"When they are given Godly counsel, they don't do it. They'll offer up all kinds of excuses why they can't, and if they are confronted on this, rebellion or confusion takes over. They may be blinded to the hope that change is possible, or they may be comfortable in the unhealthy way they gain attention from their problems. But all the while, Jezebel is stealing attention and time away from the ministry that God desires to do."
Nicole said, "In my mind I'm seeing a vision of a very sick woman lying on her bed with a large cauldron of drinking water sitting beside her. There are things inside the water that are defiling it and causing her to be sick, but she is unwilling to remove them or to have them removed. She wants to be well but is not willing to part with the cause of her sickness because she believes that she needs them."
"That's a pretty accurate picture of a person who has come under the influence of Jezebel and who continues to allow it to rule them," Casie said. "The person likes the benefits they gain from Jezebel and doesn't see how they are being manipulated and used. Once they have been seduced by this spirit who feeds their sense of self and pride, the spirit claims its territory, sets up its throne and begins to rule through manipulation and control. The victim doesn't see what is happening, but they gradually take on the nature of the spirit instead of Christ's nature.
"They believe that they are superior and know what's best for themselves and others. They will be pleasant as long as those around them are compliant, but they often become verbally and physically abusive when they are disobeyed or challenged."
Nicole said, "I can see that. I've known women with this spirit who constantly belittle and correct their husbands, and at times will verbally undermine and assault them when they try to assert opinions. I've known some who become physically abusive to their children and discipline in anger and with punishment that is way out of proportion.
"This also reminds me of something I recently encountered. A friend came to me asking for counsel in handling a situation at work because I know her boss, Aubrey. She works in a Christian organization. Aubrey has become so manipulative and controlling of her, that she has begun demanding more of her time, even her off hours. She has tried to reason with her and to say no, but Aubrey manipulates her through false praise and guilt trips, anger, threats and intimidation, and even misuses the Word of God to make her point. It is beginning to cause major problems in her family relationships. She's being pushed to a breaking point and doesn't want to quit because she really cares about her job and Aubrey."
"That's typical of the Jezebel spirit," Casie acknowledged. "This spirit can be identified by the fruit that comes from a person's life who is dominated by Jezebel. Their lives are characterized by pride and of doing what is best for themselves. Any sign of humility or submission is simply manipulation to get what they want.
"They won't listen to reason and their view of God's Word and His truth is skewed; their relationships are in ruin; there is a trail of hurting and traumatized people left in their wake, and there is stubborn refusal to attempt reconciliation unless it suits their purpose; they become defensive when confronted because they see confrontation as rejection; they will viciously oppose and attack anyone who confronts them; and they refuse to repent.[1]
"Because this is a religious spirit, the victim is usually blinded to their sin. They can pray beautiful prayers and are often given prophetic words and spiritual insight; but the prayers are actually a religious front for manipulation, and the prophetic words and insight, even if they quote scripture, are based on false demonic knowledge. Witchcraft."
Nicole thought about the ways this spirit attached to people. "You mentioned that the Jezebel spirit was attracted to wounded people, and I'm also thinking that generational lines are another major factor in transference.
"In the situation I just described, Aubrey's personality suddenly changed when her mother died. There had been no relationship between them for many years until her mom was on her deathbed. Because she had always desired her mother's love, Aubrey formed a relationship with her in the last months of her life. Soon after the mother's death, Aubrey began to take on her mother's nature which has continued to dominate her, and she's even begun to exhibit some of the same physical problems her mother had!"
Casie said, "It sounds like Aubrey opened herself up to her mother's demons because of her wounded soul and the desire for her mother's love. This is why it is so important for people's broken hearts to be healed. Pain distorts reality and the deception and manipulation is not easily discerned. The spiritual blindness and desire for hope of unfulfilled love opens the door for the devil. In this case, it looks like Belial may have opened the door for the Spirit of Jezebel."
Casie stood up and stretched, then said, "Death is not the only way the spirit can be transferred though. Jezebel will claim the unborn child of a pregnant woman who is dominated by it so that the child will be raised up under its influence from birth. Aubrey may have even been under its influence from conception without recognizing it, which would have been an open door to receiving the demons that left her mother upon her death."
"Wow. This just strengthens my belief in the importance of dedicating our babies to the Lord Jesus from the moment of conception, and of making sure that ungodly soul ties have been severed," Nicole said as her thoughts moved on.
"The woman Jezebel in the Bible was married to the king of Israel. He should have been the one in power, but as it turned out, Ahab basically handed his power and authority over to her through his tolerance for and love of sin along with his complacent spirit. Do you think that is relevant in the spiritual sense as well?"
"Totally," Casie agreed as she sat back down on the bench beside Nicole. "This is why husbands, parents, pastors, leaders and bosses need to take their positions of authority very seriously. Behind every Jezebel spirit, there is an Ahab spirit; someone who should be leading but has knowingly or unknowingly given that authority over to a controller and manipulator."
