Breaking Strongholds: Here Comes the Backlash

I believe this may well be the penultimate set of notes for this teaching series. I pray that it has been a blessing as you receive God’s grace to break free from the snares and entanglements that have kept you bound. 

Today, we will examine backlash: the spiritual resistance that often comes when you are moving into freedom. Have you ever noticed that just as you begin to experience breakthrough, it feels as though every demon in the city has suddenly taken notice? That is backlash. 

The Nature of the Struggle 

Paul writes: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12, KJV). The use of the word wrestle is key. Wrestling implies a struggle with real resistance. Even if victory is inevitable, there will be moments when the outcome seems uncertain. 

And let’s be clear: this wrestle is not between God and Satan. That would not even be a contest—God is infinitely greater (Isaiah 40:25; Colossians 1:16–17). Satan already knows the outcome. Revelation 20:10 tells us his final destiny in the lake of fire. The struggle is between you and him. The question is: will you believe God’s promises, or will you allow the enemy, like he did with Eve, to convince you that God did not really mean what He said (Genesis 3:1–6)? 

What Are We Wrestling Over? 

The struggle is not ultimately about your finances, your health, or your possessions. These may be affected, but they are not the true battleground. Jesus told us plainly that the thief comes “only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10, NIV). 

• To kill is to end life or bring about separation from God (spiritual death). 

• To destroy is to corrupt purpose, leaving something beyond repair or unable to fulfil its design. 

You see killing you isn't enough for him- his ultimate goal is to so upset the predestined prophetic order of your family that nothing ‘good’ can come out of it again. The devil is working to steal the word so that he can kill (separate you from God) and ultimately destroy the supernatural assignment you have in your life 

Look at Adam and Eve: the serpent stole God’s word from them by questioning their confidence in if God really said. That theft led to separation from God (death), which in turn destroyed their original assignment to extend Eden across the earth (Genesis 3:23–24). 

Does this sound dramatic? I hope so. Am I trying to wake you up to the dangers of sin? Aye! Now that the introduction is done lets have a look at the meat of what we are reviewing today. 

A Call to Perseverance 

Hebrews 12 encourages us: 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” (Hebrews 12:1–2, NIV). 

Notice the dual warning: we must lay aside both sins and weights. Weights may not be sins in themselves, but they slow us down and keep us entangled. 

Satan typically uses two primary tactics: 

1. Seduction – enticing us back into sin. 

2. Intimidation – discouraging or frightening us into surrender. 

Let us take each in turn. 

Seduction 

Let’s be honest: sin can feel pleasurable in the moment (Hebrews 11:25). If it didn’t, it would be far less effective as a trap. Before Satan bullies or pressures you, he will attempt to seduce and entice you. 

Why? Because when life falls apart and suffering is everywhere, even the most hardened of sinners often cry out for mercy. Seduction is subtle. It lures people to believe they are in control of their lives, serving themselves, while in reality they are drifting deeper and deeper into bondage. This is the cycle and depravity of spiritual slavery. 

Dictionaries define pleasure as “a feeling of happiness, satisfaction, or enjoyment.” But this definition is shallow, limited to the physical and emotional. You can be physically satisfied yet spiritually starving (Revelation 3:17). True pleasure flows from the Spirit of God, because it is only God that can satisfy all the parts of your heart. This is why the word ‘Eden’ is often translated as pleasure in the old testament (Psalm 16:11, Gen 18:12). 

When I first gave my life to Christ, I had recurring dreams in which I encountered demonic beings—including Satan himself. Strikingly, they never appeared monstrous at first. Instead, they were radiant, handsome, and persuasive, gently questioning why I had “left them for Jesus.” They tried to woo me back, appealing to emotions and desire. Only when I resisted did their true, decaying forms appear. That experience confirmed what Scripture shows us: seduction is deceptive, masking death in beauty. 

Biblical Illustration 

Proverbs 7 paints a vivid picture of seduction, describing the “adulterous woman” who lures a young man to his ruin. Many people, as I once did read this and think that this is spiritual text is simply describing a physical woman. Many a damaging sermon has been preached against God’s daughters from people preaching from this text, they make men and women enemies, all the while not realising that there is a 3rd entity in play here. This isn’t a woman causing a man to fall, this is a demon seducing and destroying both the man and woman it has inhabited that they both end up on the highway to hell. The text illustrates how demonic powers work through temptation to destroy both men and women. The issue is not gender but the spirit behind the deception. 

