Be warned. The Holy Spirit told me the spirit of betrayal has been loosed in the earth. This spirit is crafty and can only stab you in the back after it has walked beside you long enough to earn your trust.
This shouldn’t surprise us. Jesus spoke of an end-times reality that we’re seeing right now. He said, “Many will betray one another” (see Matt. 24:10).
The spirit of betrayal, like many other spirits, works through people. It’s hard to discern until it manifests—and it’s almost always a blindside. If we saw betrayal’s schemes before they manifested, we would get out of the pathway of its double-edged sword and avoid a bloody back.
The spirit of betrayal is more subtle than you think. Betrayal has to seduce you before it can stab you. Betrayal is treacherous. Someone operating in this spirit will tell your secrets for personal gain, abandon you in a time of need, work craftily to take what’s yours right under your nose and otherwise demonstrate who they really are at a critical time.
Et Tu Brute?
As a student of Latin in high school, we learned how Brutus betrayed Roman dictator Julius Caesar. Brutus was the ruler’s close friend, yet took part in a coup to assassinate him. When Julius recognized Brutus as one of the assailing parties, he said, “Et tu Brute?” which means, “You, too, Brutus?” At least that’s the account of the historical event from Shakespeare.
The British playwright may have been drawing some imagery from the life of Jesus, as Christ faced a similar episode. Luke 22 gives the familiar account, but don’t gloss over this Garden of Gethsemane event too quickly or you’ll miss the point:
“And while He was still speaking, behold, a multitude; and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near to Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” (Luke 22:47-48, NKJV)
Another gospel puts it this way: “While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.'” (Matt. 26:47-50, NIV).
What do we do about it? Click here to read the rest of this article. {eoa}
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