THE SPIRIT OF JEZEBEL

Eltham Baptist 10th December 2012

No. 357

After Elijahs great victory on Mount Carmel where he slew the Prophets of Baal, Queen Jezebel threatened him with his life so he fled as fast as his feet would carry him into the desert. How could such a mighty prophet turn and run after such a great victory? The answer is not that simple. In fact, the situation grew worse. We next see Elijah sitting beneath a juniper tree, bewailing that he is no better than his fathers--actually praying that he might die all weak and weary!
1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a days journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers! 5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, Arise and eat. 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. (I Kings 19:1-7)

What pressure overwhelmed this great man of God that he would fall prey to such fear and discouragement? It is none other than the spirit of Jezebel. This spirit caused Elijah to flee when no one was pursuing, and then be overcome with fear and weariness which then brought on depression. So many of Gods servants are suffering today from these very same symptoms which are brought about by the Spirit of Jezebel either directly through a confrontation with an individual in the Church or through some demonic activity in the community, i.e. witchcraft, new age teachers, spiritualists etc. There is a war going on right now which is a very ancient war, between the spirit of Elijah and the spirit of Jezebel. In this age-old battle, Elijah represents the voice of Heaven: the call to repentance and the return to God. Jezebel, on the other hand, embodies that unique principality whose purpose is to hinder and defeat the work of repentance. Its goal is to silence the prophetic call. When you take a stand against the principality of Jezebel, even though you resist her temptation and witchcraft, you must also guard against the power-demons of Fear and Discouragement, for these will be sent against you to smother your prayer life and silence your voice against Jezebel. The war between Elijah and Jezebel raises its ugly head at peak seasons in the history of man. John the Baptist was called an Elijah,
"forerunner before [the Lord] in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17).

Jesus said of John the Baptist, "...he himself is Elijah, who was to come" (Matt 11:14, 17:11-13). John even looked like Elijah and like Elijah, John proclaimed the need for repentance wherever he saw sin. One such area was in the adulterous lives of King Herod and his wife, Herodias. When John confronted them, Herodias had him imprisoned (Mk 6:17-19). But who was this manipulating and controlling spiritual side of Herodias? As Elijah's spirit ministered through John, so Jezebel had surfaced into this world again through Herodias! What Jezebel did to Elijah in the wilderness, Herodias now released against John: fear and discouragement blanketed the thought life of this mighty servant of God. John the Baptist, who had visibly seen the Spirit descend as a dove upon Christ, who heard the Father's audible voice and see amazing miracles. Later in prison he began to doubt and asked if Jesus really was the one or do they now look for another? Herodias had her daughter dance before Herod and seduced him into asking for the head of John the Baptist on a plate. At her mother's request---or truly, at Jezebel's request---she demanded the head of the Baptist be brought to her on a plate. Why decapitation? Through John's mouth came the word of God. The audible proclamation of the word of God is the greatest threat to this spirit of Jezebel. To cut off John's head was to silence his mouth and cut off his authority. Thus, temporarily, the confrontation between the spirits of these two eternal enemies subsided.

There is also an Elijah Coming! Two thousand years ago, Jesus stated that the ministry of Elijah was not over yet for He promised at a late date,
"Elijah is coming and will restore all things..." (Matt 17:11).

Malachi the prophet also wrote, "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the
great and terrible day of the Lord" (Mal 4:5).

The spirit or influence of Elijah, according to scripture, will return to the affairs of mankind before the great and terrible day of the Lord which is the Second Coming of Christ! His purpose will be to restore all things before that happens. Even as the Lord used the spirit of Elijah, through the Holy Spirit, to empower Elisha and then John the Baptist, so the Lord is raising up an Elijah company of prophets, Spirit-filled men and women sent forth to prepare the way for the return of Christ! Let it also be known that, if Elijah is coming before Jesus returns, so also is Jezebel. Do you not see her in our land in the abundance of witchcraft and harlotries? Do you not hear her brazen voice rejecting God's authority and exalting her rebellion in feminism? Have you not beheld her causing even God's "bond-servants" to "commit acts of immorality"? (Rev 2:20) Seeing Jezebel so blatantly manifest herself only confirms that the spirit of Elijah is also here to bring repentance and help prepare God's people for the return of the Lord. Jezebel was finally destroyed through the ministry of King Jehu. He challenged her eunuchs to cast her down from her upstairs window and then Jehu trampled her underfoot with his horse.
Then he lifted up his face to the window and said, 'Who is on my side? Who?' And two or three eunuchs looked down at him. And he said, 'Throw her down.' So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot"" (II Kings 9:30-33 NAS/KJ).

While we are not called to such a physical demonstration of our resolve, spiritually, like Jehu's heart, we must have no tolerance whatsoever for this spirit! There can be no peace; no relaxing under our "fig tree," until the influence of Jezebel is slain! We must stop living for comfort as long as her harlotries and witchcrafts are in our land! We must refuse to settle for a false peace based on compromise and fear, especially when the Spirit of God is calling for "War"! Remember, this evil spirit desires to silence your spiritual authority by quieting your voice. Have you not noticed that when this Spirit attacks you she shuts you up and you stop praying, prophesying and preaching the word. In other words your head has been cut off but you must resist and learn to speak against Jezebel's influence. Other symptoms are fear, tiredness and depression. As Jezebel got Ahab to only think of himself and not his people so this spirit will blanket his servants and get them to only think of themselves. When you are under attack you dont want to visit other or pray for them. Use the name of Jesus to command this demon off your children, your family, your church and your own soul. Don't let her decapitate you - open your mouth and pray against her! You have the authority in Christ. This spirit is subject unto you.
Luke 10:17-20 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. 18 And He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

Jesus made it plain that the Spirits are subject unto us and that includes the Jezebel Spirit. Dont be afraid of her, dont let her trick you anymore. Shake her off like the snake that Paul shook off his hand into the fire at the island of Malta. Pray with us: Spirit of Jezebel, in the authority of Jesus Christ, which He gives us as His servants, we release your captives! We set free your slaves! We cast down all your sympathetic strongholds and cast down your evil imaginations from our minds! In the power of Jesus' name, we release your psychic grip upon our souls. In the authority of the Living Christ, we proclaim HOLY WAR upon the spirit of Jezebel! - Amen.
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