If you are a Christian, you must have heard or probably will hear about the spirit of Jezebel at some point. It\u2019s usually associated with deep evil and witchcraft and often also associated with women. This spirit however goes beyond all that and it doesn\u2019t possess only women contrary to popular belief. In this article we\u2019ll explore more about this spirit and how to guard against it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Firstly what\u2019s the origin of this \u2018Jezebel spirit\u2019. It\u2019s named after Jezebel who was one of the Israelite Kings of the Bible – Ahab\u2019s wife. She was originally from Sidon, the daughter of a king (1Kings 16:31). Sidon in Bible times was known for their outrageous levels of idolatry and all sorts of evil like child sacrifice and sexual immorality. Jezebel was a devout worshipper of Baal and Asherah – two prominent gods worshipped in Sidon. In fact the Bible says four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, ate at Jezebel\u2019s table (\u202d\u202d1 Kings\u202c \u202d18\u202c:\u202d19\u202c). Worship practices of these gods involved human sacrifice, sexual immorality, child sacrifice by fire, self harm, sorcery and so much more abominable rituals. (Jeremiah 19:5, 1 Kings 23-24,18-28).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not only did Jezebel practice all these evil acts, she was ready to kill anyone who would stand in her way. She killed the prophets of God (1Kings 18:13) and she influenced her husband the king of Israel into committing atrocious acts in the eyes of God. The most prominent story recorded in the Bible of her evil is how she got a man called Naboth murdered so she could hand over his vineyard to her husband (1Kings 21:1-16). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Summarily Jezebel was an evil woman, deeply manipulative and relentlessly wicked. She was self absorbed, selfish and deceptive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So the spirit that was at work in her causing her to act in this way has been called \u2018the Jezebel\u2019 spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We could say this spirit causes people to act in ways similar to how Jezebel did. It can cause people to become selfish, sexually perverse, manipulative, jealous, self absorbed and to worship idols. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So the quickest way to do an introspective check to see if this spirit is at work in you is to see if you exhibit any of the above characters. Before you\u2019re quick to say \u2018definitely not!\u2019, pause and really think about it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we think of the Jezebel spirit we think it has to be an outrightly evil person or even a witch, however, evil is sometimes so neatly masked that at first glance it wouldn\u2019t be noticeable. Even a \u2018good\u2019 person could be under the influence of this spirit and be completely oblivious of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So here are some questions you could ask yourself today to make sure you aren\u2019t under the influence of this spirit; <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is there anything that has become an Idol in my heart? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As we have established, idolatry is at the centre of this evil spirit. Idolatry in simple terms is giving God\u2019s place to someone or something else. So whatever you dedicate most of your time, resources, love to above God, that has become your idol. With the onset of social media this has become rampant. We are addicted to our phones, we spend hours on end scrolling through one social media platform to the next, but can barely sit for an hour to pray or study our bibles. Even with the people we follow on social media, what kind of influence do they have over us? What are their values and how are we subtly being influenced by them? Take a moment today to check with yourself and if you realize, there\u2019s something that has become an idol to you, repent and turn back to God today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have I normalized sexual perversion and immorality? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In today\u2019s society, morality is on a fast decline. Things that the society would have considered as abominable, Christian or not, have become norms, even celebrated! Same sex marriages, fornication, etc. Even within the church a number of such practices are not shunned anymore. Do you look at such and think it\u2019s normal? This is the Jezebel spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m I self absorbed and selfish?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, with social media, it\u2019s easy for everything to be about you. It\u2019s easy to become selfish and self centered. Seeking self\u2026 more followers, more likes, more clicks, etc. Even with the things we pursue and desire these days could be influenced by what we see. What is the motive behind the things we desire and seek? Is it for self promotion or ultimately for service to God and others? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do I have negative influence over people? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n We all have influence over people, wheter it be a small group or a large group of people, whether they be the people around us or the people who observe our lives from afar. What kind of influence do we have over them? Are we influencing them towards loving and knowing God or not? Are we influencing people into sin or into righteousness? The posts we put up, the things we share, the words we use. What\u2019s our influence on others? Think about that today. Influencing people into sin and evil is exactly what the Jezebel spirit is like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n