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When a religious spirit is present, there is also a poverty spirit.  While a poverty spirit eventually causes poverty and financial problems, it first begins with a negative mentality, festering the mentality of lack and limitation.  It creates pessimism.  This was prevalent in many who grew up during the times of the Great Depression, making it hard for them to believe they were worthy of more, as well as believing that wealth and abundance was possible for them. 


A poverty spirit is pervasive in some of the most 'religiously' oriented countries in the world, including parts of America. The other manifestation of a poverty spirit which partners with the religious stronghold spirit, is illness.  There are so many believers battling one dis-ease or another, while this often dovetails with other underlying issues, (see, Why People Don't Heal), the spirits of infirmity and poverty network together under the religious spiritual stronghold.  Remember, the agenda of the religious spirit, is to limit and restrict believers from having their full inheritance from God, which is to live an abundant life, spiritually, mentally, physically and financially. 


Discerning The Religious Spirit

Spiritual warriors have also discerned this dangerous religious spirit manifesting a spirit of witchcraft.  Let's face it, witchcraft is all about control, control that is used through employing spirits to do its will.  While those in church settings, particularly Christianity, are blinded to the fact that spiritual witchcraft exists and can operate in a church setting, it's portal comes through the religious spirit. 


Think about it, what difference does it make, if a person is practicing white magic, which involves rituals, ceremonies and the worship of various gods and goddesses; or black magic, which involves rituals, ceremonies and the worship of satan; or spiritual witchcraft which is veiled in the form of 'religion' which also involves rituals, ceremonies and often the worship of God, however, with a misinterpretation of His true name, as well as the worship of religion itself,  church leaders, and a hierarchy of priests, saints, angels, etc.? 


There is no difference, witchcraft is witchcraft, which is all about control, causing the restriction to a person's soul/spirit to experience their full inheritance through the freedom available through Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.  Religious spirits release spiritual witchcraft to battle against the Holy Spirit for control of a believers mind, body and lifestyle. 


In this way, spiritual witchcraft is more pervasive and deleterious to our spirits, because it is the one form of witchcraft that is so cleverly hidden, to the point where very few are aware of it and recognize it within the context of so called 'spiritual' churches.

 

There are so many churches today, who use counterfeit names of God and sing worship and praises to these counterfeit names, all the while believing that they are worshiping the one true God.  The god of this world, otherwise known as satan, comes in many forms and disguises and deceives believers into using his one of many counterfeit names, blinding them to the truth.  While the stronghold here, is the evil religious spirit at work, it is unleashing spiritual witchcraft on the minds and body of Christ, through spreading false information about who God is. 

 

While poverty spirits use fear to get people to believe and think they are in a recession, or even on the brink of a depression, the Bible tells us, that 'the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.' (Psalm 24:1; 1 Cor. 10:26) All wealth and abundance comes from God.  But if  religious and poverty spirits are blocking God's wealth and abundance for you, then that means these spirits and their strongholds need to be brought down, to free up God's will to flow to you. 


There is nothing loving about a religious spirit. In fact, its very presence and stronghold on a believers' life causes them to react and behave rudely, aggressively and in all sorts of unloving ways.  Religious spirits cause division and discord within the body of Christ.  They are also the cause behind the history of planet earth's ongoing 'religious warfare'. These spirits are there to drain people of energy and resources causing illness and despair. 


They network with pride and spirits of control, bringing bondage and heartache where they rear their ugly heads. They not only keep the body of Christ divided, but they cause others to judge other religions or denominations harshly, as I've mentioned already, being the cause of perpetrating false beliefs and a spirit of intolerance, which is an unloving spirit. 

           
Finding Freedom from the religious spirit, begins with heartfelt repentance towards God, followed by seeking His Truth through His Holy Spirit, and being willing to face all the spiritual legal ground in their personal lives.  Too often believers adhere to a particular doctrine, which is often a mistransliteration or misunderstanding of scripture, taking something out of context and building a false belief on it, which only empowers the father of lies, who is satan. They put that particular doctrine on their altar, and even define their identity by it, creating what is spiritually known as false identity programming.


This is done through a religious spirit, whose purpose is to blind believers from God's truth and disrupt the living loving dynamic relationship with the Lord Himself. This is why Jesus spoke in parables, because not everyone was spiritually mature enough to understand certain mysteries of God and the truth thereof.  Yet, God is faithful to all those who diligently seek Him with all their heart.  Truth and revelation of God's Word can only come from the Holy Spirit to a repentant heart.  

 

How Do You Know if You Have a Religious Spirit?

