Familiar Spirits

And God spoke all these words, saying: I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. Exodus 20:1-5

The word iniquity means a branching off or bent towards a particular type of sin. It also means sin and the consequences of that sin, which could be inherited diseases, etc. It happens when one member (or maybe several) of a family line opens the door to a familiar spirit by participating in a particular type of sin and then that familiar spirit (or spirits) will often travel down the family line to other members. A familiar spirit is one that is familiar with you and those around you and again it often travels in family lines. Examples of this could be alcoholism, drug abuse, any type of addictive behavior, sexual sin, etc.

Another example of this could be a root of rejection, which leads to bitterness and unforgiveness. While it might not start out as something demonic, it can certainly lead to that. The biggest part of us is the temperament we were born with, but then our environment and the authority figures in our lives do a lot to shape who we become. Introverts tend to internalize their hurt feelings and over time, this can lead to bitterness and unforgiveness. Other temperaments, like choleric personalities are hot tempered, but usually get over it quickly.

When a person is always blowing up in anger, it is usually a sign that they have deep wounds and unhealed hurts, but this again can lead to a stronghold for the enemy, if we do not forgive and repent for holding onto bitterness and unforgiveness. Often, this leads to narcissism and a victim mentality. People become so consumed with themselves and their feelings, that they mentally and emotionally abuse and alienate others. And they are convinced that everyone else is the problem instead of looking inwards.

I have seen the root of rejection, bitterness and unforgiveness in my family line for two generations. I determined that I would not repeat that cycle. I want to pass on a better spiritual inheritance to our children and grandchildren, but it does not mean that I have not been tested in it. Especially when certain people are used by the enemy to bring the attacks. It seems the more we try to step into what God has called us to do, the greater the attack. It only makes me realize that we have to keep our armor on and take refuge in the Lord. As we move further into the end times, I believe the spiritual warfare will increase, but so will the level of God’s glory in our lives, as we continue to follow Him in His purpose for us. God bless you all.

In Christ ~ Kelly Rowe