“³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

⁴ (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”  2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

The weapons of our warfare to the pulling down of strong holds are mighty THROUGH God.  Our carnal mind is opposed to God (Romans 8:6-8).

As a Believer we must reject the vain imaginations and high things that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.  We must meditate in God’s precepts and have respect for His Ways (Psalms 119:15).  One cannot know the ways of the Lord unless we study His Word.  With every vain imagination we must carefully consider God’s ways, His precepts, before choosing whether to cast it down or exalt it above His Word…and choose wisely we must.  This choice may seem obvious, as it should, but when that loved one has a good excuse for their sin, whatever that sin may be, we too often exalt that excuse above God’s precept and compromise with their sinful lifestyle.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2.

Once we choose to cast it down, once we lay aside the sin which so easily besets us and look to Jesus Christ to author and finish our faith…HE will pull down that strong hold through the power of God which IS His Cross (1 Corinthians 1:18).  Jesus is the Source and His Cross is the means by which the strong hold is destroyed.  When we reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin and alive unto God (Romans 6:11) through the atoning Blood of Jesus Christ our deliverance will come…precept upon precept, line upon line our faith is authored and finished through faith in Jesus.

The word of faith doctrine will tell you it is up to you to break that strong hold.  They will present many philosophical methods to break the bondage…some of them will even be Scriptural (fasting, reading the Bible, even communion has been given as an answer to bondage).  When we do our part to overthrow that strong hold, again even the most Scriptural doctrines, we are bound by the law of sin and death.

No matter how many times we cast it down, and through faith in and because of Jesus’ atoning work on Calvary’s Cross to give us dominion over that very thing that is so easily besetting us,  we KEEP casting it down.  We bring our thoughts and vain imaginations into the obedience of Christ as we continue to fight the good fight of faith, faith in Jesus Christ and HIS finished work on Calvary’s Cross to give us dominion over that sin.

The power of God which will pull down that strong hold is the Cross of Christ…not “your part”.  Your part is faith, faith in the One Who made a show of every demon in hell to give us dominion over the world, the flesh and the devil.

Wisdom of words and philosophies of man, no matter how religious they may sound, will not and cannot break bondages.  If reading the Bible and fasting could overthrow sin, as Scriptural as those doctrines are, Jesus Christ would not have had to go to Calvary’s Cross to give us dominion over sin.  I speak here of Sanctification, not Salvation.  The Word of God says sin no longer has dominion over us because we are under Grace, not under Law (Romans 6:14).  We either reckon that to be true or we reckon that to be a lie.

If we reckon that sin no longer has dominion over us to be true, yet the strong hold remains what we don’t do is listen to the lies of the devil.  We don’t believe the lies that God will not deliver, that God must not love us, we must “do our part” or we don’t have “enough” faith.  Cain did his part and it revealed his pride.  It is not the amount of our faith but the Object of our faith that gives us dominion over sin and we fight the fight of faith DAILY…faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  It is then and only then that the Holy Spirit is commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death.

“¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

¹⁸ For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the Power of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:17-18.

Recognize the difference in philosophies of man to overcome sin and the Power of God to overcome sin.  One is from the vanities of man’s mind and the other is the message of the Cross of Christ and what He there did to give the Believer dominion over the sin which so easily besets us and pay our sin debt to God so that the world through Him might be saved. Look to Him, Jesus Christ – the Author and Finisher of your faith and cast down the philosophies of men which make the Cross of Christ of none effect.

-Donna Clark Warren