Creflo Dollar - The Spirits of Mammon - Part 2
Let's look at the characteristics of subtlety that comes from demonic spirits. Matthew 16, verse 21 and 23. I want to show you the subtlety of a spirit. So in other words, you know, if you're not careful, it's like, "How do I know that I'm being governed by a spirit of mammon"? It's not going to be obvious. Satan works in deception, which means there's got to be a little trickery and truth to make it seem like it's okay or you won't welcome it or buy it. So I'm going to show you an illustration of a subtle demonic influence, and that's what it's called. The spirit of mammon wants to give you a demonic influence where money is concerned. God wants you to give a godly influence.
Now look at this very carefully, verse 21. This is so interesting because this is in the same context in Matthew chapter 16. Let me show you this. This is very interesting. Mike and I were talking about this, I think, this past week. This is in the same chapter, if you read the whole chapter of Matthew 16, it's talking about Jesus comes up and ask the question, "Who do men say that I am"? He says, "Some say that you're Elijah. Some say you're this. Some say..." And Jesus said, "Who do you say that I am"? And Peter by revelation, Peter by revelation spoke, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God," okay?
And, boy, when he said that, Jesus responded to him and said, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you, Peter," or Simon 'cause see, his name was Simon bar Jonah, or Simon son of Jonah. And he said, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto you; but my Father which is in heaven, he revealed it unto you". And then Jesus went to talk to him. He says, "Now you're going to be more solid than you've ever been before," and he says, "and upon this rock I'll build my church". And Peter, that's talking about, a fragment of rock. "Upon this rock of revelation, okay, upon this rock of revelation I'll build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it". And now, this is the same thought.
So now here's Jesus saying, "Blessed art thou, Simon bar Jonah". So he's saying blessed art thou because what he said out of his mouth was godly influence. That was godly influence. God influenced him and he knew that that was the Christ, the son of the living God, okay? And then in the very same moment, in the very same moment right after God, right after godly influence watch demonic influence. I'm telling you that right after church, you know, you can hear something from the Lord and say, "I got revelation". And by the time you get to the car be on a demonic influence.
Now watch the subtlety of this. He said, "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes", and, then how he will, "be killed and be raised again in the third day". How many of you know that's the reason why he came, was to accomplish that, right? All right, now check out your boy. "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him". Now, first of all, I'm trying to like, "Peter, who you rebuking? That's God, man". And he began rebuking, and this is what he said. "Be it far from thee".
Now listen to this now. Tell me doesn't this sound like a voice out of church. "Be it far from thee, Lord. This shall not be unto thee". Sounds like a church Scripture or something, right? What's wrong with that? But look what Jesus did. But he turned to him, when he heard him say that, and said, "Peter, get thee behind me, Satan". He went from saying, "You're blessed," to Satan. "Get thee behind me, Satan. Thou art an offence unto me; for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those things that be of men". You now have a very specific characterization of the spirit of mammon. Mammon is not for the things that be of God but for the things that be of men.
So how do I make a distinction between something that I'm hearing and it's motivated by God and something I'm hearing that's motivated by mammon? When it comes from God, it's going to line up with the will of God or, watch this, the Word of God. All right, here's the next problem. "But what if I don't know the Word of God? So I don't know what the Word of God is, I don't know what the will of God is 'cause I don't come to church 'cause I don't think I need to come to church now because now I think I'd be a Christian all by myself 'cause I got church-hurt from the last church I went to". And all those weird things all by the spirit of mammon keep you away from church, go to sleep, don't know nothing, don't learn nothing, don't get no new downloads 'cause it's going to make it easier for you to not recognize those things that are not of God.
And so if you can't recognize that, all he has got to do is come in with a voice that sounds like church and tell you something that's not of God and before you know it you're under the influence of that spirit of mammon. This was a demonic spirit. This was demonic influence being spoken through Peter and Jesus recognized it and called it out. Satan! Now, imagine what Peter must have felt like. "I'm confused. You blessed me a few minutes ago and now you just rebuked me and cast the devil out of me". It wasn't demonic possession, it was demonic influence. You see what I'm saying? You don't have to be possessed by a demon to be influenced by one.
But the greatest enemy for Christians is darkness or... could I say it this way? Ignorance. Demonic influence always takes advantage of ignorant Christians. When you don't know the will of God, when you don't know the Word of God, when you're not pursuing the Word of God, when you're not getting in the Word of God, you are a prime target to be attacked with some demonic influence. You will say things that are so demonic and only people who know the Word, it's like somebody says, you know, I heard this song somebody was singing one time years ago, and he was like, "It should have been me on that cross". That was demonic influence. That was, but it was in a song.
I was like, "Do you understand where we would be if it was you on that cross? Do you understand how pitiful our life would still be if it was you on that cross"? Okay? Sounds sweet. Sound emotional. I'll tell you something else. Are you familiar with the word "incredible"? Okay. Do you know how people use it today? They use it as if it's a part of positive word. They'll say to you, you know, "Oh, what you said was incredible". Okay, break it down. What you said was a lie. What you said had no credibility to it at all. "Well, you know what I mean". No, no, no. You need to know what you mean so you can start saying what you mean, okay?
