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, Thuto, (sechabeng) mecha ea litaba, the wisdom and knowledge of this world, etc. 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 (BIBELE), 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. Ka hona, the devil wants to control everybody’s mind so that they do his will.
Ho tloha bonyenyaneng, the devil tries to captivate the minds of children through nurture, Thuto, boithabiso; thelevishene, libuka, papali, mmino, Mecha ea litaba ea sechaba, lirapa tsa boithabiso, libapalisoa, boloi, etc.
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. (Bala hape: Bana, mamelang batsoali ba lōna linthong tsohle!).
As they mature, they’ll walk and talk according to the will of ('musi oa) lefatshe. That’s because throughout the years they fed themselves with the knowledge, bohlale, and things of the world and developed a carnal mindset. Mehopolo ea bona, menahano, reasonings, Likhang, barriers, carnal knowledge and wisdom, exalt and rise against the knowledge of God.
Hobane leha re tsamaya nameng, ha re loane ka nama: (Etsoe lihlomo tsa ntoa ea rōna hase tsa nama, empa a le matla ka Modimo ho isa ho diha diqhobosheane;) Ho lahla mehopolo, 'me ntho e' ngoe le e 'ngoe e phahameng e iphahamisa khahlanong le tsebo ea Molimo, mme re isa kgolehong menahano yohle e utlwang Kreste; Mme re itokiseditse ho phetetsa ho se mamele hohle, ha kutlo ya hao e phethehile (2 Korinthe 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, ketso, 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 (Lentswe la Modimo). 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.
Hobane ho ngotsoe, Ke tla senya bohlale ba ba bohlale, mme kutlwisiso ya ba masene e tla fetoha lefeela. Ba kae ba bohlale? o kae mongodi? o kae moferekanyi wa lefatshe lena? A Modimo ga o a ka wa dira botlhale jwa lefatshe leno boeleele?? (1 Korinthe 1:19-20)
Ho bohlale ba lefatše lena ke booatla ho Molimo. Hobane ho ngotsoe, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness (1 Korinthe 3:19)
The stronghold of education
Education also plays an important role in the development of a person’s mind. Ka bomalimabe, 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.
Ka hoo, 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. Ka hoo, they shall talk, ketso, and walk according to the world system. The world considers them wise and smart, empa ho latela Bibele, they are fools.
Scientific studies caused many Christians to become apostates from the faith in God and Jesus Christ; Lentswe le phelang. Hobaneng? Hantle, 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. (Genese 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 Korinthe 3:18)
When people come to faith at an older age, they have to destroy these strongholds of worldly knowledge and wisdom. Ho seng joalo, they shall not be able to believe God’s Word, baka, ho ba tsoaloa hape, 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.
Ka hoo, 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. Ka lebaka la seo, 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. Tlohella, Ho bua ka maleme a mang, building themselves up in their most holy faith, praying in the spirit, and fulfilling the great commission of Jesus Christ. (Juda 1:20, Mattheu 28:19, Tšoaea 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, Bala Bibele, pray before meals and before going to bed, etela kereke, 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 popo e ncha; mora wa Modimo (sena se sebetsa ho banna le basali) kapa eseng joalo.
The stronghold of false doctrines
Another big stronghold of the devil in the mind is false doctrines. Ho joalo, 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. (Bala hape: Kamoo dithuto tsa matemona di bolayang kereke kateng).
These false doctrines that become strongholds in the mind cause Christians to depart from the will of God and His Word, tenyetseha, 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, hore ha ho tsotellehe hore na u phela joang, because you are hang feela o pholositswe kamehla, that you don’t have to die to the flesh and tlosa monnamoholo, that you can live like the world, hore ha ho sa le sebe, that you can’t sebe hape, because Jesus has taken all sins away, that there is no hell, that you don’t have to ka potlako, that it’s all grace, that the love accepts everything, Ho kenyelletsa Seld, religious rituals in church, etc. 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, ya tswetsweng labobedi, and laid down his life, and follows Jesu.
These lies are from the devil and don’t line up with what God’s Word says about the new creation. Ka hona, 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 tseo u hlileng u leng tsona, 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. Hobane Lentswe ke kgadimiso ya Modimo mme le senola thato ya Hae, le seipone sa popo e ncha. (Bala hape: Lentsoe la Molimo ke seipone).
Leha ho le joalo, re phela mehleng eo ho eona batho ba ka ratang ho ba botsoa. Ha ba batle ho ipha nako ’me ha ba batle ho etsa boiteko leha e le bofe ba ho bala le ho ithuta Bibele.
Bakreste ba bangata ba qeta lihora tse ngata ba etsa lintho tsa lefatše lena, empa ha baa ikemisetsa ho qeta leha e le hora le Ntate le Lentsoe la Hae. Ho bohloko haholo. Hobane ha ho mohla ba tla tseba Jesu; Lentswe le Ntate, mme o fumane nnete mme o tsamaye ka botlalo ba bara ba Modimo. (Bala hape: Kamoo Jesu oa maiketsetso a hlahisang Bakreste ba bohata kateng?).
Ba tla lula e le bahahlauli ba moea, ya itshetlehileng ka tumelo ya batho ba bang. Ha ba na le tlhoko kapa ba le mathateng, ba dula ba itshetlehile ka ba bang mme ba ya ho bona bakeng sa thuso le keletso.
Mokhoa oa ho senya liqhobosheane tse ka kelellong ea hau?
O senya diqhobosheane tse kelellong ya hao ka Lentswe; Jesu Kreste. U nka mohopolo o mong le o mong, monahano, ho beha mabaka, le ntho e nngwe le e nngwe e phahameng e iphahamisetsang tsebo le nnete ya Modimo, le tlama menahano yohle kutlong ya Kreste. Sena se bolela hore uena nchafatsa kelello ea hao Ka mantsoe a Molimo. E le hore u tsebe 'nete le thato ea Molimo, 'Muso oa hae.
Monahano o mong le o mong le monahano o sa lumellaneng le Bibele, o senya ka nnete ya Lentswe.
Ka ho nchafatsa kelello ea hao ka Bibele le ho bua mantsoe a Molimo, ua hlasela, hulela fatshe, mme o senye diqhobosheane tsena kelellong ya hao.
U etsa sena ho fihlela liqhobosheane tsohle li senngoa ’me kelello ea hao e lumellana le Lentsoe la Molimo le thato ea Hae.
Nakong ea ts'ebetso ena, o tla lekwa. Nakong ea liteko, o paka hore na liqhobosheane tsena li ntse li le teng ka ho sebetsa holim’a mantsoe a diabolosi kapa hore liqhobosheane tsena li sentsoe, ka ho sebetsa hodima Lentswe la Modimo.
Ha kelello ya hao e dumellana le Lentswe la Modimo mme o fetoha mophethi wa Lentswe, o tla nahana mme o phele ho ya ka Lentswe. O tla ikokobeletsa Lentswe mme o phele ka kutlo ho Yena ka kgalalelo le ho loka.
Ka bophelo ba hao; tsela eo o buang le ho tsamaya ka yona, le ditholwana tseo o di beang, o emela, rera, le ho theha Mmuso wa Modimo lefatsheng.
‘E be letsoai la lefatše’
