Warring Against the Jezebel Spirit
As this study begins I should mention that not every woman is a Jezebel. And not only that, but not every sin a woman might commit is necessarily related to being a Jezebel. Nevertheless, there are plenty of Jezebel women around now and plenty of sins committed that are related to Jezebels. Don’t see this study as an attack on women in general, because it is not. Yet know also that the type of person mostly to claim that a study like this is an attack on women in general would be a Jezebel woman working to justify herself, and cover herself, after being exposed! And another big candidate to claim this would be a man who is under the power of a Jezebel woman.
Women ought to be respected and regarded as having potentially useful, and even great insights. Some of the best insights I’ve ever been given have been from women; and some of the best conversations I’ve ever had have been with older women who humbly and kindly told me things which I needed to hear- probably much, much more than they realized. I believe that every church leader should make sure that his church profits from the insights of the faithful women in the church who recognize their God-given place. I am not giving directions or advice on how to go about this, but it is proper to have times and places to ask the sisters what they think about a certain topic, situation, or Scripture passage so that the church as a whole can benefit from their wisdom. When handled wisely, that is a far cry from women teaching in front of the whole church, or having leadership roles over men within the church, or teaching the church of their own accord behind the scenes, or exercising control in the church through influence over men who teach and lead in the church.
It is important to know the marks of Jezebels and to know the sins which will lead a female into becoming a Jezebel. Men who resist those sins are not good candidates for being brought under the power of a Jezebel.. And leaders, whether they are Pastors or fathers, should know that Jezebels are not made overnight. They are formed by conditioning to receive attention and getting their way through abuse of their feminine qualities. It is important to rebuke and restrain these things when they show themselves, as well as to not allow circumstances for such conditioning to happen. And this should all be done in a way where women are taught to resist men who truly seek to harm them and take advantage of them. There is such a thing as godly assertiveness which women ought to exercise occasionally. The Jezebel though, whether she is capable or not of assertiveness when it would be appropriate, is a predator herself who would rule and dominate all men through seduction and all manner of psychological manipulations. She connives, she threatens in blatant or subtle ways, she must assert herself and she is not content with the God-given roles of a woman. It is no wonder that there are modern feminists who boldly declare themselves to be Jezebels and who actually praise the Jezebel of the Bible as a great woman! The Jezebel may claim she is just as strong and capable as a man is, she may act aggressively, and yet she will cry abuse and victimization when she is overpowered and subdued. She may begin to attempt a logical debate to show why should get her way, yet she will throw a tantrum when logic has proved her to be in the wrong! She wants control, yet she does not want an equal playing field and to be left to the quality of her own merits in determining whether she will get it. Otherwise, she would not be a Jezebel! Instead, she plays an intricate mind game to cast off male domination and rule over men while employing the powers of the male for her own ends. She is dangerous- and if she had her way, like the Jezebel of the Bible sought to do, she would destroy every faithful preacher of God’s Word (in terms of influence at least, but quite possibly murder also).
No preacher can be faithful to God’s Word without addressing the sins of women. The Bible has a lot to say about sins which are commonly practiced by women. Yet Scriptures which deal with such are often not touched, or at least not handled thoroughly and honestly by modern churches. This is due to the influence and intimidation of Jezebels! And yet such Scriptures are necessary to hold the lines of Biblical righteousness, to rebuke the Jezebels, to warn all of Jezebel’s influence, to keep men from Jezebel’s seduction, and to warn potential Jezebels themselves and kill the deadly seeds of Jezebel qualities which the influences of sin in their flesh and of society are powerfully watering.
An example of such a Scripture would be Proverbs chapter 7, which describes the workings of the harlot. And not just a harlot, but a predatory Jezebel in action.
“My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart (subtilty of heart especially defines a Jezebel, whether she is blatantly a harlot or not). (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”
There is a connection given in Scripture between haughty women and superficial women who exercise power over men through fashionable clothing and overall vainglorious superficial, counterfeit beauty. This so well applies to high-minded Jezebels in our day who specialize in seduction and exalt themselves in their vainglorious fashion displays- ultimately to reaping God’s judgment and their own destruction! A girl becoming obsessed with her appearance, a girl unwilling to abide in her house (as was seen above regarding the Jezebel harlot), these are precursors to many sins and also ways that a girl can easily be conditioned to becoming a Jezebel. They are roots that need to be starved and killed- or they will yield very bad fruit eventually.
