The Spirit of Envy

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About 3 weeks ago I was delivered from the spirit of envy.  In a moment of time, the discernment of that ugly spirit came into my consciousness, and I was freed.  I was painting, actually.  An apartment.  I was “cutting in” with a brush over a doorway, and just like that, the spirit of envy, which I’ve felt the effect of most all of my life, was separated from me and I was free.  I could almost “see” it leave, and in its void came this glorious joy, power and peace.  Praise the Lord!

I’ve been a seeking believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for 40 years!  40 years!  I’ve taught the Bible in front of hundreds and in front of few.  I’ve preached the gospel of God’s love and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in several different countries, and all over the United States.  Many people have believed because I opened my mouth to make known the gospel.  I speak in tongues, always.  I’ve counselled hundreds of people.  I’ve prayed, and people have been healed,  sometimes in very miraculous ways.  I’ve seen my prayers answered thousands of times, so that I just expect that when I ask it, it will happen.  Yet all this time the spirit of envy afflicted my soul.

Pride and envy, they seem to go together, and they are the working of the devil.  Once you become the most important thing in your life, then no one else can be better than you.  When you don’t have it all, aren’t completely filled, then no one else should be either.  When you lack, you tend to see others in a competitive way.  When they get or have what you want but you don’t have, you don’t want them to have it either.  (Now if envy has never touched your consciousness, then the above will not make any sense to you).

Jesus was put to death because of a spirit of envy.

Mark 15:10  For he (Pilate) knew that the chief priests had delivered him (Jesus) for (because of) envy.

Jealousy means you’ll do anything to get it.  Envy means you don’t want others to have what you don’t have (or at least are not enjoying the benefit of).  A spirit of envy working mightily in religious people is what caused the death of Jesus, the Christ.

When you don’t feel successful, then you view others who are confident, or successful, or even at peace, as undeserving of those attributes.  You attribute your hurt feelings to those actions or words of another which make you feel less.  The spirit of envy causes you to feel less, then says, “They are losers, they shouldn’t even be alive.  They suck.  They’re jerks in every way, and so is their family, and their friends, and their job, and anything they’ve every done, or said, or thought.”  And these aren’t just thoughts, but powerful feelings and emotions.  You see how envy works?

A spirit of envy works because of pride, and a spirit of envy results in murderous thoughts; and, if left unchecked, murderous actions.  Read Genesis 4, the account of Cain and Abel.

Romans 1:29b  … full of envy, murder, debate (arguing your rightness), deceit, malignity ……

Galatians 5:19a, 21a   Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; ….   Envyings, murders, ….

I Timothy 6:3, 4  If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness (true inner spiritual relationship with God……not religion, which is outward show);  He is proud, knowing nothing, but sick about questions and arguing of words, of which comes envy, strife, railings (lashing out at others), suspicion, vain constant quarreling.

You might be a part of a Bible group (or any kind of group),  and you have thoughts of becoming a leader, of others looking up to you as someone worthy.  The spirit of envy goes to work.  The one who is leader now says something to you in front of others that you interpret as being dismissive, or condescending….a slight of some kind.  It might even be something he doesn’t do, like not choose you for some responsibility that you thought you should have gotten.  From then on that leader is a jerk, and you begin to undermine his name at every opportunity.  Of course in your mind, his name and reputation, his intents and all the work he has ever done is now tainted by this spirit of envy.  From that moment on, the spirit of envy will allow no good, kind or loving thought concerning that leader to grow and bear fruit in your life.

There is much envy in religion today.

Philippians 1:15  Some indeed preach Christ of (because of) envy (huh!  the very thing that put Jesus to death!) and strife (arguing), and some also of good will.  The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds;

Because the outward show of religion is of the flesh, those who put more emphasis on religion over godliness (the actual relationship with God) will be contentious, envious, proud.  They will put others down, they will get easily offended, they will speak evil of others, gossip and whisper about the sins of others; they will argue with others over correct doctrine, they will be generally unhappy, unhealthy of mind, unpeaceful and have no joy.

