Greed has stopped many Christians from fulfilling God’s will for their life. As we work towards financial freedom, we must guard against all forms of greed (Luke 12:15). The goal of building wealth is not to hoard material things for ourselves. Instead, the goal is to have resources that can serve as a vessel for God’s plans and purposes to flow through.

Jesus put it plainly in Matthew 6:24 when he said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” 

But what is mammon, and how can we make sure that it never gets us off track? This blog post will dive into what the Bible says about mammon and provide encouragement for how to break a spirit of mammon in your life.

What is the Spirit of Mammon?

The biblical meaning of mammon (mamōnas) is treasure or riches that are opposed to God. Strong’s Concordance defines mammon as “what is trusted in.”

If you trust in wealth and let money dictate your decisions, there might be a spirit of mammon in your life. Anyone can have a spirit of mammon, from billionaires to the poorest of the poor. It’s all about your heart posture and what you worship.

Mammon is only mentioned twice in the Bible, and both times it’s in the New Testament. The first is Matthew 6:24, and the second is in Luke 16:9-13:

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (v. 10 & 11)

If we want to experience the true riches and power God offers us, we must break any hold mammon has over our lives. We can do this by putting our trust in God, not in material prosperity.

A Spirit of Mammon in the Old Testament

Whereas the word mammon isn’t mentioned in the Old Testament, the spirit of it is. Before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God gave a Word to Moses to encourage and warn them:

“But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” (Deuteronomy 8:18)

The ability to produce wealth was an entirely new concept to the Israelites. All they had ever experienced was slavery and wilderness wandering. Now, they were about to experience prosperity and ownership. They were going to Canaan, which meant “merchant or tradesman.” Canaan was located near one of the world’s most strategically located trade routes. The Promised Land was full of resources, and the Israelites were about to get very rich. 

So, Moses encouraged them to “Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” God wanted to protect their hearts and the character He carefully cultivated in the wilderness. 

Then, the first thing the Israelites are told to do is to drive out the pagan nations from the land (Numbers 33:55, Joshua 23:13). God knew that if the pagan nations stayed in the land, they would cause the Israelites to stray away from Him. 

El, Baal , & Asherah

The major gods the Canaanites worshipped before the Israelites took possession were the creator God, El, his wife, Asherah, and their son, Baal. They represented fertility and prosperity. People worshipped these gods in hopes of a good harvest.

Throughout the Old Testament, Baal and Yahweh are pitted against each other. In the wilderness, the Israelites created an idol of Baal in the form of a golden calf (Exodus 32). Later, in a drought, the prophet Elijah challenges 450 prophets of Baal and proves that Yahweh is the one and only God. (1 Kings 18:20-40) 

It never worked when people prayed to other gods to end their droughts or deliver them from the wilderness. It only prolonged their suffering. Trusting in God was and is the only way to receive true deliverance and prosperity.  

Today, we fight the same demonic spirit that urged people to worship Baal. The enemy still sends spirits of greed and control to tempt people to stumble. 

So, we need to examine our hearts and ask ourselves if we’re trusting in any idols that promise us wealth and prosperity outside of God. That’s why Deuteronomy 8:18 is essential–remembering God as the source and recipient of our wealth. We must learn how to break a spirit of mammon.

How to Break a Spirit of Mammon

It took me years to break the spirit of mammon in my life. When I first built wealth, I did it entirely for the wrong reasons. I wanted comfort, freedom, and possessions. I was not concerned with how wealth could further God’s plans and purposes. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit (and my wife) got ahold of me. I saw how a spirit of mammon was corrupting my perspective. Now, I realize that God’s purpose for wealth is much better than anything I could imagine. 

If you need some guidance on how to break a spirit of mammon, here are three biblical strategies:

1. Give generously 

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

(Proverbs 11:25, NLT)

Giving is a God-given strategy to eliminate greed from your life. A spirit of mammon wants to hoard resources and maintain control. When you give, you directly counteract that spirit. Giving is an action that builds trust between you and God. Through giving, we affirm that our money belongs to God. It’s a declaration that we will use our resources to partner with His work in the earth. 

If you’re not giving tithes and offerings already, start. Then, ask God how you can give above and beyond with your time, money, and skills. 

Related: 22 Bible Verses on Giving

2. Pray fervently

“Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:17-22, NLT)

Ultimately, God has a perfect, custom-made strategy for how to break a spirit of mammon in your life. As 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, never stop praying. 

• Bring your financial situation to God before you make decisions. 

• Dream with God. Talk to Him about why you want to build wealth. Read the Bible and listen prayerfully for how God may want to infuse more Kingdom purpose into your plans. Then, ask Him to change your desires if needed.

• When you feel discontent and anxious for more, thank God for what you already have. Pray and ask Him to show you His perspective–it’s always one of abundance, not lack.

3. Surrender completely

“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” (Matthew 10:39, NLT)

As Christians, surrender is a continual process. We must choose to follow God’s plans and purposes every single day. 

You can tell it’s time to surrender when you’re holding your plans and timeline too tightly. When the real estate you want to buy, the investments you want to make, and the businesses you want to create, begin to take the place of God’s authority in your life, surrender is necessary. Preparation is good, but we must learn how to steward with one hand and surrender with the other.

Remember, one of the primary things that a spirit of mammon wants to do is control. We can’t have a spirit of control and follow the Spirit of God at the same time! So, daily surrender to God’s plan will keep greed at bay.