Scripture: John 3 v 36:
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth in him."
The first time the spirit of unbelief appeared on Earth
was in the Garden of Eden when Eve chose to believe Satan, the Serpent, when he
suggested to her that she could doubt God's Word. Unbelief in God's Word caused
her to eat of the forbidden fruit which set in motion all the evil of the world
to this day.
Unbelief causes us to question God's wisdom and also doubt
the power and might of Jesus Christ. When we start to doubt then we start to
backslide away from our commitment to Jesus. Just as Adam and Eve covered
themselves with the figleaves of self-justification, so do backsliders try to
justify their sinful actions usually by blaming God for some bitter
disappointment. Words like, "If God was real this would not have
happened!" This is the core statement of the spirit of Unbelief.
When Moses went up the mountain to receive the Ten
Commandments the spirit of unbelief was at work down below making another god,
a golden calf, to distract the Israelites from the One True God.
Throughout the Old Testament God had to deal with their
unbelief and disobedience, usually by allowing them to be captured until they
were willing to follow the Lord again. The same thing happens to Christians
spiritually - when unbelief sets in we become enslaved to another god. It may be alcohol, drugs or tobacco; occult
teachings; false doctrines; worship of angels; worldliness; extramarital
affairs; fraud or family feuds.
As Peter was walking on the water to Jesus, belief kept
him from sinking. When he looked at the waves by taking his eyes off Jesus the
spirit of unbelief drove him under. As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus we
will be victorious. It is a constant lifestyle that focusses on how we can
please our Lord and grow into His likeness.
Whenever we compromise our Christianity by allowing the
world's ways to influence us we open the door for the spirit of unbelief to do
its dangerous and deadly work. Whenever we justify our sinful actions we
endanger our access to the Tree of Life and can be sent out of the place of
redemption back into the world to try to overcome our bad nature without the
help of Jesus.
It is a place of discipline and hardship which God never
intended for His children. Its a place where you come under the condemnation of
the law like the foolish Galatians.
All those churches who have abandoned a Spirit-filled
walk with Jesus Christ for the futility of living under the Jewish Law are
bound by the spirit of unbelief. All those churches who have traded true
revival for the Toronto "blessing" are bound by the spirit of
unbelief. Those who preach Kingdom Now and Dominion Theology are bound by unbelief.
All those entertainment centres trying to amalgamate the
world and the church are in captivity to unbelief. They have turned God's House
into a House of Merchandise and the same anger that drove Jesus to overturn the
tables of the moneylenders is directed back at them.
Satan has sent hordes of spirits of unbelief to
destabilise Christianity. Jesus knew he would and even asked "When I
return will I find faith on Earth?"
If you have realised that you need to be free of the
spirit of unbelief say the following prayer -
Heavenly Father Today I know myself and see how satan has
deceived me with unbelief. Forgive me for not guarding my soul and for leading
others to believe the same errors. Father cleanse me with the Blood of Jesus
and restore me to true and full belief in the Word of God. I will bring the
truth to those I have misled. In Jesus' name. Amen.