We are living in a world that is filled with rebellion. Children fighting their parents, students against teachers, employees slandering their employers, teachers gossiping about the principal, workers conspiring against their supervisors, privates betraying their sergeants and sergeants against their immediate officers. The list of people engaged in acts of disloyalty and outright mutiny is endless.
According to the definition given in the New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary, the name Jezebel belonged to a: “Phoenician princess, wife of King Ahab of Israel. Her idolatry and wickedness have made her name a symbol of feminine depravity.”
Idolatry is simply putting something or someone above God. The name Jezebel is synonymous with selfishness and rebellion. When a person thinks of Jezebel they remember a person who would do anything to get her way. Lie, cheat, steal, kill; nothing was beyond her capabilities as she resisted authority and fought the laws of God.
People living in America today are influenced in what I call the Jezebel spirit. The American culture teaches independence. The American culture is very self-centered; it is very arrogant and humanistic. Humanism is actually taught in our schools and universities. Humanism is promoted throughout our newspapers, radio, television, and internet. All governments around the world have been affected by this Jezebel spirit that wants its own way over God's way. Humanism has crept into our churches where people are more American than they are Christian. Jesus came to transform man’s culture to the culture of God, but the philosophy of humanism operating through a Jezebel spirit causes individuals and nations to rebel against God’s governmental control. Only the kingdom of God’s values, beliefs and attitudes can bring peace to humanity and prosperity for all.
Humanism is a philosophy where the person is put above God. The person becomes a god, meaning everything evolves around him. Please read and study the “Humanist Manifesto,” and you will see how much the church has been affected by this rebellious philosophy and religious spirit.
"Don’t tell me what to do! I am free, I can do what I want! That is your opinion, not mine! I don’t care what the Bible says or what the pastor teaches, I will date who I want!" Many people like the song, “I’ll Do It My Way,” a song that symbolizes the American attitude of disrespect for authority and a humanistic spirit born out of witchcraft.
God has placed order in the universe. There is godly control divinely established that must be maintained if anarchy is to be prevented. You always hear that “God is in control” and to a degree that is true. Yet man is certainly in rebellion against God’s government, the people that God has placed in control of society. Since the beginning in the Garden of Eden, man has been tempted to listen to other voices and opinions of seven types of evil reporters: The Backbiter (Romans 1:28-30), The Busybody (1 Peter 4:15; 1 Timothy 5:13; 2 Thessalonians 3:11), The Complainer (Numbers 11:1; Jude 16), The Murmurer (Philippians 2:14; Numbers 16:2; Jude 16), The Slanderer (Numbers 14:36; Jeremiah 6:28; 9:4; 1 Timothy 3:11; 5:13; Proverbs 10:18; Psalm 101:5), The Talebearer (Proverbs 11:13; 18:8; 20:29; 26:20,22; Leviticus 19:16; Romans 1:28-30), and The Whisperer (Proverbs 16:28; Psalm 41:7).
We need to understand that people are putting curses and spells on us by engaging in evil reports against us. They are actually involved in witchcraft and we need to understand this so we can fight this form of witchcraft and rebellion through spiritual warfare.
The Greek word for busybodies is 'periergos' which can be interpreted as “curious arts.” The neuter plural form is “magic.” This tells us that a person can put a spell over another person by becoming a busybody if the people who are associated with this person listen to and fellowship with this Jezebel.
The Hebrew word 'lachash' means “to mumble a spell.” When people listen to others who are guilty of spreading these seven types of evil reports, they become victims of witchcraft. The seven classifications of people who spread evil reports are putting curses and spells on the people that listen to them through manipulation and accusations, thus magic. These types of evil reports are rebellion and witchcraft that Lucifer used to cause Adam and Eve to defy God and break the beautiful fellowship they had with Him.
When people spread evil reports about others they are defiling the people that are listening to them. These defiled people have nobody to blame but themselves for becoming deceived because Scripture admonishes us not to listen to evil reports but to correct these busybodies and slanderers, etc. These people guilty of spreading and listening to evil reports are being used as a tool in the arsenal of Satan to separate the brethren.
Spiritual warfare is the best way to protect oneself, family, and church against people casting spells by complaining, being a talebearer or busybody, whispering, gossiping, slandering, etc.
The reality is that somebody in every aspect of civilization must be in control in order for there to be stability and progress. For an army to have victory there must be order and control. The General of the Army is in control, meaning he provides the leadership for his troops. The Police Chief and Fire Chief must have control over their force. A teacher is to exercise control over the classroom and a Pastor is to be in control over the church where he serves as the priest over a congregation. A husband must have control over his household according to 1 Timothy 3:5-6, or he is not qualified to pastor (be in control of) the church. Yes, God has instituted divine control over people, institutions, ministries, churches, governments and nations. When this control is undermined there is disunity, deterioration and sometimes death. This can be in a person, vision, organization, etc.
