The strongholds of the devil in the mind of people have one purpose, which is to prevent the Kingdom of God from being established on earth. There are many spiritual strongholds, but the biggest strongholds of the devil are built in people’s minds. These strongholds in the mind are built by nurture, edukasyon, (sosyal na sosyal) media, the wisdom and knowledge of this world, atbp. A person’s mind is the result of all the things the person has dedicated and devoted himself or herself to and fed himself or herself with. The devil’s strongholds always exalt itself against the knowledge and the wisdom of God and His Word (ang Biblia), resulting in sin and iniquity. What are the strongholds in the mind of people, and how do you pull down these strongholds according to the Bible?
How the devil takes the mind captive?
The devil uses all kinds of means to enter the mind and take the mind captive. The devil knows that people’s words and actions derive from their mind. Kaya nga, the devil wants to control everybody’s mind so that they do his will.
Mula sa murang edad, the devil tries to captivate the minds of children through nurture, edukasyon, libangan; telebisyon, mga libro, paglalaro ng, musika, social media, mga amusement park, mga laruan, ang pangkukulam, atbp.
The strongholds, which the devil builds in the mind of children, ensure that children develop his character and walk according to his will in his ways.
The children develop a strong will and become rebellious against their parents, and refuse to submit to others. (Basahin mo rin: Mga anak, Sundin ang iyong mga magulang sa lahat ng bagay!).
As they mature, they’ll walk and talk according to the will of (ang pinuno ng) ang mundo. That’s because throughout the years they fed themselves with the knowledge, karunungan, and things of the world and developed a carnal mindset. Ang kanilang mga iniisip, mga imahinasyon, reasonings, Mga pangangatwiran, barriers, makalaman na kaalaman at karunungan, exalt and rise against the knowledge of God.
Sapagkat bagaman tayo'y lumalakad sa laman, hindi tayo nakikipagdigma sa laman: (Sapagkat ang mga sandata ng ating pakikidigma ay hindi makamundo, kundi makapangyarihan sa pamamagitan ng Diyos sa paghila pababa ng malakas na hawak;) Paghahagis ng mga imahinasyon, at bawat mataas na bagay na nagmamataas laban sa kaalaman ng Diyos, at pagdadala sa pagkabihag ng bawat kaisipan sa pagsunod kay Cristo; At pagkakaroon sa isang kahandaan upang maghiganti ang lahat ng pagsuway, kapag natupad ang iyong pagsunod (2 Mga Taga Corinto 10:3-6)
Can Christians who think and live like the world preach the gospel and establish God’s Kingdom on earth?
Christians who think, kumilos, and live like the world are not able to preach and establish God’s Kingdom on earth. Because their carnal mind and the way they think diametrically oppose the Bible (ang Salita ng Diyos). That’s why the Bible says that a carnal mind is enmity with God, because a carnal mind won’t submit to God’s will.
Sapagkat ito ay nakasulat, Sisirain ko ang karunungan ng marurunong, at papawiin ang unawa ng mabait. Nasaan ang matalino? nasaan ang eskriba? nasaan ang nakikipagtalo sa mundong ito? hindi baga ginawang kamangmangan ng Dios ang karunungan ng sanlibutang ito? (1 Mga Taga Corinto 1:19-20)
Para sa karunungan ng mundong ito ay kamangmangan sa Diyos. Sapagkat ito ay nakasulat, Kinukuha niya ang matalino sa kanilang sariling tatag (1 Mga Taga Corinto 3:19)
The stronghold of education
Education also plays an important role in the development of a person’s mind. Sa kasamaang palad, many schools teach children things that oppose the will of God and His Word. Therefore education can become a stronghold in people’s mind.
In primary school, children are taught evolution and by time they go to high school, and after that to university, their mind is fed and filled with worldly knowledge and wisdom that is based on science and the philosophies of man.
Bilang isang resulta, they shall have faith in science. Since faith is built on the words you hear and accept as the truth.
They shall believe in evolution instead of creationism and reject God and His existence. This worldly wisdom and knowledge become a stronghold in their mind. Bilang isang resulta, they shall talk, kumilos, and walk according to the world system. The world considers them wise and smart, ngunit ayon sa Bibliya, they are fools.
Scientific studies caused many Christians to become apostates from the faith in God and Jesus Christ; ang buhay na Salita. Bakit nga ba? Well, after hearing people’s wisdom and knowledge and their philosophies, reasonings, and so-called scientific proof, they began to doubt the Word of God. Just like Adam and Eve began to doubt the words of God after hearing the words of the devil. (Genesis 3:1-6)
The wisdom and knowledge of this world not only cause apostasy but also pride. Because through this carnal knowledge, which exalts itself against the knowledge of God, people exalt themselves above God and others.
That’s why you know this knowledge derives from the devil because it creates a person after his image and character. The devil is prideful and still exalts himself above God. The devil wants to be the god of the people, and his children follow his example.
Lay down worldly wisdom and knowledge
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise (1 Mga Taga Corinto 3:18)
When people come to faith at an older age, they have to destroy these strongholds of worldly knowledge and wisdom. Kung hindi man, they shall not be able to believe God’s Word, magsisi ka na, maging Ipinanganak na Muli, and act and live by faith according to God’s Word.
People may gain a lot of head knowledge of the Bible and quote every scripture of the Bible, but this knowledge only remains head knowledge instead of experiential knowledge. This carnal knowledge causes them to become puffed up.
They will not be able to walk in faith. Because their carnal mind, which is formed by the wisdom and knowledge of the world, belongs to the world and opposes the Word of God.