Isaiah 3:8-24: “For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths. The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts. Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts. In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, The rings, and nose jewels, The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.”
Where have society and churches most practically strayed from Biblical teachings? Quite possibly in areas which pertain to women. This is the result of feminist/Jezebel influence. Through the same influence men are generally vilified in churches while women in general are exalted. It is common knowledge that the normal thing in our day is for a church to preach a message on Mother’s Day about how wonderful mothers are and how we should value them so highly. But then on Father’s Day the normal message is a rebuke to fathers about what a terrible job they’re doing and how so much that is wrong is their fault. Pastors also don’t normally teach, much less do they enforce Biblical commands on modest dress and forbidding luxury and other displays of vanity in fashion. They don’t want an outcry from the Jezebels! So instead of dealing with their unpleasant anger, and the likely next step of having to cast the ones that won’t change nor leave out of the church, they back down and stay silent while the Jezebels get their way.
1 Peter 3:1-5: “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands…”
Since meek, chaste, modest women who are subject to their own husbands are of great price in God’s sight, it is only logical that loud, dominant, mean-spirited women prone to draw attention to themselves (by dress or behavior or both) are ugly in His sight. Believing that should encourage us to war with such and not justify them nor back down an inch to them.
Note also the luxury, the costliness, and the vainglorious jewelry of the harlot church- the ultimate representation of Jezebel as an institution and corporate entity.
Revelation 17:1-6: “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.”
And by the way, look at her judgment in the next chapter along with the insight into her wicked heart.
Revelation 18:7-8: “How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.”
Having some insight then into what a Jezebel is, what a Jezebel is after, and how a Jezebel operates, here are some very key qualities of men who are not candidates to be brought under the power of a Jezebel. Jezebel’s mission is to bring men under her control. This defined the actual Jezebel of the Bible. So below are some keys on how to not be an Ahab brought under the power of a Jezebel.
- Men who aren’t enticed by outward beauty, fashion, other feminine charms etc. Men who fully believe this without wavering: “Favor (charm) is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30) Delilah was a Jezebel in spirit before the actual Jezebel even existed. And Samson, despite all his physical might, was under her spell due to her beauty and charm. Look at what he lost due to that! And though the Philistines meant it for evil, it was a mercy to Samson that they put out his eyes (Judges 16:21), because his bent towards feminine seduction was thus starved and he was able to recover in the Lord to have a good ending- at least a much better ending than he had been on track for when he was seduced by Delilah. Jezebels prey on superficial men by their own specialization in superficiality. Remember how when Jehu had just been anointed as King of Israel and was coming to kill Jezebel that she painted her face (i.e. put on make-up) to try to seduce him. Jehu, unlike Samson, chose to be blind to the harlot and wasn’t swayed by his mission due to this. This is also why it is right for parents and Pastors to forbid wearing make-up to the females under their authority. Make-up gives the connotation (i.e. implied underlying message) of boldness, impudence, seduction, etc. Jezebels often rely on make-up; and it would be hard to find a Jezebel who didn’t wear it, though such would be an especially subtle and dangerous Jezebel. Make-up, when understood at its roots, is not just about “looking good.” It is also worth noting here that it was two eunuchs who turned on Jezebel and threw her out of the window to her death at Jehu’s command. There is a lesson there in how Jezebel couldn’t tempt the eunuchs. We need to exercise blindness to the things which seductive women use to seduce men, even if we are not literally blind like Samson became and even if we have not been castrated like those eunuchs. When a female sees you’re not easily swayed by seduction or pressure, and that you’re not afraid to look like a bad guy because you’re not attached to any type of image that you want others to have of you, she will very likely feel disarmed and not see you as a target for her wiles. You’re not drawn like a magnet to the manners and methods which she typically uses to accomplish her ends. If we are truly taking up the whole armor of God and doing all to stand like we are commanded in Ephesians chapter 6, then we have the best protection from the Jezebels. Further related to that then, we move on.