Yes, God has instituted governments and people in institutions and has given them responsibilities to execute and exercise control over other people for the benefit of all parties involved. God has given men offices of control. There is control established by God to protect and develop both the individual as well as the institution whether it is a home, school, office, business, college, university, police or fire station, church, ministry, city, state or nation. Obviously these offices can be abused as can every relationship on earth: friendships, marriage, parents-with-children, etc.
Dr. Michael D. Sedler, author of the book, “Stop the Runaway Conversation: Take Control Over Gossip and Criticism,” writes on page 58: “Slipping into rebellion makes it easy to justify an independent spirit. Someone who has violated the Holy Spirit and His intent for His life can either repent or rebel. Unfortunately, there are those who choose rebellion. 'For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry' (1 Samuel 15:23). Jezebel is an excellent (or, rather, I should say poor) example of one who felt justified to operate outside of the realm of God’s will.
In 1 Kings 18 we read of Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, cutting off and killing the prophets of the Lord. The envious, jealous and ungodly nature of Jezebel is revealed in 1 Kings 21. Naboth owned a vineyard next to the palace of King Ahab. The king asked to buy or trade vineyards with Naboth, as it would be convenient for the king to own the vineyard next to his palace. Naboth respectfully declined as the vineyard was an inheritance and had sentimental value. When Jezebel heard about this she was undaunted. She simply set up false accusations against Naboth and had him killed. According to people in rebellion, laws, rules and guidelines are for others. Rebels violate people verbally, physically and emotionally.
Be careful: Rebellion is a sinister companion and it can turn a kind gentle spirit into one that is cruel and insensitive. The motivation of pride leads to self-exaltation, rather than serving and preferring others. This is commonly demonstrated by those who put others down in order to build themselves up. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18).”
I have seen this type of behavior in a person many times in my 34 years of ministry. A kind, gentle and loving man turns into a cruel, insensitive, lying person. When a person falls into this type of behavior they typically split or try and split a business, school, church or ministry. This type of person operating with the Jezebel spirit has reached this point of delusional thinking because they have allowed themselves to be led by the flesh (their natural nature) and not by the Spirit. The Scriptures warn in Romans 1:21-28 that a person will come under a spirit of deception when they refuse to submit themselves to God’s control, His government, His laws.
The character of a deceived person is described in Romans 1:29-32. Delusional thinking patterns occur because of rebelling against God’s officers and laws which are to provide control over persons' lives. “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they are senseless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
Case after case I have witnessed kind Christians turning into vicious people devouring one another, causing strife, and destroying relationships as described in Galations 5:15. Why? They would not daily submit their will to the teachings of Jesus. Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit, they give in to the feelings of their old, carnal nature which the Bible classifies as the "flesh". The flesh never dies, and can only be subdued by the Spirit of Jesus Christ in us as we surrender on a daily basis.
Christ lives in us as we exercise our will and cooperate with the teachings of the Scriptures. We must choose to love and forgive one another, and submit ourselves to those who God has placed in our lives to act as agents of control. On this earth God has placed people in our lives to disciple and correct us; our parents, teachers, pastors, employers, as well as many other leadership roles.
In Galations 5:16-26, the word of God tells us how to live a life of spiritual victory. “So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other…But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, and fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and the like…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law…Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
A person who refuses to continually submit themselves to the Word and the Spirit, will continue to find themselves in relationship problems with those who God has placed in their lives to help disciple them. Discipleship is a process of being taught, challenged, corrected, disciplined, and in other words, controlled in a God-ordained way.
A person who resists those officials and offices that God has placed in authority will have trouble in their jobs, churches and ministries. Sooner or later they will be in conflict with their supervisor, senior pastor or leader. Eventually they will either leave the job, church or ministry, or they will be fired or be asked to leave. The carnage left behind can be devastating as these people who submit themselves to the Jezebel spirit always cause trouble before being exposed.
They first appear to be cooperative and helpful, but beneath the surface they are speaking evil reports and having private meetings where they sow their seeds of discord.
I just returned from The National Conference of the Independent Assemblies. Dr. Robert Johnson spoke out of Isaiah 58:6-12, and Revelation chapters 2-3 about The Seven Churches of Asia. He expounded how we must kill those bad seeds that have trickled down through the centuries from false teachers, etc. He pointed out how Balaam taught Balak to entice the men of Israel to sin. Balaam had a great gift but he still used his position to influence others to sin (Rev 2:14). He exhorted us to be careful because a person with a great gift does not mean that same person is a great guy.
