Spirit of distortion:

Justice is distorted, integrity is compromised, it reverses right and wrong, calls a horse a zebra, and confuses people's values.

The princes of Zoan have become fools; The princes of Noph are deceived; They have also deluded Egypt, Those who are the mainstay of its tribes. The Lord has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst; And they have caused Egypt to err in all her work, As a drunken man staggers in his vomit. (Isaiah 19:13-14)

A perverse spirit is operating in today's society, constantly undermining traditional values and bending people's hearts.

The concept of perverse spirit:

Because of the blindness of the mind, a very distorted conception of reality is formed, including distortions of the heart, lips, and mouth, as well as the use of far-fetched methods to pursue dubious goals, which bends everything that should be upright: the "distortion" of things, the reversal of right and wrong, the confusion of people's values, and the awkwardness and unreasonableness of temperament, speech, and behavior.

Manifestations of a perverse spirit:

• His behavioral patterns and personality are blinded by his weird theories and ideas. No matter how you talk to him, he has no way of understanding or changing them.

• The perspective on the problem is very different from reality. They will hear things you didn't say, or interpret what you said as something you didn't mean at all.

• It is difficult to be persuaded easily. They always believe that they are right and others are wrong, confusing right and wrong.

• Not keeping promises, lying, and often breaking agreements.

• Disobedience, contempt for authority, self-centeredness, stiff-neckedness, hardened hearts, damaging relationships, and twisting words. Especially when authority figures speak, he will be particularly disobedient in his heart and will never listen.

• Need to use the “soft approach” and cannot tolerate head-on confrontation. He does not take confrontation well and cannot overcome it with the soft approach either.

• Resisting God, rejecting the work of the Holy Spirit, and being easily angered.

Causes of a perverse spirit:

1. Gossip is a way of bringing about strife, disruption, and division in order to achieve one’s own goals.

A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:4)

So the tongue is a small part of the body, but it speaks great things. Behold, a small fire can set a large forest on fire. The tongue is a fire, a world of sin in our members, which defiles the whole body and sets the wheel of life on fire; and it is set on fire by hell. (James 3:5-6)

2. It releases wrong fantasies and wrong ideas, which affect correct judgment, resulting in distortion and reversal of right and wrong.

 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking. (1 Peter 2:1)

3. The sin in the blood distorts the desire and purpose of pursuing God. It distorts the moral scale of human life, distorts human desires, and turns good things into evil things.

For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith. (Titus 1:10-13)

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, (1 Peter 1:13-15)

4: Due to some past injuries, one’s values and even outlook on life have been distorted.

To deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things. (Proverbs 2:12)

Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. (Proverbs 4:24)

5. Deep-rooted cultural background and cultural perspective lead to distortion.

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)

A man will be commended according to his wisdom, but he who is of a perverse heart will be despised (Proverbs 12:8)

Source: Pastoral Ministry Department of End-Time Ministry (Please notify us promptly if any copyright infringement is involved.)