“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”
– 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV
Decimate
/ˈdɛsɪmeɪt/
Meaning: kill, destroy, or remove a large proportion of.
The seriousness of a matter determines the actions that should be taken to address it. Can you remember how you felt as you watched a person believe a lie that ultimately destroyed their life? You felt so bad! Even though the entire thing happened in a movie, you wished you could either stop or decimate the lie. The seriousness of the situation determined your reaction to it. Yet, there was nothing you could do about it, the script had already been written.
Dear believer, there is a lie you can do something about — the lies of false teachings. If you have ever had interactions with people held under bondage to false teaching, you will discover that every attempt to free them from it is strongly resisted. The unbelieving mind clings to logic and rock-solid false arguments to fend off any impingement of God’s truth into their lies.
Therefore, you have to recognise that to free people from bondage and the stronghold of falsehood, it will require intentional and passionate decimation by the teaching of the truth of the gospel.
Sadly, these falsehoods are not limited to teachings, we see them in the media space i.e. movies, songs etc. There are songs from your childhood which teach falsehoods that you liked and even memorized all the texts because they sounded so good! Now, they have formed part of your consciousness and reflect on your relationship with God.
What about movies? We have watched a good number that portrayed the devil as powerful, and the believer would need to muster extra strength to defeat him. Yet, the Bible is clear about a believer’s authority which is over and above the devil.
Listen, do not take falsehoods lightly at all because when it grips minds, it results in strongholds. The word of God will no longer penetrate and permeate the heart of a person. To rescue such a one will be akin to a rescue operation in a war situation. You have got to apply sophisticated weaponry. The weapon here is the gospel.
How do we use this instrument of decimation? For example, in countering false teachings, you present sound accurate teachings. In movies, you project the right stories and images. For songs, the right lyrics must be presented and sung. At the end of the day, the knowledge of the truth must be aggressively shared through every available medium.
If you haven’t been taking the truth of the gospel seriously, start now. Can you give a defence for the gospel in a highly sensual world? Will intellectuals listen to you when you preach? Think platforms, think mediums and ask yourself: “How can I present the truth in these cases?”
The devil has become even more sophisticated and cunning, so this message is even more timely. Remember, the gospel is your weapon to set people from his bondage. Decimate strongholds with it.
CONFESSION:
I am a decimator of strongholds
By the gospel, I pull down evil imaginations
I shatter mindsets that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God
I am wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove
I weed out subtleties engineered by the devil
I am discerning of his lies
And I snatch souls from the power of hell!
Bible Reading Plan:
John 11:1-16, 1 John 3:1-10, Job 13, Ezekiel 35-37