Christian Marriage and Deliverance Ministry

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Strongholds

QUESTION: According to your knowledge, what is the difference between a demonic spirit and a stronghold. I have read your books and you do not give a definite answer to this question. This question keeps coming up in our discussions. I would know for sure only if the Holy Spirit told me.

ANSWER: I sure do give an answer, in all three books. A stronghold is "okuroma" in the original Greek (taken from 2 Cor. 10:3-5 and other scriptures), defined as the arguments and reasoning that you will use to defend your position or belief regarding something. This easily translates into the logic and reasoning, rationalization, and justification you will use to defend your right to make a choice that disobeys God and then try to make excuses for why you did it. The former sentence is exactly how I define strongholds in all three books. I give a very clear "example" of how a stronghold is formed using the the command of Ephesians 4:26, do not let the sun go down on your anger. Christians disobey that command every day and then try to rationalize and justify why they have done so. Ephesians 4:27 (AMP) says that when you do that, you have just given the devil room, opportunity, and a foothold in your life. The enemy attacks and hammers through these open doors or opportunities in your soul, created when you try to rationalize and justify disobeying God (rather than repenting and turning away from the sin). I hope this clears up any misunderstanding.
- Rev. Liberty Savard - http://www.libertysavard.com

     So everything is the fault of demons, right? Because of this, nobody is actually responsible for their sins. NOT! Even BP's, as deceived as they are, are responsible for their behavior. Demons latch onto a person's strongholds. If the strongholds weren't there, there would be nothing to latch onto.

      Strongholds are what kill your marriage. Everybody has strongholds. Some have more than others. Victims of childhood abuse erect numerous strongholds. If you are married to a victim of childhood abuse, you must be LOVING, COMPASSIONATE, patient but aggressive in dealing with these strongholds.

      Strongholds are walls that one erects to protect wrong attitudes, ways of thinking, beliefs, behaviors, and other things that are against the truth of God. A stronghold is anything you rely on to defend your ungodly action. A person who erects a stronghold will defend their actions regardless of how sinful they are. If you have decided that a lie is true, you will erect the stronghold to protect it at all costs.

      When someone is hurt, they have the choice to turn this pain into a catalyst for a deeper relationship with Christ, or they can erect a stronghold to "protect" themselves and separate themselves farther from Christ and other people. Even after a stronghold has been erected, we as Christians have the authority to tear these strongholds down and evict satan from our lives. But that cannot happen until we put our lives into alignment with the will of God. We have to love God enough to get rid of all unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, and stubbornness. All of these are strongholds. But God will not allow you to hang onto bitterness, unforgiveness, etc., and still inherit what He has for you. Divorce is a stronghold. It is rebellion against God to not forgive someone, to be bitter against someone, to think you are better than someone, and to refuse to obey God because you think you are right. It is rebellion to divorce your spouse.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery." Mark 10:7-12 (NIV)

      This is pretty straight forward. So why are so many Christian's divorcing? Because they have turned against God in rebellion, erected strongholds, and given Satan the authority to grab onto those strongholds and control their lives! Christians are afraid of confronting other Christians about this because they don't want to hurt their feelings, or be viewed as compassionless, or they are afraid that the person considering divorce will accuse them of condemning them. So instead, they let them head straight for the fire. And they have good reason to be concerned, especially in the case of BP's. BP's almost always see help as attacks. However, as Christians, we just have to take that chance (Galations 6:1). The best way we can help is pray against these strongholds before we confront the Christian that is in rebellion against God and backslidden.

      If you are willing to receive the TRUTH from God, He is ready to reveal it. But if you have erected a stronghold, you have already made up your mind that you are going to rebel against Him no matter how much truth is presented to you. That is why strongholds are so dangerous. They go against the very heart of the Father. You MUST surrender your mind, will, and emotions to Christ in order to receive the truth. I've heard it said, "I'm going to divorce unless God tells me not to." What a crazy statement. Strongholds are another of Satan's greatest tools. He can make you look at a grape and tell you it's an apple and you will believe it! You can quote Mark 10:7-12 all day long, and God can send numerous prophets with visions, Words of Knowledge, and prophecies, to a person, and they will still say that God hasn't told them that they can't divorce. You can erect such strong walls that the Holy Spirit can't get any TRUTH to you! It is incredible how much control some Christians have handed over to the devil in their lives. He cannot operate without it because he has already been defeated and stripped of his own power against Christians.

Closed Spirit

      Many spouses, especially BP's, will have a closed spirit. A person with a closed spirit has a stronghold of bitterness that deceives them from receiving any positive information or truth. A closed spirit will shut them off from their spouse and the Holy Spirit. They will always see their spouse as bad. No amount of sincerity, truth, and kindness can penetrate a close spirit. A person with a closed spirit does not hear the Holy Spirit and is not interested in handling things in a biblical manner. It takes an act of God to penetrate a closed spirit. The good news is that those with closed spirits are not a lost cause. Paul is a good example of this. Instantly he was transformed on the road to Damascus from a spirit closed to all Christians, to the writer of most of the New Testament. When Christ is your Lord, NEVER write off anyone. God can change anyone's heart.

Childhood abuse

      If you are a victim of childhood abuse, you have been dealt great blow by the enemy. You will live in bondage for the rest of your life, leaving a wave of destruction and destroying relationships along the way unless you do one thing. You MUST surrender your past to God and stop resisting the Holy Spirit. You must stop your old pattern of thinking that everything being said to you is an attack or abuse. You must stop preparing to be abused and looking for it. You must stop wearing abuse like a medallion around your neck. You must stop living as a victim and start living as a victor. This is imperative. Only JESUS can heal you completely and thoroughly. God is so good. He will send people to you to help you. He will send many people with the same message. The only thing in the way is your rebellion against Him. Surrender your life. Give it up completely. Let Him mold you from scratch. Stop worrying about the faults of others and SUBMIT YOUR LIFE TO THE WILL OF GOD! He LOVES you and knows what is best for you. Take comfort in His loving arms. Don't rebel because He is convicting you of doing something evil. Instead, love Him for loving you enough to correct you and submit to His will. Learn the mind of Christ and start today, a new life of love, forgiveness, and compassion. It is not too late to turn over a new leaf. Make the abuse a thing of the past, and don't accuse everyone of wanting to abuse you, especially your spouse. Pray against your strongholds and tear them down. When they start coming down, it will be time to cast out the evil spirits that you have given the authority to enter your life. You can experience freedom. This isn't phony bologna. You can be a victor TODAY!