The Spirit Of Jezebel
1 JEZEBEL—OUTLINE A Controlling Spirit that Splits Churches by Daniel A. Brown, PhD T HE S P IR IT OF J E ZE BE L : The spirit of Jezebel is a strong demonic spirit closely related to witchcraft and control, creating anxiety and difficulty in relationships—especially those where Godly authority enters the picture. Often, when you are around this spirit, you’ll tend to feel disturbed, uneasy and frayed around the edges. Jezebel displays a great deal of pride, and tends to target leadership in order to derail it and render it ineffectual. This spirit wields great influence through deception, and all of us are susceptible. Since Scripture is the only reliable source for understanding spiritual bondage, we can search it for insight into a particular spirit or distortion. As we explore both the Old and New Testaments to better understand Jezebel, we find in I Kings 16:31‐33 that Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal (meaning “with Baal”, meaning master or owner), a king of the Sidonians who served the false god Baal. The “spirit of Jezebel”, as we’ll be referring to it, gets its name from this woman, who was certainly not the only character to portray it, but was by far its most famous representative. I. An Overview. A. According to I Kings 18 ‐ 21, We See Nine Attributes of Jezebel: 1. Seeks to cut off or destroy the true prophetic voice to the people— specifically of the pastor (Chapter 18:4). 2. Intimidates, inciting fear and the desire to run away; challenges your spirituality (Chapter 19:3‐4). 3. Attempts to take your inheritance from God for itself, or says “I can get it for you” (Chapter 21).
Daniel A. Brown, PhD ctw.coastlands.org The Spirit Of Jezebel
2 4. Uses its influence to take from others or to control them, self‐seeking rather than other‐serving (Chapter 21:7). 5. Directs spiritual leaders in what they should do (Chapter 21:8). 6. Utilizes spiritual pretense, formulas or exercises to accuse people; disqualifies others and creates self‐doubt. 7. Becomes “cultish”—dismisses you as rebellious or not submitted if you question it (Chapter 21:10). 8. Usurps the place, rights or authority of legitimate leaders—gauges spirituality by conformity. 9. Uses flattery to seduce leaders—thwarting the purposes of God through others (2 Kings 9:2 & Revelation 2:20‐24). II. The Spirit of Control. As we attempt to describe the spirit of control, we can identify it by contrast to what ought to be true. Although there may not be an actual “spirit of control”, only additional distinct attributes of the spirit of Jezebel or witchcraft, we can still use the term as a label that can alert us to all the aspects of these related spirits. A. Eight Characteristics of the Spirit of Control: 10. Desire to rule or be the one in control. 11. Sets its own agenda and insists upon it without compromise or flexibility. 12. Intolerant and legalistic—its way is the only way. 13. Concerns itself with matters over which it has no authority; formulates own opinion. 14. Uses legitimate means, ways and excuses to achieve an illegitimate position of influence, because it doesn’t want to be questioned.
