Session Three: Lie-based Strongholds

Now, in session 3 of our Overcoming Strongholds course, we will focus on what I call

lie-based strongholds. So many people become trapped in this kind of stronghold that

it has become a major focus of ministry for me. For many years people came to my

husband and me with various problems that were hindering them. It might be insomnia

or depression or fear of rejection or even an on-going sin pattern in their lives that they

were unable to get victory over. We would minister to them, teach them principles from

the scriptures, lead them in repentance and even cast demons out of them. They would

seem to be free when they left out office. But then, a few weeks or months later, they

would be back in our office, still bound in the same thing.

We began to seek God about this phenomenon. Doesn’t the Bible say the “he whom

the Son sets free is free indeed’? “So why are these people not free, Lord? What are

we missing here?”

Over time, the Lord has faithfully been answering our prayer. The first major revelation

came to us through Dr. Ed Smith of Theophostic Ministries, Inc, and we recommend

that you search out his web site and read his materials and, perhaps, take his training.

However, God has given us on-going revelation in the area of what we call lie-base

strongholds, some of which I will share with you in this session.

I also recommend that you read some of the books by Leanne Payne, especially

Restoring the Christian Soul. Another book I highly recommend is Paula Rinehart’s Sex

and the Soul of a Woman.

A. “Fortresses” in verse 4 is the Greek word transliterated ochuroma which means

“a fortification, fortress, stronghold;

B. There are 3 (at least) basic kinds of strongholds: sin-based strongholds,

demonic strongholds, and lie-based strongholds. In the first session we talked

1. The weapons that tear down strongholds operate by the power of God, not

by human effort. However, to be free from strongholds, we do have a role to

2. When a stronghold is destroyed it no longer causes us any problem.

a. When demons are cast out they are gone and the behavior they spawned

in us ends. They may try to come back, but when they have been cast out

b. When a sin-based stronghold is torn down then the sinful behavior (and

the torments that accompanied it) disappear. We may have to apply some

c. When a deception is removed then the emotional pain that surrounded

the lie also goes away (immediately).

3. Tearing down strongholds is not discipleship. Rather, getting rid of our

strongholds prepares us for discipleship.

II. At the root of strongholds, according to our foundational scripture 2 Corinthians

10:3-7, are (verse 5):

A. Speculations (imaginations) = logismos = a reckoning, calculation, consideration,

reflection . . . a deliberation . . . the opposite of senselessness or folly. (The

B. “Lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God” = anything that has been

elevated over against the true doctrine of God = lies and deceptions

C. Thoughts that are not captive to obedience to Christ: “captive” = to bring into

subjection.

1. “Thought” = any concept conceived by the mind.

2. These are undisciplined thoughts that are not submitted to the Lordship of

Jesus (wrong thinking, deceptions, misinterpretations of life circumstances,

3. These unruly, rebellious, thoughts that lie against the truth need to be

captured and brought into submission to the Truth as revealed by Jesus

D. Though there are three kinds of strongholds, wherever there is one kind in

existence, there is usually at least two. Most of the time, all three kinds become

only remedy for sin is the cross. Therefore, the sin that is at the conception of

the stronghold must be uncovered and confessed. When that happens, God

forgives the sin, cleanses the person and restores his soul. Matthew the tax

collector who became a disciple is one example of a person in the Bible who

was set free from a sin-based stronghold. Zaccheus is another example

from the Bible and there are many others in the New Testament.

2. However, sometimes there is also demonic activity in the stronghold.

Demons often take advantage of unconfessed sin in our lives and oppress us

through that open door. In those cases, even after the sin is confessed there

is often a need for deliverance from demons. Mary Magdalene is a good

example of someone who was set free from a demonic stronghold.

3. Sometimes there is also a lie at the root of a stronghold. People often

commit sin and even become entrapped in sinful behavior patterns because

of deception. Demons also like to take advantage of deception in a person’s

life. Therefore, when a lie is undetected and remains in place in a person’s

life, that person may not be able to gain freedom even though they have

confessed all known sin and they have been ministered deliverance from all

discerned demons present.

