Good morning, today is Tuesday, September 23, 2025. A religious spirit is something that can creep into the church and steal an authentic relationship with God through pride, deception, and control. Jesus encountered this religious spirit everywhere He went throughout His ministry, and it’s something the church of the living God still faces today. Read on…
Today's Reading:
Daniel 11,12; Luke 6
Scripture
“The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, ‘Get up and stand in front of everyone.’ So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?’” (Luke 6:6–9)
Observation
Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees were watching closely. But they weren’t watching to celebrate a miracle—they were watching to accuse. They had already made up their minds about Jesus, no matter what He did. It didn’t matter if He was helping, loving, or showing kindness—their hearts were hardened by pride.
This is the danger of a religious spirit: it blinds us to the good God is doing. Jesus exposed their twisted thinking by asking, “Is it lawful to do good or evil, to save life or destroy it?” To any reasonable person, that question would shine light on dark reasoning. But to the Pharisees, accusation mattered more than compassion.
Application
This reminds me of Revelation 12:10, where Satan is called “the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night.” A religious spirit carries that same accusing heart. It’s deceptive, destructive, and yes—demonic.
Today I’m reminded not to “freeze-dry” people to their past mistakes. Like Jesus, I want to keep a heart of compassion and always leave the door open for grace.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for reminding me how dangerous pride and accusation can be. Help me guard my heart against the poison of a religious spirit. Fill me with compassion instead of criticism, and may I always choose to save life rather than destroy it.
—Aaron Cordeiro