I was recently captivated by a short video from Lou Engle, saying, "We are losing our kids to Babylonian universities." He said that we need to target false ideologies in the culture with fasting and prayer. Of course, these Babylonian strongholds are not just in schools and universities, but in all societal mountain structures. So, feeling burdened, I inquired of the Lord what to do about this. The Lord simply answered that the Babylonian strongholds must come down.
As Lou said, we must target them in the Spirit realm.
Next in my probe, the Lord said to verify the characteristics of Babylonian strongholds through the Word, and what I found fit impeccably. He did not show me any principalities involved, or high level demons. But by experience, I know this is how we transform an area – by first weakening the evil structure, breaking curses, repenting for defilement of the land, then breaking down strongholds before any principality might be bound.
I was absolutely amazed at how the characteristics of Babylon found in the Bible fit so perfectly with what is happening in America right now. And when identifying strongholds, it is always important to study characteristics, history, and habits, just as a natural army studies the enemy to combat it strategically. It solidifies one's faith when we know exactly how it operates, thereby identifying the perpetrator.
In my experience as lead intercessor for the Dwelling Place Church in Hemet, CA, we learned and proved that nations and cities can be changed rapidly by prophetically getting to the roots of problems on the land, removing evil and bringing light in the spiritual realm... and we can do this for America right now, especially before the upcoming elections.
Calling Down Babylon's Walls in America
The night I was asking the Lord about this Babylonian stronghold, I had a confirmation dream in which I was teaching an intercession class in a company business. (I interpreted this as a company of intercessors.) I told them to call down Babylon's walls in the United States, and the walls suddenly fell! After this, the class members jumped up and down excitedly in celebration and asked me to drive them to the starting point of major revivals.
In the next scene, I drove them in a bus to the Bonnie Brae House, Azusa Street, and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (ground zero for the Jesus People Movement). Then, just before the end of the dream, I asked the class members if they wanted to go to Pirate's Cove in Corona Del Mar where over a million people have been baptized since the start of the Jesus People Movement until now.
Therefore, in interpreting this dream, I knew the Lord was verifying the importance of bringing down the Babylonian stronghold to bring revival to America. (Photo via Pikist)
Babylon means "confusion" and "gate of god(s)." Of course, this stronghold affects all countries of the world, since at the time of the destruction of the tower of Babel in Babylon people were dispersed around the world in confusion and disunity (Genesis 11).
In researching Scriptures on Babylon, every characteristic seemed to fit 100%, as far as this stronghold in the United States is concerned, and I believe you will be amazed. See if you agree and let us collectively bring it down.
Characteristics of the Babylonian Stronghold
Here are the characteristics of the Babylonian stronghold:
1. It commands people to bow down and worship idols, false gods, and golden images. It brings drought and defiles the land (Daniel 3:1–6; Jeremiah 50:35–38; 2 Kings 17:29–30).
2. It consists of astrologers, false prophets, philosophers, magicians, and diviners who predict a false future and set up their own false religion (Daniel 2:2; 4:7; Isaiah 47:9–13).
3. It causes confusion, chaos, disunity, and people to scatter (Genesis 11:1–9).
4. It's arrogant, power hungry, self-focused, and wants a name for itself (Genesis 11:4; Habakkuk 1:11).
5. It steals articles of the temple (signifying the Church) irreverently for greed, thinking it is alright to steal from God (Daniel 1:1–2; 2 Kings 25:13–17; Habakkuk 1:6).
6. It's called the "golden city" and the "glory of kingdoms," full of luxury, and covetous with abundant treasures and wealth (Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah 51:12–13).
7. It is built and run by narcissistic power grabbers to honor self and not God, perverted by its own false "wisdom and knowledge." It creates its own culture and kingdom as a wicked, warped society which says, "I am, and there is no one besides me" (Isaiah 47:10; Daniel 3:4–6; Daniel 4:30).
8. It consists of mighty men with absolute power who impoverish people, cause famine, and destroy cities (Jeremiah 5:16–17; 2 Kings 25:1–4).
9. It profanes, steals, and mocks the sacred things of the Lord. It is blasphemous, proud, arrogant, and adulterous against the Lord, with no fear of God (Revelation 17:1–6; Daniel 5:1–4; Jeremiah 50:29–32; Isaiah 47:7–8).
10. It is grand and stately upon the throne, or so it thinks (Isaiah 47:1–7).
11. It is oppressive and cruel, putting heavy yokes upon people (Isaiah 14:4–6; 47:6; Revelation 18:4–8).
12. It is evil and destructive (Jeremiah 51:24–25).
13. It is made up of thieves known for their cruelty, who seize houses that are not their own (Habakkuk 1:6–7).
14. It terrorizes and collects captives, including human trafficking and imprisonment (Habakkuk 1:8–9; 2 Kings 25:2–6, 11; Daniel 1:3–4; Revelation 18:11–13).
