Overcoming Strongholds is another struggle Christians go through as they are entangled to the pleasures of the world. Satan brings lies about themselves, about others and about God. Believeing these lies create a stronghold and reinforcing the lie leads them away from God. Real freedom includes overcoming the strongholds in our spiritual life. Be Blessed!

2. Definition
“Stronghold is a system of thought built in
our lives against God.”
“A Stronghold is a pattern of wrong thinking.
This fortress of thought gives the enemy a
place to secure a place in your life.”
Stronghold needs to be broken/overtaken

3. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we live in the world, we do not
wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we
fight with are not the weapons of the world. On
the contrary, they have divine power to
demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments
and every pretension that sets itself up against
the knowledge of God, and we take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

4. Battle in the Thought
Strongholds are often cling and start its hold on
people in the mind (Mind is the common place
where either God or Demon takes control).
Love the Lord with all your MIND (Mat 22:37)
Every psychological problems have some kind of
demonic strongholds – They need deliverance only
by God.

5. Anatomy of a Stronghold
1. Event
2. Lie
3.
Defense
4.
Reaction

6. Step 1: The Event
• What Happened (Or)
• What did not happen
• Generational Inheritance

7. Step 2: The Lie
• I assign to an event / Connect to the event
• Lies about God
• Lies about ourselves and others

8. Step 3: The Defence / Comfort
• Inner Vows and Judgments
• Inner Vow – A Commitment you make in
response to a circumstance or experience
that places a guard over your heart. It would
look like “I will never” (or) “I will always”
• Give some examples of the above
statements??

9. Step 3: The Defence / Comfort
• Judgments: A hard hearted – negative decision
or expectation against something or someone
• Inappropriate comforts: How do you minister
your pain to make it go away? – Most people
deal with sin management! Instead of dealing
with sin
• “Hurt people Hurt people – Free people free
people”

10. Step 4: The Reaction
• If I operate out of fear and hurt, I almost
always guarantee the outcome I fear. (David
and Goliath 1 Sam 17:11, 24 and 46, “The
Lord will hand you over to me, and I will
strike you down…”
• It is not generally the life event that causes us
our issues, it’s the lie that comes out of it.

11. Reaction to Strongholds
STRONGHOLDS OF
Drugs
Alcoholism
Pornography
Over-eating
Gambling
Anger
Jealousy
Lying
Abuse
Gossip
Isolation
Shopping
Workaholic
Technology
False Religion
Idolatry
ARE THE…
IDOLS
That we trust
and rely on
more than we
trust God to
give us a sense
of peace and
security
because our
souls are
anxious and
unsettled
BECAUSE WE…
FEAR
Something
more than
we fear God
because we
don’t truly
know the
love of God.
Because we
are
BELIEVEING
A…
LIE

12. God’s Tools to fight Strongholds
Eph 6:13 – The Full Armour of God
Belt of Truth – Breastplate of Righteousness –
Gospel of Peace shoes – Shield of Faith –
Helmet of Salvation – Sword of the Spirit, the
word of God – Pray in the Spirit.

13. God’s Tools to fight Strongholds
Rev 12:11 – Triumphed over him by the blood
of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.
1 John 1:9 – If we repent / confess our sins he is
faithful and just to forgive all our sins.
Rom 8:1-2 – There is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus, because
through Christ the law of spirit who gives life
has set you free from the law of sin and
death.

14. Action Steps
Repent – Change the way of thinking – allow
God to show us how we ought to
view/see/think about the world.
When overcoming strongholds/addictions be
wise. Being set free from strongholds mean
the power of it over you is gone, but you can
be still unwise and choose the same on your
own. You can align your will to God’s will.

15. Action Steps
• Be careful of where you hang out?
• Be careful of to whom you are hang out
with?
• Be careful of which old habit that triggers
you or entice you?
• Be careful of Alcohol and other intoxications
that bond you previously.
• Get an accountability partner (Not your
spouse or family members – A Spiritual Friend)
• Surround yourself with worship Music

16. Prayer to break the strongholds
“Dear Lord!
I confess the lie I believed _______________!
I confess the inner vow ___________ I made in
my heart as a defence or comfort to solve it
by myself!
I confess the truth that _________________ I
ask for forgiveness for believing the lie that
was greater than the truth you laid about me

17. Prayer to break the strongholds
I break agreement with Satan and ask you Jesus to cover this sin
with your blood and release me from Satanic grip, binding Satan
and this thug from having any more claim over me. Any demonic
oppression my improper actions have created, I break off now and
the effect it has had on my mind, my will and emotions and any
effect in it attachment to my family.
I surrender myself to your Lordship, cleanse my mind. Empower
me to make healthy, Godly choices. Fill me with your love. We
claim triumph over the enemy by the blood of the lamb and the
spoken word of my testimony.
In Jesus’ Name – Amen!”
If anyone you need to ask forgiveness from – do it soon!

18. Group Discussion – Identifying and Praying with
the 4 Steps
• 1. Identify
• 2. Repent
• 3. Renounce
• 4. Bless and fill/ Receive
• Identify – Take them back to their notes from the session on strongholds. Have
the participant bring back to mind what stronghold they felt God was showing
them. Ask questions to God and identify the stronghold what the Holy Spirit
shows you.
• Repent - This is where we identify our own role in the bondage. This may mean
we need to confess something, forgive someone, or repent from an old way of
thinking.
• Renounce – This is where we identify the enemy’s role in our bondage. We speak
directly to the enemy and renounce any influence of the enemy, rebuke that
spirit by name, and break any strongholds.
• Bless and Fill – In this final part of the prayer model we celebrate that we are set
on a new path of freedom in this area. We speak blessings and celebrate the
future as a free person. Use this time to speak the word of life over others in the
group.

19. Conclusion
“God wants to do more than break the
strongholds. He wants to meet the root need so
you no longer desire that which once enslaved
you.”
Free people – Free people
Hurt people – Hurt people