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)

 

Ask yourself these simple questions:

1. Is the doctrine you believe in more important than your personal relationship with the Holy Spirit?

2. Does the religious doctrine cause fear or bring freedom?

3. Does it create control or a controlling lifestyle?

4. Does your doctrine foster or limit freedom?

5. Does your doctrine match with the Grace of God? 

6. If you miss going to church, are you afraid God will punish you?

7. Do you believe your good deeds are enough to get you to heaven?

8. Do you identify more with your religion and its leaders, than you do with God?

9. Do you consider yourself and/or take pride in being a religious person? 

10. Do you judge other denominations as being beneath yours?

11. Do you judge other Christians for not following the same path as you?

10. Do you struggle with poverty, illness and/or have financial problems?

 

Most doctrines use scriptures out of context, or the lack thereof as the case may be, to propagate an agenda. But what if they insist something is not in the Bible, and it is, but they are spiritually blinded to seeing it, all the while preaching and perpetrating lies from the pulpit or in the name of God. Or, what if, there are scriptures that they use to promote a doctrine, that is actually taken from a mistransliteration from the original Hebrew or Greek texts? A case of the original true meaning being obscured and lost in translation?  The devil's truly in the details.

 

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, or if you are offended by the notion that there is a religious spirit and it may be oppressing and blinding you from God's truth, then you need to learn about Biblical Foundations of Freedom and be set free to walk in true Freedom with God. Learn how at our next event.  In the meantime, you can at least order the life changing book by Art Mathias.  


"So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time, before the Lord returns.  For He will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due." (1 Corinthians 4:5)

 

"And God has given Him authority to judge everyone because He is the Son of Man." (John 5:27)


Prayer for Freedom from Religious Spirits 


Notes and Reference:

Ella LeBain, Who's Who In The Cosmic Zoo? A Spiritual Guide to ETs, Aliens, Gods & Angel - An End Time Guide to the Mass Deception, ©2012, Chapter, The Religious Spirit, used with permission.

https://truthinreality.com/2012/08/10/prayer-for-freedom-from-religious-spirits/


Religion Doesn't Save You

Religion can't save you, only faith in Christ can.  Jesus said, "I AM the Way" ('religio' is Latin for way), as I mentioned earlier, this is where the origin of the word, 'religion', came from, which was to follow a path or a way. Yet there is a huge difference between having a personal 'relationship' with the Living God, and belonging to a religion.  Following a Living Person verses following a doctrine or religious agenda. 


Understandably, this is hard for many "religious" people to understand and discern. There is a huge difference between being spiritual and being religious.  As shocking as this may sound to some, Jesus Christ does not belong to any religion, even though He is faithful to his church (the word 'church' is derived from a Greek word for 'people').  A church is a body of believers, it is not a building, but an assembly. 


Jesus makes it very clear in His word, that at the final Judgment, He will separate the sheep from the goats.  This is about His church.  There are many who are Christian in name only, and view it as a religion, who are his goats.  Yet the sheep are those who hear His voice and do His will on earth, they may be part of his church i.e., the body of Christ, but their main relationship is with Him.  They are His faithful, which includes believers from every part of the globe and from every known religion and race of humanity. His Spirit and His hand of salvation stretches out to all peoples, all races, all nations and all religions. It is important to make the distinction, that while His church are His followers and believers, not everyone who calls themselves Christian will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

           
You do not have to be a 'fundamentalist' to believe in Jesus Christ.  Being a Christian (i.e., follower of Jesus Christ) is not a religion, it's a relationship with the Living God.  People have made it into all kinds of religions and cults, this is the religious spirit at work, which does not come from God.  Fundamentalism comes from the religious spirit.  The religious spirit is pervasive in all belief systems. 


As the ole saying, goes, you can't throw the baby out with the bath water, making it important to discern between spirits.  So many people fall away from the Lord because of these spirits who are actually demonic intelligences.  Unfortunately, Christ gets blamed for what Satan does, because most people cannot tell the spiritual difference within the context of church, religion or temples, whatever the belief system may be.  They take the 'bait' from Satan, and fall away from God, because a minister or pastor let them down, showed their flaws, fell into hypocrisy and sinned against both God and man.  


Unfortunately this is due to the fact that most people have been programmed to look up to their leaders and teachers, placing them on a pedestal, instead of looking first to the Living God.  So, they take their eyes off the Lord, and instead of depending on their primary relationship which is with the Living God, they depend on people to deliver, heal and guide them.  When these people fall or show their weaknesses, their followers fall apart and fall away because they were depending on man and not on God.  This is Satan's spiritual wounding.  Let's face it, we've all been there, from one extent or another. 


In fact, this is the foundation of the apostasy (falling away), the creation of New Age churches and the idea behind the New World Order. People are looking for power and enlightenment, and after becoming disenchanted with religion, they follow the occult (i.e., New Age beliefs) to find fulfillment where the church has failed them.  Yet, take it from someone whose been full circle, true power and all the enlightenment one needs, is found inside Christ and through His Holy Spirit.  

