“YOU HAVE A RELIGIOUS SPIRIT!”
Presented by: Evangelist Steve Marlowe
In Santa Monica, California, a few Nazareans were witnessing the Gospel in spirit and truth, featuring Acts 4:12, when a street preacher speaking through his microphone was blasting the Promenade, and this so-called “Christian Street Preacher,” after being informed of the one and only true name, YAHSHUA, the one name given under heaven by which we must be saved, responded by accusing one of the Nazarean evangelists of having a “religious spirit!” To be honest, I had no idea what that meant being called out as one who has a “religious spirit.”
Question: What does it mean when someone says to one, “You have a religious spirit?”
Answer: A religious spirit is a type of demonic spirit that influences a person, or group of people, to replace a genuine relationship with God with works and traditions.
Commentary: We, as Nazareans, testify to the one name given to Christ, as did the apostle Peter, specifically to the revealed name of YAHSHUA, and the apostle Peter made it clear in Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
We have heard, as dictated by human linguistics, or languages, of the name of Jesus, which was never revealed by God or by an angel of God. The usage of the name of Jesus supersedes the very commandment and revelation of God, and as a result of not holding to the revealed name given under heaven, we now have in the world not just one, but many names, such as Jesus, Iesus, Iesous, Isa, Hey’zeus, Yeshua, and Joshua, but here is an important distinction, none of these names mentioned have the name which is above every name, as the apostle Paul testified, in Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of YAHSHUA every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that YAHSHUA the Messiah is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.” Neither Peter nor Paul, or anyone in the first-century church ever heard or knew of the name “Jesus.” The name of “Jesus” is an unauthorized human linguistic replacement of the very revealed name of the only Savior, the very Son of God, YAHSHUA! Because we, “the Nazarean Ministry of YAHSHUA,” testified to the one name given under heaven by which we must be saved, the very name of YAHSHUA, a “Christian street preacher” calls out to an evangelist, a member of the Nazareans, who told the so-called Christian street preacher, that. “the Savior’s name is YAHSHUA,” and that His name is not “Jesus,” and the street preacher on a microphone, replied, “you have a religious spirit!” But here is a warning to the street evangelists, when representing Christ, one does not bear false witness against another evangelist by calling them out as having a demonic spirit, specifically, “a religious spirit,” which is tantamount to saying, “You have a demon,” and the only reason he did this was that he could not give a good answer back in spirit and truth as to why he denies the very revealed name of YAHSHUA, which comes from Heaven, and speaks in the name of Jesus, a name resulting from man’s tradition based on linguistic evolution, and not upon the revelation of God. We preach in the one revealed name of YAHSHUA, which, in fact, a name that has already been replaced by the spirit of Antichrist with the name of Jesus, a name that has only existed historically since the 17th century, and this according to the traditions of men and therefore not of God. We, as Nazareans, seek to restore a genuine relationship with the Savior by knowing His true revealed name given to Him by His God and Father.
To call one who represents YAHSHUA and the Bible, of having a ‘Religious Spirit,’ is bearing false witness, which breaks the commandment, in Exodus 20:16, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Because we speak where the Bible speaks, and where the Bible is silent we are silent, however, when we see changes in the Bible done according to man’s agenda, which allows a false name, or baptisms not solely in the name of the Lord YAHSHUA, we stand firm in the revelations of our Lord and Savior YAHSHUA, We look for the truth and hold only to the truth. The true name, that the apostles knew, which we, the Nazareans, testify to, is YAHSHUA, and which notably has been changed, and wherewith, we seek to restore God’s revelation of the Savior’s Personal and only name, the name which is above every name. Indeed the name which has the name which is above every name, behold the name of YAH!
It, the transformed name of Jesus, has become the tradition of men to acknowledge this name Jesus, which, again, has only existed in its present form since the 17th century. The Hebrew expression, “Halleluyah,” has been used as an expression of praise, literally, and the apostle Peter testified that there is no other name, “Praise YAH!” We acknowledge the name YAH, which is the name above every name, so how, then, can you acknowledge another name? YAH is the name which is above every name! Shua means salvation, therefore, the revealed name of the Savior is YAHSHUA, as in “YAH Saves!” This is in accordance with what the angel revealed to Joseph in Matthew 1:21, for He YAH will save, Shua, His people, behold the only revealed name of the Son of God, the Savior of the world, YAHSHUA!
This is the biblical truth that the name YAH is the name which is above every name, as given to Moses in Exodus 3:13-15. What would YAHSHUA say about this generation, which seems very much like the generation in His time “Let those with ears use them and listen. ‘What can I say about the people of this time? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, who call out to each other, ‘We played music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a sad song, but you did not cry.’ John came and did not eat or drink like other people. So people say, ‘He has a demon” (Matthew 11:15-18).
Question: When we, the Nazareans, were witnessing the one and only name of salvation, why would witnessing about the revealed name of Christ and/or what His true name really is, warrant the accusation of having a “religious spirit?”
