10 signs you’re operating under the power of a religious political spirit.

While politics is politics in the political arena, church government should be under an entirely different influence. No such spirit should occupy the atmosphere among the saints of God. All positions, offices, and responsibilities, are occupied by appointment through the leading of the Holy Spirit, accessed  through prayer and seeking. We see how that is done in Acts 13. It’s not a democratic process. One assigned by God  needs only His vote, and the witness of two leading elders to confirm the will of God, in an appointment. It’s not unbiblical to have the assembly of the faithful involved in prayer and support in appointments and commissionings. The Church is not a political party or a business. The employees in a business are not of one blood. Each and every one of us in the Church are blood bought. We are of a kingdom not of this world. We need to remember that, and stop emulating and integrating world systems into the Church. We have done that because something is amiss. The original intent, ordained by God, of how we should look as the Body of Christ hasn’t always been followed. This has created a mixture and hybrid of a people apart from what we are suppose to be. It allows another spirit in. Our DNA as one Holy race, needs to remain undefiled. God has never approved of mixed seed. We have allowed the world to come into the sanctuary of God. We’ve allowed the work place too. How many of us have heard the teaching we need to run our churches with the professionalism of a business? Well if your church is a business than I suppose you do. But, the Church is not a business. It’s a body, and Christ is the head. When we recognize it that way, when we all answer to Him in good conscience, we our a living breathing organism. That organism has a natural function. It governs itself, it reproduces itself. It has its own defense mechanism built in. We can call it a supernatural immune system. Every part is connected to the head and no part functions independently of the other. It’s not professionalism we need, but a spirit of excellence. Every person in the body of Christ was pre wired, and pre determined, to fulfill a particular function among the body of believers. 

Psalms 139: 14- I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well. My substance was not hid from you, when I was made in secret, and curiously worked in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in your book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

We see that not only did he fashion us in secret, but God prepared Christ a body. That body was not only His physical body, but The Body of Christ! The saints! So the word here is for you and I; yet, it speaks of Christ in a messianic prophecy. On a greater scale it describes the pre ordination of the Church, or the Body of Christ! We are not a business. A network, a club, or a team. We are an intricately designed body of believers. Penned in His book, before there was even the womb to be formed in! As it is said, “Before the foundations of the earth.” The following list describes 10 signs you may be operating under the power of a religious political spirit. These two operatives are described in the entire chapter of Mathew 23 and Mathew 22:15-22.

 10 Signs you’re operating under the power of a religious a political spirit.

1. Who’s who? Among the body of Christ your eye is on the most influential. You watch for influence, power, and money,  to associate yourself with. Rather than the leading of the Holy Spirit in your relationships. Or, positions in your church seem to be dominated by personality, wealth, and influence. Rather, than elderships and anointings.
2. Chameleon tendencies. You change your tune or mode of interaction depending on who you are with, and the group you are among, to qualify yourself in various circles. I once was warned in a dream that I was encountering a chameleon spirit when I saw a minister’s coat rotating in colors as I spoke. As if his chemillion tendencies were searching for a compatible color to engage me with.
3. You campaign to always be above whom you assume you are above, and you labor to convince those you aspire to be equal to, that you are their equal. Rather, than simply being yourself. Letting God make your connections with others, on a genuine level, it’s a lot of work when we are not being ourselves, and being a respecter of men. We just need to love, and give honor to whom honor is due.
4. You polarize peoples. A political spirit operating amidst the Body of Christ is usually the source of division, as contrary views trigger that spirits mechanism of polarization, drawing people toward their own standing. In other words a political spirit fixates on differences that divide, and exploits them to rally a support base, rather than nurturing commonalities that unite.
5. A political spirit is competitive, and performance driven. This mindset over rides the leading of the Holy Spirit, and prayer for guidance is replaced with meditations of strategic menauevering.
6. Giving and receiving isn’t out of obedience or compassion. What you do and what you give is not Holy Spirit led, but is based on strategy. For the retainment or advancement of position in your Church.
7. You enjoy the contest of one upmanship. In leadership such a mindset spawns political agendas, and becomes the inspiration that spoils true righteous acts of the saints. It is a source of defilement of Godly motives. You have a political spirit that has replaced the Holy Spirit leading in your life, if this kind of activity no longer grieves you, but actually energizes you. Repentence is paramount on many levels for your deliverance and healing, because a spirit of perversity is finding a stronghold.
8. A dog eat dog mentality has replaced your peace. You campaign and jockey to displace others, as much as you fear and strive not to be displaced. A political spirit has no rest, while the political landscape is constantly under their surveillance to seize upon opportunity. And circumvent opportunists. Purity in relationships is gone.
9. You serve a rigid public profile. Your image, your interactions, your movements, among the saints, have unspoken rules. You have no problem being seen praying for people, but are subjective to who is seen praying for you. Or even casually conversing with you. Or ministering to you. They must have a name and title. Because of the political atmosphere that dominates your assembly, or your own spiritual ambitions. You meddle and munipilate the natural, and honest, course of  human relationships, and interaction.
10. Everything is a PR opportunity. You are either under the oppression of a religious political spirit or operating in one when you adopt a position of limited or measured acts of adoration and worship among the assembly to maintain an air of importance. In other words-.Worship is not on your mind as much as who sees you, is. This can also work both ways, political jockeying may motivate contrived acts of worship, and public acts of devotion. All in all, in the pew, down the isle, at the altar, and on the platform, your image is all you think about, and the public who sees you, is an idol you serve.