Sin offers a comforting alternative to going to the temple/ sitting with the Lord. With fragrant perfumes and sweet delights- sin works to overcome the heart and mind of the believer all the while luring them to their grave. Sin is in the spirit, what adultery is to a married couple, it is breaking covenant, it is breaking the heart of God and breaking a lifetime of covenant and replacing it with a time-bound temporary sensual overload. 

Let me very clear, the Bible says that the Holy spirit convicts us on 1 sin (John 16:8) the sin of not believing in Jesus. It convicts us of running out of our marital home and exposing ourselves to the world. We sin, because we don’t believe that Jesus is enough to fulfill our desires. 

How Do We Resist Seduction? 

1. Acknowledge your need – God designed us intentionally with needs, stop pretending that’s not true.  (Psalm 42:1–2). 

2. Ask God to meet that need – His Spirit satisfies more deeply than anything else (John 7:37–38). You haven’t had a hug till you got a Holy Spirit hug! WOW! 

3. Seek accountability – Share struggles, The devil thrives in secrecy. Invite prayer. Once sin is exposed, prayer is like dynamite against that stronghold (James 5:16). 

4. Ask God to expose sin’s true nature – Ask God to let you see that sin without all that make up on. Ask Him to show you the true nature of that sin- it will shock you! (John 16:8). 

Intimidation 

If seduction doesn’t work, Satan tries intimidation—using fear, opposition, or pressure to drive you back into compromise. 

The dictionary defines intimidation as “the act of frightening or threatening someone, often to compel them to do something they do not want to do.” Spiritually, it manifests when persecution or trial arises specifically because of the word (Mark 4:17). 

Have you ever promised God that you would stop a destructive habit, only to face sudden crises? Perhaps you resolved to fast, and that day you felt hunger like never before. Or maybe you chose purity, and suddenly the very person you were trying to leave behind showed up with manipulative guilt and threats.  

It seems like you have made the commitment to do better but it looks like all hell has been let loose and worse than they were when you were actively sinning. The cries of why me, escape from your lips while you miss the enemy scavenging the word from you before it can take root in your heart. 

This is intimidation. 

David faced it when Ziklag was raided, his family taken, and his men turned against him (1 Samuel 30:1–6). In that moment of despair, he “strengthened himself in the Lord.” That is the key. 

How Do We Resist Intimidation? 

1. Recognise the attack as an attack. This is not you, God is not punishing you for your sin. This is coming from the pit of hell to intimidate you back into the way you used to be living. Job refused to let go of his righteousness. This is not the time to be playing with your eternal destiny, you were saved by grace and not by works. If you could have saved yourself with good behaviors Christ died needlessly. 

2. Let there be silence. When we are being attacked, our minds are subjected to a swirl of thoughts and emotions that are so strong that we feel we don't have control anymore. The Bible says Before God let there be silence. Use worship as your key to enter into the silent courtroom of God. In court rooms on earth, no one can speak unless they are given permission, so is it in the throne room of heaven. Run to that throne of grace that is marked with holy awe and wonder that every other voice be silenced long enough for you to speak to the Lord  

3. Pursue the kingdom and his righteousness. There are so many times we have missed things and blown it. Once we have sorted our confidence in God’s love for us:  enquire of the master, is there any unclean way in my life then repent and deal with it (Psalm 139:34). The devil uses open doors to be able to access us, ask the Lord are there any open doors in my life that need to be dealt with. 

4. Be obedient! Ask IF there is anything you can do to partner with heaven on earth today. Emphasis on IF. Sometimes the Lord wants you to learn to sit and watch his salvation. Like Mary said- whatever He tells you to do, DO IT! (John 2:5) 

5. Be patient, everything in the physical realm is subject to change. Go back to the last word the Lord gave you and anchor your life in delighting yourself in it. Everything in the physical plane including our bodies has a lifespan. It is only the Lord that is eternal. This too shall pass. 

Conclusion 

In the process of breaking strongholds you will experience backlash. Expect it. Satan uses seduction to entice and intimidation to frighten. But neither has the final word. You are not wrestling against God—He is for you. You are wrestling against lies designed to make you forget who you are in Christ. 

Victory is already assured: “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The question is not whether God has won. He has. The question is whether you will walk in that victory.