III. At the root of a lie-based stronghold is a deception. There are three primary ways

lies become implanted in our souls:

A. We misinterpret things that happen to us. Especially with children, this is very

common. Since all of us were once children, many of us have these

B. Satan and his demons are constantly whispering lies to us (lies about ourselves,

accusations against other people, wrong thinking about God and His love for

C. Other people sometimes speak untruth to us that can take root and grow into a

stronghold. Negative things spoken by parents or people in authority in our lives

IV. Lie-based strongholds most commonly manifest in our lives when some current

circumstance triggers an emotional reaction in us that is out of proportion to what is

has an origin in the past, even though it may feel like a current circumstance is

causing it.

1. Present day circumstances merely trigger emotional memories, often

unconsciously.

2. If there is a deception implanted in a past event then the brain will access

that old emotional reaction and apply it to a current circumstance that is

similar to the original event.

3. It is not the painful memory event that is causing present pain but rather the

lie (the misinterpretation or deception) that is attached to the memory that

holds us in bondage.

B. We can see then that the negative emotion I currently feel is an echo of the past:

an open window into the wounds of my past.

C. Samaritan woman at the well. John 4:5-30, 39-42.

1. Past pain (five failed marriages and who knows what else) has caused her to

believe a lie, that she was unworthy of a righteous man’s attention. Jesus

reminded her of the painful events of the past and then spoke truth to her

(verse 23). He even revealed Himself to her as Messiah (the first person to

whom He openly revealed this). She was set free to believe. The lie was so

thoroughly uprooted from her soul that even the objections of the disciples

(verse 27) were unable to re-implant the lie. All of Samaria believed because

of her testimony.

2. Her present pain had a source in the past. She believed that she was tainted,

shameful, unworthy of attention, had no value or personal worth.

3. There was also sin there. But the sin apparently was rooted in this lie. The

thing that is reported in the scripture is not her repentance but her delivery

4. We presume, from the fruit of her life that is reported, that she stopped her

sinful behavior patterns.

D. Woman caught in adultery. John 8:3-11.

1. Jesus first dealt with the sin and lie roots of the Pharisees.

a) They thought they were qualified to judge sin.

b) Jesus exposed the pride lie by confronting it in a very personal way.

“Let the one who is without sin cast the first stone.” Thus Jesus

confronted the sin and self-righteous pride lie of the crowd. When they

2. Then Jesus dealt with the woman’s lie: shame and condemnation.

3. After He dealt with her lie, then He dealt with her sin.

4. This woman’s sin was rooted in a lie concerning her value and worth as a

person. In order to deliver her from sin, Jesus exposed and expelled the lie

E. Disciples in the storm. Mark 4:35-41.

1. We could prove from scripture that fear is never an appropriate response for

a Christian. The disciples had a fear lie implanted in their souls. This lie made

2. Notice that Jesus did not try to make them feel better by saying that it was

ok to be afraid. He made them feel better by demonstrating Truth to them:

3. Compare this with the story of Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14:

22-33. There is no evidence that the disciples were afraid in this later storm,

only that it was hard rowing because of the wind. When Peter saw that it was

V. Breaking free from lie-based strongholds.

A. We are completely dependent upon the Lord to reveal the places where we

have believed a lie. In that place, we are deceived. The nature of deception

them to make an exhaustive list. Suffice it to say that, basically, when there is

a lie-based stronghold in someone’s life, they are not able to control certain

inappropriate behaviors in their lives (at least, when they are surprised or

overwhelmed).

1. If the person knew what was causing his reaction he would change

immediately. But he is deceived.

a. He needs for the Lord to show him the lie he has believed.

b. Because the lie is usually buried in an emotional event from the past,

he needs for the Lord to show him where he first believed the lie. The

past event is usually traumatic and the lie was believed because of the

intense emotion connected to the event. These lies are buried in our

emotional area and do not respond to logic and reason.

c. Jesus can and will reveal the Truth that will set the person free from

the lie if we let Him. The event may or may not be consciously

remembered, but, because of the pain connected with it, usually the

person has not made a connection between the event and his present

behavioral bondage. Only rarely does the person realize that his

present problem is connection to that painful time in the past.

