions, cognition) what we know (information).

Strong Holds: False Knowledge

We know that the Word of God is truth and that it was by the Word that all things were created; therefore, everything not based on the Word of God is false: either it is conditionally true (fluctuates based on time and/or location) or it is a lie. Satan, the father of lies, provides false knowledge to thwart our ability to learn the truth. "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge" (Proverbs 19:27). Scripture labels false knowledge as the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of the princes of this world—devils. Hence, scripture commands us to renew our minds—replace the false knowledge from the world with the wisdom of God.

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:5-8)

We have to "see" the world through the Word and not see the Word through the world: for the world cannot see the truth. "None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity ... For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth" (Isaiah 59:4, 12-15). Strong holds of false knowledge are the foundation by which Satan builds high places in our minds.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. (John 8:44-45)

False knowledge—lies, even if processed—thinking—correctly, will produce false outputs. The old adage, "Garbage In, Garbage Out," is a phrase in the field of computer science, which is used primarily to call attention to the fact that computers will unquestioningly process the most nonsensical of input data and produce nonsensical output. Our minds, like computers, if corrupted with false input will invariably produce thoughts, opinions, preferences, decisions, judgments, beliefs, habits (practices), and identities that are in opposition to the Word of God.

Strong Holds: False Thinking

How we process the knowledge we have available to our minds has to be changed to fall in line with the Word. Even true information when processed incorrectly can yield false results. Our thoughts (imaginations) and thought structures have to be cleansed and reprogrammed, respectively. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). "Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil" (Proverbs 12:20). "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts" (Psalm 10:4). We have to think like God thinks. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end" (Jeremiah 29:11). This is fully expressed in Romans Chapter 8 which distinguishes between the carnal mind and the spiritual mind: "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Romans 8:5-8). Moreover, in 1 Corinthians Chapters 1 and 2, the distinction between the natural mind (carnal) and the spiritual mind is reinforced:

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:25-29)

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:12-14)

Our minds are the "windows to our souls"; as such, we must cleanse and protect them from carnality (evil thoughts). Proverbs 23:7 states "for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he"; therefore, we have to completely reprogram our hearts by continually renewing our minds and purging our conscience "from dead works to serve the living God" (Hebrews 9:14). "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7). Thus, false thinking produces thoughts of evil not peace. In other words, false thinking leads to judgment and offence: anger, shame, discontent, disappointment, anxiety, fear, sorrow, guilt, or hurt. Let us look at two examples of this strong hold in operation by examining the children of Israel after God took them out of Egypt. The system of life in Egypt, while not ideal, was well known to them and even embraced; whereas, their sojourn in the wilderness and the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey was uncertain from their perspective. Even though they had been enslaved in Egypt for almost four hundred and thirty years, the liberation that the Lord brought was received with discontent.

And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes ... Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. (Numbers 11:4-6, 10)

Discontent often starts as simply a "vague discomfort" with something or someone. We saw this earlier in our discussion on Eve's discontent in the "Sins" section. Once, however, the vagueness gives away to certainty through judgment, discontent is in full swing. Notice in the example above, the discontent in the children of Israel manifested "contagiously" from "the mixt multitude." Hence Paul's admonishment: "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise" (2 Corinthians 10:12). The sin of discontent brings in the spirit of discontent, which works to build a strong hold of discontent—never satisfied.

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. (Numbers 14:1-4)

In the example above, the Promised Land, though now near, has to be fought for against supposed "formidable" foes (Numbers 13); this is contrary to how the children of Israel imagined. They thought that when the Lord said, "I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt ... unto a land flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:17), that the land would simply be given to them without a struggle. This is similar to Christians today who think that because they are "saved," they will inherit the promise without having to "strive to enter in at the strait gate"; not recognizing that "many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able" (Luke 13:24). As a result of their discontent and unbelief, the children of Israel rebelled against the Lord and decided to take matters into their own hands. "I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts" (Isaiah 65:2).

Discontent is built on a foundation of idolatry, pride and lust—"I deserve." When a person judges that they have not received what they deserve; that is, the lust has not been fulfilled, or the lust will not be fulfilled, or the lust is not being fulfilled in the manner they thought, discontent sets in. We see this played out by Naaman when he sought the prophet Elisha for healing. Naaman had already premeditated on the manner in which he thought Elisha would heal him; however, when Elisha did not comply, he moved swiftly from discontent to wrath.

Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. ... So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. (2 Kings 5:1, 9-12)

Murmuring, complaining, sighing, and anxiety give initial evidence to discontent. Discontent can morph into dissatisfaction, disappointment, discouragement, despondency, hopelessness, and/or despair. Discontent leads us away from God to escape into idolatry, materials things (prosperity), sexual perversions, and/or drugs. Discontent can even push us to the ultimate escape: suicide. Discontent opens the door to spirits of unbelief, anxiety, judgment, hatred, pride, lust, impatience, injustice, distrust, rebellion, fear, envy, and eventually covetousness. When we think that what we want is more important than what God has provided, or that what we want overrides what God wants, or that what we want should be delivered when and how we have imagined, the strong hold of discontent is solidified. "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:21-22).

