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    Strongholds of The Mind

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    Christopher Peppler
    The document discusses "strongholds of the mind", which are entrenched or set views that people hold onto stubbornly. It notes that these strongholds often lead to conflict. While people tend to defend their views vigorously, the author argues that the best approach is to honestly examine one's own views and consider opposing perspectives. The author also argues that, according to the Bible, the way to demolish strongholds of the mind is not through argument or force, but by opening people's minds to the truth and example of Jesus Christ.

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    Strongholds of The Mind

    Uploaded by

    Christopher Peppler
    380 views2 pages
    The document discusses "strongholds of the mind", which are entrenched or set views that people hold onto stubbornly. It notes that these strongholds often lead to conflict. While people tend to defend their views vigorously, the author argues that the best approach is to honestly examine one's own views and consider opposing perspectives. The author also argues that, according to the Bible, the way to demolish strongholds of the mind is not through argument or force, but by opening people's minds to the truth and example of Jesus Christ.

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    Article published in Joy! magazine

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    Strongholds of the Mind

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    The document discusses "strongholds of the mind", which are entrenched or set views that people hold onto stubbornly. It notes that these strongholds often lead to conflict. While people tend to defend their views vigorously, the author argues that the best approach is to honestly examine one's own views and consider opposing perspectives. The author also argues that, according to the Bible, the way to demolish strongholds of the mind is not through argument or force, but by opening people's minds to the truth and example of Jesus Christ.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    380 views2 pages

    Strongholds of The Mind

    Uploaded by

    Christopher Peppler
    The document discusses "strongholds of the mind", which are entrenched or set views that people hold onto stubbornly. It notes that these strongholds often lead to conflict. While people tend to defend their views vigorously, the author argues that the best approach is to honestly examine one's own views and consider opposing perspectives. The author also argues that, according to the Bible, the way to demolish strongholds of the mind is not through argument or force, but by opening people's minds to the truth and example of Jesus Christ.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as doc, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    Strongholds of the mind

    In one week last month I encountered three people whose views were so set, whose
    mindsets were so entrenched that I was left flabbergasted and frustrated. I used words
    like “Have you considered that there might be a better way?” and “Have you studied the
    opposing views to that?” They wouldn’t look me in the eyes and their faces were tense
    and combatant. “I don’t care what anybody says”, retorted one, and “It’s just not
    negotiable” stated another.

    Of course, I have to acknowledge that the reason I was challenged by these ‘strongholds
    of the mind’ was because they were opposite to my own entrenched views. We view
    other people’s mental fortifications from the lofty heights of our own castles. So perhaps
    the best we can do when confronted by ‘dug in’ mindsets is to honestly examine our own.
    You see, entrenched positions usually lead to conflict in families, churches, and
    enterprises and we inevitably lose something precious when stubborn views collide.

    We develop our views by adding to what we learn at an early age. We read, discuss,
    research, and then we decide on a view. From then on we tend to fortify it by selecting
    only the data, opinions and circumstances that support our view. When challenged, we go
    to the trenches and dig in around the fortress of our mindset in order to defend it. Each
    such battle only serves to strengthen the mind-castle and deepen the trenches.

    In 2 Corinthians 10 the Apostle Paul defends his ministry, but within this context he sets
    out some important principles that have a bearing on the subject of mental strongholds.
    He writes, ’For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The
    weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have
    divine power to demolish strongholds. 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’. 2 Cor 10:3-5

    The words ‘demolish strongholds’ evokes images of Roman siege engines. The
    Trebuchet hurls huge boulders at the walls. The Battering Ram strikes at the gates. The
    Tower allows attackers to scale the walls and enter the fortress. So that’s how we are
    inclined to tackle strongholds of the mind – batter them down with debate, bash them in
    with arguments, or force an entry with manipulation or coercion. Yet, as Paul says, the
    weapons we should be using are not ‘of the world’ and if we are going to demolish
    mental and spiritual strongholds we had better find another way. It seems that divine
    siege weapons operate very differently to those of the world. They demolish by taking the
    stronghold captive and making it obedient to Christ.

    The mythical Pied Piper of Hamelin didn’t attack the rats with cats, bats, or traps but
    drew them out with the charm of his music. We defeat the defenders of the strongholds of
    the mind not by argument, manipulation, or coercion, but by drawing them away with the
    sweet music of the truth – and Jesus is the truth. An entrenched position becomes just an
    empty trench when the defenders have walked off to follow Jesus.
    What I mean by all this is that to draw away the defence of a stronghold we need to open
    ourselves, and others, to the ways, words, and wonders of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can
    demolish arguments and pretentions by simply considering what the light of the person of
    Jesus casts on the issue at hand. What did Jesus model concerning this? What did He say
    about this sort of thing?

    As usual, the ways of the Kingdom of God are opposite to the ways of the world. If you
    find yourself suffering from the effects of an entrenched view, I sincerely recommend
    that you open yourself to the divine siege engine – the truth embodied in Jesus Christ. I
    am trying to do this and already a few of my cherished castles are standing empty and
    decrepit on the horizon of my world view.

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