Daniel A. Brown, PhD ctw.coastlands.org The Spirit Of Jezebel
3 15. Susceptible to formulas and rituals: everything must be done “right.” 16. Manipulates using any means: guilt, personality, sweetness, temper tantrums, intimidation, etc. 17. Creates an unusual dependency among its followers; creates fear of crossing it and losing or missing out. B. Control is an Occultic Spirit Stemming From Fear and Pride. 18. It seeks to control others so it doesn’t have to control itself. When we find ourselves tempted by it, we do have recourse: a. We can control our own spirit as we are controlled by the love of Christ by “coming in the opposite spirit” (Proverbs 25:28; I Thessalonians 4:4; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Philippians 2:1‐11). 19. How to choose the opposite spirit when we want control: III. a. Relinquish control to the person you are afraid of. b. Relinquish control to anyone you fear will take advantage of you. c. Put others first when you are afraid there aren’t enough resources to go around. d. Be obedient to someone other than yourself. Witchcraft and Rebellion—I Samuel 10. Witchcraft, Jezebel, rebellion and control are intricately connected, like brothers, sisters, or cousins. They are incredibly deceptive, slippery spirits not easily identified because the attributes shift together with one another. A. Characteristics of Witchcraft and Rebellion (Remember, Witchcraft Finds Its Foothold in Rebellion Against God):
Daniel A. Brown, PhD ctw.coastlands.org The Spirit Of Jezebel
4 20. Falsely prophetic, leads people away from God and His ways (Deuteronomy 18:19‐22; Nahum 3:4; Jeremiah 14: 14). 21. Creates its own state of reality. 22. Presumptuous: never consults the Lord, but instead goes against God and His counsel (Deuteronomy1: 41‐46). 23. Offers a destiny other than God’s destiny; defined as divination = to distribute, divide or determine by the casting of lots (Daniel 7:25). B. The Story of Saul as an Example—I Samuel 10:1‐ 15:1. 24. Saul’s background was impeccable: a. Chosen and appointed by God. b. Guided by Samuel. c. Dramatic encounter with the Holy Spirit. d. Radical life transformation. e. Surrounded by valiant, loyal, experienced soldiers. f. Tested and experienced in battle. g. Destined by God to be a key part in bringing renewal in the Kingdom. 25. Why was Saul so vulnerable? a. Saul didn’t recognize that obedience doesn’t come from being anointed or gifted. b. Obedience isn’t an issue of calling, vision, mission or leadership. c. Obedience is everything.
Daniel A. Brown, PhD ctw.coastlands.org The Spirit Of Jezebel
d. 5 His calling wasn’t a guarantee against rebellion. 26. Where Saul went wrong: a. Prompted by urgency; didn’t wait for God to come through. b. Pushed aside God‐ordained authority to take control. c. Offered a religious sacrifice instead of obeying from the heart. d. He set himself up based on past accomplishments, opening the door to pride and idolatry. e. He entertained a distorted view of his obedience: deceived himself. f. He blamed others for his circumstances. C. Comments and Questions Answered. 27. Deliverance comes immediately; however, patterns and habits must be broken over time. 28. Witchcraft has a strong numbing effect which lulls people into a false reality. 29. People can be unaware of bondage, and become angry when confronted. 30. The truth sets us free from deeds of the flesh and bondage. 31. Defending ourselves is dangerous. IV. How These Spirits Operate in Small Groups. A. Leaders Share Their Personal Experiences. 32. How the spirit of Jezebel operated in our small group: I Samuel 13: 8‐14. a. Draws new or weak believers to “take sides.”
Daniel A. Brown, PhD ctw.coastlands.org The Spirit Of Jezebel
6 33. Shows up in people struggling with roots of fear, pride and rebellion. V. a. Fear of losing control and not getting what we desire. b. Pride of believing we deserve what we desire and can get it ourselves. c. Rebellion goes our own way to get what we think we need. Answers to Questions. A. Leaders Discuss Witchcraft: Our Experience. 34. Domination, control and manipulation: doesn’t want to hear what the leader has to say. 35. Creates depression, hopelessness, worthlessness in others and gives a vague feeling that “I have done something wrong.” 36. “We are not ignorant of his devices” (the spirit of witchcraft). 37. Causes the feeling a lack of safety. 38. Makes us feel like we “should” do something. B. Scriptures: 39. Isaiah 47:10—“I am, and there is no one else”: pride. 40. Produces a sinking feeling and the need to make excuses. 41. Drains life from you by making demands you can’t answer. 42. Problems are always someone else’s fault (self‐pity). C. Comments and Questions Answered. 43. Pray a lot!!!
Daniel A. Brown, PhD ctw.coastlands.org The Spirit Of Jezebel
7 44. Must confront these spirits rather than backing down. 45. Detect and discern spirits without labeling people.
Daniel A. Brown, PhD ctw.coastlands.org