Pulling Down Strongholds

“For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

One of the things I love about this site is reading the great articles written by other Catholics of every walk of life, of every era in their walk with the Lord and even every function within the Body of Christ. Some are college educated in the Bible, some not and some even ordained. Many times in reading the articles I get inspired to write an article examining the topic in another light and more depth.

Such is the case with a recent article written by Bill Dunn entitled “The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail”. If you haven’t read it yet, please do. He talks about the Lord’s promise to Peter and the other Apostles that the “gates of Hell shall not prevail against it” realizing that the Church shouldn’t be on the defensive but rather on the offensive against those “gates” wherever they be found. I want to look at some of those “gates” and the arsenal with which we are equipped to storm them.

The Gate of “Us”

“throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

The very first gate that we must storm is the stronghold of our hearts and minds. Outside of Christ we are slaves to sin and its mastery over us. Thus it’s absolutely vital that before going off to “fight the good fight of faith” our own stronghold must be conquered and converted to a stronghold of the Holy Spirit.

No army has ever marched out to war without each soldier being trained and skilled at using every weapon in their arsenal. In the flesh this requires discipline, at first external (we call them “Drill Instructors” or “Training Instructors” depending on your branch of service) and eventually internal. It’s the same in the Spirit as well. We submit ourselves to the discipline of the teachings of the Scripture and to the rules of the Church. At first, we war against our own will and desires. But the more we submit the more we control those and bring them into line with the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Fall that “image of God” (the Imago Dei) in which Adam was created was marred. In our submission that image is more and more restored (Romans 8:29) and with it comes the ability to order our hearts and minds rightly.

In his letter to the Philippians 4:6-9 (I always have to be careful spelling that considering where we live) Saint Paul tells the church there what their hearts and minds should be focused upon to secure their “stronghold”. It starts with “prayer and supplications with thanksgiving”. You know, that sounds an awful like the Mass, doesn’t it? Through it Saint Paul says then “the peace of God will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”.

There is an old term among computer programmers called “GIGO”. It stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out”. Too often we expect to live a Spirit controlled life while feeding our inner person garbage and don’t understand why we struggle. The garbage of most TV, the garbage of most movies and the garbage of the internet takes up the space that the things Saint Paul lists in verse 8 should be occupying. Like the chronic hoarder we need to clean that trash out and move more of that list in. Then the stronghold of “us” will become the fortress of God with a Gatekeeper and a Watchman on the wall prepared to defend it…the Holy Spirit.

The “Gate” of Our Home

We cannot successful storm this gate until we have stormed, conquered and secured that first “gate”. Seeking to conform our family and home to Christ and His Church while we ourselves are not living the life is a lost cause. In a recent article titled “Train Up a Child” I talked about the importance of planting the seed and the anchors of the Faith with children. The very first seed is “what Daddy or Mommy says versus what Daddy and Mommy do”. Children can spot a phony… a hypocrite… a mile away. How Dad and Mom talk to each other, treat each other and them bears witness to the reality of Christ and the Church in our lives.

I didn’t have that example growing up but one thing that Dad and Mom gave me was a Catholic upbringing and education. As a result, I wandered away from the Church (but not from God) for many years until the Lord drew me home 4 years or so ago. If you can provide that consistent example to your children perhaps they may never depart from the Church.

The “Gates” of the World

In many ways this is our exposure to the “gates of hell”. The Scripture refers to Satan as “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). In this world outside of Christ every depravity and every sin is fair game. The “Works of the Flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21) are the norm of day to day life and more and more paraded openly and flaunted. In this world is the neighborhood in which we live, the place where we work and all the people there we encounter day in and day out.

Each day as we go out to storm these “gates” we need to “put on the whole armor of God” that Saint Paul talks about in Ephesians 6:11-18. More than this we must manifest the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25) as a counterpoint to those “Works of the Flesh”. When we take a stand for Christ and people know that we are Catholic they will watch our life. How do you respond when the chips are down and things aren’t going your way? How do you respond to the hundreds of little frustrations that occur every day? There’s an old saying: “If you want to know what’s in a container jostle it a little”. What comes out is what’s inside. What comes out when we’re jostled by life and people?

“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

Conclusion

We have the promise of God that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church. That’s us! The organization that is the Church and the Body of Christ that is the Church. The Pope in Rome, the Bishop in the Diocese, the Priest in the Parish but most of all the faithful Catholic in the pew. It’s us who will storm gates that the Clergy will never see. It’s up to us to carry the banner of Christ and His Church into the world every day. Onward, Catholic Soldier!!