Is It Sin Or A Stronghold? by ‘Brother Bill’
How do you know if something is a sin or a stronghold reoccurring over and over? What can you do about it?
Sin is any thought, word, or action that misses God’s bullseye/mark—lawlessness, rebellion against His character and commands. However, a stronghold is something more demonically entrenched: a fortified pattern of thinking, argument or habitual behavior that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and resists simple correction.
Hebrew’s 12:1-2 the sin
1 ¶ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Verses
2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (the clear strongholds passage; 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 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,
John 8:31–36
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ”
They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”
Jeremiah 23:24:
“Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord.
How to Tell the Difference
• Sin is the act or attitude itself—anger that flares, a lustful look, a lie, unforgiveness, pride, whatever the Spirit convicts in the moment. It can be isolated or repeated. When you confess it and turn from it, the blood of Jesus cleanses it (1 John 1:9).
• A stronghold is what happens when sin is allowed to dig in. It becomes a defended position in the mind: a set of arguments, justifications, fears, or lies that now feel like “just the way I am.” It resists ordinary effort. You may feel enslaved by it (John 8:34). It often involves repeated, unrepented patterns that give the enemy a foothold
(Ephesians 4:26–27). The stronghold is the fortress; the individual sins are the soldiers inside it. You know it is a stronghold when the same battle keeps returning with the same rationalizations, when the thought life is held captive, and when simple resolve is not enough. God already sees it—nothing is hidden (Jeremiah 23:24).
God’s Solution
The weapons are not carnal (willpower, self-help techniques or mere determination). They are mighty in God:
1 Abide in His word. Stay in it. Let it expose the lie and replace it with truth. The truth itself sets free (John 8:31–32).
2 Pull the stronghold down by taking thoughts captive. Identify the argument or high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Name the lie. Bring every thought into the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). Refuse to let it keep running the narrative.
3 Confess, renounce, and submit. Agree with God about the sin. Renounce the foothold. Submit to God and resist the devil—he will flee (James 4:7).
4 Walk by the Spirit. The flesh and the Spirit are at war (Galatians 5). The Spirit produces the opposite fruit. Renew the mind (Romans 12:2).
5 Receive the freedom the Son gives. Only He makes free indeed (John 8:36). You do not fight for victory; you fight from the victory already won at the cross and empty tomb.
Nothing is hidden from the Lord who fills heaven and earth. Bring the fortress into the light of His presence, take the thoughts captive, and let the truth do its work. He is able, and He is willing. What you think is a sin may in fact be a strong hold and demons must be cast out and our mind has to transform to the mind of Christ.
Obeying the Holy Spirit is the only way to free us from the strongholds and demons.
— Blessings brother bill/dad
About the Author
Mychal Massie
Mychal S. Massie is an ordained minister who spent 13 years in full-time Christian Ministry. Today he serves as founder and Chairman of the Racial Policy Center (RPC), a think tank he officially founded in September 2015. RPC advocates for a colorblind society. He was founder and president of the non-profit “In His Name Ministries.” He is the former National Chairman of a conservative Capitol Hill think tank; and a former member of the think tank National Center for Public Policy Research. Read entire bio here