- Men who understand from the heart that the Bible shouldn’t be interpreted through the norms of modern culture, and understand that modern culture is highly corrupt, and highly corrupted by feminism. It is only because of feminist influence that the concept of a woman being a Pastor or a woman being President is not typically considered very improper and out of order. 1 Timothy 2:11-14: “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.” Someone might be simple in their understanding, but if anyone like that is listening, know that it is a violation of Scripture to sit in a church under a woman Pastor or a church where there are women exercising spiritual authority over men. And if that sounds strange to you, then you likely have been too trusting of modern culture and culture in general, not sufficiently recognizing that the whole world lies in wickedness (1 John 5:19). The things that the Apostles would not suffer (i.e. permit) we should not partake of in any way. When anyone, man or woman, sits under female leadership in the church (one area where we can surely individually decide whose authority we put ourselves under), they are suffering what the Apostles would not suffer and they are enabling the Jezebel spirit and enabling what God calls disorder! This is rebellion to God’s design of hierarchy! This is why Satan especially promotes woman leadership in the church, this is the root of feminism, and this is what Satan is ultimately after in pushing feminism. It is true that some female pastors may not really know what they are doing and maybe don’t even know Scriptures like 1 Timothy 2:11-14, yet they need to be informed of this! And if she is that unfamiliar with the Bible, why is she preaching and leading in the church anyways?! I know of a man who a while ago was seeking to hold a man with a pretty popular website accountable for having sermons from female preachers on it. When he asked what I thought of it, at the time I thought he was going a bit too far and making perhaps a bigger deal about it than he should have. But it is a big deal! And if we don’t seek to hold people accountable for it and we treat it like it’s not a big deal, then we are enabling it! I am glad he brought the issue on my radar by telling me about it. It TRULY IS a big deal.
- Men who embrace authority which God has appointed for them and won’t back down from that- even unto death if necessary! Men need to make decisions where they have been put in charge according to God’s order. They need to hold and enforce Biblical lines- and not back down from doing so by anyone or anything. Consider how improper it would be for a Pastor to let a stranger come into his church and just take over teaching. That would not be a faithful shepherd! Consider how improper it would be for a father to let a stranger come into his home, sleep in his bed with his wife, and act like he were the father of the children. What a weak, effeminate coward! And yet the man could not be much better who lets a woman, whether that be his wife or another woman, manipulate and/or contradict how he governs and guides his home or his church!
Revelation 2:20-23: “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”
The elder of Thyatira, whom Christ primarily addressed here, was probably not even letting this Jezebel teach during the church meetings. That would have been really bad and it would make Christ’s commendations of the Church in Thyatira in the surrounding verses seem ridiculous. What this woman was probably doing was subtly teaching these things in the social times after church or in homes during the week. And the elder was still rebuked for not taking measures to stop this- and perhaps for not being diligent enough to know it was even going on. Church elders are expected to know about views being held and taught by their members which are not Biblical, even when not taught formally during the church meeting. And women should not be leading nor forming church doctrine in unofficial ways. Both Church leaders and fathers need to understand what is really going on in the places they have jurisdiction. They need to put their foot down by forbidding improper influence, ungodly concepts, and they need to enforce righteousness according to Biblical terms. This obviously can result in fights and carries the risk of looking like “the bad guy.” Calling out Jezebel, rebuking her, and forbidding her seductive teachings (seductive in either the spiritual or natural realm) has always been controversial and has always potentially involved a fierce fight. And that is especially true in our day. Insecure men are very vulnerable to being stepped on by Jezebel and taken advantage of by her. But remember how the faithful are victorious over Satan.