Remember: at the root of this kind of stronghold is a lie, a deception,

and it is very difficult for a person to discern his own deception.

d. Sometimes the current lie-based bondage is connected to a pervasive

atmosphere from the past rather than to a specific event. For instance,

if a child lives in a home where negative things are repeatedly spoken

over him (“You’ll never amount to anything.” “You can’t do anything

right.” “You are so stupid.” “Nobody is going to like you if you . . .,”

etc) or if he lives in an abusive home, either verbally or physically

abusive, he will grow up with a self-concept based on the lies (curses)

he has heard during his formative years. For these people, there is not

one specific event that needs to be cleansed by the Holy Spirit, but a

whole childhood life-style or pervasive atmosphere.

e. Jesus can and will speak the Truth to the person in such a way that

the lie is displaced and the person is set free in that area. There is

more power in the truth than there is in any lie. The power of God is in

the truth and it will set us free from any and all lies when they are

exposed to Him and His truth.

2. Christians often employ a kind of religious version of denial and

suppression that sounds “spiritual” but is only covering up a lie and

prolonging the process of healing. If we try to lay aside the pain of past

wounding in the same way that we have our sins, but find that we are

unable to do so, then we often see ourselves as spiritual failures and feel

condemned and ashamed. We try to cover up the perceived failure by

pretending to be ok when we are not. We may call this “self-control” or

“positive confession” but it is still the product of our own willpower and

will not produce healing. Remember: anything that depends on human

effort to succeed is doomed to failure.

a. Sin was dealt with once and for all by Jesus on the cross. The instant

we repent, He releases forgiveness and cleansing.

b. Dealing with past hurts and the pain they have produced in our lives

(and may continue to produce), falls in the area of redemption the

Bible calls “renewing the mind.” This kind of pain is not the result of

our own sin but the result of some else’s sin against us. Repentance

will not make it go away. It is the lies we believed at the time we were

injured, lies about ourselves and about God in particular, that affect

the way we think so that we get established in patterns of wrong

thinking and wrong feeling. Bringing redemption to these areas is part

of the process the Bible calls sanctification. So, though forgiveness

and cleansing for sin is instantaneous upon repentance, healing from

the pain of past hurts is a PROCESS that may take a bit longer.

c. Sometimes we can identify the root of the problem on our own with

God, but sometimes we need someone to help us. It is very difficult to

discern deception in ourselves because we are deceived!

B. Methodology of freedom from lie-based strongholds (from the perspective of

helping someone else to get free)

pray and ask Jesus to show them whatever He knows is needed for them

to be healed. Explain that they will need to report to you whatever Jesus

shows them because He will be speaking to them, not to you.

Remember that at this point you are trying to identify the thing that

FEELS like the truth to them but is really a lie. You might say, “How

true does this statement feel to you: There is something permanently

wrong and shameful about me because of what happened? The

person might say, “That almost feels true, but I think it is more

because of what he did to me that I feel this terrible shame.” Then you

could ask, “Well, how true does is feel when I say, I have been

shamefully defiled by what he did to me?” Continue in this way,

allowing them to make any changes that make the lie feel more like

truth to them, even though they may “know” intellectually that all of

this is a lie. What is important at this point is what FEELS like the truth.

4. When the lie is fully exposed and stated, encourage the person to put

themselves back in the memory that has been revealed as the source and

get back in touch with the emotion, if necessary. Then pray again and ask

Jesus to come and reveal truth to the person at the source.

a. In our experience, once the source has been found and the lie

C. Methodology to receiving freedom for yourself from lie-based strongholds.

Having someone pray with you is usually the best way to achieve freedom.

5. Deal with any hindrances (see below section V. D.)

D. Hindrances to complete freedom. Often this kind of prayer ministry gets

“stuck”, usually as you think you have reached the original source of the

(Getting stuck can happen anywhere along the way, but it most often happens

here. It seems to be true from our experience, that Jesus will not speak to set

someone free until they have reached the root cause. He also will not often not

set them free if the following problems exist:

1. There is unrepentant sin in the person’s life, most often the sin of

unforgiveness.

a. Unforgiveness is a block to the blessing of God flowing in a person’s

cleansing He promises. (I John 1:9)

3. Demonic presence. Satan likes to take advantage of deception in our

lives to gain entrance for demons. Thus a lie-based stronghold can