"So women need to be on guard against Jezebel spirits and men against Ahab spirits?" Nicole questioned.
"Well, in a sense. It seems that human nature under the curse works out that women tend to usurp men's authority and men tend to let them, but that doesn't mean that only men are vulnerable to Ahab and women to Jezebel."
Casie explained, "The open door for the Ahab spirit is usually complacency or laziness…taking the easy way out. It is rooted in lack of love for God, or a greater love for something or someone other than God, such as in a 'people pleasing' mentality. Those who are vulnerable to this spirit are easily seduced and readily give in. Any person who abandons their area of responsibility and gives that authority and control over to someone else for any reason is opening the door for the Ahab spirit.
"The open door for the Jezebel spirit is usually rejection, woundedness, insecurity, bitterness and resentment. When a person, woman or man, has experienced these things, fear, pride and the desire to control is like an open invitation to Jezebel who is all about pride and control.
"Behind its false front of enticing charm, Jezebel is really all about hatred, rebellion and control. It hates authority, and because God placed man in authority over women and because men are usually the authority figures, it hates most men and will undermine them as it tries to gain control over them."
Nicole interrupted. "It sounds like Jezebel may be the power behind the homosexual agenda."
"I think you're right." Casie continued, "It hates God, and it hates godly relationships. Jezebel uses seduction or perverted enticement of any kind that will pull others into its sphere of influence and build ungodly soul ties.
"It will do anything to achieve its goal of gaining control and obedience to its will. It hates God's people who are functioning in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit. It even hates its victim. And it hates to be told 'No.'"
Nicole said, "It seems like people who are under the control of this spirit have trouble believing that they are under demonic influence, and when I mentio
n Jezebel, they usually tell me that they are not sexual seducers and are not operating in sexual sin. They don't see the problem.”
"We do tend to think of sexual seduction as its trademark," Casie said. "However, even though the victims may not acknowledge sexual sin, in my experience, most have either engaged in some type of ungodly sex at some point in their life, or were sexually abused.
"Jezebel's nature is that of a warrior and sexual seduction is only a part of its web. Sexual desire has the strongest fleshly pull on most people, which is why this spirit uses it so much. However, Jezebel has a host of demons working under it who use many tools of manipulation such as flattery, sensuality, anger, rage, confusion, chaos, self-pity as is 'poor me', religious rules and legalism, false words of prophecy such as 'God said….,' and the misuse of scripture.
"It dominates through fear, intimidation, blackmail, criticism, deception, accusations; it will even turn and attack either its victim or another who opposes it. And it will do all of this without remorse for its actions or regard for its effects on others."
Nicole took a deep breath. "Uh-oh. I've operated in some of these things at different times."
"We all do at times, yes," Casie confirmed. "But the question is, did the Holy Spirit convict you of this?"
"Oh boy, big time!"
"And you repented?"
"Yes, as soon as I realized it."
"Well," Casie said, "that shows that the Jezebel spirit wasn't able to stay attached. It hates humility and repentance and will only attach to those who refuse to see their sin and to repent, because these things as well as intercessory prayer, tear down its strongholds of stubbornness and pride. It knows that those who are in submission to God and to proper authority, are elevated to a position of authority over the spirit, giving them the power to destroy it and its mission."
"I believe what you are saying. In looking back at my life, I can see how I was under the influence of Jezebel in my marriage. I didn't trust Jake to make the right decisions, and so I would try to manipulate him into doing what I wanted. Thank God that he didn't usually fall for it! Of course, I didn't understand at the time what was behind my desire for control. You said something about Jezebel's mission?"
Casie answered, "Its mission is to stop the work of intercessors, prophets, and spiritual warfare; to destroy God's true ministers and His ministry; to put an end to anyone who is submitted to God and is functioning in the true gifts and power of the Spirit; to at best cripple those who have a true relationship with Jesus and whose life and ministry is honoring God. And this does include godly husbands.
"It uses the victim's gifts and talents for its own purpose and agenda; then it will undermine and destroy them so that they won't be effective in God's kingdom, much like a black widow will kill its mate."
"Black widows!" Nicole interjected. "Remember your dream where the black widow was killing the bees inside of a little dollhouse sized church and I saw the vision of one on the wall? Do you think that God was beginning to show us that we would have to deal with this Jezebel spirit?"
"Now that you mention it, that's very possible."
Nicole said, "I guess that's what Revelation 2:21-22 is talking about when it says that Jezebel refused to repent and so she was cast on her sickbed. It must be referring to the victims of this spirit."
Nicole whistled. "Boy, everything you're saying makes so much sense. It's interesting that Jezebel was the first spirit that the Lord revealed when BLAZE was getting started. We didn't know much about it, but we knew enough to know that we didn't want it around. We dethroned it from BLAZE through prayer, humility, surrender to God and repentance. I guess we needed to see how ingrained it is all around us."