Thus, from all that is above, what we see is that discontent is the "natural" outcome of impatience, unbelief and false hope. This is why God stresses that "we glory in tribulations" for it is only through tribulations that we develop patience to do the will of God, experience in trusting the Lord, and true hope in that which is promised. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5:1-5). True hope that God "will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5), that "God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19), that "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8), that "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name" (Hebrews 6:10), and, ultimately, that God will grant us "eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2). "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:11-13). "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8). "Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established" (Proverbs 16:3).

Strong Holds: False Decisions

False knowledge and false thinking can only lead to false decisions and false judgments. False decisions about ourselves will steer us away from receiving the truth. "Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it" (Jeremiah 6:19). "But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth" (Jeremiah 7:28). Some common false decision strong holds include depression, loneliness, and rejection. False decisions against yourself are called oaths (a.k.a. inner vows) in the Bible; oaths and false judgments bind your soul. "If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth" (Numbers 30:2). Oaths often begin with phrases like: "I hate," "I love," "I am," "I'm a fan of," "I like," "I detest," "I don't like," "I'll never," "I'll always," "I deserve," "I don't trust," and "I trust." For example, it is easy to imagine stating emphatically, "I hate hypocrites!" The problem with that oath is that it will cause you to be at odds with anyone who says one thing but does another thing, regardless if it is not their norm. You will automatically brand them as a hypocrite. We are commanded by scripture to "love thy neighbor" (Mark 12:31); however, this is not possible if we have already judged them, "unconsciously," as being hypocrites. Scriptures dictate that we "hate the evil" (Amos 5:15) and that "we wrestle not against flesh and blood" (Ephesians 6:12); therefore, the true culprit is the spirit of hypocrisy: say rather, "I hate hypocrisy!"

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:33-37)

John and Paula Sandford define inner vows (oaths) as:

A determination set by the mind and heart into all the being in early life. Vows we make currently also affect us, but an inner vow is one set into us as children, usually forgotten. Our inner being persistently retains such programming no matter what changes of mind and heart may later pertain. The distinctive mark of an inner vow is that it resists the normal maturation process ... inner vows resist change. We do not grow out of them.

Inner vows may not become manifest immediately in behavior. Like the programming of a clock on an electric range, they may not kick on until the time set by the vow. They may rest totally forgotten and dormant, until triggered by the right persons or situations. Having forgotten them, we are unaware they exist or could have any effect.²⁷²

Strong Holds: False Judgments

False knowledge and false thinking also lead to false judgments (oaths and inner vows), which are another type of false decision. The law of judgment declares that "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Matthew 7:1-2). "And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD" (Zechariah 8:17). When we judge, the law of judgment goes into effect to bring forth a "harvest": the seed of judgment sown is guaranteed to produce a large tree of more judgment. This tree continues to grow the longer the judgment continues unrecognized and not repented of. God governs all things, natural and spiritual, by the same basic laws. In the natural the law is expressed, "For every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction." In the spiritual the law is expressed, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7) and God will "multiply your seed sown" (2 Corinthians 9:10).

The law of sowing and reaping was eternally in operation for all the universe before Adam and Eve were created. Before the entrance of sin, the law was designed to bring multiplication of blessings—and it still does today. But the advent of sin meant that the same law from then on rebounds to destruction ... 'Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed' (Proverbs 13:21). The Law of God actively causes reward and punishment to come upon us, as surely as any natural law exacts its due.²⁷³

Judgment unlike other sins packs a threefold spiritual punch: it is a sin, it is an evil spirit, and it is a strong hold. Judgment usurps the authority given to Jesus Christ (John 5:22); the offender is guilty of sedition. Judgments can be held against God and against others. Judgments against God and others usually begin with phrases like: "You are," "He is," She is," You'll never," You always," "All men are," "All women are," "All ______ are," "They are," "They never," or "They always." "I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted: I said in my haste, All men are liars" (Psalm 116:10-11). See "Judge Not" for more on the evils of judging.

Strong Holds: False Beliefs

All areas of unbelief have theirs roots in false knowledge, false thinking, false decisions, and false judgments. False beliefs are received from a worldly—carnal—source (the world, family, religion, etc.) and block us from understanding and trusting God. "And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not" (Hebrews 3:18)? These false beliefs will cause us to "see" and "hear" incorrectly. When we read scriptures, true revelation will be denied us because we will invariably "see" in scriptures what is not there. Similarly, when we "hear" the Word of God, it will be filtered through our false beliefs and the truth will be rendered faulty in us. "But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart" (2 Corinthians 3:14-15). "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8). "Jesus was saying that those whose hearts are purified come to understand and embrace God for who He actually is. The inference is that because our hearts are not pure, we impute to God motives and ways, which are not His. We do not see God, but only our projection of Him."²⁷⁴ There is a clear example of this in the gospel of Matthew; the people saw Jesus simply as a guy that grew up around them—just a man—and could not belief in his divinity. Their false beliefs of God disengaged God from working on their behalf to bring the deliverance they so desperately desired.

