We are going to confront a stronghold of immense proportions. It is a way of thinking that exists unchecked in most churches. We are going to expose, and then destroy, the hiding places of Jezebel.

Understanding The Spirit Of Jezebel

"But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols'' (Rev 2:20). You may challenge my using the above quote and addressing it to American churches. You may argue that not one of the pastors you know has anyone who openly instructs people to commit acts of immorality. I understand your sense of alarm. I agree that you probably know of no one who brazenly preaches that sexual lust and idolatry are not sins. When we speak of Jezebel, we are identifying the source in our society of obsessive sensuality, unbridled witchcraft and hatred for male authority.

To understand the spirit of Jezebel, we must understand the genesis of this personality in the Bible. The first mention of Jezebel is seen in the rebellious, manipulative wife of King Ahab. It was actually this spirit, operating through Queen Jezebel, which had caused over ten million Hebrews all but seven thousand faithful souls to bow to Baal. Jezebel caused them to forsake the covenant, destroy the sacred altars and kill the prophets (I Kings 19:14-18). This one spirit was almost totally responsible for corrupting an entire nation, and this principality has come full force against our nation.

Jezebel is fiercely independent and intensely ambitious for pre-eminence and control. It is note-worthy that the name "Jezebel,'' literally translated, means "without cohabitation.'' This simply means she refuses "to live together'' or "cohabit'' with anyone. Jezebel will not dwell with anyone unless she can control and dominate the relationship. When she seems submissive or "servantlike,'' it is only for the sake of gaining some strategic advantage. From her heart, she yields to no one.

Bear in mind that the spirit which produced Jezebel existed before its namesake was born. Although we refer to Jezebel as "she,'' this spirit is without gender. However, it is important to note that, while men in leadership are the main targets of most principalities, Jezebel is more attracted to the uniqueness of the female psyche in its sophisticated ability to manipulate without physical force.

Look for Jezebel to target women who are embittered against men, either through neglect or misuse of authority. This spirit operates through women who, because of insecurity, jealousy or vanity, desire to dominate others. Jezebel is there behind the woman who publicly humiliates her husband with her tongue, and there after controls him by his fear of public embarrassment.

While she uses every means of sexual perversity known in hell, immorality is not the issue; control is what she seeks, using the power of sexual passions for the purpose of possessing men. To a woman under the influence of Jezebel, "conquering'' a man need not involve physical contact if a seductive glance of her eyes will capture him.

The Battle Has Expanded

Since the era of the early apostles, and especially since the dawn of the electronic age, the scale of battle has greatly enlarged. It is difficult for us in our generation to discern the scope of warfare that hits the church and the world in general. We might actually suppose that warfare should decrease since the number of demons has not changed since the first century, while mankind has grown from three hundred million to over five billion souls today. Yet, the access the devil has to the souls in our world has increased through the mass communications media and literature. John wrote of this period in time in Revelations 12:15, "And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her [the church] to be swept away with the flood.''

Water, in this context, symbolizes "words.'' In our world there exists a flood of words and visual images coming out of the mouth of Satan. Our society, through technological advances, has made sins of the mind and heart more accessible. More than ever before, the carnal mind, with its openness to this satanic flood of filth and rebellion, is being structured into a powerful stronghold for the devil.

In our information-filled, entertainment-oriented world, even minor demons can exercise major influence simply by possessing the script writers and producers of movies and television. Indeed, Satan has always been "...the prince of the power of the air'' (Eph 2:2). But we should realize that the "power of the air'' is not merely the wind; we see that in our world this power uniquely includes the electronic airwaves which carry radio and television signals.

Therefore, we must discern exactly where the satanic inroads are in our own lives and cut them off. We cannot worship God Sunday morning and then tolerate Jezebel through immoral entertainment in a movie Sunday night. Indeed, it is with this in mind that, in regard to warring against Jezebel, the Eternal Word specifically described Himself as "...He who searches the minds and hearts'' (Rev 2:23), for it is in the inner sanctuary of our private soul-life where tolerance to Jezebel begins. It is here, within us, where tolerance must end.