Casie agreed. "And we need to be aware that as we begin to confront this spirit, it will fight back. It's a dangerous foe. Just look at how Elijah was attacked by the spirits of fear, doubt and discouragement after the huge victory on Mount Carmel! God had just shown Himself to be all powerful by raining down fire from heaven, but instead of Elijah finishing his job of putting an end to Jezebel, he fell under the oppression of her witchcraft and ran and hid from her instead!"
"I'm sure that's true," Nicole said, "and we need to be aware that if Elijah was capable of falling under oppression, we certainly are too. We must be watchful for it so that we don't accept the enemy's retribution or retaliation. But we also need to keep our eyes on Jesus. He's our deliverer, and as we are careful to obey Him in every step we take, He will crush Satan under our feet."
Nicole opened her Bible. "I just read this in Romans 16:17-20. 'Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.'"
"That first part sounds like a description of Behemoth and Jezebel in the church two thousand years ago!" Casie said thoughtfully. "When I look at our community, I see people living under bondage. When I look at our churches, I see a lot of the same. I'm not saying that is the state of all the people in the churches, and I'm not saying that people with these problems shouldn't be in church. I'm just saying that when they come to church, I don't see many changing; at least not for long. And why not? Maybe it's because the principalities and powers have not been recognized and targeted…until now!"
"While we've been talking about this spirit," Nicole said, "I've come to realize something. Even though we tend to think of Jezebel as a female spirit, spirits are neither male nor female. This one wants to be identified as a woman because of its hatred of authority. Every time we have called Jezebel 'it' instead of 'she' or 'her,' I feel its anger as though we are stripping it of some of its power."
"Awesome!" Casie said.
Nicole giggled. "This might sound funny but I keep seeing two dark spirits, Jezebel and Behemoth, armed to the hilt with their distinctly different weapons of enticement, entrapment and destruction. It's like they are hit men for IS.
"Really. Tell me what you see," Casie smiled.
"Well, Jezebel is hit man number one." Nicole said. "Its fee is the worship it gains through love of self, and it is paid in excess when it gains the worship of a Christian.
"It is a shape shifter and changes its appearance depending on the situation and the level of the victim's bondage. It shifts between looking like a beautiful, charming woman, to a poisonous snake, to a constricting snake, to a spider.
"It seductively lures its victim into its snare like a beautiful woman calling out to a lover. Its disguise hides its true form and it can even appear as a dedicated follower of God, but in reality, it is its own god and is deadlier than the most poisonous snake.
"Jezebel strokes the back of those who listen to its lies and holds them close as it nurses them with its poison of self pity, false comfort and security. And all the while it is stirring up rebellion and dissention and is impregnating them with judgmentalism, criticism, false pride, false prophecy, false spiritual gifts, hatred, rage and even murder.
"As the poison of idolatry and self importance warps the minds of its victim, it begins to coil itself around them like a constricting snake. They seem to sense the gentle pressure of its spiritual body and deceptively believe that they are under a covering of self protection which allows them to do and say whatever appeals to them at the time. Jezebel's idolatrous lies cry out, 'Power of self!' rather than 'Power of God!' The pressure of the constrictor increases slowly at first so that as time goes by, they are unaware that the physical symptoms they are experiencing are due to the fact that the spirit is crushing them physically as well as emotionally, mentally and even spiritually.
"It begins to violently oppose and strike o
ut against those who would confront it, but all the while it is luring others into its web of deception, searching for its next victim. The snake-like body has been crushing the soul and body of its unsuspecting carrier and its jowls that had emitted poison, now reverse the process and begin to suck the life out of its victim like a black widow feasts on the blood of its mate. Too late, the victim is laid on their sickbed, and at their death, the spirit that has become hungry for new blood transfers to its next targeted victim."
"What a visual!" Casie commented.
"I've often wondered why I see specific spirits," Nicole said. "But I've come to realize that as evil becomes more prevalent in these last days and there are more demonized people, when I recognize a face or character in these demons, it helps me to be able to target them more quickly and accurately."
"That makes sense. Who's the second hit man?"
"Behemoth, alias 'Gluttony' is hit man number two," Nicole said. "His fee is the worship he gains through the dependency of people in their love for escape, excessiveness, laziness and unrestrained passions. Job 40:16 says that His power is in his stomach muscles. His goal is to become the god of their belly, their appetites and desires; a god that they crave and deceptively believe that they can't live without.
"I see him as a gigantic reptilian, gangster type demon with a huge overcoat on. I see him walking up beside a vulnerable or ignorant person, someone who's in physical or emotional pain, someone who is needy and looking for help, comfort or relief, or someone who just loves to fulfill the desires of their flesh. Behemoth looks for those whose eyes are not focused on Jesus. He stands next to this person, opens up one side of his overcoat and shows his 'free' goods. Once the person takes the bait, they have no idea that they have just become a victim, ensnared and entrapped.
The Soul Redeemer: From Victim to Victory Page 6