James 3:14-16  But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

I spend a lot of quiet time in my work, painting, inside or out.  I usually work alone, and I don’t play music, because I “like the sound of my thoughts.”  Well, like happened the other day, wonderful things can happen…..but also, terrible things can happen.  Like the working of that spirit of envy for many years.  I’d be painting and all of a sudden I’d be reminded of a slight done to me 10 years before, and just like that the spirit of envy would have me “off to the races,” thinking evilly of not only the one person, but everyone else in that same group of friends/co-workers/co-volunteers.  Before I knew it, I’d be plotting my revenge!  ……. for something that happened 10 years ago!

That’s actually what was happening when that spirit of envy was revealed to me by the spirit of Christ within.  I was allowing this envy to color not only a single person, but the whole family, and group they were involved with, and then one of their children was getting married, and that envy just started to include that other family, and then that other group they were involved with as well.  Pretty soon, there wasn’t one decent person among all 50 of them!

But thank God my thoughts were stopped, and I said, “Why are you thinking this way….you like that family.”  And then God said, “You’re envious.”  And I thought, “I can’t be envious, that would mean I’m not perfectly wonderful, and also I’m such a spiritually together man.”  And then I thought, “Could I really be envious?  Me?”  And then it all burst into clarity as that evil spirit was exposed, and my soul was cleansed, and I was filled with the powerful love of God!  And just like that, because I accepted the revelation that it was a devil spirit afflicting my mind and thoughts and feelings, that spirit was gone.

Oh, the residue was there, but not the power.  And right away (I’m still brushing over this doorway), I decided to test it out.  I made myself think about these people I had just been thinking about in that envy…… and there was no envy!  10 seconds later and my mind and heart had been delivered from envy!  It was so easy to love them, and care about them, and desire that God bless them in every way.  Because God blessing them, and them being happy, took nothing away from me!!!  I have since gone back in my mind and thought of everyone and anything that was flavored with envy……and the cleansing has been complete!

When we turn from being supplied by God to becoming our own source of supply (which first happened in the Garden of Eden), which is a lie because it cannot be done, we begin to dwell in lack.  From that position of lack, we try to supply ourselves from what we perceive as a limited supply.  This is called lust, and dwelling in this lust leads to envy.

James 4:5  Do you think that the scripture says in vain, “The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?”

If you believe that you can cause yourself to be supplied by some finite resource that will make you whole, complete and fulfilled, that is lust.  And because that resource is finite, and limited, your mind will compete with others for it.  And when you continue to not have that fulfillment, you will look at others and think they do have it, and envy will afflict your soul.  This is the work of the devil, our enemy.  This is not you.

You are saved by Christ, through whom we have the promise of a limitless supply of that which alone can fulfill our lives and make us whole.

Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:19:20  Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

II Corinthians 9:8  And God is able to make all grace (generosity) abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work;

John 10:10  The thief comes not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I am come that they (who believe on me) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Walk away from envy.  It is a working of Satan.  Walk away from being your own sufficiency.  Humble yourself to God, the Father of Jesus Christ, and he will fill you, supply you and lift you up in your own heart and mind, so that you have no need of envy, but only abundance above and beyond your need, so that your desire is to share of that abundance with others.  Praise the Lord!

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Some examples of what might set off envy:
On the road:  They cut in front of you.  They beat the light, you didn’t.  You sat at the red light in the right lane, having to wait.  Then, just as the light turns green, someone zooms by in the empty left lane.
At work:  She got a promotion, even though she started after you.  In a meeting, someone shares a good idea that you’d had but didn’t share.  You come in extra early, figuring to impress the boss….a co-worker is already there.  Your boss compliments someone next to you.
At play:  Someone else’s kid scores a goal, when they could have passed it to your kid.  All the kids in another family are naturally better athletes.  You try so hard but don’t do as well as someone else.  Your efforts are not recognized.
In the family:  Favoritism shown to anyone else but you.  Good happens to them, but not so much to you.
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Related Studies

If you enjoyed how this study challenged your thinking and opened up your understanding of Christ, click on one of the related studies below:

The Unforgivable Sin
Why do we get Tempted?
Satan’s Justification
An Un-Polluted Gospel
The Devil, Our Enemy
Satan Exposed 

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