Revelation 12:10: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
By understanding our calling and our jurisdiction from God’s Word, and by choosing to hold to these even unto death for Christ’s sake, we will gain the security and courage, along with the wisdom and self-control, to fight Jezebel off according to the boundaries of God’s law and man’s law. Jezebel has been known to falsely accuse and feign harm to herself that isn’t real, but we can and should cast ourselves into God’s hands and trust ourselves to Him in well-doing no matter the consequences. The fact is we have already lost and suffered irreparable harm if we let fear of a fight and fear of a woman’s rage cause us to back down from what is right in God’s eyes. Jezebels are indeed angry women. They insist on having their way- and when they don’t get it, they want to make the one stopping them to have to pay hell for it. Look at these pro-choice women protesting the overturning of Roe v. Wade. They don’t resort to logic and morality to make their point. They resort to rage and profanity. I have never, to my memory, heard an abortion supporter try to defend their stance without rage or profanity (usually both). They don’t care about logical debate nor are they concerned about the immorality of abortion, because the issue to them is one of control. And control is their god. They don’t care beyond that. Yet they also foolishly don’t consider that they are under the control of a masculine spirit which hates them, wants to destroy them eternally, and uses them as a tool in his hand (whose name is Lucifer and Satan, by the way)! As ugly as Jezebel’s rage is, it doesn’t accomplish anything for her- unless it causes those with the power to stop her to cave in and bow to her demands. And that is what we see in churches all over the place now. It is of note that when Jehu was coming to kill Jezebel and she threw an angry false accusation at him, he ignored her and spoke past her to those with her in the house who were in a position to cast her down out of the palace. The people in our churches, and any whom we have authority over or the opportunity to influence should be warned about Jezebels, taught about their villainous ways, and guided in how to stand against them. Jezebel is very limited when the common people are against her and Jezebel will not be defeated until some common people resist her. Though we must war against Jezebel, we should never play her game. She thrives on emotion (especially anger), false accusation (especially when rage or seduction are things she sees aren’t going to work), and all manner of conniving. Don’t get into a heated argument with her and don’t get emotional with her. I’m not saying there isn’t a time to tell her a furious no and/or to tell her to get out, but I would make it sure that God is with you, time this so that it is likely to work, and be ready to stand by such a moment afterwards so that you will not need to apologize for it. Regardless, Jezebel needs to be stood against, told a firm no, and then have her rage, false accusations, and threats ignored. The people who are enabling her, or who at least have a chance to righteously restrain or punish her, ought to be exhorted to cast her down from her place of influence- and rebuked if they will not do so. If a woman is troubling your home or church, and she has an enabling husband who is in the picture, contend with him. Call the police if she is breaking the law of the land and seek to hold them accountable so that they hold her accountable. Rebuke those under your jurisdiction who are heeding her, justifying her, defending her, etc and cast them out too if they won’t repent and contend with her.
How powerful can a Jezebel’s rage be? Proverbs 25:24: “It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman and in a wide house.” And this is one of the very few Proverbs which is repeated in Proverbs for emphasis (see Proverbs 21:9)!
Even the Prophet Elijah fled for fear of Jezebel after the great victory and vindication of both God, and of himself, at Mount Carmel. This was not a good moment for Elijah, though here he didn’t fail to the point of actually letting Jezebel corrupt his jurisdiction. He was in a complicated situation. Jezebel was a usurper in God’s land who had been enabled by wicked Ahab and the wicked people. Elijah was a stranger there, though he was an Israelite, precisely because he was a righteous man. His situation is an example of how some dealings with Jezebels are not so simple to handle due to the fact that the righteous don’t always have jurisdiction; and conditions in the world which wickedness has led to can enable Jezebels and give them a lot of power.
Psalm 11: “In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”
The point is that Jezebel’s influence can be very strong. Consider that the brawling and contentious woman never should have been in the home at all. If any single man is listening to this, and you are considering a woman for marriage, if you see wanton eyes, if you discern a dominant spirit, if you see that she resents obeying her parents, especially her father, if you that she ever throws a tantrum when she doesn’t get her way, then do not marry her!!! She is a Jezebel; and you will have an awful fight to face to keep your home pure and to raise your children right if you take her as your wife and so give her influence in your house. It was more complicated though with the actual Jezebel, and with some Jezebels any of us could face complications, because Jezebel was in power due to the sins and failures and overall weakness of Ahab. Ahab and Jezebel continued in power, and were strengthened and enabled in their wickedness, due to the sins and failures and overall weakness of the vast majority of Israelites. Like we just saw, sometimes there are Elijahs who have to fight against a Jezebel whom they did not take home and whom they did not enable, but this is a cross they must bear in being faithful to the Lord, an iniqiuity of their people which gets laid upon them in their righteousness.
And yet, we have a duty to be faithful and uphold God’s truth where we have jurisdiction; and if that brings us into conflict with a Jezebel, then we’ve got to be faithful and fight her wisely in the strength of the Lord. And these things should help us to do that and do it well. We just may perish, but we also just may be instruments in bringing redemption to a seemingly hopeless circumstance or situation that had been brought about due to the usurping of a Jezebel. And whatever happens with us, doing this may inspire and embolden others to stand firm as men who side with the Lord in a time corrupted by feminism where men who act like men, especially men who do what godly men ought to do, are vilified and called all manner of evil names.
Consider these verses then in the context of this study. You may not have considered them before in this light.
Matthew 5:10-16: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
For any questions or clarification on this study, contact bro Aaron at [email protected].