Itching Ears, Seducing Spirits - Part 1
We have all in some way created God in our image. The more we grow spiritually mature, the more we learn to observe matters of the spirit objectively; and as we grow, we are in constant confrontation with what we thought to be true. Many times, the spirit of religion (legalism) colors the way that we view the Word of God as we try to discern God’s plans and thoughts toward us. There are other times where we pursue our deepest desire only to hold the expectation that God will endorse post facto.
For those that are new to the Christian world and “Christianese,” legalism refers to the observance of a set of rules - often unspoken - that put emphasis on behavior and outward appearances above an actual relationship with God. It leans heavily on changing outside appearance to change inward heart posture while real fellowship with God first changes your heart and your outward appearance will follow.
So, we have our desires and while they can be godly, they can be the very thing that can cause us to be drawn away from God if left unsubmitted to Him, or if we are undiscerning God’s timing.
Desires leave us vulnerable to temptation and eventually lead us to sin against God. We are tempted and tested by our own desires. James 1:13-15 says this: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” Desires originate with a thought.
The foundation is being laid here so that you can understand and to caution against listening to every thought that presents itself to your mind. The primary communication/language of spirits is thoughts, so you have to constantly vet the thoughts that show up in your mind because no thought is original; you are partnering with a spirit - either divine or demonic If you do not have a habit of constantly thinking about the Lord or anything positive, there is more muck that you must parse through. But if you do have a habit of thinking about positive things and things of the Lord it will be EASIER to identify the Lord’s voice, but the evil spirits have not stopped speaking (2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Philippians 4:8).
What then causes us to give heed to seducing spirit? What is a seducing spirit? A seducing spirit is a spirit that causes you to be drawn away from God and uses things that already appeal to you to entice you, even the very thing that you believe God wanted you to have. It will be subtle, so exercising discernment is always crucial. Itching ears are receptive to the seducing spirit because it draws out what’s already inside of you. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 reads, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Everything is speaking. Money speaks, your body speaks, your situation speaks, your emotions speak. How are you tuning in to what the Lord has to say to you and how are you putting everything that is speaking to you under the lordship of Jesus Christ?
Psalm 37:3 says “Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Before getting your heart’s desires, you must first delight in the Lord. With your delight in Him, as a byproduct of your fellowship/communion with Him, you begin to want what God wants.
I faced my crucible of desire where God revealed to me where my heart was and it was painful. I allowed my desire to get married - which the Lord promised me - to shape how I interpreted what I heard God say to me concerning my spouse. My itching ears nearly allowed seducing spirits to draw my attention away from the direction God was leading me because I was pursuing what God promise me while I assumed the direction He was taking me. I will serve that personal tea in the next blog post.
Until then, take inventory of your thought life, your desires, and your connection to God. Do not go ahead of Him but allow Him to go ahead of you in all things.
Signed,
Dani J.
