The Spirit

Of

The Ruler
.
.Arches National Park

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn" (Proverbs 29:2).

    I have found that this to be a very important, but also a difficult subject about which to write.   It may be because I have found almost nothing written on some aspects of the subject or it may be because there are many different aspects of it.  However, it may also be in part because the enemy does not want me to write on it.
KEY VERSE: "If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked" (Proverbs 29:12).
    I remember many years ago that a certain minister said that another minister came to him with a problem.  The problem was that the minister said that he had fallen into homosexuality.  However, that certain minister confronted him with a bigger problem. He told the minister that he not only had the problem with homosexuality but that his church had the problem of homosexuality.  "If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked" (Proverbs 29:12). 
    We can look at "the spirit of the ruler" from several different perspectives. In a general sense, the ruler may be the leader of a nation, the mayor of a city, the boss at work, the teacher in school, the pastor in a church, or a father of a family. In other words, the ruler is someone in a position of authority over others. Now there are several ways in which that ruler has spiritual influence on those under his authority.  See: "Why Am I In Prison?"

I. Those under that authority of the ruler may simply model his behavior.  If the student sees his teacher or role model act a certain way, then he may mimic the teacher and act the same way.  This is modeling the behavior of the authority figure.  The little boy often wants to be just like his daddy.

"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed" (Proverbs 13:20).
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful" (Psalms 1:1).
II. Those under the authority of the ruler may act a certain way to get or keep the approval of the person in authority. This may be forced behavior as in the military or voluntary as in business.
"Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent. And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore" (II Samuel 13:31, 36).
III. Those under the authority of a father in a family sitting may be influenced by generational curses. The negative traits of the father are passed along to the children. See: The Evil Tree.
"Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities" (Lamentations 5:7).

"Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.  And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God" (Nehemiah 9:1-3).

IV. Those under the authority may be strongly influenced by an evil spirit which the authority carries with him.  This is probably the most dangerous and the most unrecognized factor. If a pastor or other church leader has or is influenced by an evil spirit, then his congregation or the people under his authority may well be influenced by the evil spirit even without recognizing the spirit.
"If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked" (Proverbs 29:12).
"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" (Romans 6:16).  Note: If we are submitted under the authority of the person in authority, then we are also submitted under the spirit which may control his life.

"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.  Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation" (Matthew 12:43-44) Note: A evil spirit invites others to join him that he might rule over more (the last state of that man is worse than the first).

"And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease" (Numbers 11:25). Note: We can see the principle that there can be a transferring of a spirit from and leader to one who is under him

"And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses" (Deuteronomy 34:9).  Here we see in a positive sense the Spirit of God which is upon the leader, Moses, passed upon his servant, Joshua, through the laying on of hands.

"Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure" (I Timothy 5:22). Note: A spiritual leader must be careful about whom he lays his hands upon, but we must also be careful about whom we allow to lay hands upon us. The spirit of the ruler may be passed along to us, good or evil.

V. Some unclassified examples:
"And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" (Exodus 14:5).  The servants readily followed the heart of the Pharaoh.

"And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart.   And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God" (II Samuel 6:3, 7).   Uzzah was under the authority of David who didn't follow the law concerning moving the Ark of the Covenant; therefore, Uzzah, likewise, didn't obey the law concerning handling the Ark.  It cost him his life!

"And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.   And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers" (II Chronicles 34:31-32).  Although this article is written primarily as a warning, these verses give a positive side.

"And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.   Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem"  (II Chronicles 36:13-14).  The evil which Zedekiah did was passed down to his chief of priests and then down to the people.

"The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh" (Proverbs 11:17).  His own flesh may apply to his physical body, but it also may apply to his family, or if he is a pastor, his church family will be effected by his attitude.

"He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live" (Proverbs 15:27). The expression "troubleth his own house" may refer to a nation, a business, a church, or a family.

    The authority over you is meant to be an channel of God's blessings to you and an umbrella of protection for you  ["For he is the minister of God to thee for good" (Romans 13:4a).], but what if that authority is an evil influence upon you?  What if there are holes in the umbrella?  You get rained upon by the curses of the enemy. So, what can you do?  Here are some alternatives to prayerfully consider.
1. You can pray that God patches the holes in the umbrella. Prayer For Those In Authority

2. If you are in a volunteer position (job or church member), you may want to prayerfully consider getting out from under that authority.  "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men" (Proverbs 4:14).

3. If are considering submitting yourself to an authority, you should definitely ask, "What is the spirit of the ruler?"    "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (I John 4:1)

4. If you are being hurt by the authority, but not in a position to leave, you should prayerfully consider making an appeal to the authority.  An appeal is creating an acceptable alternative that will be of benefit to both the authority and to you.  "Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,  Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.  Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. (Daniel 1:11-13).

    Furthermore, if you are in a position of authority, you should seriously consider your responsibility to those under your authority. If you are a father, husband, teacher, minister, government official, or CEO, you are in a position of leadership.  No matter who you are, there is usually someone looking up to you as being in a position of authority.  You are in one sense in the role of a shepherd.  See: The Role Of A Shepherd.

Freedom In Christ