Idolatry
PART 1 - ATTACK ON THE FOUNDATION OF DISCIPLESHIP
To become a disciple we need to submit to the Word/Jesus. We also need to submit our own will to the will of the Holy Spirit. We need to let the Holy Spirit lead us. We must always seek His guidance and listen for His convictions. Only through this continuous obedience and submission can we exercise the full authority and power Jesus has given us over this fallen world. This is foundational for disciples who heal the sick, cast out demons, destroy evil strongholds, and want to drink from the fountain of unending love, joy, and peace, which is the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes instead of taking every thought, desire, and feeling captive before accepting it, we just knee-jerkingly react to it. This is like a dog suddenly losing its focus on its owner to chase a squirrel. When the same thing causes this to happen routinely, it has become an idol. An idol routinely redirects our focus from obedience to the Word/Jesus and submission to the Holy Spirit. This redirection of focus can be quick and obvious or it can be slow, subtle, and without our realization. We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s conviction. An idol can be anything.
1 John 5:21
Little children, guard yourselves from idols. Amen.
Another thing idolatry does is refocuses our attention, time, and love to the idol rather than each other. Imagine all the broken families that could have been saved if we had vigilantly removed the idols from our lives so we could have focused on God and each other.
PART 2 - SOME EXAMPLES OF IDOLATRY
OBJECTS AS IDOLS
If we choose to look to objects for guidance and help rather than the Word/Jesus and the Holy Spirit, we are committing blatant idolatry.
Exodus 20:3-5
You shall not have any other gods before Me. You shall not make a graven image for yourself, or any likeness in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow to them, and you shall not serve them; for I am Jehovah your God, a jealous God...
Leviticus 19:4
Do not turn to the idols; and you shall not make molten gods for yourselves; I am Jehovah your God.
Aaron and the golden calf (Exodus 32) -
Moses was with God up on the mountain of Sinai receiving the ten commandments that were written on stone tablets by God. As mentioned above, the first commandments were “You shall not have any other gods before Me. You shall not make a graven image for yourself, or any likeness in the heavens above, or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth; you shall not bow to them, and you shall not serve them...” Meanwhile the Israelites were at the bottom of the mountain waiting for Moses to return. They grew impatient and decided to make a golden calf to worship. God made Moses aware of this. When Moses returned to the bottom of the mountain he saw them worshiping it. It didn’t turn out to be a nice day for the Israelites! God was angry and was going to kill them, but Moses had interceded and reminded God of His covenant with man. God softened and allowed Moses to handle the problem. Moses made the Israelites grind the golden calf to dust. The dust was thrown on water and Moses made the Israelites drink it. Moses then had the tribe of Levi, who were on God’s side, kill about three thousand of their fellow Israelites. God then put a plague on the Israelites. Although the Israelites would resume their walk towards the promised land, God would no longer lead them.
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We should not allow any object to get between us and the Word/Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Here are a few examples of idols that can get between us and our true God...
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Images of saints.
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Images of Mother Mary.
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Any object kept for luck.
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A house, cottage, yard, car, boat, jewelry, etc. if we start caring more for them rather than God and each other.
Objects that are idols don’t speak, hear, or breath. They are useless. They do nothing (Hmm, is it possible this is where the word “idle” comes from?). The people who make these idols become like the idols...useless.
Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands; they have mouths, but they say nothing; they have eyes, but they see nothing; they have ears, but they hear nothing; yea, there is no breath in their mouths. Those who make them are like them, everyone who is trusting in them.
Can supernatural things happen while worshiping idols? Yes. It isn’t the object itself with the supernatural power, it’s the demons you’ve opened the door to by worshiping that idol. Remember, the goal of demons is to kill, steal, and destroy - regardless of what they initially portray themselves as doing.
Objects that routinely redirect our focus from obedience to the Word/Jesus and submission to the Holy Spirit are idols.
MONEY AS AN IDOL
If we want to be obedient to the Word and be led by the Spirit, we can’t love money.
