The Throne – Lesson Six: The Fight for what's next

Date: January 18, 2026

Primary Text: 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Key Scriptures to Reference

Isaiah 43:19 | 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 | Romans 1:28 | Romans 12:2 | John 5:1-9

I. Understanding Our Spiritual Weapons

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 – Word Definitions

Weapons - utensil or tool (literally or figuratively, especially offensive for war)

Carnal - pertaining to flesh

Pulling down - destruction; demolition

Casting down - to lower (or with violence) demolish (literally or figuratively): cast (pull, put, take) down, destroy

Imaginations - reasoning; thoughts; the contemplation of actions

High thing - an elevated place or thing lifted up as a barrier

Strongholds - to fortify; place of confinement; late 15c., fastness, fortified place, place of security

II. What Are Strongholds?

Strongholds are our default settings.

Whatever you default to first when life hits, is a stronghold. What's your default setting?

How Are Strongholds Created?

A negative event happens → a lie is believed → a defense mechanism is established → reaction of others

The word STRONGHOLD is the Greek word ochuroma - a fortified, military fortress. In ancient times it was used to denote a safe place but also referred to a person attempting to escape reality.

That thing or person or place that we're drawn to when life hits in order to escape reality.

Strongholds in the mind, often described in the spiritual sense are deeply ingrained, recurring patterns of negative or false thinking (lies, fears, self-limiting beliefs) that become fortified mental barriers, trapping a person and influencing behavior, often stemming from trauma or deception. They work by creating mental "fortresses" that resist truth, making it hard to change despite logical understanding, and can even attract demonic spiritual influences, becoming prisons of habitual negativity or destructive actions.

We have confidence in our strongholds! Whenever we give the devil a foothold, he will always build a stronghold!

III. How Strongholds Form and Function

Lies - A lie (e.g., from abuse, neglect, or temptation) is accepted, shaping beliefs, feelings, and behaviors in a cycle.

Entrenched patterns - Repeated negative thoughts become deeply rooted mental "memory traces," like a knot that's hard to untangle, influencing how you see everything.

Fortress/Prison - They act as a fortress, making it hard for truth or help to break through, and a prison, holding you captive to those false beliefs.

Mindset filters - Everything is viewed through the stronghold's lens (e.g., fear, anger, inadequacy), leading to predictable, limiting reactions and behaviors.

Spiritual attachment - These thought patterns can become dwelling places where spiritual forces operate, reinforcing the lies.

IV. How to Dismantle Strongholds (Biblical Approach)

Identify the lie: Recognize the specific false argument or belief at the core.

Align with truth: Actively replace the lie with God's truth or Christ's perspective.

Take thoughts captive: Deliberately challenge and bring every thought under obedience to truth.

Renew the mind: Through prayer, scripture, and spiritual discipline, you can dislodge the fortified position.

V. The Battle for Our Minds

2 Corinthians 10:5 - Casting down (to lower or with violence demolish) imaginations (reasoning; arguments; the contemplation of actions) and every high thing (an elevated place or thing lifted up as a barrier) that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought (perception; intellect; disposition) to the obedience of Christ.

Casting Down Imaginations = Demolish the Arguments

Life's experiences and traumas create imaginations—reasonings, thoughts and arguments—and it's affecting our perception, that is, the intellect, disposition.

Demolish the elevated place or thing that has been lifted as a barrier in our minds. High thing - an elevated place or thing lifted up as a barrier.

And bringing into captivity every thought (perception; intellect; disposition) to the obedience of Christ.

VI. Our Disposition – The Default Settings

Thought - Disposition - frame of mind, attitude, inclination; temperament, natural tendency or constitution of the mind

Strongholds affect our disposition! It's our disposition that keeps us from being able to receive all that God has for us.

Our disposition (inclination, natural tendency) is the default settings!

Default - a selection made usually automatically or without active consideration due to lack of a viable alternative

VII. Why Our Disposition Has to Change

He's going to do it the way He wants and His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

He may use something or someone we don't like (job, church). He may want to use the church that you are offended with.

We don't want to lose it after obtaining it.

There's people that need us!

Our lives depend on it!

Critical Truth: When we refuse to deal with the strongholds in our lives, we spend most of our lives living carnally. When we act out in our flesh/carnal mind, we're acting as if we don't have a savior!

Key Scriptures to Meditate and Memorize

Isaiah 43:19 - Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 - For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Romans 12:2 - And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Romans 1:28 - And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.