Bilang isang resulta, they will combine God’s Word with the philosophies of man. They will change and adjust the words in the Bible to the knowledge and wisdom of this world.
Since they have a carnal mind and reason from their carnal mind, they’ll not be able to be born again.
They’ll consider regeneration a strange phenomenon, which they can’t comprehend or explain with their carnal mind. Dahil diyan, their spirit remains dead and not be raised from the dead by faith and regeneration in Christ
They shall not see nor enter the Kingdom of God, since their spirit is dead. Hayaan mo na, speaking in other tongues, building themselves up in their most holy faith, praying in the spirit, and fulfilling the great commission of Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:20, Mateo 28:19, Markahan 16:16-18).
What makes a Christian a Christian?
People may call themselves Christians on the basis that they believe in God and the Son Jesus Christ, magbasa ng Bibliya, pray before meals and before going to bed, bumisita sa isang simbahan, give to charities, and maybe even do charity work(s), but all these things don’t make people a Christian.
As long as people are not born again and stay carnal and live according to the strongholds in their carnal mind they shall be humanists, who belong to the world and have the mind of the world.
Your walk and the fruit, which you produce in your life, prove if you believe and are a bagong paglikha; isang anak ng Diyos (Ito ay nalalapat sa parehong mga lalaki at babae) o di ba.
The stronghold of false doctrines
Another big stronghold of the devil in the mind is false doctrines. Oo nga, even churches can build strongholds of the devil for the benefit of his kingdom in your mind. Preachers build these strongholds through false doctrines that derive from the wisdom and knowledge of carnal man and their philosophies. (Basahin mo rin: Paano pinapatay ng mga doktrina ng mga demonyo ang simbahan).
These false doctrines that become strongholds in the mind cause Christians to depart from the will of God and His Word, Kompromiso, become passive, and spiritually fall asleep.
These false doctrines ensure that Christians stay ignorant regarding the truth of God and prevent them from walking in the truth as a son of God.
Some of these false doctrines are, that a person always remains a sinnerdespite the finished work of Jesus Christ, na hindi mahalaga kung paano ka nabubuhay, kasi ikaw once saved lagi na lang naiipon, that you don’t have to die to the flesh and ipagpaliban mo na ang matanda, that you can live like the world, na wala nang kasalanan, that you can’t kasalanan ba wala na ba, because Jesus has taken all sins away, that there is no hell, that you don’t have to mabilis na, that it’s all grace, that the love accepts everything, kasama na ang kasalanan, religious rituals in church, atbp. But these are all lies of the devil, that proclaim the opposite of what the Bible teaches.
Most Christians don’t read and study the Bible themselves and listen to Him. They only listen to what their pastor says in the church or what television preachers say, and believe and accept their words as the truth.
The stronghold of inferiority (lack of self-confidence)
Another stronghold that the devil builds in the mind of many people is a lack of confidence and low self-esteem. This stronghold can prevent people from fulfilling God’s plan for their lives. Because God has a plan for every believer, sino ba ang born again, and laid down his life, and follows Si Jesus.
These lies are from the devil and don’t line up with what God’s Word says about the new creation. Kaya nga, it’s important to find out the truth and hear what God has to say and believe His words.
How can you find out the truth of God?
You can find out the truth of God and sino ka ba talaga, by studying the Bible. Only when you read and study God’s Word, you get to know Jesus and find out the knowledge of God’s will and what the Bible says about you. Because the Word is the reflection of God and reveals His will, and the mirror of the new creation. (Basahin mo rin: Ang Salita ng Diyos ay isang salamin).
Gayunpaman, we live in an age where people would rather be lazy. They don’t want to make time and don’t want to put any effort into reading and studying the Bible.
Many Christians spend hours on the things of this world, but are not willing to spend even one hour with the Father and His Word. Napakalungkot naman niyan. Because they’ll never get to know Jesus; the Word and the Father, and find out the truth and walk in the fullness of the sonship of God. (Basahin mo rin: Paano gumagawa ng huwad na Jesus ang mga huwad na Kristiyano?).
They will always remain spiritual hitchhikers, who lean on other people’s faith. When they’ve a need or are in trouble, they always depend upon others and go to them for help and advice.
How to destroy the strongholds in your mind?
You destroy the strongholds in your mind through the Word; Jesucristo. You take every thought, imagination, pangangatuwiran, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge and truth of God, captive and bring in captivity every thought in the obedience of Christ. This means that you panibagong isip sa mga salita ng Diyos. So that you know the truth and will of God, at ang kanyang kaharian.
Every thought and imagination that doesn’t line up with the Bible, you destroy with the truth of the Word.
By renewing your mind with the Bible and speaking God’s words, you attack, pull down, and destroy these strongholds in your mind.
You do this until all the strongholds are destroyed and your mind is conformed to God’s Word and His will.
Sa prosesong ito, you will be tested. During the tests, you prove whether these strongholds are still there by acting upon the words of the devil or that these strongholds are destroyed, by acting upon the Word of God.
When your mind is conformed to the Word of God and you become a doer of the Word, you shall think and live according to the Word. Dapat kang magpasakop sa Salita at mamuhay sa pagsunod sa Kanya sa kabanalan at katuwiran.
Sa pamamagitan ng iyong buhay; ang paraan ng iyong pagsasalita at paglalakad, at ang bunga na iyong ibinubunga, kinakatawan mo, mangaral ka, at itatag ang Kaharian ng Diyos sa mundo.
'Maging asin ng lupa’