Matthew 6:24
No one is able to serve two lords; for either he will hate the one, and he will love the other; or he will cleave to the one, and he will despise the other. You are not able to serve God and wealth.
In the U.S.A. when someone is called “successful” it is usually because they make good money. Those who gloat about the money they have, the rich people they know, the possessions they have, have pride and vanity in them. This is spiritually dangerous. To a disciple, “successful” means one who experiences the unending depths of love, joy, peace, and power obtained through obedience to the Word/Jesus and being led by the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 13:5
Set your way of life without money-loving, being satisfied with present things...
Those who thirst for money can’t ever get enough to quench that thirst.
Ecclesiastes 5:10
He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; and he who loves abundance does not gain…
Being content with what we have is the key. Wealth sets us up for misery.
1 Timothy 6:6-11
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we have brought nothing into the world, and it is evident that neither can we carry anything out. But having food and coverings, we will be satisfied with these. But the ones purposing to be rich fall into temptation, and a snare, and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all evils, by means of which some stretching toward it were led astray from the faith, and they themselves pierced through by many pains. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness.
Be very careful about making money an idol.
Jesus and the rich young man -
Matthew 19:16-24
And, behold, coming near, one said to Him, Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And He said to him, Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One, God! But if you desire to enter into life, keep the commandments. He said to Him, Which? And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder, nor commit adultery, nor steal, nor bear false witness, honor your father and your mother,” and, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to Him, All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack? Jesus said to him, If you desire to be a perfect one, go sell the things belonging to you and give to the poor ones, and you will have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me. But having heard the Word, being sorrowful, the young man went away, for he had many possessions. And Jesus said to His disciples, Truly I say to you that a rich man will with great difficulty enter into the kingdom of Heaven. And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to pass through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
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If money routinely redirects our focus from obedience to the Word/Jesus and submission to the Holy Spirit, it is an idol.
TELEVISION AND SOCIAL MEDIA AS AN IDOL
The typical Christian feels as long as they are doing no harm, they are fulfilling their duty as a Christian. They have no spiritual aggression. They have a form of godliness, but lack spiritual power. They don’t let the Holy Spirit lead them.
A disciple on the other hand walks under the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate source of spiritual power and pushes disciples into spiritual battle. A disciple sees people suffering and wants to help them by not only saving their soul, but also by breaking the evil strongholds in their lives through deliverance, healing, and other supernatural workings. A disciple sees all the suffering in the world and knows there is much work to be done. For this reason, a disciple knows that sitting around “idle” is not pleasing to God.
Matthew 9:36-38
And seeing the crowds, He was moved with pity concerning them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is much, but the workers few. Pray, therefore, to the Lord of the harvest that He send out workers into His harvest.
“Holy” means separate from this world, set aside for God. We are to be holy. The things of this world are empty at the least and evil at the most. TV and social media are of this world. At the least it is idle and at the most it is pushing the devil’s agenda. Satan and his army rule this world (at least as much as God allows). Satan makes a methodical attack against us through the TV and social media. What was once banned from TV years ago is now common occurrence. Sex, drug use, bad language, witchcraft, and violence are normal “programming” on TV. What was once shocking and bad is now normal and interesting. We are methodically being programmed in a way that sears our conscience and destroys our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s conviction.
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If TV or social media routinely redirects our focus from obedience to the Word/Jesus and submission to the Holy Spirit, it is an idol.
CAREER, PRESTIGE, STATUS, EGO
Most people will work to increase their status in this world. They want to be recognized by man. They want to develop a worldly importance in the eyes of man. This craving for worldly status is an empty idol. The only reward they’ll receive will be from this world, not from God.
Matthew 6;1-6
Take care not to do your merciful deeds before men in order to be seen by them. If but not, reward not you have from the Father of you in Heaven. Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, do not trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. But you doing merciful deeds, do not let your left know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, Himself will repay you in the open. And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the open streets so that they may appear to be seen of men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room and shutting your door, pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, the One seeing in secret, will repay you in the open.
A disciple has a servant’s heart while in this world.
