DEALING WITH STRONGHOLDS IN AFRICA
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 2 Cor. 10:4
A stronghold is defined as a place that has been fortified so as to protect it against attack. Another definition would be a place where a particular cause or belief is strong. Spiritual strongholds have enslaved Africa for a long time, hindering the inhabitants from experiencing divine favor. Some of the strongholds in Africa are: poverty, sexual immorality, fear, idolatry, witchcraft, pride, corruption, bribery, hatred, envy and jealousy among others.
Jonah.2:8 says, “Those who cling to worthless idols, turn away from God’s love for them.” As children of God and believers in Christ, we must deal with idolatry before the African Exodus can take place. We must engage in spiritual warfare to do away with the practices that attract God’s anger instead of God’s love.
Defining and recognizing strongholds
1. There are two kinds of strongholds:
• Physical strongholds like places, cities, nations, tribes (Amos 1:7,10,12 & Hosea 8:4)
• Spiritual strongholds such as arguments, lofty opinions, thoughts, beliefs and anything esteemed above the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:5)
2. Strongholds are rooted in pride because they rely on self. They lead to a prideful heart, unhealthy thought patterns, and habitual sins that we just cannot seem to overcome.
3. Things that we trust in besides the Lord can also become a spiritual stronghold.
4. The defining mark of a stronghold is its recurring pattern. It literally has a “strong hold” on you so that you find it extremely difficult to break free from it, so you keep coming back to it.
5. A stronghold, begins when Satan is given a foothold or permission to enter our lives through disobedience.
Satan uses believers’ weaknesses as legal grounds for oppression.
This could be a difficult life situation, a character weakness, or a past failure that he uses to control and secure a territory for himself.
Dealing with strongholds requires identifying Satan’s patterns of wickedness that manifest in a life, family, church, community, and nation.
Patterns include household wickedness, communal wickedness, national wickedness, religious wickedness.
Questions
1. In what areas is God showing you strongholds in your life, family, community, church and nation? How will your respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit in dealing with wickedness in your life and the lives of others?
2. What areas in your life do you need to bring under obedience and submission to God?
Prayer points
1. Pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to identify, train us to deal with and reveal strongholds that are affecting us as individuals, families, communities, the church, nation and continent of Africa.
2. Repent in areas where we have been ignorant and even ignored the repercussions of strongholds both as individuals and the body of Christ.
By Reverend Hillary Jaffu
