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! The Saul Controlling Spirit
Thanks to Mary Lance Sisk of Charlotte, NC, for her excellent scriptural insight into the Saul spirit.
Blessings.
The controlling spirit personified in Saul has impacted everybody's life.
It has violated many families personally, emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically.
Almost everybody has either controlled or been controlled.
*Why identify and deal with the Saul spirit?*
The Saul spirit in a father is the worst enemy to a person's fully relating to our heavenly Father.
Jesus claimed intimacy with His Father, calling Him Father 156 times in the book of John, the writer with the tenderest, most loving heart.
The Jews of the day could see God as creator, or lawgiver, or righteous judge, but Jesus addressed him intimately, as Abba, Papa-God, in loving relationship.
He taught us through the model prayer to address God as "Our Father."
In fact, Jesus died to bring us near to the Father in blood relationship.
Am the way, the troth, and the life.
No man comes to the Father, but by me /(John /14:6)."
So Fatherhood is important to God.
The first recorded words of Jesus were "Don't you know I have to be in my Father's house, about my Father's business?"
In His last words from the cross, He twice addressed God as Father.
We come to God as a little child climbing up into the lap of a loving Father for help, protection, calm, loving, assurance by His presence.
;'
The Saul spirit in a father produces a distorted picture of God.
The human family is meant to reflect heavenly reality.
When it does not, the distorted picture of God learned thereby must be unlearned years later, so that God's Father-heart can be imparted to people who are hurting, rejected, feeling abandoned, or condemned.
Yes, God is majestic and holy and has all dominion, and He is my Daddy, Papa-God, for fellowship, immediate access, guidance, security, inheritance, life, good gifts, provision, and so much more.
The Saul spirit stands in the way of revival, because it stands between you and a deep personal relationship with God.
Controllers want to dictate even to God.
They have a hard time getting out of the, way and letting God be God.
The controlling spirit is a curse that is passed down from generation to generation.
If you were raised; in a household with a father or mother who is dominating, you will end up with controlling tendencies yourself.
Furthermore, you will be drawn to people who have them because that feels normal.
That is the pattern you lived in as a child.
But you do not have to live like that.
Galatians 5: 1 says that Jesus died to set you free.
You do not have to remain under that yoke of bondage.
Ignorance of the controlling spirit is deadly for your children.
Being ignorant of the operation of this principle of control will make you vulnerable to deadly results.
God doe not want the church ignorant.
Pastors.
Christian leaders, and fathers ignore at their own peril the diagnosis of this Saul spirit of control.
All Saul's sons were tragically destroyed, except for one crippled grandson named Mephibosheth.
Think of it destroyed or crippled!
I have seen these Saul personalities pick off worship leaders and pastors and cripple Christian ministries.
Jesus died so that we might enjoy freedom.
Instead of cleaning up the mess, why not become enlightened and obedient to deal with Saul in a strong and righteous way?
Why station an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff?
Why not build a guardrail at the top of the cliff?
As we look at the picture of Saul as presented in 1 Samuel, stop and pray for God to open your eyes to give you deep spiritual insight, understanding, and revelation.
Ask God to reveal to you the controlling tendencies in your life, and deal with your own controlling tendencies.
When God exposes a thing, He is ready and able to heal.
He comes with the anointing for deliverance.
When you deal with the sin in your own life, you can extend grace to others and know how to pray for them.
The prophet Samuel was old, and the people wanted a king like other nations.
He warned them what the king would do to them, but they did not heed his warning.
God gave them their request, and Samuel anointed Saul king at God's direction.
Saul was the tallest and most handsome man in Israel.
His flesh was attractive and stood out head and shoulders above others.
People accepted him and made him king before the Lord at Gilgal.
After God anointed him, God warned Saul that his kingship and his kingdom depended on obeying Him.
Saul was a valiant warrior (1 /Sam.
/14:48).
God raised up an army around him.
The best men joined him.
God put the fear of the Lord on the nation Israel to follow Saul God gave him victories for the people of God over the Amorites and Philistines.
God gave him everything he needed to be a leader of God' s people.
He began well and had great success, and at first we do not see much of the spirit of control operating in Saul.
It is hard to see the spirit of control in a leader in the beginning.
Most of the time, if they are chosen by God, they start off right.
It takes time to recognize this spirit in another person.
It may take months or maybe years to see the great ego, drives, and desire for power or recognition.
The characteristics or profile of a modem-day "Sau1" controller can be laid out in a 20-point checklist.
If you have some of these tendencies, go before the Lord.
If you have most of them, you are a controller and that is not God's way.
Repent and get help from a wise and seasoned brother or sister in the Lord who can help you.
If you have been "Sauled," that also is not God's way, and you need help for healing and release.
*1.
He may be religious and may even have the word of the Lord at times.*
Saul had been touched by God, but he did not have the personal intimacy with the Lord that David had.
When he was made king, he did not call for the ark nor call the nation Israel to rejoice before the Lord (1 /Sam.
/11: 12-15).
There is no evidence that he was a man of prayer and worship.
He did not wait on God nor spend time alone with God.
He sought God personally only once when he was desperate (14:35).
Otherwise, he sought God only through Samuel, and eventually he could not hear God's voice, because he had disobeyed God.
When his men were going out to battle and were scared, unlike David, he did not encourage them in who God is, because he did not know God intimately.
The Spirit came upon Saul in 1 Samuel, and thereafter he was touched by the Holy Spirit from time to time.
So, a person with the Saul spirit can have the word of the Lord at times /(I Sam.
/19:23-24).
When they do, you think you are crazy or judgmental for seeing lying, deception, manipulation, and other sins in their lives.
They may speak powerfully in a meeting where the spirit of God is moving, but when they leave, they are back to their old selves.
When Saul got into the presence of Samuel or the prophets, and God's spirit was moving, Saul was touched as well.
So the Spirit can move through a Saul from time to time.
But make no mistake: the Bible is very clear.
The Spirit of God departs from this leader /(I /6: 13-14).
He loses the anointing of God because the fullness of the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey God, who walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh.
*2.
He will take matters into his own hands.*
When his men began to scatter) Saul disobeyed Samuel's instructions, which were God's commands, and offered a religious reason for doing so.
"I was compelled" to offer the offerings.
Circumstances made me do /it /(1 /Sam.
13:8-13).
/A Saul believes that the end justifies the means.
When confronted by Samuel, there was no sign of repentance.
Saul was not contrite and humble.
Outward use of power will eventually reveal their inner bankruptcy.
*3.
He blames others for his own wrong actions.*
Saul blamed his disobedience on others (1 /Sam.
/13:8-13).
He had the audacity to blame Samuel.
God gave His opinion of Saul' s sin: you have acted foolishly, your kingdom will not endure, your sons will not be on the throne, because you did not keep the Lord's command.
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