Mark 10:43-45
...whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to become first, he shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom instead of many.
A disciple knows having a servant’s heart in this world will sow Heavenly rewards. Like always, Jesus led from the front on the matter...
Philippians 2:3-9
...doing nothing according to intrigue or self-glory, but in humility, esteeming one another, as being better than themselves; each one not looking at the things of themselves, but each one also the things of others. For think this within you, which mind was also in Christ Jesus, who subsisting in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming to be in the likeness of men and coming to be found in figure as a man, He humbled Himself, coming to be obedient until death, even the death of a cross. Because of this also God highly exalted Him and gave Him a name adove every name,...
The tax collector and the Pharisee -
Luke 18:9-14
In the time that Jesus was on earth, tax collectors were often fellow Israelites working on behalf of the Roman government. These tax collectors were very disliked and disrespected by their fellow Isrealites. On the other hand, there were Pharisees. Pharisees were considered the church leaders at the time. They dressed fancy and were self-righteous. One day a tax collector and a Pharisee went into the temple to pray. “The Pharisee was standing, praying these things to himself: God, I thank You that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious ones, unrighteous ones, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice in the week; I tithe all things, as many as I get. And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but smote on his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner!” Then Jesus said, “I say to you, This one went down to his house having been justified, rather than that one. For everyone exalting himself will be humbled. And the one humbling himself will be exalted.”
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If our job, prestige, status, or ego routinely redirects our focus from obedience to the Word/Jesus and submission to the Holy Spirit, it is an idol.
A PERSON AS AN IDOL
Following another person’s ways can be OK. There is much to be learned by other people. A parent, a spouse, a coach, a teacher, and a friend can all be good examples, especially in a particular part of life. But remember, there are a couple things that must always supersede these people. These things are obedience to the Word/Jesus and the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Through obedience to the Word/Jesus, we will prove we love Jesus. When this happens, Jesus will ask His Father to give us the Holy Spirit. Once we get the Holy Spirit, we must let Him lead us. We will never have a better friend or a better advocate. He will lead us to righteousness. He will be our power to cast out demons and heal the sick. He will guide us through life. He will bring us a depth of love, joy, and peace that people without Him will never know. In other words...we mustn’t let any person guide us more than the Word/Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
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Being led by a person over the Word/Jesus and the Holy Spirit will routinely redirect our focus away from where it should be, which makes that person an idol.
FEAR, SAFETY, AND SECURITY AS AN IDOL
The devil rules this world (as much as God lets him). To get us to do his will, the devil uses things such as trickery, manipulation, force, and fear. Fear is one of his favorites. Fear is a spirit.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God did not give a spirit of cowardice to us, but of power and of love and of self-control.
Fear also opens the door to many other spirits. This can often be seen when people get a sickness that they had previously feared getting.
The Holy Spirit has absolute authority and power over the devil. There is no fight between the devil and the Holy Spirit directly, the Holy Spirit could snuff the devil out in a moment. If we let the Holy Spirit lead us we can use His power to crush the works of the devil in our lives and the lives of others. We’ll be able to use His power to cast out demons, heal sicknesses, and raise the dead. Knowing this we need to cast all fear out of our lives.
Fear can make us spiritually “idle.” Fear will cause some Christians to hunker down and be satisfied with simply not causing harm, rather than being spiritually aggressive. These folks will be spiritually satisfied in their own self-righteousness. These people will be satisfied with simply being appropriate through life, they won't step-out and go after the enemy. They don't let the Holy Spirit lead them because at times the Holy Spirit may want us to throw spiritual caution to the wind and follow Him in blind faith. Because these people are spiritually idle, they seldom develop spiritual depth.
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Many Christians avoid casting out demons and healing the sick out of fear of looking foolish. These Christians will then try to make disciples feel foolish for casting out demons and healing the sick. Disciples will walk right through such minor hardships because they won’t let fear become an idol.
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Above is 2 Timothy 1:7. This is the next verse...
2 Timothy 1:8
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner. But suffer hardship with the gospel, according to the power of God...
