Selfishness is often dismissed as a personality flaw, but Scripture presents a far more serious reality. A recent teaching from John Eckhardt confronts the issue head-on, framing selfishness as a destructive spiritual force that demands both recognition and action.
Eckhardt warns that selfishness is not harmless or isolated. “There are a lot of demons connected to selfishness,” he said. “How selfishness can destroy a person’s life and affect other people as well. It is a terrible, terrible bondage.”
The Hidden Network Behind Selfishness
According to Eckhardt, selfishness operates within a broader web of spiritual issues that feed and reinforce one another. “It’s in the rebellion side and it’s connected with stubbornness, self-will,” he said. “It’s connected to lust and harlotry and whoredom… these are some of the spirits that work along with selfishness.”
He adds that the problem often manifests in multiple forms. “There’s self-will, self-pity, self-promotion, self-exaltation, there’s selfish ambition. There are a lot of things that go along with selfishness. There’s covetousness, greed, vanity, pride.”
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What It Means to ‘Cast Out’
Eckhardt roots his teaching in Scripture, pointing to the first appearances of “casting out” in the book of Genesis. “We see early in scripture that in the beginning… this term drove out, cast out is used as punishment. As punishment as judgment,” he said, referencing Adam and Cain being driven from God’s presence.
That pattern continues throughout the Bible and into the ministry of Jesus. “When you cast out demons, it is a picture of God’s judgment upon them, upon their wickedness, their rebellion,” Eckhardt said. “It is a sign of judgment.”
He emphasizes that this authority is not limited to a select few. “Mark 16, in my name shall they cast out devils,” he said. “It’s really a sign of God using you to execute judgment against the kingdom of darkness… it’s something that every believer can do.”
The Danger of Ignoring It
Eckhardt cautions that neglecting spiritual issues allows them to take root and grow. “What you don’t cast out, what you tolerate in your life will continue to dwell there,” he said. “Some things have to be cast out. Some things have to be expelled.”
He draws a parallel to Israel’s failure to fully drive out opposing nations. “The nations that Israel did not cast out became thorns in their sides and became a problem to them,” he said. “So what you don’t cast out will vex you, harass you, become a thorn.”
The Call to Deny Self
At the center of Eckhardt’s message is the call of Jesus to live a life of self-denial. “If any man will follow me, let him deny himself. Let him deny himself. Take up his cross… and follow me,” he said.
He points to practical steps believers can take to confront selfishness. “Fasting is a powerful way of self-denial, helping you to deny yourself,” Eckhardt said. “Really fasting can break the power of selfishness.”
The message is clear: following Christ requires more than belief. It demands surrender.
Selfishness cannot coexist with a life fully yielded to God. The call to take up the cross is a call to lay self down, confront what remains and walk in the authority Scripture makes available.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
