Jezebel, the Biblical character, first appears in First Kings 16, when she marries Ahab, king of Israel. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, the king and high priest of the Baal worshipping Sidonians. She married one of the worst kings named Ahab whom she used to achieve her own evil ends. It was her scheming, for example, which arranged the death of a neighbour, Naboth, so that Ahab could take possession of his vineyard.
Jezebel had such a strong controlling, discouraging and intimidating spirit that the king, the leaders and all the people of Israel gave way to her. Even Elijah yielded to that spirit and ran for his life.
The prophet Elijah was a Tishbite from Gilead, in the Trans-Jordan region, and was regarded as one of the finest of Israel’s prophets. He is best known for his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah built an altar and challenged the prophets of Baal to build their own altar alongside his and call on their gods for fire to burn up the sacrifice. (See 1 Kings 19:1)
The altars of Baal had a tunnel underneath where a priest would be concealed to set fire to the wood when the people cried out to the god. Elijah asked them to build their altar in the open and promised to build his altar in exactly the same way, only he would also add water to make the challenge greater.
His boldness led him to mock the priests in such a way that if his experiment had failed he would surely have been killed. He encouraged them to shout louder, suggesting that maybe their god was on either musing, or he had gone aside, or he was on journey, or perhaps he was asleep and could be awakened. God sent the fire, Elijah’s sacrifice was burned up and Israel knew who was truly powerful. The prophets of Baal were defeated.
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.” He wiped them out. Jezebel is angry because she got her authority and power from these false prophets. (1 Kings 19:2-3)
When Jezebel heard about Elijah’s victory and the death of her prophets, she threatened Elijah:
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, so let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
Despite his victory over the 400 prophets of Baal, Elijah ran for his life to Horeb. When Elijah ran from Jezebel, he had just slain all the prophets of Baal with the sword. He had seen the mighty hand of God. He had enjoyed supernatural protection for seven years. He watched fire fall from heaven and defeat his enemies, All Israel fell at his feet in repentance, worshiping the true God. Elijah was the man of the hour. He was vindicated, victorious, and clearly in charge.
Yet when a single angry woman threatened him one time, he lost every shred of vision and ran away. Anxious, depressed, and miserable, he cried out to God: It is enough, now Oh Lord, take away my life. This doesn’t make sense at all. This is a great example of Jezebel’s powerful spirit to intimidate, create fear, and cause men of God to withdraw. The prophet was emotionally and spiritually exhausted, so God graciously sent an angel to cook him a meal, and later assured him of his presence and provision for the future of Israel. God had already set aside Elisha to continue the work.
The Jezebel Witchcraft Spirit in Society
A witchcraft spirit is not casting spells and using all kinds of portions. A person exercises witchcraft when he or she seeks to control. It has a deep hatred of true spiritual authority, and uses emotional pressure, witchcraft and obsessive sensuality in its pursuit of power. It uses subtle persuasion to gain influence and get close to those in control.
Though this incidents deal with ministry, the principles apply to every sphere of life. Today Jezebel is visible in every sphere of society. For example, Jezebel is the power behind lawlessness. She cleverly manipulates civil debate and positions herself behind every influence of public policy. She uses the power and influence of others to accomplish her goals and control the environment.
The Bible tells us in 1 Kings 21:8 that Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles of the city.” This is typical of Jezebel. She prefers to remain anonymous, while she manipulates situations and leaders.
Jezebel was raised in an atmosphere where sex was a path to power and influence. That’s why she is the ultimate seducer and the one releasing all kinds of seducing spirits. She is the arrogant spirit in the area of morality—the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. These lusts are merely tools used to weaken us in order for her to accomplish her goal of control.
She is the spirit behind the so called Planned Parenthood (abortion), screaming it’s my life and my choice… Who are you to tell me what to do with my body? She has cleverly manipulated debate and positioned herself behind seats of power. She is behind the explosion of the sex trade and internet pornography.
She is the spirit behind the coldness in our marriages because of the lust and pornography that prevents intimacy. Its targets are the people in positions of leadership, both men and women. She is the one who brings condemnation and guilt to men of God who were once powerful in the Word and prayer, but now they are under the spell of condemnation. Yet God loves them and still wants to restore, free, and use these men of God in business, academia, government and very sphere of life.
Jezebel Witchcraft Spirit in the Church
In the church Jezebel likes to appear close to leaders, and use their influence. Although we mainly refer to Jezebel as “she”, we must conclude that as a spirit, Jezebel is gender neutral. Paul rebuked the Galatian church which must have included both male and female:
O you poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified? (Galatians 3:1)
This bewitching might not have come from spells or portions. Yes, there is another form of witchcraft or control that conjures up demonic spirits. But a Jezebel witchcraft spirit seeks control through intimidation and manipulation. However, witchcraft is much more than this. Galatians 5:19 refers to witchcraft as a“work of the flesh”and flesh is the realm where it is usually found. Witchcraft is using anything unholy to manipulate or dominate others. People use emotions to dominate and control others… that’s witchcraft!
When Paul confronted the Galatian teachers, they had disobeyed what the Holy Spirit had clearly revealed to them and had perverted the central truth of the Gospel. These teachers were not practicing the occult, but they did have a controlling spirit which affected the whole church. Why do the impure seek to intimidate those with pure motives? The answer is to relieve themselves of conviction and to maintain control.
Jezebel’s witchcraft will attack Christians, especially leaders. And her target area is mainly through intimidation. If you under attack, you might awaken on morning feeling very discouraged and all joy seems to have gone. Your spiritual life seems irrelevant and meaningless. Demonic voices echoing in your mind “you might as well give up…something’s wrong with you!”
Sometimes you might suddenly find yourself in unreasonable anxiety, fear, loss of courage, apathy, hopelessness, fearing tragedy or death. In fact much of what is called “depression” in the life of Christian is simply the Jezebel witchcraft spirit!
Depression and Loss of Vision
Jezebel will also steal your vision. The vision that was birthed in the power of the Holy Spirit and clarity instead becomes clouded. She whispers doubt, confusion and unbelief to your weary soul. This spirit will tell you they are insurmountable, impossible, and overwhelming. Jezebel will make you feel like dying when in reality, you are God’s man or woman of the hour.
The only answer for those under Jezebel’s attack is to immediately discard the voices of Jezebel and not to entertain them. Intimidation is a spirit and must be fought with spiritual weapons:
For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
Recommended Reading: John Bevere, Breaking Intimidation, Charisma House Publishing,1995.
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