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The Religious Narcissist
It's at an all Time High
Religious narcissism is at an all time high. For 20 years I have watched its destructive power as it usurped leadership on every level. Its these very ones that have succumbed to its influences that now pursue unearned religious status, seeking attention, praise, and position, all wanting more than what they really deserve, as they covertly disguise themselves, and manipulate their way up the leadership ladder. What started out as an incredible born again experience has somehow gone off the rails.
Religious narcissism is a little different than the one who is narcissistic. Both walk with a dysfunctional personality but the religious narcissist is also influenced by the demonic through the power of witchcraft. This form of narcissism has been spiritually weaponized to target and remove Gods anointed, and to disqualify the ones that God is raising up. The plan is to usurp the anointing as it crowns itself in a leadership position. The demonic end game for this spirit is to dismantle any movement before it matures.
The religious narcissist, like the Jezebel spirit, and the Leviathan spirit, are all fueled by the power of witchcraft. These carriers, these trojan horses, are completely blind by the fact that they have partnered up with a narcissistic influence, releasing ministry models that are nothing close to the ministry model that Jesus exemplified to his disciples.
Setup for Destruction
These spiritual narcissists have no clue they are being setup for destruction and that their spiritual identity has been altered and dumbed down, — all because they walk in a self-righteousness that is fueled by their own stubbornness, — a stubbornness that has hindered them from totally surrendering all unto the Lord.
It’s staggering the numbers that have partnered up with this narcissistic spirit. They have created a massive misdirect in our home groups, in our churches, and in our conference settings, weakening a powerful gospel with a mechanical appearance of technology and entertainment as it desensitizes what was always meant to be a Spirit led Jesus type ministry.
With false authority, they now steer groups, all across our nation into a false reality as it restructures the place of ministry with a compromised worship, and a compromised prophetic, along with a watered down gospel where the Kingdom of heaven is minimized. Always organizing their latest presentation through a mental simulator, verses being led by the Holy Spirit. Real freedom never comes, — just the illusion of freedom.
Religious narcissists believe that their development and spiritual wisdom is superior to others as they subtly, with false humility, come across as being the gifted ones. Always looking for attention, admiration, and validation, but without knowing they are being blindly used for destructive purposes.
Charming and Charismatic
They boast about their spiritual endeavors, including practices such as prayer, fasting, and walking in the prophetic. Charming and charismatic, along with love bombing, and the giving of money, is all part of them working the floor to establish their day of recognition and position. They consistently work the room to set themselves apart from everyone else as they stage their personal walk as something that is not easily attained, — spotlighting themselves as being one of the anointed ones.
Having a hidden agenda with a cleverly disguised predatory personality to mislead and misdirect a people, only adds to the growing religious matrix. They present themselves as ones being totally led by the Holy Spirit. Very convincingly it has mastered the art of counterfeiting the different streams of ministry through the fabrication of language, along with the twisting of the prophetic.
Coming across as a beacon of light, they eventually usurp that desired leadership position. When in reality, there lies within a religious viper whose only concern is to crown itself, position itself, as it seeks authority and honor. Make no mistake; it’s the demonic influences that send the religious narcissist in motion. It’s a powerful force. The demonic works in the shadows, as it moves all those ahead like hand puppets. Fueled by witchcraft, they work their way to the forefront coming across as the treasured ones, when the true assignment is to derail the birthing of a movement.
Having manipulated people into the middle ground of lukewarmness, they strategically alter identities, alter character, and alter the way people need to function, as the masquerading of friendships is all part of dumbing down a people. To misdirect them personally, and corporately, and to distort the Holy Spirit operating system within them. Distorting their callings, as it sends them off to explore its many narratives.
Never Accountable
Never being accountable, and never admitting to any wrongdoing, it continues to plow through with its blind ambition and its entitlements. Most of the time they look like the real deal. But as they walk with a predatory cunningness, they are able to fool most of the people most of the time. Like one being frozen in childhood, — comes the reaction when asked about accountability, as it now deflects and attacks. It then looks for that explosive response so that it can start pointing the finger while pushing pre-existing buttons with the hope of disqualify the one seeking accountability. Anyone who opposes their reality becomes an enemy as they now get slammed with the famous silent treatment.
