When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window. And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, "Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?" And he lifted up his face to the window and said, "Who is on my side? Who?" Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. He said, "Throw her down." So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, "See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter." But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. When they came back and told him, he said, "This is the word of the Lord , which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: 'In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.'" (2 Kings 9:30-37 ESV)
Bad news: A demon called a “Jezebel spirit” entices God’s people to commit sexual immorality (among many other things). Unless you’d like to end up spiritually like Jezebel in the above passage, then make that spirit (attitude that sexual immorality is no big deal) your enemy rather than your buddy. c.f. Revelation 2:20; Proverbs 16:18; James 4:4-10.
Good news: The Holy Spirit is more powerful than the spirit of Jezebel. (1) c.f. 1 John 4:4.
Application:
- If sexual immorality and influencing others in that direction is an area of your life that you would like to see changed, then ask Jesus Christ to fill you with the Holy Spirit and fire according to His commands and promises. c.f. Ephesians 5:1ff,18; Luke 3:16; 11:13; 1 John 5:14ff.
- Be like Jehu and use God’s authority and power to destroy Jezebel. This authority comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ, and the power comes by the Holy Spirit upon you. c.f. Luke 10:19-20; Acts 1:8. (2)
- Arrogant Jezebel must fall to her death for opposing the Most High God. Rally to Jesus Christ and pledge allegiance to him, lest you be destroyed along with Jezebel’s kingdom. See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Revelation 2:21-23; 2 Kings 9:37.
- Make the Word of God the standard for your life by meditating on it day and night, that you may be transformed by the renewing of your mind and act like the word of God is true. See Joshua 1:8; Romans 12:2; James 2:17,22,26.
The following is a suggested prayer of repentance (changing the way you think) and deliverance (a process of weeding out evil from your life) from the spirit of Jezebel. Pray it out loud if it expresses the desire of your heart.
Heavenly Father,
I want to know You on a more personal level. You have said repeatedly in Your word that You oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. I confess that I have been proud through my attitude that I can live one way when You command me to live the opposite. Since You cannot be mocked, I humble myself before You and come to You for the grace, power, and enablement to obey your loving commands that You gave for my protection, provision, and maximal welfare in life.
I turn from my sins of lust, sexual immorality, and desire for controlling people. Right now, I forgive everyone who has ever hurt, manipulated, and controlled me. [Specifically name and forgive any individuals from situations toward which you still hold bad memories in order to sever their negative influence from your mind.] I thank You for the blood of Jesus, which was shed to set me free from all sin, curses, and evil spirits. Thank You for the blood of Jesus pouring out and cleansing my conscience from all bitterness, unforgiveness, evil thoughts, bad decisions, and dead works. Thank You for forgiving all my sins, offenses, and mistakes, so that my reputation before You can be perfectly restored.
I confess with my mouth that Jesus is the Lord of my life and I believe in my heart that You raised him from the dead. I give You praise and honor that Your Holy Spirit who lives in me is infinitely more powerful than every evil spirit, for death itself was no match for Jesus when You raised him from the dead. So I praise and thank You that spirits of pride, control, lust, [etc.] are losing their influence in my life.
[Specifically command any formerly entrenched sinful attitudes such as pride, control, lust, fear, etc. to leave your soul and body by the authority of Jesus Christ’s name.] Father, I thank You that like the dogs of Jezreel ripped Jezebel to pieces, Satan’s enemy encampments in my life are destroyed by the anointing, fire, and power of Your Holy Spirit in my life. Fill every area of my life with Your fullness right now as I relax, yield, and surrender to Your love pouring into me until I am filled to overflowing with your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Christ’s name,
Amen.
- I once heard Andres Bisonni say that the Holy Spirit was referred to as the “[S]pirit of Elijah” in Luke 1:17 in like manner that Jesus was called the “Son of David.”
- What is the difference between authority and power? Authority (Greek: “exousia”) is like the badge of a police officer which communicates that the government is backing the officer up. This authority alone is often enough to convince someone to cooperate with the police officer if pulled over or approached for inspection, information, or interrogation. Power (Greek: “dunamis”) is like the police officer’s gun, nightstick, or other weapon(s). If a criminal suspect is unlawfully uncooperative or violent, the officer can use his weapon (power) to bring the perpetrator under subjugation.
