There are two spirits that work together against the Spirit of God – a religious spirit and a political spirit. In unison, they can do evil things. It was true in Jesus’ time, and it’s true today.

After the arrest of Jesus, a spirit of religion and politics began to work together. “Very early in the morning, the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law – the entire high council – met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor” (Mark 15:1).

Jesus was brought before Pilate and falsely accused of many crimes against Jewish customs. Pilate asked, “Would you like me to release to you this King of the Jews?” Pilate asked. (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy” (vs. 9-10). 

The religious leaders needed support from the populace, “But at this point, they stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews? They shouted back, Crucify him!”(vs. 11-13). 

“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, Crucify him!. So, to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified” (vs. 14-15).

Two things were at work in the conversation among the religious leaders, their angry mob, and Pilate – envy and pacification. The religious leaders “had arrested Jesus out of envy.” Pilate wanted to wash his hands of Jesus to pacify the angry mob of religious leaders. So, to pacify the crowd, he turned Jesus over to the soldiers to crucify the Lord.

Today, it’s important to distinguish what spirit is at work in the Church, attempting to lure us into its dark web. Both religious and political spirits are easy to disguise and can lead good people away from what is really happening.   Without inquiring into the Spirit of God for what is being said by religious leaders or determining what a political leader is agreeing to, we will put aside rational thinking and agree to punish the innocent who are following God. 

There will always be those within the Church who are too easily stirred to follow a deceptive path and become a discordant and angry mob. This is the moment when a religious and political spirit will unite to advance their dark agendas.

In this heated season, when a religious spirit and a political spirit are working in unison, we must ask ourselves an important question: “What spirit are we listening to?” 

The Church should listen to only one Spirit, the Holy Spirit. We should not be influenced by either a religious or a political spirit. Listening to the Holy Spirit will lead us to a place where we will abandon the agenda of those lesser spirits and follow the leading of God’s Spirit. At that point, we will no longer align ourselves with an angry mob or the enticements of a political spirit. 

Following the Spirit will cause us to abandon both a religious spirit motivated by envy and the pacifying spirit of politics.  This choice may leave us standing alone and vulnerable to a coordinated assault from both camps. That choice will reveal we are following the Lord, not our emotions. It requires courage to make such a choice.