Many charismatic individuals enter our churches and appear to have a wonderful personality with 'agape love' oozing out of them. Pastors, you know the type of person that I am talking about, with a gooshy, gushing, sloppy agape dribbling out of their mouth like a smooth, slick politician who is nothing but a deceiver. This person comes into the church hugging every person he meets telling them how much he loves them and how much he loves the church and how he just loves the pastor. Words of agape just flow out of his mouth like a person eating a hamburger with the grease dripping out of their mouth. Yet it does not take very long until this usurper is exposed plotting to manipulate control away from the godly leadership already established in the church. Once again, it is the same thing Lucifer did to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. In the Bible we see examples of how Satan has used others like Absolam to wrestle the control and kingdom away from his father King David through words of flattery and deceit, stealing the hearts of the people. The Scriptures warn us that this will be the way the Antichrist will gain control over the nations to fight Jesus Christ at the Battle of Armageddon.
Dr. Johnson taught how the seed of the Jezebel spirit has continued to grow throughout the world causing trouble in churches (Rev 2:20-25). He defined the Jezebel spirit as a manipulative spirit. People that have this spirit try to manipulate control away from the Senior Pastor to them.
Dr. Johnson said quote, “I have been dumb enough to let it happen to me twice.” He continued to describe how the person with a Jezebel spirit enters the church and flatters the pastor in front of people. For example: “I thank God that he has brought me to this church, to sit under this pastor and learn from this mighty man of God.” By doing this he wins the confidence of the pastor and the congregation who love their pastor. Dr. Johnson warned how this type of person exercising a Jezebel spirit will try to wrestle control away from the pastor, who God has entrusted authority to, and then redirect it to themselves. They do this by inviting certain individuals from the congregation to a private meeting where he teaches them 'the deeper things of God.' Or, they are invited to a prayer meeting where more intense warfare prayer can be taught and conducted. All of the extra-special, unofficial, private meetings are done without informing or inviting the Senior Pastor. Dr. Johnson explained that when they are finally exposed they make excuses and lie, finally leave, and end up taking people with them.
He gave an example how this one person split at least six churches before returning to the original one only to split it again! Dr. Johnson exhorted us to recognize, teach, and deal with a Jezebel spirit in our travels throughout the nations so that this terrible seed will not be allowed to continue to grow and do its destructive work. I have personally witnessed a person with a Jezebel spirit commit all manner of sins after they are exposed. This person appears to be a pathological liar. Many times they also seek revenge against the godly authority who got in their way when they tried to wrestle control away from the leader. This spiritual Jezebel will not only lie to members of a congregation, but also to other pastors in the community and the police. In their ungodly hatred against a righteous servant of the Lord they will slander and lie to whoever will listen to their evil reports
The person who operates with a Jezebel spirit will try to discredit the set man (leader) who God has placed as His controller in a church or ministry. The set man will be labeled every name imaginable: narcissist, mad, mentally ill, sick, demon possessed, obsessive, compulsive, manic bipolar, and the list goes on and on, depending on the hatred and spiritual sickness of the Jezebel person(s) involved.
Nothing is new or original with people who allow Satan to influence them through his Jezebel spirit. Every pastor has seen and experienced a person who says they are a licensed counselor or psychologist, spreading lies, gossip and slander about people in a church or ministry because they did not get their way. When they do such terrible breaches of confidences and outright lies, it should be apparent to all that they are fakes, or else they would never engage in such unethical behavior and practices. Also, if they were truly a professional, they would never engage in such sinful activities because they would be subject to loosing their license as well as be liable for lawsuits, etc. These people always try and divide, destroy and conquer. By dividing the brethren and destroying relationships, this conquers the effectiveness of a church or ministry into a dysfunctional body for a season of time, until healing and maturity can restore that person, church or ministry.
This is why God hates the Jezebel spirit. (I did not say the Jezebel, but the spirit that influences the person.) However, this does not mean that the person is innocent. The person will still be held accountable to God for the damages he or she has caused to the reputation of people and their ministries because of their immature, selfish, carnal soul. (Romans 14:10-12; 1 Peter 4:17) The soul is composed of the will, mind, and emotions - which God exhorts us throughout the Scriptures to submit and transform to His will and image on a daily basis. (Ephesians 4:20-24; Romans 12:1-2; James 4:7) Yes, since the time Jesus walked the earth, this evil, religious, Jezebel spirit has run rampant throughout our churches and ministries, constantly attacking innocent leadership. May all of us be led by the Holy Spirit and not a Jezebel spirit. Amen and amen!
God bless you - Dr. Jonathan Hansen
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