Common Denominators and the Facets of Jezebel

As I look back over the five significant experiences I have had in dealing with the Jezebel spirit I can see common denominators between all of them:

• All of the women showed high degrees of intelligence.
• Many were extreme organizers and administrators.
• All of them spoke with a very bold tone at inappropriate times.
• All of them were/are professing Christians. (I will discuss this more in context later.)
• All of them divided up work places, fellowship and individual relationships.
• All gossiped, slandered, lied
• All refused to change.
• All of them had been or are receiving time to repent.
• All claimed to be hearing God or at least operating in "Truth."
• All claimed to speak on his behalf. At times some did yet it was moments of truth mixed with moments of error.
• All of them like to correct men, starting with their husbands.
• All of them have husbands who have not been or are currently not seeking God. 
• All of the husbands in each situation avoided their wives as much as possible.
• All of the people involved in each situation were shallow in the scriptures and the ways of the Lord.
• Three of the five situations involved flirtation, sexual advances or lust.

Almost every time. Almost every situation. Mostly the same things. Very very few exceptions. The following is a list taken from Steve Sampson's book, Confronting Jezebel: Discerning and Defeating the Spirit of Control. His take on it is that these are common characteristics of men or women who have a spirit of Jezebel.

He gives a list of 30 things but I have narrowed it down to 24 things I have seen at least once. Some of his items on his list I have never seen before so I am going to eliminate those for the sake of brevity. I will leave on the list the ones I have seen and I am going to tell you the number of situations out of all 5 I have seen each one. Here Goes:

• Refuses to admit guilt or wrong - A Jezebel spirit is never wrong, unless it is a temporary admittance of guilt to gain "favor" with someone. When a Jezebel apologizes it is never in true repentance or acknowledgment of wrongdoing but rather "I'm sorry your feelings were hurt." (4 of 5)
• Uses people to accomplish its agenda - The Jezebel spirit lets others do its dirty work. The Jezebel sits back looking innocent, saying "Who me? What did I do?" This behavior makes it difficult for even the most ardent truth seekers to pin one down. The Jezebel spirit is clever in its agenda. (1 of 5) - The one instance where I did see it was really bad as it involved a Sr. Pastor using a number of people to drive others out. Really Bad.
• Withholds information - This is a form of control. A Jezebel wields power over you by knowing something you don't know in a situation. In the eyes of a Jezebel, having information you don't have is a powerful weapon of control. (2 of 5)
• Talks in confusion - It is impossible to converse with a Jezebel in logic. One pastor wrote a six-page letter to his elders about a situation in the church. The context was so vague that no one was without confusion. This is a way to maintain control and domination. When confronting a Jezebel, the subject may be changed five times in one minute. Confusion keeps them "undiscovered" and unexposed. (This one is huge Brethren. Pay Attention to this one.) (4 out of 5)
• Lies - A Jezebel lies convincingly. No one can lie better than she can. She can turn on the charm and make you believe blue is red. The fact that Jezebel can look you in the eye and lie just shows how strong and adamant this rebellious and recalcitrant spirit is. (3 of 5)
• Ignores people - A classic ploy of a controller is to ignore you when you disagree with him. This tactic is frequently used by leaders when someone doesn't agree with their plans, and they isolate the person by ignoring him. Some in these situations have been ignored for months, just because they chose not to be a puppet and say to every idea or whim. This puts the person out of the leader's grace and forces him to either "come around" to the leader's way of thinking or be indefinitely ignored. One is not free to disagree with a controller. (2 of 5)
• Criticizes everyone - This is a characteristic of a controller. He has to be the one who looks good, so he will quickly sharply criticize anyone who makes a suggestion or plan. Even though she likes the plan, she can only criticize it because the idea did not originate from him. Criticizing others elevates the controller in his own mind. (3 of 5)
• One-upmanship - A person with a Jezebel spirit will always upstage another person. If you are with such a person and tell of your accomplishment or victory, you can be assured he will quickly tell of something he has accomplished. (3 of 5)
• Sequesters information - A Jezebel loves to be in control of information. If there is ever a situation where information is important, she will push to know it. (2 of 5)
• Uses information - A Jezebel uses information as a leverage for power and then shares tidbits with you, often things told him in confidence. This gives her a sense of power... (3 of 5)
• Talks incessantly - Many people talk habitually, but a Jezebel uses talking as a form of control. In a typical conversation, she does all the talking, whether it is about sports, the weather or the Kingdom of God. Because of this form of control, she is unable to receive input from anyone in his life. All conversation with him/her is one-sided. You are doing the listening. (Holy Cow........(3 of 5))
• Spiritualizes everything - When a controller is confronted, she commonly spiritualizes the situation, explaining it off on God. This prevents him from owning up to responsibility required of him. The implication is always, "You've got a problem; I don't." (3 of 5)
• Is insubordinate - A Jezebel never takes the side of the employer or a person in authority, unless it is a temporary action to make himself look good. His/her main desire is for power and control.
• Is pushy and domineering - A person with a Jezebel spirit pressures you to do things, seemingly ripping from you your right to choose or make a decision for yourself. (4 of 5)
• Uses the element of surprise - A Jezebel's main thrust is to be in control, and a large part of control is catching you off guard. Therefore, the element of surprise works well when she shows up a day early for a meeting or with an agenda or charge that no one expected. (5 of 5)
• Sows seeds of discord - A Jezebel will continually belittle another person in the most subtle way. The strategy is to "gain" control by minimizing the value of another person. It is common for her to tell half-truths to implicate another person in your eyes. By sowing these seeds, she hopes to eventually reap a harvest of destruction, improving his position of power. (4 of 5)
• Is vengeful - Since a Jezebel is never wrong, if you contradict or confront one, get ready to become his/her worst enemy. As long as you are in agreement with him, all is fine. But if you confront or challenge them, then look out. You are the target at this point. A Jezebel will stop at nothing to destroy your reputation. (5 of 5)
• Attempts to make you look like you're the Jezebel - A Jezebel spirit is difficult to pin down. If the person is near to being confronted, he or she will skillfully twist the entire situation, trying to make the innocent person look like the one who is attempting to control. As always, the Jezebel will do anything to look like the one who is right. (Out of Context - 5 of 5)
• Insinuates disapproval - A Jezebel will often imply disapproval to those under his or her control. The controlled person feels no freedom to express an opinion, for fear of disapproval. This often manifests in a marriage or in a working environment. (5 of 5)
• Is ambitious - The Jezebel has strong desire, but all for self. "I want what I want when I want it," describes his worship of self-will. A Jezebel leader will never use the words, "We have a vision," but rather, "My vision is thus and so." (3 of 5)
• Gift giving - Gift giving is a form of manipulation a Jezebel uses that always makes you feel obligated to him/her. It also compromises the victim in speaking direct and confrontive truth. Naturally, not everyone who gives gifts is guilty of control, but gift giving is a tactic used by those who have a need to control. (2 of 5)
• Is independent - No one has input in a Jezebel's life. He fraternizes with no one unless it is to get you to "cooperate" with his agenda. (5 of 5)
• Is religious - A Jezebel dwells in the local church but doesn't like authority unless he is in the position of authority. She calls herself a prophetess per Revelation 2. She claims to have divine knowledge. (5 of 5)
• Hides - We all want to believe that the person with a Jezebel spirit is delivered. The person may seem "normal" for a period, exhibiting none of the classic traits. Then suddenly without warning a situation will arise, once again with the spirit taking control and wreaking havoc over lives. (5 of 5)

I have seen all of these. But the things I would really add to his list are these:

• Use of Sexual immorality and lust.
• They hate God ordained authority in men. They think they can correct men. 1 Timothy 2:12 means nothing to them.
• All have husbands that have been put down and have become Ahab's. And the thing is, all of the husbands would adamantly deny this. All of them.
• All have few reference points in scripture. They rarely know scripture or the quietness that can accompany discernment.

You need to be aware of them. Jezebel's ultimate intent is to gain control and in the process she separates people from God and from each other. And to me there are two different levels of a Jezebel Spirit. Take a look...................