Answer: When people operate out of a “religious spirit” they attempt to earn salvation. This evil spirit has established non-biblical beliefs and customs for generations. This is what the LORD argued with the Pharisees and Sadducees about. The LORD never criticized the law or the doing of the law. Yahshua argued against the traditions of men and how they made void the law of God. The Pharisees instead of being humble and going to the LORD looked to their own righteousness which the Bible shows our works are like filthy rags. Yet, as Believers, we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the work of a religious spirit. It is lurking around attempting to cause judgment and destruction among Believers and in the Body of Church.
Commentary: Granting that this definition is true, how does it apply to the Nazareans? To blindly label one by this statement, or accusation, can very well defy the truth, because when those who are caught up in the traditions of men, thinking them to be of God, which is not of God, hear one witness to the truth, all they can say in the face of the gospel truth is to deny the one speaking the biblical truth, which is a contradiction against them, and then they falsely label one against the truth to be of a “religious Spirit!”
If it is true that a person, or leader, with a “religious spirit” causes the establishment of non-biblical beliefs and customs for generations, then what of Christmas, Easter, Lent, and the doctrines in the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, which are not found in the Bible? Christmas with its Christmas trees, a jolly fat man in a red suit with white fur trim with flying reindeer pulling a flying slide, and elves that make toys for every boy and girl around the world? The LORD criticized the Israelites when they utilized a tree as part of a celebration. Let us read:
Jeremiah 10:3-4:
“For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a tree from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
They decorate it with silver and gold;
They fasten it with nails and hammers
So that it will not topple.”
What about the name of Easter, where does that name come from, and yet we know it is the name of the fertility goddess Easter, and what about the bunny rabbits, who lay Easter eggs, for children’s Easter egg hunts. Lent was the original mourning period of 40 days for the god Tammuz. So who has the religious spirit now, the ones who elevate the traditions of men above the LORD, or the ones who teach to follow the Word of the LORD as it really is? What about the false name of Jehovah, which means the god of ruin, mischief, and calamity? A concocted name produced by men, due to vowels from another word (eloah) added to God’s to the consonants in God’s name.
Question: “How does one determine whether or not someone, or your group, has a “religious spirit?”
Answer: We know the enemy is an angel of light, attempting to counterfeit any of God’s good and perfect gifts, in effort to cause chaos, confusion, shame, and guilt. He does this with the work of a religious spirit.
Commentary: Despite witnessing to the truth, one is called as one being of a “religious spirit.” There is no application here. It is a misnomer to call one having a “religious spirit”, who witnesses to the truth of the gospel as stated in John 3:16-18, in that: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” One holding to the idea, or labeling, one with a religious spirit-based solely on a counter view when the truth is being represented is the act of a hypocrite, who represents that which is not of God, but that which is of the traditions of men, and when these false traditions are challenged, one calls the challenger one who has a “religious spirit.” “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).
Question: With all the denominations within Christianity, and with all the different churches with opposing and differing doctrines, where is the truth within Christianity?
Answer: This “religious spirit” is out to imitate the work of the Holy Spirit. We must be clear that no matter how hard Satan tries to forge the work of the Holy Spirit, he cannot. But he can cause great confusion and deception. The good news is, when you seek to be led by the Holy Spirit, you will be able to identify and deal with this bitter and hypocritical spirit, indeed the “religious spirit.” There are a number of trademarks of the religious spirit. But the Holy Spirit has equipped us with God’s full armor when we hold to His word. You can identify this spirit and overcome it! A religious spirit can manifest in different ways. It often uses a person’s history and circumstances to afflict internal whispers of judgment and pressure to perform. These infectious lies plant seeds of false righteousness and holiness. These seeds bear bitter fruit. Eventually, the person who is operating in the “religious spirit” harbors resentment. This leads to a multitude of destructive thoughts and behaviors.
Commentary: These divergent churches may very well accuse the other of having a religious spirit, however, the word of God is true, and all those who seek after His truth shall be known by Him.
Let’s look at ways this spirit wages war against the grace and power of God in a Believer’s life:
First: The religious spirit concerns itself with the outside appearances of being holy and righteous. This spirit deceives those in the Church into thinking if they act like a traditional Christian it replaces the need for Christ in their lives. These are dangerous thoughts. Pride slowly starts to creep in and puffs up the believer’s thoughts and actions. This blocks the blessing of an intimate relationship with God, as the believer seeks the approval of men and not of Christ. It promotes a disconnect with the actual word of God in the Bible.
Scripture reading James 4:6, “…God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Second: The religious spirit attempts to earn God’s love and salvation. Even though a believer could know the truth of our Savior, this spirit suggests to the mind that they must earn God’s love with their actions, focusing more on themselves than the LORD. Likewise on the opposite side are those who say they are not good enough and use that as their reason to not go to the LORD. Pressure is turned on and thus builds, causing feelings of guilt, shame and doubt. Again which they use to further isolate themselves from the LORD when they should be going directly to Him.
Scripture reading Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, lest anyone should boast”.
