“The shepherds have been stupid; they have not sought the Lord. That is why they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.“ Jeremiah 10:21

The religious spirit is a spirit that causes much division among those who thirst for the Lord. It sometimes operates alongside the spirit of control. Indeed, in many churches, believers want to grow closer to God, but they sometimes find themselves confronted with spiritual leaders who are dominated by a religious spirit. Many try to reason with the pastor, often in the wrong way, and when faced with his clear refusal to change things (a refusal often driven by fear), their frustration leads them to leave the church.

When my mother converted, she joined a church and was eager to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But the pastor did not believe in it, and in a conversation, he told her that she might as well tear out certain passages of the New Testament! My mother then had a dream: the Holy Spirit blew into her ears. At that moment, the veil was lifted, and it became impossible for her to remain in that congregation.

This reminds me of a fictional story. A poor man entered a church, and the pastor reprimanded him about his clothes, telling him that they were inappropriate for such a holy place and displeased the Lord. The pastor encouraged him to ask God, before returning a second time, what the proper attire should be. Once outside, the poor man asked God about this. God replied, “I don’t know! I’ve never been there!”

The Frustrated Pastor Who No Longer Experiences God

“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. (…) Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, ‘Here I am.‘” 1 Samuel 3:1-4

Being an Eli and seeing the young Samuel you trained begin to experience God is a difficult thing for someone who is lying down in their usual place, whose vision has weakened, and who no longer experiences anything with God.

Sometimes, it is a frustrated pastor who no longer experiences God. Since he experiences nothing with God, he cannot imagine that a “mere sheep” could experience more than he does. Surely, he thinks, this must be a wayward sheep. It is indeed remarkable that John the Baptist, a man of revival, did not appear in the temple but in the wilderness, where the thirsty came to him for personal revival.

How could anything good come from Nazareth?
How could an old blind man, shabby in appearance, experience a miracle from God?
How could a sinner like Zacchaeus have a spiritual awakening?

The manifestation of the kingdom of God does not often come in a way that attracts attention, but the religious spirit detects it and is quickly irritated by it.

A pastor who experiences nothing with God, who is spiritually dry (if he even still has a spiritual life), is a religious pastor. The Pharisees were jealous to see that the Lord Jesus, and later the apostles, were followed by large crowds while their temple was emptying. Worse still, Jesus drove the merchants out of the temple, causing them to lose significant revenue. And what if these Pharisees were relegated to the background? What if the Lord finally took first place?

By trying to drive him away from the battlefield, David’s brothers unknowingly manifested their greatest fear: seeing their youngest brother succeed where they had never been able to.

I once had a conversation with an assistant pastor. The Lord opened my eyes to his spiritual condition, and I had compassion for him. He was spiritually dry, though he refused to admit it. But by the Spirit, in just a few words, he was convinced of the Lord’s love for him and began to weep. Humility then took its place in his life, and he started to experience God. However, a negative feeling prevented him from going further, and he wanted to create division. He then returned to the dryness of the desert and left the church.

Yet, his dream came true: his denomination offered him the position of lead pastor in a church of several hundred members. But where was his passion and fire? I do not wish to judge this man’s heart, but it would certainly be difficult for me to be part of a congregation led by a pastor who is profoundly dry. (That said, I would much rather join such a church than remain alone and without fellowship!).

Leaving Religiousness Comes at a Cost

It requires acknowledging one’s condition, not only before one’s own conscience but also before others. No longer will we be able to hide our lack of passion behind well-rehearsed prayers or natural gifts of communication. Far be it from us to want to be pastors…

This text is an excerpt from the book Walk in Love 2 written by Jérémy Sourdril.

We invite you to read the next article: “THE REVELATION OF THE REBELS.”

THE RELIGIOUS SPIRIT.