And so I heard this Christian song describing God as a God of no credibility. Great, awesome. People are worshiping God over a song that has demonic influence in it. I'll pull up something, oh, this is too, Okay so, mean no harm, but "Pass me not, oh gentle Savior" is demonically influenced, why? It totally goes against what he promised. He said in the Book of Hebrews 13, "I will not leave you; no, never; no, never, ever, ever; no, never, never, never would I leave you nor forsake nor take my hands off you nor lose my hold on you. Never, never, never, never". And he just said, "No, it will never happen".
And we turn right back around and write a song and say, "Pass me not, oh gentle Savior," and say that came from the Holy Spirit. It didn't because what he said here. You savoreth not the things that be of God, and that spirit of mammon savoreth not the things that be of God. And if you don't know the things that be of God, it'll sound like a voice from heaven. It'll sound like a voice in the church. But the only way to distinguish the voice of mammon from sometimes the voice of God is to know the things that be of God and not the things that be of men. Man, we just need to go on and go home right now on that because when I first saw that, the first thing I did was say, "Okay, let me go back and revisit some things that I thought God said".
And every time there was a change and a challenge when it sounded like a voice from heaven, but it was really the voice of mammon. And think with me for a moment. That makes perfectly good sense. The voice has got to somehow emulate what you committed yourself to because ultimately mammon says, "I am after you not being committed to God. I want you to eventually say you trust the money more than you trust God and you will allow me to govern you where that is concerned and not God. I want you to get to the place where I can prove to you that you don't need God. I can even speak soothing words to you". Some Christians have no idea what's going on. And so those who do know the Word will hear something that says, "Boy, that sounded like God".
That ain't God. That's not... those are the... you devil, you savoreth not the things that be of God. You're savoring the things that be of men. You hear something that says, "I am the Spirit of the Lord and it is okay, it is okay for you to seek revenge and to get them back for I the Lord mindest not". That is to satisfy you. Mammon is all about self. It is all about self-centeredness. God will always be for what you can make happen in somebody else's life above what you can make happen even in your own. He has accepted responsibility for making things happening with your life. You now will be used by him to make something happen in somebody else's life. "Here's the thing you see". "No, keep it. Keep it. I'm trying to teach him something".
All right. Now, in some cases God will tell you it's none of your business, and that's true enough. That'll come up. "It ain't none of your business till you stay out of this. That's between me and them". So sometimes we take it to the extreme. We try to help people that even God won't help. "Well, how do you know the difference"? You're just going to have to start coming to church and getting in the Word and making the Word your life and not try to have a crash course to try to get it all at one time. I can't tell you how you just going to have to know God. Scripture says be still and know that God is God. That comes with relationship. It comes with fellowship. It comes with knowing him, and that's why it's important to know God and not just know about God.
You can mess yourself thinking you know about God and not knowing God, and God can show you some things that you... I used to say to some of my spiritual sons as they were coming up in the ministry, I remember a few of them I would say, "You know what? Your issue is you know more than what you understand". And then they say, "I don't understand what you just said". I said, "It's proves my point. You know more than what you understand. And I tell you one thing, then you're going to go do something else. And I tell you something, now you're going to teach me and you ain't never been across no finish line. You ain't never start no ministry. You ain't never did nothing, but you know more than what you understand".
And so I ended up by saying, "Go find another daddy. Get on out of here. Leave me alone". "What are you doing, throwing me away"? "You don't need me. You know more than me. You know more than what you understand. Go, Baba. Be gone". And they always come back and say, "I finally know what that meant". "What"? "I just knew more than what I understood". I said, "What happened"? "Well, I got my butt kicked and I now understand some stuff that I thought I knew". You know, it's kind of a person like, "We need to love, love, love, love, love, love everybody". I know we need to love, love, love everybody, but you can still love people...a friend of mine was loving a guy as he was blowing his brains out. He's dead now. Just putting things in the right perspective and the maturity of righteousness versus the milk of righteousness helps you to do what you need, but the bottom line is you got to get in the Word.
Now, I've spent enough time with that. So if it's true that this spirit of mammon is subtle like this, then what does the Bible instruct us to do and how do we handle not only the spirit of mammon but all spirits? Go to Ephesians chapter 6; Ephesians chapter 6, verse 12. How do we handle not only the spirit of mammon but all these spirits? Now, I'm going to tell you something right now. The bottom line to every evil work is the spirit of mammon. It is Satan himself. Every evil work can be discovered as a result of how we handle this issue that I'm teaching on right now. That's interesting, every evil word. Look what he says in verse 12. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood," so that's not our warfare, "but we wrestle against principalities, against powers".
