Our greatest enemy to walking in the Spirit of Christ is the spirit of religion. The Spirit of Christ is humility, the spirit of religion is pride. The Spirit of Christ is sacrifice, the spirit of religion is control. The Spirit of Christ is mercy, the spirit of religion is self exaltation. The Spirit of Christ is truth, the spirit religion brings blindness.
The spirit of religion wars against the Spirit of Christ that is within us. The only way we can win this battle is by not fighting it. We do not fight against the spirit of religion, we win by surrendering to the Spirit of Christ. Our only hope is to cover ourselves in humility and walk in total dependency to the Spirit of Christ. It is the Spirit of Christ that brings death to the spirit of religion. We must embrace the Spirit of Christ.
As Christ continues to purify His bride and take the reigns of His church, the battle against the spirit of religion in the body will intensify. The following is how we are to fight in this battle.
First, we come to the Lord to be delivered from the hold of the spirit of religion in our own lives. Until we see the spirit of religion in our own lives we can be of no help to our brothers and sisters. The way we battle is not to fight the spirit of religion, but to open ourselves to the Spirit of Christ. We invite the Spirit of Christ to indwell us and rule over us. It is the Spirit of Christ that will kill the spirit of religion in us, not our efforts at being "spiritual". We must embrace the Spirit of Christ.
Second, know your enemy. Your enemy is not your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not to war against our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to go to War For Them. Whenever you go to battle against your brothers or sisters in Christ, the only one who wins is the enemy. Do not fight over building or ministries. The Lord can raise up buildings and ministries from the rocks and the trees of the Earth. The only weapon you are allowed to use against your brothers and sisters is the Spirit of Christ. Walk in and be ruled by the Spirit of Christ. It is the Spirit of Christ that will kill the spirit of religion in the body. We Must Embrace The Spirit Of Christ.
The two generals the enemy will use in this battle are "the accuser of the brethren" and "self exaltation". Both of these generals promote the spirit of religion by causing spiritual blindness. Our focus is not to be on our brothers and sisters except to pray for them. Pray for them that they would be afforded the same daily mercy that you need to walk in the Spirit of Christ each day. We are not to compare ourselves to our brothers and sisters or to compete with them. We are to live a life of self sacrifice. We are to serve them so that they may become all that they can be in Christ. Once again, it is the Spirit of Christ that will kill the spirit of religion in the body of Christ. We must surrender to and embrace the Spirit of Christ in our lives.
Lord have mercy on us all. As the bride emerges on that day, truly no person will be able to stand and take any credit for Her beauty but You. We live daily by Your mercy.
Mark Kaphaem
Back To Prophetic Archive
