The Spirit Of A Thing

The spirit of a thing that is worldly is designed to alienate (estrange; to cause you to feel estranged or withdrawn from) the spirit and soul of man by using the consequences of the fall of man made through choice to cause man to not see his need for God, the Father.

Now, as we get started evaluate as we teach tonight that thing, that very thing that is governing your life and its existence, what is the spirit of it?

Thing is that which exists or is conceived to exist as a separate entity; entity; being.

Demonic is of, resembling, or characteristic of demons or evil spirits.

• Demonic spirits are around us waiting to be conceived by you from your choices made out of the Will of God in word, deed, action, and thought.
• Demonic spirits are a thing! They are drawn to us from our choices in word, deed, action, and thought.
• Demons oppose God’s sovereign control.
• They are angelic entities who oppose God’s sovereign control to work out their unholy rebellion through influencing believers to live in a way contrary to God’s intentions. And at the same time they remain under God’s sovereign authority and are used by God to affect His Divine plan in you.
• Demonic spirits need a body in the earth realm to live and survive.
• Demonic spirits are spiritual beings that need your body to exist. They pretend to be friendly spirits to deceive (2 Corinthians 11:15); blind the minds of believers (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
• They lead believers astray from truth through the pursuit of their pleasures or sensual gratifications. (Ephesians 5:6)
• The world has demonic spirits that are operating from its choices without the Spirit of God.
• The same thing happens to us when we are without the Spirit of God or try to live worldly and in righteousness.
• Every choice we make carries a spirit of that choice.
• Every word we release, hear, and accept carries a spirit with that word.
• Believers’ are not immune from demonic attacks. They seek to influence Christian believer’s through false doctrines and teachings (1 Timothy 4:1; 1 John 4:1-4); as well as through false miracles and wonders.

It’s time to go higher to activate and operate in spiritual discernment. Spiritual discernment (the mental power of keenness of judgment; insight) signifies to separate, discriminate; then learn by discriminating to determine and decide.

Spiritual discernment is not a feeling! It cannot be felt through your 5 senses!

Spiritual discernment is used in spiritual warfare, your spiritual warfare first!

Spiritual discernment can only be used when walking in the Spirit.

Spiritual discernment is used to discern your condition first, as well as judging evil in other believers.

St Matthew 7:3-5

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thing eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

Mote is a minute particle; speck.

            Beam is a long, horizontal piece of wood, stone, or metal, forming part of the frame of a building; the widest part of anything.

The world, the flesh, and the devil are inducers (to lead on to a specific action, belief, etc., by persuasion or influence) and seducers (to lead astray; entice into wrong; tempt) of the spirit of a thing.

It’s time to know the spirit of a thing – your thing before indulging in, celebrating it, and memorializing it.

Jesus said to be in the world, but not of the world. What does that mean?

In the life of Christ Jesus in the earth when demons confronted Jesus: the boy with the seizures (St Matthew 17:1-20); the silencing of demons (St Matthew 8:16); etc.

Jesus always demonstrated compassion for the people and authority over the spirits.

(St Luke 4:36).

            Most of what we are used to seeing today in the Houses today is exorcism rituals that are unsuccessful.

            Demons are cast out by the Spirit of God (St Matthew 12:28) by the finger of God and this was done by verbal command rather than elaborate rituals of exorcists.

            Jesus gave the disciples the authority to cast out demons (St Matthew 10:1, 8) and to others to cast them out in the name of Jesus (St Mark 9:38-41).

            The authority is being seated with Christ. Our identity is being in Christ. Our weapon is our authority.

Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Mortify your flesh and offer yourself as a sacrifice, acceptable to God.

Conform is to make like or similar in form or character. Conform to the Word!

Transform is to give a different form to; change the character of; to alter the nature of; convert. Be transformed in the new creature that salvation offers, which is Jesus Christ!

The world is worldly! It carries the spirit of the thing that it incorporates.

The world operates and functions as stated in Galatians 5:19-21 as the works of the flesh, the evil works of the flesh, and sins fruit produced from the works of the flesh.

St John 17:9, 15-16, 18, 20

9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

            And that word is the Word of God!

St Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

            This is the spirit that we should have as we are called and ordained to enter into the vineyard for the harvest.