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:53-58)

Invariably, the way that we should see God—"God is love" (1 John 4:16)—is clouded because our parents', or other significant persons, expression of love were often seen as conditional or nonexistent. Thus we see God clothed in our parents' mannerisms and we cannot fully believe Him because we do not fully believe his Word. "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). We have to remember that "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good" (Numbers 23:19)? Furthermore, many religious beliefs (including Roman Catholicism, Calvinism, and Pentecostalism) also project a false image of God. "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them" (Ephesians 5:6-7). "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:4). It should be noted that Roman Catholicism and Pentecostalism are also forms of legalism.

Strong Holds: False Practices

Just like obedience validates our faith, false practices validate our false knowledge, thinking, decisions, judgments, and beliefs. We put into practice those things we believe in. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:22-25). As with other strong holds, false practices—unrighteous habits—are so ingrained in us that they can be somewhat invisible to us. John and Paula Sandford call this strong hold an archetype. Here is what they wrote on archetypes:

By an archetype we mean a ruling way of thinking, feeling, and acting, built by mankind into the common mentality we share; an archetype, therefore, being a device built into the flesh of mankind generally which acts upon us to control us individually.

Inside an individual, a habit or "practice" can be developed until it has an automatic, autonomous life ...

An archetype is simply a habit or practice not inside an individual but in the flesh of mankind. An archetype (as we define it) is any developed way of thinking—a tradition, a cultural norm, an "empty philosophy," an habitual way of emoting and rationalizing—which can clamp upon individuals. Under the influence of an archetype, our minds become like preprogrammed computers, we develop tunnel vision, our wills are circumscribed, and our emotions are no longer those of our spirits or the Holy Spirit in us but they become outer-controlled, predictable and usable. The specific function of an archetype is to rob us of our free will, to prevent true conscience from enabling good decisions, to turn us into robots programmed to perform, manipulated by forces outside ourselves.²⁷⁵

These unrighteous habits are formed in our developing years and, more often than not, are in reaction to some catalyst. For instance, as we discussed in "Be Ye Angry", most of us learned to respond to offence in unrighteousness (anger, shame, discontentment, disappointment, anxiety, fear, sorrow, guilt, and hurt); rather than in righteousness (forgiveness). We exercised our heart with unrighteous practices that cemented us in the flesh. Moreover, as John and Paula Sandford state, these false practices are reinforced by the cultures we grew up and live in. The world promotes works of the flesh and, unfortunately, modern Christianity infused with "The Principality of Tradition" has grown tolerant of these unrighteous acts. Righteousness demands that we break up the hardness of our heart—fallow ground—and "Sow to yourselves in righteousness" (Hosea 10:12). "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24).

Strong Holds: False Identities

Our false knowledge, thinking, decisions, judgments, beliefs, and practices culminate in our developing false identities. We solidify a false identity by confessing with our mouth and believing in our hearts that we are something not named by God. We often even use the name of God—I AM—in our confession: I am an independent person, I am inferior based on ..., or I am a god. Our confession of unbelief—our agreement with Satan—begets an evil spirit to inhabit us. "Can two walk together, except they be agreed" (Amos 3:3)? Know you not that you are the temple of Satan, and that the spirit of Satan dwelleth in you (1 Corinthians 3:16)? Our false identity on top of our other strong holds form an "altar" or "house" for unclean spirits: devils that have control of us via the altar we have built to them.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:43-45)

In "The Twelve Principalities of Satan" discussed in "Part One: Leaven of the Pharisees" we discussed how evil spirits transition from just temptation to possession—unclean spirits—because many Christians have bought into false doctrine—put into practice false beliefs—and literally invite in these abominations (Proverbs 26:25) to takeover. In essence, instead of "taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" (Ephesians 6:16), we "bind the strong man"—in this case, the Holy Ghost—and quench the Spirit of God (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Strong holds must be destroyed: these altars to devils must be cast down. Strong holds uphold lies and cause us to live in dishonesty; and, therefore, must be renounced. True worshippers of God "have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully" (2 Corinthians 4:2). "And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them ... But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire" (Deuteronomy 7:2, 5). It takes a transformed Christian—mind renewed through faith and seeking to know God and his Word (Hebrews 11:6; John 17:3)—to recognize, or discern, temptation for what it is—evil—and to have the power of God available to destroy strong holds and cast out unclean spirits.

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