Strongholds in the Church: Compromise & lack of passion

The Holy Spirit must lay bare the strongholds in our churches. There are false ideas, false thought patterns, habitual sin patterns, deception or other things behind the corporate sins we see in the Body of believers (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We are not talking about personality flaws or differences of opinion. We are talking about destructive forces that seek to derail a church’s mission and direction.

Compromise with the world. Compromise may take the form of tolerated sins, double-mindedness, double standards, cultural racism, being conformed to worldly values, sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5:1-8), and the covenant-breaking spirit in the world (James 4:4-6). 

A mind operating in compromise does not distinguish between the holy and profane in entertainment, language, or activities. God turns his face toward the pure in heart (Psalm 24:3-4). He does not honor sin in the church (James 3:17-18).

Lack of passion. Jesus told the church at Ephesus that they were “doing church” very well, but He had one very serious thing against them: they had left their first love (Revelation 2:2-4). We can get so busy in the work of church that we grow cold in our passion for the Lord, whom we profess to serve.