15. It tends to do as it likes without regard to moral law, scoffing at opposing leaders, and demanding that they give up their rights (Habakkuk 1:10; Revelation 17:17; 2 Kings 24:12).
16. It besieged the capitol city, Jerusalem – with King Nebuchadnezzar himself to help – burning down the walls of Jerusalem and the sacred Temple (2 Kings 24:10–11; 25:9–10; Daniel 1:1).
17. It seeks to destroy and murder God's holy people, including prophets (Revelation 17:6; 18:24).
18. It imprisons the righteous (which includes ministers, soldiers, and leaders), even executing some with cruel punishment (2 Kings 24:12–16; 25:6–7, 18–21).
19. It appoints wrong leaders who do not fear God (2 Chronicles 36:10–12; 2 Kings 24:17–19; 25:22–24).
20. It causes people to abandon God and His Kingdom – an antichrist spirit (2 Kings 25:11; Revelation 17:1–6).
21. It brings grief and sorrow (Psalm 137:1–4).
22. It turns on its own and may even slay them (Daniel 2:12–13).
23. It infects other nations with its evil, enticing them to sin (Jeremiah 51:7; Revelation 14:8; 18:3).
24. It consists of false religious leaders and false prophets (Jeremiah 50:36).
25. It sets deadly traps and is accusatory and threatening (Daniel 3:12, 19). (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
26. It replaces the godly with the false and takes over (2 Kings 17:24).
27. It consists of sneaky tricksters who use entrapment and intimidation (2 Kings 20:12–18).
28. It kills the innocent (Job 1:17; Revelation 18:24).
29. It destroys houses, including that of the highest leader, and breaks down the borders/walls (Jeremiah 39:8).
30. It causes godly people to sin (Ezekiel 16:29).
31. It consists of unclean spirits (Revelation 18:2).
32. It prevails in witchcraft (Revelation 18:23).
33. It causes people to flee the country in fear and to live elsewhere (2 Kings 25:26).
How to Take Down Babylon
Even in an age where righteousness is ridiculed and evil is praised, we can change our nations and cities by spiritually destroying Babylonian strongholds. Since we wrestle not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12), we change lands through transformational intercession. Even though Babylonian strongholds were invited into lands long ago, we can now repent, call them down, and take authority over them in this New Testament age by the Blood of Jesus Christ – just as the land of Babylon of old was destroyed by God in the Old Testament (Isaiah 13). Yes, God destroyed ancient Babylon, but the principality is still lurking, as the ancient gods did not go away, empowered by humans worshiping and idolizing them.
So how do we do this? Agree with me:
Lord, we thank You for revelation and praise You for giving us authority to break down strongholds of evil as You say in Your Word in 2 Corinthians 10:4–5: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." So we do that now, breaking down all strongholds of Babylon over our nation by the Blood and name of Jesus Christ.
We thank You, Lord, that You said in 1 John 4:4 that we can overcome these strongholds, "...because 'greater is he that is in [us], than he that is in the world."
So we break all curses and defilements that the Babylonian stronghold has caused, and expose and break it down by the roots, fully, so that there is not any trace left. We decree that Babylon has fallen (Revelation 18:2) as we plead the Blood of Jesus Christ over this nation.
Just as Jeremiah declared over the natural Babylon of old, right now in the spirit realm, we decree and declare Jeremiah 51:13 over the stronghold of Babylon in our nation this day: "O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness."
We decree and declare all this in Jesus' mighty name!
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Melissa Nordell
Strategic Prayer Command Ministry
Email:Â strategicprayercommandmin@yahoo.com
website:Â www.strategicprayercommandmin.com
Melissa Nordell is a graduate of Wagner Institute and founder of Strategic Prayer Command Ministry. She is an ordained teacher of intercession, who also teaches and speaks on the prophetic. She was the former lead intercessor of The Dwelling Place Church in Hemet, the "Transformations Church," featured in George Otis Jr.'s first "Transformations" video, and has continued to teach intercession, spiritual warfare, and transformational intercession ever since. She has been certified to teach prophetic modules by Christian International in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. She is also a writer and editor who has written articles for the Elijah List, Breaking Christian News and God Reports.com, and she gives all glory to God for all of this. Melissa has a hunger to see the world transformed for God, more souls reach Heaven, and more cities and lives transformed through proper intercession.
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