Finding Peace with God and Fighting Off Religious Strongholds

The message below may seem strange to some of you, but it is one that will become more and more relevant as we see the world constantly changing around us.  We are in a season where I hear more and more about highly regarded christians deconstructing their faith, falling into sin themselves, or no longer holding on to the biblical standards of sin.  Don’t be surprised if you are praying for God to return “prodigals” home for them to be met with a dark force pushing them and holding them back.  Also, while faithful pastors are preaching “repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” those pastors may be wondering if it is falling on deaf ears, but there could very well be both individual belief systems and demonic influences keeping these people from repenting.  They may even want to return to God and be made right with Him, and yet they don’t know how. 

Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”  I want to discuss something that plagues the south in a particularly strong way: the religious spirit.  Demonic spirits can be crafty (but powerless against Christ) and specific dark forces and spirits are sent into specific areas to lead people in that area astray and keep them from being in communion with God and other believers. 

The main way that I’ve seen a religious spirit stirred up in people is by making them believe that either themselves or others around them are past the point God’s forgiveness and help.  This can give a foothole to this voice, a voice that isn’t God, and I personally don’t think it’s yourself either.  I’ve actually had a couple of friends that were strong christians at some point and in a deconstructing phase or pattern of sin say that if they’re going to Hell, there’s nothing they can do about it now anyways.  That is the demonic voice that I’m talking about here!!!!  The truth is there is something they can do about it.  Thinking they are already damned no matter what, though there is still breath in their lungs is demonic!!!!  Please hear me!  This demonic voice is condemning and never forgiving.  It won’t relent even after you repent a million times over, and it usually stirs up a pattern of some sort of religious habits or an entire belief system that makes you get stuck on a single verse or issue.  This will make you unable to grow at all in the Lord or draw near to Him. 

Having said this of all this, if you have walked away from God whether it was through unbelief or giving way to a lifestyle of sin, the way back is the same as when you first believed.  You get salvation in Jesus and peace with God through repentance and submission.  Repent of sin in your life, look to the cross, and submit to His will for your life.  1 John 1:5-10, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”  Also, do not to continue to greive Him by your lifestyle.  It’s like dragging a friend to a party they don’t want to attend.  Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” 

John Eldredge in his book, “Waking the Dead” says this, “The reason I bring this up is that if you want the real deal, if you want the life and freedom that Jesus offers, then you are going to have to break free of this religious fog in particular. ‘it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of salvery.’ (gal. 5:1).  So here’s a bottom-line test to expose the Religious Spirit: if it doesn’t bring freedom and it doesn’t bring life, it’s not Christianity.  If it doesn’t restore the image of God and rejoice in the heart, it’s not Christianity.”

Here's things to look out for and know you are dealing with the spirit of religion:

·       If you open the door to sin in your life, it will tell you, “God won’t take you back now.”  It will say, “there is no more forgiveness left for you.  You messed up your chance.  You may seek for repentance in tears but like Esau, you won’t find it.”

·       It will twist scripture and can even speak in verses at times, but it will pull them out of context as a way to scare and silence you and stop you from praying and learning (unlike the Holy Spirit who draws near and makes you desire to read scripture and empowers you to live it out).

·       It normally shows up right after a genuine move of the Holy Spirit in your life causing you to question validity of the Holy Spirit’s work or if He moved at all.

·       It will always cause you to run away from God rather than towards Him.

·       It will cause division rather than growth with other believers.

·       It can cause some christians to constantly question the genuineness of other people’s faith in an unhealthy way.  This obsession will go far beyond the normal and natural Holy Spirit given concern for incorrect teachings and a desire to pray for and reach lost friends and family.

·       It will tell you not to do that “repentance thing” again or else you may have to stand up in front of a crowd to share, get re-baptized, or something of that nature and “how embarrassing that would be for you.  You’re better off keeping to yourself.”

·       It will confuse you and tell you that you don’t have a testimony of any value to share with others.  It will make you question any movement of God in your life.

·       It will tell you that you are alone.

·       It will say that you are just like you were before you were saved if you sin in a way that you personally deem a sin only unbelievers do or sin in a way that is directly related to a sinful lifestyle you engaged in before you were saved.

You can drown out that voice of the spirit of religion with voice of God using the Bible.  Pray to God to show if you if are or aren’t in Christ and keep on praying long after.  Your christian walk shouldn’t be like this one time experience.  It’s choosing to submit your whole life to Him and remembering His giving up His life for you.  Be weary of something that kind of sounds like God but doesn’t line up with the rest of His character or scripture.  Learn His voice.  He reveals Himselves to those who seek Him with all their Hearts.  He won’t just leave you hanging in a place of confusion, fear, and rejection.  It’s not in His nature to do so.

Here’s some truths to hold onto:

·       God doesn’t want anyone to perish.  If you feel like that’s His will for you, try to combat that lie with this:

2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

·       Jesus pursues wayward people rather than giving up on them:

Matthew 18:12, “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?”

·       Go to Him.  Do not continue to run away:

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 “ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

·       God is forgiving:

1 John 1:9, ”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

·       According to God’s word, christians do sometimes wander away from the faith and can be brought back.  I’m sorry if that doesn’t sit right with you theologically, but the good news is there is hope for all who have wandered but return:  

James: 5:19-20, “My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”

·       Christians can fall into sin, but they are given the power to overcome it with the God’s help:

1 John 1: 1-2, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

·       Holy Spirit conviction and repentance are both daily parts of the christian walk.  If you feel the need to repent in a big way, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not a christian.  It could actually mean and be evidence of just the opposite: that the Holy Spirit within you is completing the work He began in you.  Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  I also don’t want to give any false assurance of salvation.  Go to Him for assurance and look to the finished work at the cross. 

·       Do not naval gaze.  Look to Him instead:

2 Timothy 2:13, “if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.”

·       Listen to worship music.  This will help to renew your mind which will directly impact both your behavior and faith. 

·       Don’t spend an unhealthy amount of time focusing on or discussing other people’s sins, but rather look to Christ and focus on the only person’s behavior you can control: yourself.  If you need to call out sin in a biblical way, go directly to the person or to church leadership if you are a part of the same body.  Discussing it in a state of slander or gossip with others will only give a foothold to the devil.  Also, you may very well find yourself at some point in a situation that you never expected to be, thus becoming like the ones you are slandering.  How would you want them to handle your situation?  Remember that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love others as yourself.