Manipulating, intimidating, and dominating are the adjectives used to describe the characteristics of spirits empowered by an evil force in the unseen world referred to as the principality of Jezebel. Such spirits are not gender-sensitive—they affect and oppress women and men alike, and even children in some instances.
Most of us have either been, as I say, “Jezebel'd or Jezebob'd” by someone who manipulated, intimidated, or dominated us. Perhaps the struggle with such a person is ongoing, and our lives are overshadowed by the heaviness of being controlled by a force that steals our peace and robs us of the joy that Jesus offers. Whether the Jezebel spirit expresses itself through a teacher, spouse, child, religious or political leader, the effects are the same: withdrawal, defeat, depression, and surrender to the overbearing, controlling spirit that calls the shots and dominates. We find ourselves tediously tiptoeing around people oppressed by Jezebel-empowered spirits, and their mood swings and unpredictability control every setting of interaction.
Moodiness, outbursts of anger, gaslighting, threatening, and bullying are a few of the weapons in their arsenal. Just as the wicked Queen Jezebel, chronicled in 1 Kings 16 through 2 Kings 9, dominated and controlled her husband, King Ahab, she personified the personality and characteristics of the principality of Jezebel. Remember that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV). People are not our enemies; demonic spirits are.
Beyond controlling her husband, Jezebel threatened, bullied, and intimidated the Prophet Elijah, provoking such fear in him that he ran from her and hid in a cave! She was intent on killing the man of God, and a spirit empowered by the Jezebel principality seeks to silence the voice of God today, as well.
When the move of the Holy Spirit is resisted and silenced, there is usually a Jezebel spirit involved. If we tolerate it—whether in the home, church, work, or school—it will exhaust us, keeping us in constant fear, dread, and turmoil. The Lord has given us authority over such demonic spirits, while He disempowers the principalities, like Jezebel, that fuel the spirits manifesting through people.
Micro-managing, controlling, and manipulating others is destructive—not only to the person being controlled, but it is also dangerously destructive to the controller because it invites witchcraft into the heart of that person. Jeremiah warns us, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NKJV). Behind closed doors, even the sweetest, gentlest church lady can heartlessly rule with an iron fist in her home, controlling and manipulating every family member under her thumb, yet appear to be Mother Theresa's clone in public. People operating in a Jezebel spirit are often very pleasant and personable outwardly, but their inward motives are power and control. Remember, they are not the enemy, but the spirit behind their actions is.
When we choose to serve the Lord, the only Person controlling us should be the Holy Spirit. In submitting to Him, we will want to honor those in authority, but not to the point of being enslaved and owned by them. J.B. Phillip's Bible translation of Timothy 6:15 reads, God...is the blessed controller of all things. If someone in your life causes fear and anxiety at the very thought of him or her, resist that spirit. Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7).
Use your God-given authority to oppose and resist the spirits causing that person to be overbearing, bossy, intimidating, and controlling. We can silence the most obnoxious spirit in just a whisper. It works. Don't allow yourself to be Jezebel'd or Jezebob'd one more day!
© 2024, Chris Custer Werre
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