Tuesday | 20 January 2026

The spirit of disobedience

The outcome of Adam looking into the face of his wife, and eating the fruit that she gave to him, was that he rose up and ruled over her in anger and dispute. Gen 3:16. A man’s default response of wrath and doubting reveals the influence that comes from Satan, who is ‘the prince of the power of the air’. Furthermore, it illustrates how the spirit of disobedience works in those who are Satan’s children, whom Paul called ‘the sons of disobedience’. Eph 2:2.

In a family, a woman with this same attitude, or spirit, is driven by fear and anxiety. She believes that she needs to take control of her life and of her household. Through the three elements of the knowledge of good and evil – that is, what appears to be pleasing in her sight; what she believes is the food for the family; and her own wisdom – the woman determines to know all the details of her circumstances so that she can allay her anxiety and bring a resolution to every matter. She does this by feeding this information to her husband so that he will become the servant of her initiatives and of her motherhood in the household.

However, when her husband does not submit to her initiative or he reacts against it, she feels that she is not loved. From her perspective, the romantic ideal of their home has been compromised. The woman is not demonstrating faith, for the word that comes from her is sourced from the wrong tree. She has taken hold of this word because of fear and anxiety. The woman reacts as the victim of the circumstance, demonstrating that she does not trust the Lord or her husband. As a consequence, she withdraws to an independent and alienated position. Regrettably, this dynamic is apparent in many families. However, this is not ‘the faith of Sarah’; nor is it the culture of the house of Abraham. Isa 51:2. It is not the way in which a Christian household lives.