The Spirits Behind the Bad Attitudes

What if some of the demons cast out at the time of Christ found their foothold in people's hearts through a particular weakness? I mean a spirit bent on a particular sin, or, what we might call now-a-days, a bad attitude.

What if those attitudes, those inclinations brought about by our own insecurities, can become the foothold upon which the devil enters and becomes within us an evil spirit, a spirit that consumes us like too much drink or imbalanced hormones, poisoning every thought and desire, word and action.

How dare those people make that sort of mistake—a spirit of wrath.

Only I know what is best for these people—a spirit of pride.

I'll show them only what I want them to see—a spirit of deceit.

If they had what I had, they wouldn't be so happy, and if I had what they had, I would—a spirit of envy.

If I give of myself, I won't have enough for me—a spirit of greed.

I can't decide; someone else must do it for me—a spirit of fear.

I need this to keep me safe from tomorrow's disappointments—a spirit of gluttony.

I must do it, no matter what it takes—a spirit of lust.

It doesn't matter; I just won't care—a spirit of sloth.

And what if our discomfort with demon talk has made the spirits hide behind what we label as "just not feeling like it" or an all-consuming drive or a self-preserving withdrawal or being sure we don't hurt our witness? What if the psychological terms we use are just spirits in need of testing to discern if they will confess Christ as the end all and be all and submit to his authority, or if they will blubber with excuses and finger pointing and fears about fears?

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm." (Ephesians 6:12 NIV)

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