WRONG SPIRITS (2)

WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL

AUGUST 23, 2023

TOPIC: WRONG SPIRITS (2)

BY T. O. BANSO

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 King James Version).

Yesterday, I referred to the phrase “a right spirit” that David used in Psalm 51:10. He said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (King James Version). I noted that if there is a right spirit, there must be a wrong spirit. The Bible talks about some spirits that one could call wrong spirits because they do not agree with the character of God or the works of the Holy Spirit.

We have looked at four of such spirits, namely the spirit of jealousy, the spirit of ill will, hostility, or animosity that causes treachery, the spirit of heaviness, and the spirit of harlotry. We shall look at four more today.

5. The spirit of infirmity. This is the spirit that causes sickness or disease in someone. Luke 13:11 says, “And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up” (New King James Version). That day, Jesus loosed this woman from the spirit of infirmity and she was immediately healed,

The spirit of infirmity is not a right spirit because it afflicts people with sicknesses and diseases. Once the demonic spirit is cast out, the victims are healed.  Isaiah 53:5 says of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (New King James Version). Similarly, 1 Peter 2:24 says, “Who [Jesus] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed” (New King James Version). 

Jesus healed many sick people during his earthly ministry and, through His name, many are still being healed of their infirmities today. By His stripes, we were healed. Believers are not sick people trying to get healed; we are healed people that Satan is striving to make sick. We must enforce our healing accomplished on the cross of Cavalry. We must not allow Satan to put on us what is not ours. We must not sign for a package that does not belong to us. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2 New King James Version). You are loosed from any spirit of infirmity tormenting you and you are healed in Jesus’ name.

6. The spirit of divination. The Bible refers to the spirit of divination in Acts 16:16: “Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling” (New King James Version). This is a spirit that seeks to find out secret things or the future bypassing God. Any such consultation with anyone, who is not depending on the Holy Spirit, for guidance/direction or to unravel mysteries amounts to fellowshipping with the spirit of divination. Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law” (New King James Version). 

The spirit of divination is a spirit that is not submitted to God; it is a spirit that is in rebellion against God. The Bible talks about different kinds of divination. The spirit of divination is not a right spirit and that is why God forbids it. Leviticus 19:26 says, “You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying” (New King James Version). Deuteronomy 18:10 says, “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft” (New International Version). That was why Paul cast out that spirit from the slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination in Acts 16. Many false prophets practise divination.

In the days of Jeremiah, the prophets prophesied lies in God’s name; they prophesied by divination despite God forbidding it (Jeremiah 14:14). Flattering divinations also went on within the house of Israel in the days of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 12:24). The Complete Jewish Bible refers to flattering divinations as “falsely optimistic divinations.”

Don’t fellowship with the spirit of divination. Be content with divine communication by the Holy Spirit and don’t open your life to demonic traffic. I decree that there shall be no sorcery or divination against you (Numbers 23:23).

7. The spirit of bondage. This is the spirit of slavery. Romans 8:15 says, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (New King James Version). The spirit of bondage is the spirit that makes one to fear. The slave always lives in fear. In the Old Testament, those under the law lived in fear. Every sinner also lives in fear.

Those who believe in Jesus Christ are not possessed by the spirit of bondage or slavery but have received the Spirit of adoption. They have become adopted children of God. They have been delivered from the power of this spirit – they are no longer under any bondage. They are no longer living in the guilt of sin and the fear of the wrath of God.

Galatians 4:3-7 says, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’  Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (New King James Version). In place of the spirit of bondage, God has given believers the Spirit of adoption – we are sons of God. We have been adopted into the family of God. God treats us as His children, not as slaves. We are not ruled by fear but love, and we can confidently call God our Father.

8. A lying spirit. A lying spirit entered the prophets of Ahab to deceive him into going to Ramoth-Gilead so that he could die in the battle. The Prophet Micaiah said, “Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you” (1 Kings 22:21-23 New King James Version). 2 Chronicles 18:20-23 records the same thing. The 400 prophets, who prophesied to Ahab before Micaiah came, were possessed by a lying spirit; only Micaiah was possessed by the Spirit of truth.

A lying spirit is one of the wrong spirits Satan uses against people and in people’s lives. The Bible says he is a liar and the father of lies. “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44 New King James Version).

The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, is the spirit of truth (John 14:15-17; 15:26; 16:13). If you open yourself to the Holy Spirit, a lying spirit cannot possess you.

If any of these wrong spirits are already in your life, repent today. Feed on the Word of God and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Obey God. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but expose them (Ephesians 5:11).

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.

PRAYER POINTS: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. I will not practise divination or patronize false prophets and others who practise it. I will be content with divine communication by the Holy Spirit and not open my life to demonic traffic.

(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org