Have you ever found yourself endlessly scrolling or zoning out after a long week, almost without thinking? That’s normal. But many Christian teachings suggest something deeper can sometimes be at play: not just habit, but spiritual influence. Both the Catholic Church and many Protestant pastors describe oppression as a kind of persistent spiritual pressure—not possession, but a pattern that can slowly pull your attention, priorities, and even identity away from God.
In the Bible, Jesus warns, “You cannot serve both God and Mammon.” Mammon originally meant wealth, but over time it came to represent a deeper pull toward greed, materialism, and misplaced trust in money. Its image was later shaped in Paradise Lost by John Milton, where Mammon is depicted as a fallen being so consumed by gold that even in Heaven he admired its streets for their riches. That portrayal helped cement Mammon as a symbol of devotion to wealth above all else.
This isn’t about having money. It’s about relying on it instead of God. Mammon whispers: “You’ll be secure when you have more.” God says: “Your security is in Me.” For some, this struggle isn’t just personal. It can show up in patterns that feel deeply ingrained, even within families. It may look like constant anxiety, identity tied to success or status, never feeling like “enough” is enough, or an ongoing obsession with image and comparison.
In other forms of spiritual struggle, distinct from Mammon, people may experience entirely different challenges, such as destructive thought patterns or behaviors where someone feels caught in a cycle that is difficult to break. While these experiences are not caused by Mammon, they reflect how powerful repeated spiritual and emotional patterns can become.
Many describe these patterns as a stronghold—a repeated cycle that feels bigger than a single decision or moment. Voices like Matt Bennett, featured on Let’s Talk Local in the episode titled “The Exorcism of Sarah Bennett,” have shared accounts of people experiencing freedom from these kinds of struggles, whether tied to fear, identity, or destructive cycles, finding peace, clarity, and a renewed sense of purpose.
Mammon’s influence, in particular, is often subtle: You can’t rest; you always feel like you need more. You prioritize work, money, or distraction over God. You feel empty even when life looks full. It’s not loud. It’s a quiet shift in what comes first.
Both Catholic and Protestant traditions point to simple, powerful ways to realign:
- Put God first daily, even if it’s just a few minutes before your phone
- Practice generosity to break the grip of “more”
- Detach your identity from money and status
- Step back from what controls your time and attention
- Confess these patterns
- Pray intentionally over your life and your family
“You shall have no other gods before Me” isn’t just about false idols. It’s about priority. Today, those “gods” often look like success, money, or constant distraction. And freedom begins the moment you choose which voice to follow.
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About Future Voices
Future Voices is a Sunday-morning column in The Dallas Express in which young Texans share how faith and perseverance shape their lives. These stories remind readers that God often speaks through the honesty and courage of the next generation.
