Take Authority over the Spirit of Mammon

Aug. 29, 2018 | By Creflo Dollar

Money can exert a strange power over people. Many of us have seen others do crazy things because of it. Even though it’s just paper and coins, we can make the mistake of attaching great significance to it. This power we feel tugging at us isn’t the money itself, but a spirit behind it that we must beware of.

Many people are unaware that the spirit of mammon attaches itself to money, and this spirit has one, overarching goal: to get us to trust it more than God. Mammon constantly suggests to us that maybe God’s promises in this area aren’t true, and it tells us it can do things for us that God can’t. Jesus had plenty to say on the subject and, during His ministry, He warned against being enslaved to it. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in)” (Matthew 6:24, AMPC).

There’s nothing wrong with having money, as long as money doesn’t have us. We can’t trust it, because it can let us down. Loving it more than anything else is a sign that we’ve developed a wrong relationship with it. “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). The rich young ruler with whom Jesus had a conversation was ruled by mammon; this spirit is still prevalent today.

Stockpiling wealth and valuing it above everything else is a mistake due to spiritual short-sightedness. “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15). Money is fickle, and putting our full trust in it sets us up for disappointment. Greed can cause us to abandon common sense and do foolish things.

We can take authority over the destructive spirit of mammon when we’re aware of its presence and how it operates. Mammon is insidious; it uses deception to make us think we need money more than God. We only hurt ourselves when we desperately cling to it. God is well aware that we need money, and He won’t let us down in this area. “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

God wants access to every area of our lives, including our finances. We do ourselves no good when we compartmentalize Him and refuse to trust Him in this area. God wants to bless us financally, and putting our faith in Him over everything else puts us in a position to allow Him to do so. “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).

Our security comes from God, not money. Letting our fears take over isn’t in our best interest. Money may be able to buy us temporary things, but material wealth stands in the way if we clutch it too closely to our hearts. We don’t have to let our “stuff” hold us back from the abundant life God wants for us.