One thing that keeps the church worldwide standing is its leadership. Christians all over the world have become organized, belonging to denominations. Within these denominations, leadership structures coordinate the affairs of the church. Such leadership structures are often fashioned after those existing in the Early Church. Satan and demons know how much influence church leadership has on the average Christian. Thus, there are certain demons and spirits designed to target Christian leadership and organizational structure. One such spirit is the Absalom spirit.
The Absalom spirit is a hellish spirit that causes deep hatred in the hearts of Christians against their leaders and any form of authority. The spirit of Absalom remains one of the strongest weapons in the arsenal of demons when fighting against the church as a body. Sadly, Christians spend years in church without being able to recognize this wicked spirit. Continue reading this article to learn how to safeguard yourself and your church against the Absalom spirit.
How Did the Absalom Spirit Originate?
Spirits in their original state cannot influence activities on earth without taking over people or influencing their thoughts. However, when they reside in a person, they exhibit certain traits that make them recognizable, just like fingerprints identify people. So, to understand the origin of the Absalom spirit, learning about the man Absalom is the first step.
Absalom is one of the Biblical characters I find interesting due to several reasons. First, Absalom was the son of King David, who, according to Biblical records, was one of the most handsome young men of his age. His hair reportedly weighed two hundred shekels, and his beauty was well known. Simply put, he looked like a king and should have succeeded David as king of Israel.
Second, Absalom presented himself as a caring, lovable, and friendly person who was always concerned about others. We see this in 2 Samuel 15:1-6, where he met with Israelites meant to see David and showed concern for their plight. At face value, one would be led to think that he cared about the people. However, it was only a plot against his father’s throne.
Another thing about Absalom is that his name, which translates as the father of peace, was an ironic one. The man Absalom was an angry, resentful, and violent person. The gruesome murder of Amnon, his brother, was a testament to this, as the Bible recorded that he hated Amnon even though he said neither good nor bad things to him.
Also, for someone who was named for peace, the actions he took to gain control of his father’s throne were not suggestive of a peaceful mind. Interestingly, there are Christians in the church today who exhibit character traits and actions just like the Biblical Absalom. Once you find such Christians, it is easy to tell that the Absalom spirit is at work in their lives.
What Is an Absalom Spirit?
Church leaders worldwide would agree that the Absalom spirit is one of the most dangerous spirits to be present in the church. It is quite dangerous because, unlike certain spirits that can affect Christians in isolation, the Absalom spirit wreaks havoc on the Christian and, more importantly, the church. What, then, is the spirit of Absalom?
The Absalom spirit is first the spirit of rebellion against God’s chosen leadership and authority in the church. Now, this rebellion manifests in two forms; it starts from being masked and hidden and graduates to a fully open rebellion. Absalom, in the Bible, began his rebellion by secretly winning the hearts of Israelites with fake care and concerns, as seen in 2 Samuel 15:1-6.
Then, he openly slept with his father’s concubines before the people of Israel at the start of an almost successful coup. The spirit of Absalom influences Christians to resent their leaders, first in secret deeply and then pushes them to speak and act against church leadership. It exists to bring frustration and confusion to church leaders using their members.
Also, the Absalom spirit is a wicked spirit that fuels discord and disunity in the church by planting seeds of resentment and hate in the hearts of church members. The spirit of Absalom creeps into the hearts of Christians and creates a strong desire for self-adoration and reverence. Just like the Biblical Absalom built a monument unto himself in 2 Samuel 18:18, such Christians would intensely want to be revered. So when such praises do not come, they begin to resent and hate leaders in the church who they perceive are getting these praises. Like every seed planted by Satan, resentment towards church leaders would ultimately grow into hatred for other members, causing divisions and disunity.
In addition, the Absalom spirit expresses itself as deceit, deception, and manipulation. Christians with such spirit appear to be committed, diligent, and devoted to the work of God. They could also seem as friendly, concerned, and super caring about their fellow brother or sister. However, the truth is that all such traits are a disguise. The Absalom spirit causes Christians to be selfish and manipulate others for opportunities.
It also ensures that Christians are not truly friends with one another as it introduces elements like backstabbing, backbiting, and jealousy into godly relationships. A Christian with the Absalom spirit is usually full of bitterness, anger, and a desire to find faults at every point. Sadly, numerous believers today live with the spirit of Absalom in their lives, thus causing problems to the churches they belong to.
How To Deal With the Absalom Spirit
Truthfully speaking, the Absalom spirit is quite tough to handle as it can be violent, brings pride, and rejects corrections. So, dealing with this spirit starts with personal efforts from individual Christians before collective actions by the church. Some ways to deal with the Absalom spirit include:
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Constantly Acknowledge God As Lord of Your Life
The first thing the Absalom spirit brings to every Christian’s life is a desire to be exalted and overly admired. To avoid such desire taking over you and making room for influences from this spirit, remind yourself constantly that your life is the Lord’s in your devotion and service to God.
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Daily Pray for the Love of God
God is love, and He commands us to do the same to others. Praying for God’s love in your heart reminds you to love the brethren. It is also by praying for love that you learn how to love genuinely, as seen in 2 Thessalonians 3:5.
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Pray for One Another
A church that constantly intercedes within it will grow in love and be strengthened to withstand every arrow of discord and disunity.
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Be Vigilant
Like other spirits that wage war against the church, the Absalom spirit is a silent one that often creeps in unannounced and grows from a tiny seed. So, to avoid falling victim to the influence of this spirit, be conscious of your heart posture towards God, your leaders, and fellow church members. Also, guard your heart against all forms of gossip and ungodly talks.
Conclusion
Finally, the Absalom spirit, first expressed in the Biblical Absalom, has, over the years, remained and can be found in the church today. It is a spirit that hates leadership within a church and actively fights against it with manipulation, disunity, and other devices. The spirit of Absalom also causes Christians to be full of pride, anger, jealousy, and selfishness, thereby bringing disunity in the body of Christ.