The final result of an organization people might call a church, that is operating under a religious political spirit, is a body count, a carnage of destiny. Those that wake up to the atmosphere and stronghold of a religious political spirit, will migrate out of it.  But that doesn’t end the endless  rotation of people coming in, pouring out their resources, and then going back out, again. Including those that for what ever reason just cannot compete with what is already established there. Naturally, for those who have an anointing or enablements of God to serve, but do not engage in the atmosphere of political maneuvering, they are not going to find a place mat (for themselves) at that particular table. While fresh hopeful faces are greeted by professional greeters through one door. Worn out, depleted, and disillusioned saints, quietly slip out another. The pay to play team is at their best and their well trimmed image welcomes the masses. And this is that dynamic, well oiled machine, that has looked so similar to the real and genuine Church. For the fleece of the faithful is cast over it. They come in believing their talents, offerings, and abilities, will be utilized, and go out frustrated, and often disillusioned,  feeling conflicted about what they feel pressured to do, verses what they feel  (obedience to the Father) is asking them to do. They also find that standing up for righteousness sake does not promote them, but displaces them. In other words standing up for what is just and true, is relinquishing your seat to another. Often, couples are at different places in their willingness to compromise their ideals, and under the oppression of a religious political atmosphere an otherwise good marriage begins to unravel,  because the non compliant spouse is being  judged as back slidden. When in all actuality were they out of that environment they would be flourishing in Christ. Men and women act differently under that kind of opression when they want out. Men drop out, women (in their desire to submit) do so in private misery.  Where one spouse is energetically jumping through political hoops while the other may be  pulling back, in conviction. Often, that conviction is mixed with confusion and personal feelings of resentment, that makes it harder for the Saint to discern  what is really at play, in their inability to unravel the profane from the holy. Many times a spouse unable to engage the political arena successfully, or not wanting to, begins to feel disenfranchised. They will step back and this causes conflict in the marriage. The compliant spouse may fall into controling behavior over the other to keep their political profile beaming, while there relationship is falling apart. In many cases (but not always) the spouse missing is usually the husband in the family, and the wife is usually the one that has found reasonable favor and acceptance, or a place to thrive. Many times this is because the Church is run by an alpha male whose dominance in everything has little room for other strong male leadership, or a body of leadership, surrounding him. If this political figure (behind the pulpit) is surrounded by other men, it is only because he has found men in full political compliance. As King Saul, Ahab, Jezebel, and Herod the Great, as well as the Pharisees of Jesus day, dominated their environment, and ran their corporation. A stand up guy in a religious political atmosphere is a threat and will be persecuted. While women are drawn in by positive male affirmations from the pulpit, the political entanglement is often deception for her. For her husband he may see it, but backs out of the conflict altogether. Out of all of this there are no true sons and daughters born and launched out to ministry, because an anointed counterpart or replacement is a threat not a protege’ and will be under the watchful eye of a contender, not a father or teacher. Unless, they are in full political compliance to recreate the system all over again. Becoming twice the sons of hell! Studying the characteristics of Saul, Ahab, Jezebel, and Herod brings more understanding, on what is at play when a spirit of pride, idolatry, and disobedience, is in charge over a Christian ministry. True Christian relationships are not characterized by the Bible as a company, team, or club. But rather a family, or brotherhood. (Sisterhood.) To identify our selves as being anything other than the body of Christ misses the point. For in a body every part supplies what is needed to the whole. We are intricately woven together. A club or team member is positional, a body part is relational. Jesus is the Head of the Church. The fullness of the Godhead bodily. In Him we live, and breathe, and have our being.

What if all of the above or some of the above describes you, your church, or denomination? Even a little bit? First of all if you see any of this in yourself, you have just accomplished a remarkable feat. Only because most of those steeped in this kind of environment, believe it’s normal, and don’t see that any thing is wrong. Many new births in the faith are born into this, and when they are- they are in need of a reboot to get away from performance driven works. Where pleasing man is part of the system that promotes you. Unless, you have had a genuine experience belonging to a functional body of Spirit filled believers, the chances are you will not see the plank of error in your eye. It will really take a true desire for truth and humility for a person under the control or power of a political spirit, to recognize that they are.  All of us of the western culture, no matter what church you go to, all of us need to examine ourselves and ask God for discernment and eyes that see. Look again at these 10 signs, and reflect on your own behavior. Because none of us are completely exempt, and unless we truly belong to a fellowship where every part has its place, in Him; the levaning of the Pharisees, (Jesus warned us about) is spreading among us. Mathew 23. Simply because our journey has taken us through 2000 years of brick and mortar institutions that was not always built with tempored mortar, or plummed to the cheif corner stone.  However, I believe God has always had a remnant of reformers to keep the line plummed. To overcome every kind of doctrinal error we need to embrace, teach, and pursue, the true order of God’s blood bought family, described in Ephesians 4. When we do that our supernatural immune system maintains a healthy Body of Believers. 

Ephesians 4:11-16   And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the [e]edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head, Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Romans 3:3-5

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Because there is no corporate latter climbing, there is no contest. But only acknowledgement, discipleship, and Spirit led placement. For the Spirit knows every gift and ability of every child of God, and He has a plan. Love, is the center piece in the true family of God because Jesus is Lord. The greatest among you is servant to all, and everyone wants your best, because we are a family.

Question: What if my church operates in all 10 signs of being under the control of a religious political spirit? Answer: Get Out!

Finding Prophetic Alignment   

David Is Hiding In The Woods