Third: No one is to boast in themselves but in Christ alone. The religious spirit craves a position of honor in the Church for its own pride. This spirit drives believers to seek positions in the Church or a ministry where they will be recognized and commended. As a result, the believer becomes isolated, because he is more focused on tasks and praise than honoring God and thinking of others.
Scripture reading Philippians 2:3-4: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.”.
Fourth: The religious spirit develops a harsh, judgmental attitude toward others. This spirit will skillfully mutter words of judgment toward others in a Believer’s life. This voice will become louder and louder until he or she feels completely justified to place blame and accuse their brethren. This, like the position of honor, isolates the believer and can blind them of their own weaknesses. As it says in Matthew 7:5, “…First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” The religious spirit teaches the traditions that are according to men, and makes void the word of God, as the Lord YAHSHUA said, “By your own rules, which you teach people, you are rejecting what God said. And you do many things like that” (New Century Version).
These are ways the religious spirit manifests itself in a Believer. If there is bitter fruit of pride, self-righteousness, anger and resentment, the religious spirit is actively seeking more ways to cause chaos. When they teach one doctrine, and the Bible teaches another know this as an indicator of one with the manifestation of the religious spirit. The traditions of men were what the Pharisees developed and taught the Jews, and at times these traditions superseded the revelation of God. Again we know what happens when we focus more on ourselves than on God.
Question: What is needed to be discerning of this toxic leaven causing this Pharisaic mentality of making traditions that defy the revelations and commandments of God?
Answer: It is necessary for a close study of God’s word, and asking our Heavenly Father for discernment of His truth in all things.
Commentary: In Luke 12:1, we read: “In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1). YAHSHUA spoke of the “leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (also in Matthew 16:6,Mark 8:15, and Luke 12:1). As in many of His teachings, YAHSHUA used an everyday item, in this case, leaven or yeast, to demonstrate spiritual truth. In Luke 12:1, Jesus refers to “the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Jesus’ point was that the teachings of the Pharisees were pervasive and produced hypocrisyand unbelief. The man-made teachings of the Pharisees were as pervasive as yeast in a loaf of bread, and as yeast, or leaven, distorts the bread, so does the leaven of the Pharisees distort the truth of our LORD. Their corruption advanced in hardly perceptible ways, but it was extensive. YAHSHUA denounced the Pharisees on several occasions (Matthew 23:1–39), and their hypocrisy was a common theme. The Pharisees displayed outward conformity to the law, but their hearts were full of unbelief and sinfulness (Mark 7:6–13). “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13).
Question: Can you think of an example of how many churches today demonstrate a religious spirit?
Answer: By warning the disciples against the hypocrisy, or “leaven,” of the Pharisees, YAHSHUA sought to keep His followers from an insidious influence that would undermine faith and corrupt their walk with Abba, our Heavenly Father. Believers today should heed the same warning from Lord YAHSHUA and guard against pharisaic attitudes and the temptation to take pride in man-made teachings and traditions. Once a bit of Pharisaism, or the traditions of men, is introduced into the church, it can quickly spread.
Commentary: The religious spirit tries to steal our peace and joy, causing fear, doubt, and unbelief. The Apostle Paul reminds us of this:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Messiah YAHSHUA” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Paul tells us not to be anxious, but instead, make our requests known to God—with thanksgiving. When we pray in the Spirit, with thanksgiving in our hearts, we start to align with God’s heart and mind. This imparts peace.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).
We must remember the enemy is not the people in our lives; he is the ruler of darkness. When there is spiritual warfare, weapons of the flesh will not prevail. It must be fought with God’s armor.
We need to wrap ourselves in His Word and trust in His righteousness while being sensitive to and praying in the Spirit. Read Ephesians 6:11-18, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…”
Question: In light of YAHSHUA’S struggles with the Sadducees and the Pharisees, what do you think was the problem?
Answer: A Pharisee and Sadducee members of two ancient Jewish sects, distinguished by strict observance of the Jewish traditions and written law, and commonly held to have pretensions to superior sanctity. For instance in becoming a self-righteous person; a hypocrite because they had the appearance of representing the Truth of God, but in reality represented the Traditions of men. They did not teach the commandments of God alone, if they did they would have loved YAHSHUA who came from God, but instead, they loved their traditions and rejected YAHSHUA, the very one who gave the Law in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament, YAHSHUA said in John 5:45-47, “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”The Jews today hold to their Talmud, which is based mostly on man’s wisdom, and as such formulates propaganda causing God’s people to go astray. Most churches today are guilty of holding to their own doctrines and the very traditions of men, which is why there are so many churches believing differently but still claiming to be in the truth.
In conclusion: Having a form of godliness and a religious spirit is dangerous. The Scripture says in 2 Timothy 3:1-7, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ‘For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” We, as Nazareans, with careful consideration, categorically deny any “religious spirit,” and we concur that the accusation against us was malicious as well as totally false. In YAHSHUA’S one and only name. Amen.