These are demonic spirits, these are categories of demonic spirits. Principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness, spiritual wickedness in high places. I believe that this spirit of mammon is one of those wicked spirits in high places, okay? But now notice what he says. He says we're not wrestling against them. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood, our warfare is against principalities, powers. Now, what is the major power, the major power that demon spirits carry? It is the power of influence, or suggestion. In other words, they are totally limited to what they can make happen between your two ears, okay? All this other stuff you see on TV, no. It's suggestion. It's speaking subtle, influential words that concern men and not God, okay. Subtle words. And I don't mean concern men, but it is all about selfishness.
Let me say it that way. Subtle words. And so how do you fight forces that fight with suggestions and influences? We're going back to the same thing. You renew your mind, you stand on what you know from God's Word, and as they try to influence you in the opposite way, the spirit of mammon is in total opposition to the Spirit of God. The Spirit of mammon is in total opposition to the Spirit of God. If the Spirit of God says to give, the spirit of mammon will say hold on to it, okay? Whatever the Spirit of God says, the spirit of mammon is in total opposition to the Spirit of God always in everything no matter what, okay? So how do you fight? What is spiritual warfare? What does it mean to walk in spiritual warfare?
I've seen so many ridiculous things over the years. Oh, I don't even, they have spiritual warfare conferences where, you know, you're fighting the devil and then intercession is supposed to be another way to beat the devil up, and all that stuff's wrong, guys. It's just, it's all wrong. It's not even in the Bible. And, you know, you bought it and you know, it's just not right. You know, it's, "Well, I'm going to fight the devil by praying for 2 days". You know what? I believe in prayer and I pray, but you know what? I already believe that whatever I'm praying for that God has already made ready. I don't need to talk to him 2 days about it. And if Jesus couldn't defeat the devil, what do you think me and you can do? He's already defeated. "Well, we are going to pray until we defeat the devil". He is whooped. He's done. "Well, we're going to pray all night and stand in the gap".
God doesn't need you standing in the gap. Jesus beat you to it. Man had a chance to stand in the gap in the Old Testament. He was trying to find somebody to stand in the gap, couldn't find no man to stand in the gap. So he found Jesus and Jesus is now in the gap, and it's too late for you to be trying to stand in the gap. He is already there. The only Gap you need to stand in is the one that sell jeans because Jesus is already standing in the gap. Are you following what I'm saying? Jesus is already standing in the gap. So what are these weird things we do and call it spiritual warfare? It's almost like you're leaving your house. "Where are you going"? "I'm going to finish fighting the civil war". Civil war is over. "Well, I'm going out to fight this war".
That war is over. Guess what? Jesus won. So what's the warfare? What are you fighting? Here's spiritual warfare. If the attack of influence is going to attack you here, then you're going to have to understand how to stand against it, and that's what it is. Spiritual warfare is maintaining the victory that Jesus died to obtain. That's spiritual warfare. No matter what Satan is saying or influencing you with, you know what the victory is and you say, "No, I'm healed already". And then attacks your body, "I'm already healed". Doctor says, "Well, you know, we saw this on an X-ray". "You know, I apologize for what you saw, but I'm already healed". It's maintaining the victory that Jesus died to obtain.
Why is that called a warfare? Because of your temptation to let it go and pay attention to the influences both in your mind and your physical body. So by maintaining the victory that Jesus died to obtain; the more you maintain it, that's your warfare against the enemy and eventually he leaveth thee. Let's talk about him leaving you. I have to believe that in the Book of Matthew chapter 4 where Jesus had an encounter with the devil and he went to fast for 40 days and 40 nights, and I think it said that immediately Satan came to tempt him. Do you recall the temptations, that they all concerned goods and riches? If you would, they were, emotionally declare. Even better than that. That's awesome. Thank you, Lord.
It all dealt with, "Let me meet your need and some of your desires, too," okay? "I turned the stone into bread, man. I gave you all the riches of the world. I just need you to bow down and submit to me". Because mammon needs servants. And he said, "If I can get Jesus, I can get everybody that follow him". But here's the thing that Jesus did so skillfully. "Dude, I don't know if you remember or not, but I know you. I am the Lord your God. How you going to sit up here and try to get me to submit to you? I know you. Don't get it twisted. I'm in this body, but I still know who I am in this body and I'm getting ready to let you know who I am in this body. I am the Lord," the Scripture says, "your God".
And the Bible says and he leaveth thee. What am I saying? When that fight takes place up here, the influence comes, you have to stand on who you are in Christ Jesus, amen? And not leave that stance. Not only who you are in Christ but the things you know from God's Word. But the major thing is every time the enemy shows up, he shows up to try to attack your identity, okay? Who am I? Who am I in Christ? I'm in Christ. That's who I am. "Well, if you're in Christ..." It's not, "Whatever. I'm in Christ". "Well, if you're in Christ, what..." "I'm in Christ". I will not turn, let go of my identity in Christ Jesus. I will not let go of who I am in Christ. Demons know when you are secure in your identity in Christ.