The Spirit of Sheep's Clothing, pt 4

We conclude the woes that Jesus pronounced to the religious leaders in Matthew 23.

In the last of the eight woes, Jesus speaks about the darkest, most wicked aspect of their character:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. (:29–35)

The Pharisees honored the murdered prophets and declared that they would not have killed them like their ancestors did.

They give a false show of honor and kindness towards the deceased prophets, leading the people to believe that they love and support all who are God’s prophets. After all, it’s easy to honor the dead prophets—they cannot speak and bear witness to the religious leaders’ evil.

Jesus reveals that not only are they liars, but more wicked than that, they are also murderers of God’s prophets. The religious spirit hates prophets.

Prophets speak the mind of God and reveal the hearts of men. The religious leaders did not want to be discovered for what they really are and will do anything, including murder, to prevent the truth from exposing them.

Twice in the Old Testament, God says, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.” (1 Chronicles 16:22, Psalm 105:15).

The religious spirit convinces many to stay away from prophets and even to deny that there is such a thing as a modern day prophet. This puts those who hold this belief in a very dangerous position.

There are many denominations today that have allowed themselves to be deceived by a religious spirit into believing that the prophetic ministry ended with the death of the last Apostle.

The ministry of prophets is to be a voice of God’s thoughts and will with the purpose of guiding everyone into a deeper personal relationship with Himself. The prophetic voice is essential to a healthy church. It reveals the tactics of the enemy and the divine strategy we can use to overcome those tactics. It helps us to identify those things in our lives that are hindering our spiritual growth. And it gives us guidance and hope in our pursuit of being like Christ.

Other Characteristics of the Religious Spirit

Jesus’ encounters with the religious spirit (in the Pharisees) are recorded throughout the gospels. Below are some of those encounters that give us additional insight into the working of the religious spirit. 

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11)

In other words: “You must be seen with people who make you look good.”

God wants our hearts to be void of pride. Churches with a religious spirit have cliques or a hierarchy of groups of people that have an air of “our group is better or more spiritual than yours”. A sign that we have a humble heart is that we do not care what others think when they see us spending time with the lowest and most destitute.

Jesus said that when we help the poor, visit the sick and those in prison, that we are helping and visiting Him. The religious spirit seeks the friendship of those that are rich and have power, whereas the Holy Spirit with seeks those that are in need. 

But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.” (Matthew 9:34)

“Any display of the power of God is actually from Satan.”

When Jesus cast out devils, not only was this a new display of God’s power, but because the Pharisees could not deny that something very powerful and supernatural happened to those that were possessed, they had to discredit the source of the power. After all, the Pharisees were the religious leaders and anything that showed them up, if they could not deny that it actually happened, they had to put down and attribute to being from Satan.

Claiming that the power of God is from the devil is blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

There are many in the religious community that strongly believe that God turned off His power way back when the last Apostle died. In their thinking, Christians have been powerless for almost two thousand years and that any display of divine power is a deception or from the flesh. They have a form of godliness, but they deny His power.

The gifts of the Spirit, the baptism of the Spirit, and any other display of the power of God is as alive today as it was when Jesus walked the Earth, and even more so because He is now with the Father.   

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” (Matthew 12:2)

“We can criticize you if you’re not living our idea of Christianity.”

People with the religious spirit are very critical towards anything and anyone they feel is wrong. Criticism is one of the most successful areas of the religious spirit.

While out of town, a man from a very legalistic and religious church attended an old friend’s church. This was the first time that he went to a different church in over two decades. This church was not guided by a religious spirit, but by the Holy Spirit. During worship, people danced, others lifted and waved banners, people spoke in tongues, and so on. After the service, the man arrogantly said to his friend, “Yup, I saw the flesh today!”

He saw Biblical, orderly worship, yet because it was not like his home church—where the spirit of religion rules—his perception was perverted and he only saw what the religious spirit wanted him to see and he felt he was totally right and pleasing God by his criticism.

The criticism from the religious spirit offers no solutions, but only tears down that which is godly and sows discouragement to prevent any future godly growth.

Love thinks no evil, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. 

Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him. (Matthew 12:14)

“It’s okay to destroy someone’s reputation and even take their life if you perceive that they might be a threat to your power and position in the church.”

Power struggles within the church emanate from the religious spirit.

Churches that are more eager and quick to apply “discipline” than to give grace are led by a religious spirit. Churches that receive their guidance from the demonic religious spirit are known more for keeping their people “in line” than for helping them grow to their fullest potential and calling.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Non-religious Christians do not plot the destruction of others. But rather, seeks the destruction of the enemy in other people’s lives. 

Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” (Matthew 15:12)

“Because you are religious, others must respect and honor you.”

The religious spirit makes it clear to others that no one is allowed to say or do anything that might insult them or hurt their feelings. After all, they are more spiritual and “deserve” greater respect than anyone else.

This aspect of the religious spirit even had Jesus’ disciples deceived—they were actually worried that Jesus offended the Pharisees!

Prophesying about the end of the age, Jesus said that many will be offended (Matthew 24:10). In other words, many will have the religious spirit operating in their lives.

Jesus said that those who are not offended by Him are blessed (Matthew 11:6). Offenses will come—actually, they must come—but those that are free from the religious spirit will not be offended.

Part 6 completes this study on the spirit of sheep’s clothing. Following part 6 is a titled, “Encountering the Religious Spirit” which brings this topic to a more personal level and addresses questions such as: “How to discern if a religious spirit is operating in your own life” and “What to do if your church is controlled by a religious spirit”.

It is my prayer for you that Father will continue to help you to hear His voice, and more and more frequently.

With God’s grace and in His peace,

Gary

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