What if the greatest battles in today's marketplace are being fought at altars you cannot see?

The marketplace is not spiritually neutral.

Business, government, finance, education, media, entertainment, and technology are more than human systems. They are spiritual arenas where values, covenants, worship, and unseen influences shape lives and institutions.

So, what is an altar?

In this context, an altar is not necessarily made of stone. It is a spiritual platform formed through sacrifice, devotion, agreement, and repeated activity, connecting people and institutions with the spiritual power they honor.

Righteous altars release... God's wisdom, justice, creativity, and Kingdom purposes.

Evil altars empower... corruption, idolatry, exploitation, and demonic influence.

That means some marketplace battles cannot be explained by competition, economics, qualifications, or organizational politics alone.

Christian leaders must discern the spiritual beliefs and agreements operating beneath what they can see.

Some of these evil altars are ancient. They may have originated in injustice, bloodshed, occult practices, corrupt covenants, or the worship of money and power. Although today's leaders did not establish them, they may unknowingly perpetuate their influence through the same values, decisions, and behaviors.

One of the most prevalent is the altar of mammon. Mammon is more than money. It is a system that promises security, identity, status, and power apart from God.

But through spiritual discernment, believers can recognize these hidden influences, break agreement with them, and establish righteous altars that welcome God's presence into the marketplace.