Demolishing Strongholds

Demolishing Strongholds
Words of Faith 12-2-25
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2025
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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2 Corinthians 10
[1] By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you— I, Paul, who am "timid" when face to face with you, but "bold" when away! [2] I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. [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. [6] And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

       How do you deal with critics and antagonists who use fleshly methods to try to get their way? How do you break through to them? Paul's approach to dealing with such conflict didn't come from a book in the self-help section or a corporate training seminar. Quite the opposite, Paul refused to engage his critics in the fleshly ways that they had used to attack him.

       We should not overlook the fact that Paul had some traditional tools at his disposal. He could actually excommunicate people. He could bring them before the church for public discipline. In first-century Corinth, people couldn't simply walk down the street to a different church. There were no denominations or other brands. 

       So Paul warned his critics, "Don't make me come over there to deal with you face to face." We don't know precisely what Paul had in mind, but he was "ready to punish every act of disobedience.”  He also knew that most critics lack the courage to confront the truth face-to-face.

       The heart of Paul's conflict resolution model is gentleness and meekness, which reflect the character of Christ and do not lower oneself to the ways of the world. The phrase Paul used here literally means "the way of the flesh," which is based in the sinful nature. Paul refused to "get down and dirty" or even enter into the fleshly contention that his critics lived by. Paul refused to return fire using the worldly methods of his opponents.

       Most interpreters point to the worldly methods of the day as relying on rhetorical polish to convey one's learning and credentials. Paul was neither a braggadocio nor given to what we would call "spin.”  He did not have a public relations director or a "dirty tricks" campaign. He refused to retaliate with gossip or innuendo the way he had been attacked. But Paul had weapons far more powerful than his critics.

       Instead of campaigning against his critics, Paul got on his knees and prayed for them. He used the weapons of heaven. The weapons mean "tools, armor, or utensils.”  This is the same root word Paul used to describe the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6— truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, the Spirit, and the Word of God— "praying on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18). This is the arsenal of a Believer.

        It is by the divine power of prayer that strongholds are demolished along with the arguments of those who oppose the Gospel and the pretense that they live by. The word "arguments" is translated as "imaginations" in the KJV, but it actually refers to computations, reasoning, or conceits. These are the arrogant accusations and criticisms of Paul's opponents. "Pretense" means literally anything that would exalt itself, poise or raise itself, against the knowledge of God. It is a spirit of pretense that raised itself against Paul's leadership.

        Are there some strongholds of opposition in your life? It may be a person, an attitude, or a pretentious group. It may be an argumentative circle of friends or family. The answer is not to engage with the flesh. The answer is to go to God in prayer. The answer is to seek God's divine power in demolishing those strongholds, breaking down the walls, and softening hearts. This is the way of Paul following after the Master.

        Father God, teach me the life of prayer soaked in Your Spirit. Teach me the life of trust that never needs to battle with the tools of this world. Teach me the way of walking with You so closely that arguments and pretense tumble away. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.