What is bizarre about this destructive spirit is that most are completely unaware they walk in it, nor are they even aware that they have partnered up with its leadership. They’ve been brainwashed in believing their established form of righteousness, which is a fabricated and engineered form of self-righteousness. The reason being is that most have long standing unresolved issues that have bum-steered them into the false and into the counterfeit.
Stubborn and Self-Righteous
Stubbornness and self-righteousness has a way of tanking any vessel because stubbornness is a weaponized form of witchcraft designed to captivate and control its carrier turning it into a Trojan horse. With the body continually defaulting into protectionism and self-preservation, only adds to the brainwashed personality that is filled with knee-jerk reactions.
Having a history of an unmanaged personality, they constantly defend, preserve, and argue. Filled with drama, conflict, and mind games, they religiously engineer their steps. This thing is as ugly as the Jezebel spirit, and the Leviathan spirit. All three love to argue as they try and defend their case, — and they will throw anyone under the bus when it comes to accountability.
Again the timing of a religious narcissist being exposed is all in God's hands. In the past 20 years or more, where the narcissistic spirit resided in so many of our camps ( it was like David watching Saul's bad behavior ) Holy Spirit showed us first hand on what to do, and what not to do, along with giving us a revelation on the effects of bad behavior, and bad leadership, — including an understanding on why people gravitate towards a narcissistic leader, and why they feel the need to add to the narcissistic religious theater.
Blinded by a narcissistic leadership, ministries were then birthed, releasing multiple false identities where in the cracks of all those identities, — everything eventually fell apart with the realization that the gospel they walked in never got them to where they needed to be. Self-preservation kicks in and the spiritual body count starts to stack up as many now get thrown under the bus.
This narcissistic spirit is a stronghold designed to hinder the Bride to walk in Her fullness as it minimizes the Kingdom of heaven. It’s designed to displace the anointing and disqualify those that are anointed by God. But the big reason for this religious narcissistic spirit to be hanging around, — is to derail a movement.
Time to Separate
So now that you know what you know, there’s probably a separation that’s needed. So how do you walk it out? Well first thing is to recognize it, — and that is a massive step forward. Most never recognize it because this thing is so entrenched in their personality. But now that you have taken the first step, here are the rest of the steps:
1) You now need to be mindful of how you think, and how to repackage your responses. Having a willingness to hear other people's perspectives first on what's been brought to the discussion table. To not react so quickly by what you see being brought to the table. But to view things first, and to be willing to listen first, where the discussions can unfold in a round table setting where you can now agree, or agree to disagree.
2) The plan is to not be argumentative in the discussions when being called out on an offense. This is where you need to activate mindfulness. Hear what's being brought to the table before responding. Be mindful of your knee jerk reactions that kick started those past arguments. Allow everything to be placed on the table and then think on the language you are about to present before responding.
3) There needs to an awareness on your part that religious narcissism is always linked to some form of personal issues like depression, anxiety, stress, fear, abandonment, abuse, along with whatever addiction that may be present. In most cases its unresolved issues from those younger days that gives narcissism its power.
4) Be willing to put your rights aside because in most cases, the one who is opening up the discussion is really thinking the best for you. They are bringing forth an awareness of something that will open up your identity. Be thankful, be grateful, and put all entitlements aside.
5) There is no doubt that walking in that religious narcissistic persona, that you've probably hurt more people than you know through lack of empathy and invalidation. Through insults and contempt, along with gaslighting the situation. There needs to be a recognition of your historical reactive defaults and be willing to change them up with a whole new approach of responding.
6) With recognition comes ownership. There needs to be a level of ownership for your stuff. To walk away from protectionism, denial, and deceit. Good leadership always takes responsibility and accountability. Doing that puts a halt on any future arguments.
Final Note: To break this cycle, — we need to be free from one who is pulling all the strings behind the curtain, the same one who has activated its minions to create a demonic swirl that hovers over many. Minions that have been specifically equipped for their targeted assignments, having inroads to complete those assignments. Demonically weaponized, this spirit plans to continue winning its share of battles. Plus it plans to preserve the very ground it conquers, — at whatever cost. It will throw whomever it needs to under the bus to preserve itself. It has very little accountability. The success ratio behind this spirit is very high!
So if you recognize any of this narcissistic lifestyle in your life, — now may be a good time to walk away from it all. And find someone you are close too, someone you completely trust to help pray this thing off.
Rick Groenheyde JesusMinistries.ca EkklesiaRising.com
