Two spirits that I don't like are 1) rebellion and 2) religious pride and jealousy. When the two come together, there is a particularly dangerous combination.

The human race has been in rebellion against God throughout our history (Psalm 2). Rebellion is glorified in every aspect of Western media, entertainment, and academics. There has been an unprecedented media attack on both the President of the U. S. and the Prime Minister of Israel over the past few years. Some of those attacks are from the outside, some are from within.

Rebellion is sometimes given expression through complaining and criticism. The children of Israel complained and murmured against Moses and Aaron at every turn throughout the wandering in the wilderness.

Numbers 14:22, 27
All these men… have put Me to the test ten times, and have not heeded My voice.
How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me?

Any slob can sit on the sofa with a beer, watching television, and complain how bad the footballer on the field is playing. (Of course, he could do much better himself if he were playing!)

Religious pride and jealousy are what caused Cain to kill Abel, for Joseph's brothers to want to kill him, for King Saul to attempt to kill David, and of course for the religious leaders of Yeshua's day to demand for Him to be crucified.

Matthew 27:18
He (Pilate) knew that they had handed Him (Yeshua) over because of envy.

In the case of the crucifixion, this religious jealousy combined with the rebellion of Barabbas' group.

Mark 15:7
There was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.

The cry to crucify Yeshua (Jesus) and to free Barabbas was a team effort of rebellion against true spiritual authority, on the one hand, and religious pride and jealousy on the other.

This combination can also be seen in Hizballah's Islamic terrorist militants in Lebanon. They are rebelling against the government of Lebanon, and inciting the Shiite masses through religious propaganda.

This combination can also be seen in divisive spirits within a local Christian church or Messianic Jewish congregation. Splits are often caused by both rebellion and religious pride and jealousy. Fighting for unity (John 17) and against division (Luke 11) are the most basic principles of prayer and spiritual warfare that Yeshua taught us.

Sometimes it seems that the lies, accusations, and verbal attacks come in such speed and quantity, it is like a flood.

Revelation 12:15
The serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman; that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

Let us not be knocked down by floods of criticism; nor let us be one of those whom Satan is using to "spew" words of rebellion and religious pride and jealousy out of our mouths. When the enemy attacks like a flood, let's be part of the standard that God is raising up (Isaiah 59:19).

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