The spirit of the world verses the Spirit of the Church

How do you know if you are in the Body of Christ, which is the Church reformed? Or still in the world trying to operate as the Church?

The world celebrates, accepts, exemplifies, and acknowledges all the works of the flesh. In other words, the world only acknowledges its own!

We as believers are caught in a snare, entangled in tradition and religion trying to do what the world is doing and live the way of Christ Jesus.

The spirit of the world is carnality! So is everything about it is.

The world uses its own to entangle you in your belief in Christ Jesus. They did it to Jesus and so will they do it to you.

St Matthew 22:15-46 (Summarized), the Pharisees and Sadducees took counsel and plotted on how to trap Jesus in His talk, so they sent their own disciples with their beliefs.

The world and its own does the same thing to you through your unsaved family and friends. They come to get you to talk and discuss the joy of your salvation to them so they can try to pervert you with what they believe in from the world’s point of view.

But spiritual discernment with Wisdom will allow you to perceive their wickedness against you! And the Holy Ghost in you will speak!

2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

This is why you must untangle yourself with the world and its worldliness! You must totally denounce the world and its way, which will destroy the entanglement of its sin upon you and against you.

You may say that I have a business or my job keeps me dealing with the world! Yes, this is true but walking in the Spirit, hearing in the Spirit will allow the Spirit in you to know how to go in and out of your livelihood without being in error to compromise the truth in you.

The Spirit of God in you will either draw the ones you have to work for or with or it will withdraw them from you.

Remember St John 6:44, the Spirit of God has to spiritually attract a Soul to draw them to the Christ Jesus displayed and portrayed in your life.

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

As the Spirit of God guide and lead you, you will know when the door of spiritual opportunity is being open for you to release Jesus and the Word to a Soul.

Believers must spiritually learn to discern from an “aerial view” by and through faith in this world. If Jesus chose to not take you out the world, then He must have another way for us to live a spiritual life in the earth which is governed only by Him.

Evaluate self:

• What is the spirit of the things we indulge in?
• When tests, trials, and tribulations come, what spirits come with them? Do you take them on?
• When we take on the ways to conform and transform to the worlds way, what spirit is that thing that you take on?
• When our ways, attitude, mannerism, character, actions, and even speech are worldly, what is the spirit of that thing?
• When we don’t or won’t totally surrender to the Word of God and allow it to fashion us, set us apart from the worldliness, what is the spirit of that thing?
• We take on the world’s ways that appease us or that we are pleased with so people won’t think that you are all the way changed or different. What is the spirit of that thing?
• We don’t want to give up our way of doing things. What is the spirit of that thing?
• The worldliness lures, seduces, and perverts believers to the point that it is hard for them to turn totally away from its lust. What is the spirit of that thing when you accept it?
• Tattoos, pants hanging off men and boys behinds. What is the spirit of that thing?
• Celebrating in the exact same manner as the world does for any holiday or occasion. What is the spirit of that thing? And if you know the spirits are evil, why do we do them?
• Compromising the Word of God to befriend our family and friends, regardless of their hate and ill-will toward God and His Word. What spirit is that thing that you entreat every time and say this is my family?
• The works of the flesh of every human being that is not under subjection to the Word of God. What is the spirit of those works in you?
• When you keep rebelling to do God’s Will His Way. What is the spirit of that thing working in you?

Spiritual discernment is needful to discern the spirit of the things that we choose in word, deed, action, and thought.

• When discerning the spirit of that thing, ask, evaluate, and compare its purpose; its aim; its intent in your new life as a new creature.
• Discern to see what can it do for you as a new creature? Why you?
• Discern why is the spirit of that thing trying to stop you from doing the Will of God?
• Discern who that spirit uses! Most of the time it will be the closes thing to you!
• Discern what the spirit of this thing is trying to introduce, influence, deceive, and manipulate you into doing.
• Compare that thing to what God has said; what God has promised? By remembering what God has told you and promised you.

1 John 2:15-17

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. When we say we love these people, we should love them in the same manner as God so loved the world?

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

• Worldliness is against the love of God and for God.
• Worldliness is the evil, lustful desires of our flesh.
• The world is in this sin suit that we wear daily!
• Worldliness is deceitful ambition with an earthly vision full of pride, rebellion, jealousy, and disobedience, etc.