This lesson will show how God helps us to remove deeply embedded lies that are the building blocks for powerful logical arguments that block us from knowing God or believing his promises. One of the major ways Jesus sets us free from bondage is by identifying and removing deeply embedded lies and replacing them with truth.
Once the darkness of the lie is exposed to the light of God’s truth, it loses its power to control us.
According to Paul, these “lie-based” strongholds are built upon sinful logic and reasoning that opposes the truth of God’s Word and tempts us to impugn God’s character.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (NASB95)
Satanic lies are extremely deceptive, and often we do not even realize that we believe and serve them until the Holy Spirit shows us.
An important concept for us to grasp is that we can believe one thing in our minds and quite another thing at the heart level.
Lie-based strongholds are built upon stubbornly held internal arguments and conclusions (or speculations) which are based on our observations and experience of life. We may have good theology at an intellectual level but be practical idolators or atheists at the heart level. What we claim to believe may be betrayed by how we act or speak. If there is a disconnect between our words and actions, there may be embedded lies hidden deep in our hearts that must be identified and expelled.
If we react with negative emotions out of proportion to the provocation, this may point to the presence of a painful lie-based stronghold in our lives. What we do, say, and think when we are under pressure can reveal what we really believe down deep.
Unless we allow the Lord to reveal what these lies are and replace them with a revelation of himself and his truth, we likely will stay in bondage. Lie-based strongholds resist most attempts to remove them; so, simple debate is usually fruitless. We cannot reason with fear and unbelief. It takes divine intervention.
An Example of a Logical Stronghold Built on Lies
Over the years I have been privileged to work with many sexual abuse victims. Any person who has experienced the betrayal and traumatic pain associated with abuse as a child at the hands of people who should have protected him or her, will often have great difficulty trusting God for protection as an adult. I think this should be rather obvious.
The argument will probably sound like the following. God did not protect me from being abused when I was young; so, why should I trust him to do so now? Either he was not able to protect me or chose not to protect me then. What is different now? This logic seems to be impregnable because it is based on personal experience, which cannot be denied.
We must concede that God, since he is almighty and sovereign, did allow the abuse to happen. Logically, based on the interpretation of his or her personal experience, the person feels justified in concluding that God cannot be trusted. This argument can hold us tenaciously in its grip despite the Bible’s clear teaching that God is our loving and powerful defender and Keeper. (Psalm 121:7-8) This is a perfect example of a lie-based stronghold, one which I have seen God help several people to overcome.
The foundational lie of this stronghold is that God is not trustworthy. This is the same lie that Satan presented to Eve in the Garden. It is perhaps the most insidious of all lies, especially when we are presented with seemingly inescapable logical proof that it is so. Perhaps you know someone whose faith in God was derailed by such an argument. I do. Anyone captured by this satanic logic is in deep trouble, and without the help of the Holy Spirit, probably will stay enslaved by the lie.
How does God liberate us?
We tend to believe what we see and experience more than we believe God and his promises because deep down we are fiercely independent sinful beings.
When we are born again, we receive a new identity. Our reborn spirit is joined to and loves the Lord. (1 Corinthians 6:17 and 2 Corinthians 5:17). However, even though our spirits are reborn, we still have a connection to Adam’s sinful independence through our yet unresurrected bodies, which the Bible calls “the flesh” (Greek: sarx). We are beings who are a combination of a new creation spirit and an old creation not yet resurrected body. Our souls (mind, will and emotions – the personality) are conflicted as a result. (I have written about this extensively in my series, Living Free in the Spirit.) We have a sort of “split personality.”
For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Romans 7:22–23 (NASB95)
Part of us loves God deeply and wants to serve him, but the “flesh” still wants to be an outlaw and live off God’s grid. The “flesh,” still insists on making its own decisions and evaluations instead of relying upon the Lord and trusting his words. The “flesh” never disappears, until the resurrection, and cannot be rehabilitated. According to Paul, the “flesh” was crucified with Christ and must be constantly put to death by us.
For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. Romans 7:5–6 (NASB95) Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:24–25 (NASB95)
The flesh wants to be able to provide for itself rather than trust the invisible God. It wants to protect itself, instead of relying on God to be its defender. This reveals that we still hold to a belief that we are better off on our own in life, which is exactly what prompted Adam and Eve to reject God and choose independence so long ago. They failed their test. God helps us to overcome this temptation to opt for a self-directed independence, which allows us to experience the freedom Christ died to give us.
Sinful logic has a very limited perspective and does not factor in God’s wisdom and understanding.
It is not built on any sort of revelation of God or faith in his promises. Think of how modern TV shows and movies are written and produced. Most of them present a version life in which God is never in the picture and people fend for themselves. Karl Marx called religion the “opiate of the masses,” a crutch for weak-minded people who cannot handle life on their own. The “flesh” laps up this sort of logic, which is one reason why so many fall for the lies behind Marxism and evolution, which are God-denying, man-glorifying approaches to life.
The Way Out
If a person who is captured by such a stronghold wishes to experience freedom, he or she must eventually reject their sinful logic and make a decision to rely on what the Bible says about God and his promises.
I can almost hear you thinking, “Yeah, right. That sounds pretty easy but actually is close to impossible.” Exactly! That is why we need God’s help. When we approach God in prayer, asking for his help, he will never let us down. He is more willing to help us to experience freedom than we are to seek it. Jesus already paid the price for our liberation.
The Holy Spirit is waiting for us to ask for his help.
Changing how we think about things is called repentance, which comes from the Greek word metanoeo and means literally to “change the mind.” Changing how we think precedes changing who and what we believe.
Repentance moves us from trusting in ourselves to trusting in God.
Repentance and faith are gifts from God. (Acts 5:31 and Ephesians 2:8) Unless God reveals himself to us in a personal way, we cannot repent or believe using only our own abilities. The Holy Spirit is always at work when people truly repent and trust in God from the heart. Bondage derives from sinful logic, but a heart that turns back to God in simple trust will experience freedom.
That is why it is vital for us to take any of our lie-based logical strongholds directly to the Lord in prayer and ask him to help us with them through his written Word and the Holy Spirit. Lie-based strongholds are always arrogant and proud obstacles that stand between us and knowing God. The only way to destroy such a stronghold is to confront it head on with repentance, humility, and a determination to move forward with faith in God and the truth of his Word. We cannot make it through this process without God’s direct help.
If we suspect the presence of such a stronghold, we can go directly to God in prayer. A good time to do this is when we feel the direct impact of any attached negative emotions, which are smoke indicating the presence of a fire, so to speak. We can ask the Lord why we feel these emotions. The next step is to listen, expecting him to speak to us. It’s a good idea to keep a journal of such prayer times where we record what we believe the Lord reveals to us. It is also a good idea to use a trusted friend or counselor as a “sounding board” to assess what we think we hear God speak to us.
Once we identify the lie, we can ask the Lord to speak his truth to us. The entrance of God’s truth turns on the light, driving out the darkness and setting us free.
The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130 (NASB95) And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NLT)
