The Problem With A Religious Spirit

The problem with a religious spirit is it feels justified on how they come across. Even though they damage people’s hearts, they feel they are “doing God’s work” as they oppress, condemn and treat others with unloving contempt. 

Contempt is the feeling that a person is beneath you, is not worth your consideration, is worthless, or deserving your rejection or abandonment. 

This spirit makes you see people through the lens of people's faults and failures. Instead of seeing them through the finished work of the cross. It will quickly make judgments,  get offended, and write people off, slandering them behind their backs instead of praying. It is divisive. A religious spirit loves to argue about doctrine, works through accusation, operates in fear, performance, is suspicious, demands obedience to religious tradition, seeks to control the operation of the Holy Spirit, and will think they are doing God a favor by casting other Christians in prisons of religious judgment. It will not receive correction because it believes their doctrine trumps anything you have to say. It won't think twice about slaying you on the altar of religious doctrine and leave you there wounded until you die. This spirit killed Jesus. It is still killing Jesus. It kills Jesus in others as it destroys other people's reputations and destroys them by putting out the fire in their lives. It says it believes in God but doubts His love and will show no mercy to anyone. Not even to themselves! It protects itself by pointing the finger back at others and is often angry at everyone for their sinfulness. It is self righteous meaning their righteousness comes from "good deeds" instead of what Jesus did on the cross. It is an infection that Jesus called, "the leaven of the pharisees" and warned us not to contaminated with it. Yet many of us are because our sin nature naturally wants to feel better about itself at the expense of others. It boosts our ego to think we are better than others. It distracts us from our character defects and preoccupies us with other people's problems instead of dealing with our own. Pride, fear, and unbelief are the source of a religious spirit. We must practice radical humility to get free from it. We must lay down our weapons and realize we are on the same team. We must foster healthy unity instead division and contempt. Pracice love instead of accusation.  Practice mercy instead of judgment.  Get free from by repenting right now and asking God for a humble and teachable heart. A heart that loves mercy and sees others through the lens of the cross. 

Jaziz Gutierrez