đ When the Lord is wanting to take us into a different level, in our lives or ministries, many times we have to go through another level of breaking off of strongholds, or any place the enemy has legal right in our lives. Wrong thinking, open doors, generational iniquities...all of these can allow the enemy to have his way in our lives, and can hinder us from our destiny. This is even more intense and more needed if we feel we are called into the prophetic, or really any of the 5-fold offices. And please understand, one SOZO, "deep healing" or deliverance session 5 or 10 years ago isn't going to do it. This is a process, with often some of the most deep-rooted issues being so buried that He won't take you there until He knows you are ready to be completely honest and open about it. Many times, the Lord deals with the most obvious and destructive things first, and leaves the other more deep-rooted things for a time when we are truly ready to deal with them. It is out of His great love and mercy that He shows us the things that have to be dealt with, so the enemy will not be able to win when he comes against us in the new season. The old saying goes, "new levels, new devils", and I do believe it is true. The further we walk into our destiny, and the further we walk into all He has for us to do in His Kingdom, the more threat we are to the enemy & his kingdom, and the more we are a threat to be stopped. This is why we deal with much opposition when we begin to walk in a new level and into a new season of our destiny. Satan and all of his hords are legalist. He knows the word better than we do, and he also knows the legalities in the Kingdom of God. He knows his rights, and how to take advantage of your ignorance or failure to deal with your strongholds. He is wanting to keep you in the dark, and through pride, convince you that you are fine...or you are mature enough and you're free enough...or you're under "grace". Because he then has the upper hand and can still legally keep winning in many areas of your life...illnesses, mental struggles, fear, heaviness (depression), rejection, perversion, rage, bondage, etc, etc. He will then wait until you begin to walk into a new level of authority and destiny, that he will then begin to war against you with the very strongholds and woundings that haven't been dealt with in the last season...and of course, since he has legal right to do that, he seemingly "wins" many battles. He is only winning where he is being allowed to, where we don't take away his legal right to come against us in those ways. Ultimately, he knows he has lost the war for your soul, but he'll settle for small victories to keep you from walking fully in your destiny, to keep you from advancing the Kingdom as you have been called to do. That is his main purpose now. The Lord is wanting us to walk victorious in all things, and He knows we can't do that if the enemy has any place in us. Remember, Paul tells us in Eph 4 to "give no place to the devil (enemy)". Meaning you can give him place, or if you haven't taken back place that he was given before, he still has it! We must recognize where he has been given place (legal right), repent & renounce, take our authority over and "bind the strongmen" to get the enemy out of our lives! Most strongholds are in layers, like an onion, and honestly I'm not sure we'll ever get through all of them, or if we do, it will be when we have been dealing with the layers for many years...or when we are older in our walk with Him. âłThis is a year of process and preparation for the seasons that are to come. Let's make a point to allow the Lord to highlight anything that is in us that needs to be broken off, dealt with, or repented of. We will need to be very clean and free walking into the next season. It's time for the body of Christ, and most especially His 5-fold leaders, to begin to break free from old strongholds, and walk in full freedom and victory!! It is time to see His Kingdom come and His will done...in our lives and on the earth! đđĽâ¨Â