What Spirit Has Hindered You?

It is time for the church to take its head out of the sand and discern the severity of not walking after the Spirit. Listen to the admonition of Paul to the Galatians.

Galatians 5:1-4

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Note first that Paul is speaking to those who are born again; admonishing them to stand in the liberty of Christ, also acknowledging that they have been made free.

2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

The Law of the Kingdom of God.

If after you have been set free from the law of sin and death, by the power of the Holy Ghost (Christ); but then turn back to the Law of Moses for justification, you have fallen from grace. Christ is of no effect to you. Your salvation experience is of no effect. According to Paul, the Galatians were running the risk of losing their salvation, by forsaking Christ and placing their confidence in the Law. And mind you, the Galatians were Gentiles. This was a Law they never knew before salvation. It was the Jewish agitators who introduced them to the Law of Moses as a necessary part of their salvation. Nevertheless, to fall from grace or to become a castaway is entirely the decision of the believer.

Galatians 5:7-9

7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.

9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

You started out holy and righteous in all your thoughts and ways. Not what, but who, has persuaded you not to obey the truth? What are you listening to? Whoever it is, they have persuaded (seduced), you into accepting something that is not Christ. This should be a warning regarding the people in your life. Friends, relatives, prayer partners, husbands, wives, and children are all targets of the enemy to use against you in your commitment to God. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Leaven is used here as a symbol for pride, arrogance, heresies, or any form of disobedience. According to the apostle, a little pride, heresy, and/or disobedience, defiles the whole man. The principle is the same as the one taught by Christ; But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:23

Keep in mind these Galatians were birthed through the ministry of one of the greatest apostles of that time. They were taught by him and those whom he sent unto them. They knew the doctrine he taught. They also knew the power of the Holy Ghost. Afterall, it saved them. So how is it that they have come to a place where some are willing to completely abandon the truth that has been proven in their lives? They were persuaded or seduced. Another or other preachers had come along and fed them another doctrine or way to God. Now take note of the fact that the purpose of this seducing spirit was to move the people away from the teachings of Paul. But Satan is shrewd. He can seemingly exalt Paul, while offering another doctrine, which of course is “not” a contradiction to what Paul is preaching, it is simply additional information you need in order to satisfy God.

Beloved, this is an evil practice and it has its rewards. The difference today is that most who are seduced by other ministers, are not babes who are gullible and spiritually vulnerable, but older and hardened veterans of the faith, who are disgruntled, offended, or they are not being used by God to do the things they want to do. So, the seducing spirit simply strokes the ego, fuels the offense, and promises a path to ministry. But that spirit never mentions the cost of such greatness, 'the soul.' That is the only thing satan wants from us.

When the sons of God do not walk after the Spirit, they don’t really know what a true anointing is. They will easily lose sight of the things they themselves once promoted as holiness. As the leaven continues to work, they will become arrogant, disrespectful, and self-willed. There is no need for humility because they consider themselves to be grown now. They are able to see and judge things for themselves now. But oftentimes, judgment is an analysis of those things that are laid out for them by that seducing spirit. Once seduced, they hear only what Satan wants them to hear; and that does not include God.

How is it that Israel saw all the mighty works of God in getting them out of Egypt, yet when Moses went up before the Lord to receive that which would govern the people of God; they could not wait forty days for his return. Instead, they decided to make unto themselves a new god. Thus, they solicited Aaron, the man chosen to be the spokesman for Moses. He was present at every miracle. He walked alongside Moses every step of the way. But there was something unholy in Arron regarding his brother Moses. He envied him. He was jealous of his position in the lives of the people. Take note of his response to the insurrection.

Exodus 32:1

1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

Moses is gone. We don’t know where he is or whether he will ever come back. So now you Aaron, make us a god. Wow! All the people are gathered unto me now. I am the one they have turned to. Aaron responded to them without hesitation.

Exodus 32:2-3

2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.

3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

The moment a son of God begins to walk after the flesh, Satan is always prepared to supply you with someone that is skillful enough to make you a golden calf. A seducing spirit knows what it is you really want. He knows that you secretly worship that thing that is in your heart. You crave for it. But the timing or the situation never seems right to bring it forth. But the truth is, God will provide you with the opportunity to pursue that which is in your heart.

Philippians 3:15

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

That time of revealing is a green light to go for it. God knows that you will forsake godliness to achieve what you want, but you won’t admit it. So, the Lord will allow that seducing spirit to bring the thing out of the imagination of the heart and into the real world for you and others to see. Break off the golden earrings…. and bring them unto me. A seducing spirit will use the contents of your heart to build the image you desire. The people wanted another god, so Aaron took their gold jewelry and made them a god. Satan will do the same for you. He will feed you wantonness, fuel your offenses and paint pictures of grandeur for you.

Exodus 32:4-6

4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.

6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Now this is a typical out of fellowship, son of God. After having built the false God, Aaron built an altar in front of it, so that some sacrifices could be offered to God as well. This is an attempt to get what he wanted without God; yet offer the Lord some sort of recognition along with his own god. The Galatians were treading on dangerous ground. They listened to and flirted with a seducing spirit that was out to capture their soul. But Paul loved his church.

Galatians 5:10

10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

Paul elected to trust that the Galatians would hear God and take heed to his warning. However, he makes us to know the seriousness of seducing the people of God; he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.