Unmasking the Jezebel Spirit
Introduction
This Bible Study will
either prove to be one of the most rewarding or one of the most challenging
studies you may go through.
While sitting there
reading this study I want you to understand a few things. First of all I like
the author of the book this Bible Study is gleaned from, do not believe that
women are the only ones influenced by this spirit. I believe that men are
influenced just as much as women by this spirit. Men such as Absalom, Korah, and Balaam operated under this spirit.
When reading this
study one must take care to restrain themselves from casting stones at the
innocent or anyone who disagrees with them. Also one must be careful not to
perceive those with a growing prophetic gift, who are simply immature in church
protocol, as having a Jezebel Spirit. During this study I will try and point
out the differences between these two spirits, along with some suggested
remedies.
Finally I would hope
after reading these studies that you do not come to a conclusion that I am
against anointed women in ministry. That
would be the furthest thing from the truth.
Historically, wherever
prophetic voices are being raised up, the enemy will raise up counterfeit
voices that mimic the prophetic anointing. That voice is the Jezebel spirit.
During the course of these studies we will be focusing on how Jezebel, as a
celestial power, influences the actions of individuals. Knowingly or
unknowingly, these individuals will hinder and oppose the move of God in this
age.
Like the author of the
Book this series is gleaned from it is my hope that the Church will arise out
of its complacency and tolerance of this spirit and Gods divine order come to
into prominence.
It is also my prayer
that God would raise up individuals marked with humility, wisdom, and discernment
to help usher in the glorious Kingdom of our Lord.
AN AGE OF APOSTASY
Apostasy - abandonment of a previous loyalty. Renunciation of a
religious faith.
It was an age of
apostasy. A nation whom God had called to be His own turned against Him. They
had exchanged the worship of God for worship of idols of the people they had
conquered in Gods name. The king of
Behind the corruption
of Ahab’s throne was a woman -- Jezebel. (1Kings 16:31 - 2Kings 9:37). Hoping
to expand her power by marrying Ahab, she brought destruction on the
Israelites. This destruction came through her fanatical devotion to the false
gods -- Baal, the male deity of power and sexuality, and Ashtoreth
, the female goddess of fertility, love, and war. Baal and Ashtoreth
rituals involved depraved and licentious sexual practices and abominations. The
worship of these idols appealed to the bestial and material elements of human
nature. The Baal idol resembled the male sexual organ while the altar of to Ashtoreth resembled the female sexual organ. More then 450
prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashtoreth served
Jezebel’s depraved and carnal desires. Human lives were often sacrificed to
appease her pagan deities.
Against
this abomination God raised up the prophet Elijah who challenged Ahab and
destroyed the prophets of Baal on
We are living in an
age of apostasy. Our society has turned its back on God. Sin has infected the
Body of Christ and its leaders. However, in the midst if incredible decadence
and depravity of our day, God is raising up a prophetic generation that will
carry the spirit of Elijah. They will be anointed to perform miraculous signs
and wonders and to accomplish great exploits for the
Just as he has done
from the beginning, Satan is raising up a fierce opposition to this prophetic
generation. The enemy has always sought to silence God’s prophetic voices and
abort intercessory prayer. Its name is Jezebel - A diabolical spiritual force
that seeks to deceive, defile, and destroy God’s authorities.
While the name Jezebel
Spirit is used in many Charismatic circles, few people truly understand how
this demonic force operates. A Jezebel spirit is a celestial power that has
worldwide influence. It is not simply a demon that possesses an individual. It
is a demonic power in the heavenly realm that transcends specific geographical
boundaries and can affect nations. What ever region this power enters, it joins
and collaborates with the ruling principality of that territory.
Jezebelic
powers operate in conjunction with principalities and powers that torment
people (Ephesians 6:12). These demonic powers include spirits of religion,
manipulation, control, lust, perversion, and the occult. These spirits often
work in concert with a Jezebel spirit to build strongholds in a person’s mind.
When a Jezebelic spirit is established in a persons mind, the
author defines this as “coming under the influence of a Jezebel spirit.” At the
moment this occurs this person’s judgment, and reasoning processes begin to
deteriorate. His or her thoughts and actions become distorted.
Anyone who has a
computer has heard of viruses, you might say that the computer of that persons
mind has become infected with a virus that causes them to act in a non-logical
manner. It corrupts, re-routs, and distorts all the information received from
that point forward. Like computer viruses, a Jezebelic
stronghold is programmed to manifest when certain key-strokes-or-situations
arise. The virus also influences the activity of others in the afflicted
individual’s network. Jezebel spirits, like a virus, is designed to shutdown
the network and kill the host.
An anti virus program is made to alert the computer to the fact that a
virus is operating on the system contrary to the laws of the computer program
for which it was designed. The anti virus program then tells the computer how
to recognize the virus and discard it. To operate effectively, a computer may
need to be reprogrammed with new data - depending on the degree of damage done
by the virus.
This example
dramatically parallels what happens in the Kingdom
When an alien force –a Jezebel spirit –is downloaded into the church.
Its goal is to disable and destroying individuals, Ministries, and the church.
This will be the result unless God’s ready – a divine antivirus – is applied.
If pastors are unable to prevent or detect this spirits operation, their
spouses, children, and church members may fall prey to this overwhelming
spirit.
From time to time, all of us are vulnerable to being influenced by this
controlling and manipulating power. All of us try to control others to some
extent, opening your soul to operating in a Jezebel spirit is a process that
occurs over time, there is no clear-cut indicator when someone has crossed the
line. The longer someone operates in a controlling and manipulating way without
repenting from it the stronger this spirit will growth. Eventually it will
become a way of life for those overcome by this spirit. The primary method for
relating to others and gaining control will now operate through the spirit.
Although biblical
illustrations of Jezebel are female oriented, this spirit does not simply
infected women alone. Men have operated in this spirit as well. When this
occurs, they are left weakened and emasculated by this demonic presence.
However, it is difficult for men to operate in this spirit for very long
because it needs an Ahab spirit to keep it alive. Instead, the Jezebel spirit
commonly operates through women who use the allure and seduction of this spirit
to accomplish their objectives.
These Bible studies
are meant to facilitate the healing and unification of the Body of Christ.
Therefore, I must caution anyone reading them and applying the term “Jezebel
spirit.” As Christians, we do not want to hurt people unnecessarily maligning
and falsely accusing them. We can actually take on the characteristics of
Jezebel – a murderous spirit – when we hunt people down and falsely accuse
them. Above all, we must remember that most of those influenced by this spirit
are hurting and wounded individuals. The power of the Holy Spirit is available
to heal all who are affected by this demonic spirit.
The Lord Jesus longs to
set us free from what has ensnared us. All of us must look at our own self
natures, as well as that of others, with compassion and hope. Ministry to
people and churches who are oppressed by this spirit is desperately needed. It
is time for pastors to be filled with courageous and God-given grace.
This is the end of Lesson one – The main purpose and goal of this lesson
was to describe what the Jezebel spirit is and how it has wormed its way in.
This lesson in no way covers all that there is to this spirit and it is my hope
that you will join us again next week for Lesson two. Unholy Alliances, What
are they and how to know when one exists.