What is referred to as STRONGHOLDS are negative or false conditions or patterns which we create in our mind, and having held on to them for long inside our mind they become firmly rooted. The Bible teaches us to cast such strongholds down. A good example is PRIDE!
Pride is a feeling of superiority over others. There’s “good” and “bad” pride. In a good sense, pride is having a sense of self-respect, being proud of your accomplishments and such like. But, pride becomes bad when you or your family/friends suffer because you don’t want to help them; using pride to put others down or measuring your achievements against someone else vs. your own previous performances.
Signs You Are Prideful:
- You think you are humble
- You do not accept constructive criticisms
- You always want to be center of attention
- You are vain about your physical appearance
- You do not like associating with the “ordinary” or unpopular.
- You are fond of names dropping.
- You are not teachable
- You do not listen to others’ advice.
- You do not like to be surpassed by anyone.
- You think you are too important to do mundane things.
- You are critical to those who do better than you.
To overcome pride, or better still, to prevent pride from overcoming you, you must check your motives daily. God knows your heart, therefore evaluate your heart against the Word of God.
But because there’s a spirit behind pride, in addition to intentionally doing the opposite of the points listed above, we must cast down the spirit of pride because it is rebellion against God and His Word.
Meditate on these Bible passages before we meet tonight:
Proverbs 11:2; 16:18-19; 21:4; Luke 14: 7-11; Luke 18:9-14.