Recognizing the Religious Spirit

There are characteristics of a religious spirit described in many places in the Bible. A religious spirit sets itself against a true move of God. A religious spirit seeks to elevate itself. A religious spirit pretends to know God but only to the place where it can control and influence those seeking God. It seemed that any time the crowds gathered around Jesus, the religious spirits were also close by. In John 7, it is the time of a Jewish feast. There are some interesting examples of the religious spirits in this chapter.

In John 7:1 we know that the religious spirits plan secretly how to destroy those who carry the life of God in them. Jesus stayed away for a season, because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. ” (John 7:1, NIV84)

Jesus’ brothers also carried a religious spirit. “Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. ” (John 7:3–5, NIV84) The religious spirit will mock and taunt the true move of God. The religious spirit never truly believes in what Jesus is doing.

The religious spirit watches and asks others about the true moves of God. “Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, “Where is that man?” ” (John 7:11, NIV84) They want to keep tabs on their opponent and also let the crowds know that they disapprove. The religious spirit will label a move of God as a work of man instead of God. Notice how the Jews asked where the man was and they did not ask where the Prophet was. The religious spirit will use words to tear down another person’s God given authority.

The religious spirit will also promote fear amongst the crowds and the curious. The religious spirit will let the crowds know that they will be subject to the destructive treatment if they follow the move of God. “But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews. ” (John 7:13, NIV84)

The religious spirit will try to bind and restrain the move of God. The religious spirit will look for others to do its work. “The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him. ” (John 7:32, NIV84)

The religious spirit thinks from its intellect and does not believe in its heart. The religious spirit cannot comprehend spiritual truth that exceeds its natural thinking. “The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” ” (John 7:35–36, NIV84)

The religious spirit will accuse those who listen to words of Life from Jesus of being deceived. The religious spirit will curse those who follow the true move of God. The religious spirit will belittle and condemn those who believe. The religious spirit will accuse with no specific examples other that the focus of their accusation disagrees with them. “Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards declared. “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. “Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” ” (John 7:45–49, NIV84)

Jesus explained why the religious spirit hates the true move of God. “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that what it does is evil. ” (John 7:7, NIV84) True life and love for God will bring light. Light will reveal the false. The Pharisees knew they did not have truth, but they loved their power. They hated Jesus because Jesus demonstrated the life of God and revealed the lack in the legalism of the religious spirit.

Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy of the words and the actions of the religious spirit. Jesus called for the religious spirit to make right judgments. “Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all astonished. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a child on the Sabbath. Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.” ” (John 7:21–24, NIV84)

Jesus knew His identity and His purpose. He did not argue with a religious spirit. Jesus knew he had God’s heart and truth. Jesus knew His motives were love and for the honor of God. Therefore, Jesus could stand in integrity. Jesus called for the religious spirit to obey God and see for themselves if His words were truth. “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” ” (John 7:17–19, NIV84)

Jesus continued to speak words of Life even in the midst of the accusations of the religious and many came to experience Life. “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” Others said, “He is the Christ.” Still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? ” (John 7:37–41, NIV84)

I see those with a religious spirit who believe they have the only correct religious view and those who disagree, they condemn. They find like-minded people with who they conspire against those who seek Jesus and Life. They stir up fear. They accuse without substance. They try to argue. Their lives are negative. They don’t live what Jesus teaches. They focus on destroying the lives of those who try to lead people to life. They focus on those they cannot control.

The answer for us as believers is to continue to preach life to the crowds and entrust ourselves to the care of God who will protect us. I will not argue with a religious spirit. I will however point out their hypocrisy so that the crowds can learn to find life.

Comments

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments