Welcome to Buoy, a Life in Deeper Water podcast.

Episode 103. Strongholds—Let My Walls Come A-Tumblin’ Down (originally published Jan 18 2023)

Hello human.

If we were Israelites in the days that they were roamers, a nation without a home, my reading suggests we were “fugitives accustomed to the simple camp life of the wilderness.”

We were very familiar with cities protected by walls that had to be scaled to conquer our enemies. Steep. Treacherous to climb. Unfathomable to a wandering, nomadic people.

Our voices sounded something like this:

Deuteronomy 1:28

28 Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’”

The Anakites were a giant, warlike people. Think Goliath at 9+ feet. Couple that with “walls up to the sky” and it struck terror in the hearts of the Israelites.

From the very beginning of their history as a nation the Israelites were acquainted with fortified cities. The report of cities “great and fortified up to heaven,” called forth murmurings from them on their way to Canaan.

These cities of the primitive inhabitants of Canaan occupied sites easily capable of defense.

God assured them on how to bring down the mighty fortress.

Proverbs 21:22:

22 One who is wise can go up against the city of the mighty

    and pull down the stronghold in which they trust.

Stronghold is defined in this Old Testament passage as “anything on which one relies.”

Stronghold is only used once in the New Testament.  2 Corinthians 10:4.

What does it mean? What’s the context?

2 Corinthians 10:4

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

In Biblical commentary this has often been noted as a reference to cities filled with demons, and people who have given in to demons, but for us today, it is about the fortress we have built that we feel safe in, that we can defend ourselves.

Strong’s Concordance defines stronghold as the Greek word (okh-oo’-ro-mah)  ochuróma: a stronghold, fortress; a fortified, military stronghold; a strong-walled fortress, a heavily-fortified containment; used figuratively of a false argument in which a person seeks “shelter” (“a safe place”) to escape reality.

Paul knew first-hand of these fortresses, and his reference also suggests a reminiscence of the rock-forts on the coast of his native Cilicia, which were pulled down by the Romans in their attacks on the Cilician pirates of his time. He lived in a dangerous land.

Paul goes on to say in verse 5:

2 Corinthians 10:5

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.

In one translation, “demolishing arguments is translated as “Casting down imaginations….” The word “imaginations” is taken from the Greek word we get the word “logic,” from, as in “logical thinking.”  In other words, casting down rational strongholds.

It is easy for me to justify my planning, my strategizing as the evidence of a sound God-given mind, but without the Holy Spirit guiding me, convicting me when human nature tries to take over, I have nothing. That’s the wisdom God is talking about in Proverbs 21:22.

In this sense, strongholds relate to our thoughts, opinions and allegiances.  Strongholds we create that use our human nature as the cornerstone.

Pretention Against the Knowledge of God

And Paul calls out “pretension” in verse 5, defined in other translations as every lofty thing, every high thing that exalteth, every high thing lifting itself up against… I think of this as everything not coming from God, not coming for God.

So is this what happens when what starts as a powerful, singular purpose from God, becomes a labyrinth of human reasoning?

I know how I behave. I put human terraces on my God-fort to make my view a little better. Yet God has already fortified my purpose with a 360 degree heavenly view. And what I do with it has everything to do with what His goals are, in opposition to the human desires of my heart that embrace living “in this world” rather than “in this world, but not of this world.”

Before I know it I have “flipped my custom-made, God-inspired house.” Into something far less than God intends, out of my effort to create more.

It is divinely ironic.

It resonates most deeply with me to describe my strongholds as rebellion against God. Much of what Paul wrote in the Corinthian letters was in response to lies people chose to believe. He confronted false ideas and values.

The stronghold of our own personal rebellious making must fall so that we can bring every thought and action into obedience to Christ. No spiritual off-roading.

1 Corinthians 2:9

9 However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”–

Yet, human nature engages my senses with a billowing ease, like a breeze meandering through my thoughts until a certain logic finds a mental crevice, a foothold, and that foothold becomes more solid as I entertain it, and soon, a stronghold within which I can see the world through my own self-assurance.

A stronghold of my own doing. A journey of my calculated charting. The fierce rhythm of rowing on my own ocean.

What Is Your Stronghold Protecting?

As a child, I built my share of forts, and chair trains with blankets, imagined places from which to defend and travel to mental lands of my making.  My brother built me a treehouse. That was by far, the best of all. I hoisted all my good reads up to my sky perch. There, and for hours on the front porch swing. In my treehouse, the view and distance from the ground protected my love of reading. On my porch swing, the motion left everyone behind, and without a moment to grab a seat beside my story. My white desk with pink knobs was a fortress in my bedroom corner, of what was called by day, the parlor. It was my space for homework, hand-written scribble-poems, and the same drawing of a horse, over and over again.

I grew up protecting what was of value to me.

As an adult, I define a stronghold like this:  When I use the gifts and skills God has given me, on my own, motivated by my own reasoning, pride and “pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.”

One of my regularly inhabited strongholds—fortresses from which I defend—is simply being strong. I live there, surrounded by walls fortified by planning, strategy and control. I trust myself. I know what I am going to do to manage outcomes, how I think, what motivates me. I feel safe working alone.

So, consider this question today: What is a stronghold in your life that started with one of your gifts from God, turned self-powered fortress?

What fuels it, why do you spend time building it? What are you defending yourself from? What value are you protecting?

Will you share it with me at deeperwater@kathrynbise.com or @buoykathrynb, on my Instagram account today by commenting in the post on episode 16? Or on my BUOY  facebook page. Doesn’t have to be long or a tell-all. Just name it.

Episode 17 will be richer for it, my witness will be better for it, as we seek how God’s divine power is the only stronghold we need.

From. Through. And To. It’s All about His Glory.

We can build impressive strongholds apart from God. With the gifts and skills He gave us, but isn’t this pretention against the knowledge of God?

There are many applications of stronghold, just as in Paul’s day—most often referenced is that of using God’s power to tear down the false arguments of nonbelievers. Paul was on fire for that. But that is not where it starts.

It starts with our own personal conviction, that whatever we have through Him, can only be fully, and divinely used by Him.

I can try to row across every ocean in my life, on my own.

The 2017 South African watersport pro Chris Bertish paddleboarded across the Atlantic Ocean. 4,500 nautical miles. Along the way he also set the record for the furthest distance traveled solo, unsupported and unassisted over open ocean in a day (71.96 miles).

We are capable of unthinkable feats. On our own.

Bertish said:

“The more time I can spend in the ocean, in any shape or form, the better. I’m a waterman and the ocean is my inspiration. It’s where I truly feel alive, comfortable, content, happy and free.”

Bertish’s stronghold is the ocean. It may also be God. I simply do not know. But it is easy to see how we take on that which we are good at, the gifts from our Creator, and stop short of returning it all to Him, even when it is His creation we draw inspiration from. Even when He is the One who has created us in His image.

I love the ocean. And I love writing. But neither are meant to be my destination. it is God’s will I return it all to Him, to glorify His name and presence in my life.

I love the simplicity of what Bertish said. Thank you Chris. I could say that about the ocean, dance, choreography, and writing, but here is my version:

“The more time I can spend with God, in any shape or form, the better. I’m a Christ follower and Christ is my inspiration. He makes me truly feel alive, comfortable, content, happy and free,”

Better yet.

Romans 11:36

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

How do I do that?  How do I, as Paul puts it, use weapons of warfare with divine power to demolish strongholds?  How do I gain wisdom, and live in the knowledge of God?

I know it starts with my own personal conviction, that whatever I have through Him, can only be fully, and divinely used by Him.

Let my walls come a-tumblin’ down.