           
Another important distinction, is when Jesus told Peter in Mathew 16:18 --

"And I say also to you, That you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 


The Greek word that was translated as 'church'  is 'ecclesia' which is derived from the root meaning "called out".  In a spiritual sense, this means, "the called out ones of God".  The meaning of the word, 'church' refers to the 'Body of Christ' which has become an assembly or gathering of believers. While in many respects over the centuries the church has become a religion, there is still a distinction within the churches, of who are His true believes, and who are Christians in name only.  A person who considers him or herself part of the Christian church or religion, is not automatically saved as Jesus Himself points out in Matthew 7 and 25:  


"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them  plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'


"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. (Matthew 7:19-29)

           
The religious spirit is sent by Satan to thwart believers. It tests everyone who joins a church, a Christian cult or any denomination within the Christian religion. Remember this is serious spiritual warfare. Satan's agenda is to get believers away from having the power and authority that Christ promises each of His followers through His indwelling Holy Spirit. There are so many Christian churches that don't even teach or believe that they can be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and there are so many demonic strongholds including unconfessed sins and unrepentant hidden sins in their lives that block the fullness of the power of the Spirit of God within them.  Even those who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, and heal in the name of Jesus, they too are attacked and tested by the religious spirit, particularly those who seek position in the church and assembly.


Freedom From Religious Spirits

 

Religions and the Religious Spirit

 "...having a form of godliness (religion)

but denying the power thereof." (2 Timothy 3:5)

          

The religious spirit is not from God. It is a demon created by the Satanic fallen angels. This spirit seeks to take over churches, temples, mosques and yes, runs rampant through messianic cults, New Age and metaphysical circles. The religious spirit holds a person in bondage and blocks their relationship with the Living God and the Holy Spirit. The religious spirit is at war with the Holy Spirit.

 

Why Religious Spirits are So Dangerous

The religious spirit  was behind the crusades,

and is the spirit behind all the legalistic sides

of churches, mosques and temples in the world.

This is the spirit that crucified Christ because

he did not fit into their 'doctrine'.  This is also

the spirit that is behind regulating religions and dictating doctrines.   Many people leave religions and churches because of this spirit, because it creates bondage and does not foster freedom or love. Thousands blame God for this, because they cannot discern between the spirits.

The word religion comes from the Latin word, 'religio' which means, bondage, path or the way.  The fallen angels set up religions to compete against God. These fallen angels create discord amongst earth humans, they fan the fires.  Also, known as Dark Lords aka Nephilim, aka the 'satans', all have god complexes, so they demand all kinds of legalistic and aesthetic worship of them in the form of idols to harvest and 'drain' the energy of earth humans. (See, Ella LeBain, Who's Who In The Cosmic Zoo?)

The motis operandi of the fallen angels aka the satans, is to disempower earth humans and block them from finding the truth about Christ, which is all about empowerment, liberation and healing. The fallen angels can create signs and wonders but not without a cost (price to pay) i.e., your soul. They want your energy, your spirit and your mind. Christ is here to free your souls from their bondage, free your mind from their control, free your spirit from their many demonic strongholds.

When a fallen angel demonic spirit is behind a church, its presence is subtle, that most people think it's either part of the religion, or part of the church, and they can't tell the difference, so they either live with it, submitting to its many legalistic ways or simply rebel and blame God or the church.  Either way, this spirit wins, by taking a person's mind off the real Living God and the Holy Spirit and even adding another person into the bondage and curse of becoming part of the rebellion against God as so many people become jaded by this spirit, and fall away from God.   This spirit creates false agendas and false beliefs, and is prevalent in all cults, counterfeit religions including Christian denominations. 

The religious spirit networks with lying spirits to thwart believers from knowing the truth that comes from the Holy Spirit.  This spirit perpetrates ancient lies through the pulpit to keep believers in the dark and in bondage to a particular doctrine. It can blind believers from the Rhema revelation of scripture which comes from the Holy Spirit.  The religious spirit does not favor any religion, it is a spiritual stronghold that exists in every religion set up on the face of the earth.

           
As, all religions contend with the religious spirit, Christ contended with this demonic stronghold working through the Pharisees, Seducees and Sanhedrin. He called them 'stiff-necked and proud people.'  Pride is always connected to the religious spirit, it's all about looking and acting pious to others, when God sees through their facade and looks into their hearts. Christ spoke against the legalism and the repetitive chanting.  He said, 'it's the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law that counts.' Christ came to fulfill the law of the prophets. His purpose was to complete the Jewish faith, not necessarily create a new religion which is what inevitably happened.

Riding on the coattails of His fame, not just one, but many offshoots of Christian denominations were inevitably formed, all differing in various interpretations of 'doctrine'.  This left the church wide open to religious spirits to take over, which is what happened with Catholicism, as they incorporated Christianity into their already established religion of Mithraism, which is where all the rituals of Catholicism originated from. In doing this, they cherry picked books that they canonized into the Holy Bible, and rejected all other doctrine that did not fit into their political agenda, which was to maintain control and authority over people on earth, to make sure others see them as the only representative of God.