Defending Against the Jezebel Spirit: A Guide to Protection

 

Protect yourself from the Jezebel spirit and stop it from destroying lives through false prophetic ministry and personal prophecy. Jezebel's spirit can destroy lives through prophetic ministry and personal prophecy.

The phone rang today. On the other end, a teary-eyed young woman, we’ll call her Sally, called one of our prayer counselors at the ministry, saying, "I-I want to thank Jonas for writing about the Jezebel spirit."

Our ministry often receives calls from readers facing something they don’t quite know how to handle. This call, however, was even more sobering. She told the story of living in a small rural town in heartland America. She said her husband and children love God with all their hearts and are faithful attendees at their church. She continued, "At our church, there is a woman who wants to recruit me. I didn’t get a witness and needed to pray about it a bit more. After several weeks of hounding me, she began to prophesy that God was calling me to work with her. Again, I didn’t have an inner witness to that personal prophecy. When I didn’t receive the prophetic word, she told me I was in rebellion against God and my children would come under a curse. Later that night, I told my husband what she had prophesied. Being just simple believers, we decided that we should talk with the pastor about it."

She continued, "We love our church, and it’s one of the fastest growing in our area. People come from miles around to attend. We love God too and are just regular people. We don’t have any ministerial training and just want to serve Jesus the best way we know how. We were brought up in a denominational church and don’t have much experience in a spirit-filled church with ‘prophetic people.' I’m so disturbed over this, she said as she paused to wipe away more tears. "Our pastor accepted an appointment from me. When I told him what the woman prophesied over me, saying that I should work with her, and when I refused, she told me that God said that rebellion endangered my children’s lives. To my utter surprise, the pastor closed his office door, lowered his voice, and also prophesied over me, saying that the Holy Spirit told him that I should work with the woman and stop being such a &*%$&* (explicative not included)."

Friend, this dear woman was heartbroken. Through sobs, she told the rest of her testimony of prophetic error at her church. I would be shocked by her call except that we have fielded related calls before. Many questions arise when we hear things like this, such as, "What’s happening to the prophetic ministry within our spirit-filled and charismatic churches across our nation?"

Is it possible the prophetic ministry is being hijacked by another spirit? Has the Jezebel spirit been so seduced and deceived that we fail to see the control, manipulation, and absolute putrescence within certain circles? Why has prophetic ministry become so mystical, ambiguous, equivocal, and super-spiritual? Why do some freely curse our nation, our leaders, the children of God, and others in the name of the Lord when scripture specifically says, "Bless and curse not" (Romans 12:14)?

Is it possible we need correction, even reformation, within the church regarding prophetic ministry and personal prophecy? Where are the protectors of the cross? Who’s responsible for the well-being of the children of God? What is the purpose of personal prophecy anyway? Is it to judge and condemn, scold and wangle? Is it a mean-spirited operation? (1 Corinthians 13:2). What is the fruit of personal prophetic ministry in America? Are thousands repenting of their sins and coming to Christ? Are the hearts of the fathers turning toward the sons, and the sons toward the fathers?

Should we dare ask any questions? Is there any mercy, grace, faith, hope, or peace offered toward the people of God and our country? Is personal prophecy manifesting Christ, the spirit of prophecy? Is it true that this woman’s children would fall under a curse for not obeying this woman’s prophetic utterance? Did this pastor step out of line and sully the spirit of prophecy? Is his apparent success in ministry validated because the church is large and growing? What should our response be? Are we experiencing true prophetic ministry when such utterances are spoken in the name of the Lord? That’s a lot of questions, I know.

I am convinced that all personal prophecy should be judged according to the scripture that is given "by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16–17). The Word says, "Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits to see whether they are of God." (1 John 4:1). That means put what is said to you on trial, and don’t be afraid to do it. I would encourage all my brothers and sisters in Christ to resist unscriptural malice and control, even when delivered with a spiritual sounding "Thus sayeth the Lord." And it doesn’t matter how well known the person is or how many television shows he or she has appeared on, all personal prophecies should be examined.

I would like to appeal to you old-timers in the Lord, guardians and friends of the faith who were raised around the Holy Ghost to help those in this generation rightly divide the Word of Truth and understand the sensible, loving, and gentle ways of the Holy Spirit and to look to God, not man, even prophetic ones, for counsel, wisdom, and direction. Derek Prince once said regarding the manifestation of the Spirit, "The manifestation of the Spirit is always given for a useful, practical, sensible purpose."

So what would your counsel be to a heartbroken family that feels so sad? Some might say this family needs to stay in the church and work it out. Often, I would agree. This, however, is startling and distressing. Does one really need a faux prophetic word as a recruiting tool? Yes, Christ’ Church is a respected place that I love dearly, but if the Jezebel spirit is free to operate with the approval of leadership in any particular community, then that husband has a responsibility, even a duty as the priest of his house, to take his wife and family out of harm's way without delay as they search for another fellowship.

"But what of prophetic words and the spirit of prophecy?" you ask. Scripture declares, "Despise not prophesyings" (1 Thessalonians 5:20). We do, however, have a responsibility to "study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings (especially prophetic ones), for they will increase unto more ungodliness" (2 Timothy 2:15–16).

The Jezebel spirit is a prophetic and demonic warrior. She can be bold, crafty, subtle, aloof, and daring. She can teach, preach, and prophesy better than anyone you have ever met. She’s public at times and concealed at others. She waits, she stalks, she seizes on moments of weakness, your weakness. She is, in her own stead, a giant killer, one of God’s giants. Many have fallen by her sword. Her life is full of chaos, confusion, sexual sin, many perversions, and fear. She knows the Word of God but refuses to live by it. In my book, I called her "Jezebel, Seducing Goddess of War," and that’s exactly what this spirit is as she declares herself the unseen "lady of kingdoms" (Isaiah 47).

Christ had something to say to the leaders of His governing churches that ignored the Jezebel spirit. "But I have a few things against you because you let that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess (a prophetic spirit), teach and seduce my servants, even though you knew she was in your ministry and did nothing to stop her. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, but she did not repent. Look, I'm going to throw her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her will go through terrible stress if they don't change their ways. And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the reins and hearts (the motives of people, including their prophetic words), and I will give to every one of you according to your works" (Revelation 2:20–23).

I am reminded of Christ's prophetic word that every demonic spirit, especially the Jezebel spirit, needs to hear, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

(c) Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com