The religious spirit is the strongest opposing force against the apostolic Church. We need not worry because the Holy Spirit used religious persecution to launch the greatest spiritual revolution of all time, the New Testament apostolic Church. One of your greatest opponents against the transition into apostolic ministry will be the religious spirit. Religious spirits fear loss of position, new things and being wrong. They will oppose all whom they feel threatens their sense of importance.
We discover the beginning of apostolic ministry and the apostolic Church in Jerusalem after the resurrection of Jesus. Shortly after His resurrection the Church was persecuted by the religious spirit and scattered throughout the entire region. scripture says, “Now they which were scattered abroad because of the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the Word to none but unto the Jews only” (Acts 11:19). Stephen was a disciple of Christ. He was man full of faith and power that did great signs, wonders and miracles among the people. Sometime during the course of his ministry he found himself being challenged by the leaders of a religious stronghold. The spirit of religion is always frightened by those who are anointed by the Holy Spirit because religious spirits sit in seats of governing authority that do not belong to them. To hold on to their usurped positions of authority they mounted up an offensive attack on a man that carried God’s true governing anointing.
These resources will stir and equip you to live the victorious Christian life.
You are called to tear down, root out and pull down enemy resistance. Once you discover key prophetic warfare strategies, learn how to dismantle Jezebel's network, and expose spiritual witchcraft you will be able to walk in greater authority. As the testimony continues, “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke” (Acts 6:8-10). Notice that these men formed a confederacy of religious leaders from at least three different synagogues that were unable to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which Stephen spoke. So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes to join with their opposition against Stephen. By Jonas Clark