Not only fear, but a strong desire for safety and security can make us spiritually “idle.” It can hinder us from producing spiritual fruit. Fear, safety, and security weren’t an idol to Jesus who was beaten and crucified, John the Baptist who was beheaded, Stephen who was stoned to death, Peter who was crucified, James who was executed by sword, John the Apostle who the world tried boiling to death, or Paul who was stoned, shipwrecked, jailed, and beheaded. These were great men of God who produced much fruit. Disciples walk in their footsteps...
If fear or a strong desire for safety and security routinely redirects our focus from obedience to the Word/Jesus and submission to the Holy Spirit, they are idols.
CHURCH, DENOMINATIONS, AND SPIRITUAL LEADERS AS IDOLS
I once spoke with a local pastor who is pretty well known and respected. During our conversation I asked him if he dealt directly with demons. He quickly put his hands in the air as a symbol of submission and said he doesn’t “go there.” The concern and fear in his eyes and tone of voice were obvious. I was dumbfounded. How can a man of God fear the devil? Jesus gave us all the power and authority over the devil. Doesn’t he believe this is true?
The pastor doesn’t believe in casting out demons. If he doesn’t believe in it, most everyone who attends his church probably don’t believe in it either. As a result, his flock continues to unnecessarily suffer from evil strongholds and sicknesses.
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If his flock were to study the great commission (see the “Great Commission” under “Teachings”), they may realize that they are supposed to be casting out demons and healing the sick. They now have a decision to make. Are they going to let man - a particular church, denomination, pastor, priest, or pope establish their doctrine on the matter? Or are they going to rely on the Word/Jesus to establish their doctrine? If they choose the Word/Jesus, then they may eventually DO the Word. When they do, the Holy Spirit will move. They’ll see His power and will learn to allow Him to lead their way. They will develop a closer relationship with Him. They’ll become sensitive to His convictions. They’ll be led in a way that is pleasing to Jesus. Afterall, Jesus set the example. .
We are responsible for ourselves; therefore, we need to make up our own minds on matters. We should listen to our spiritual leaders, but we still need to compare our leader’s guidance to the Word. Matters to consider include homosexual unions, women as pastors, speaking in tongues, baptisms, predestination, etc. Listen to your spiritual leaders, but always make up your own mind based on the Word/Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Any church, denomination, or spiritual leader that routinely redirects our focus from obedience to the Word/Jesus and submission to the Holy Spirit is an idol.
OTHER FORMS OF IDOLATRY
The following are possible idols...adultery (through fantasy), alcohol, ambition, appearance/image, being right, books, boyfriend/girlfriend, busyness/activity, children, competition, computers, control, covetousness, culture/traditions, drugs, fantasies, fitness, food, fornication, friends, fun, games, greed, heritage/ancestors/family way, hobbies, house cleaning, imaginations, internet, job, lust, masturbation, movies, music, opinions, parents, passion, perfection, a pet, phones, pleasure, politics, popularity, position/credentials/degrees, possessions, power, prescription pills, sex, sports, spouse, uncleanness.
1 John 2:15-16
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because everything in the world: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and its lust. But the one doing the will of God abides unto the age.
Anything in this fallen world can become an idol if it starts to routinely redirect our focus from obedience to the Word/Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
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PART 3 - ATTACKING IDOLATRY
First we must want to be obedient to the Word/Jesus. When we start trying to be obedient, Jesus will recognize us as loving Him. Jesus will then ask His Father to give us His Father’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. Once we have the Holy Spirit, we must let Him lead us. He’s only going to lead if we continue to strive to be obedient to the Word/Jesus. Only then can demons be cast out and strongholds like idolatry be destroyed.
ACTION PLAN -
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Study the Word and recognize our idolatries.
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Repent for the idolatries of our ancestors, especially the ones having obviously come down the family line.
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Repent for our own sins of idolatry, the sins that may have opened the door to idolatry, and the sins that developed through idolatry.
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Cast out the demons.
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Be vigilant in not letting anything or anyone get between being obedient to the Word/Jesus and the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
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