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Quit Tolerating the Jezebel spirit

by Tom Brown

Is there someone in your life influencing you in a bad way? Have you tried to break free from their negative influence, but can't? It may be that there is a Jezebel spirit controlling your life.


            Jesus mentioned this Jezebel spirit to the church in Thyatira: "You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols" (Revelation 2:20).






People Influence


            You are a product of people influencing you. Everyone in some way or another is influenced by others. People can influence you for good or for bad. Consider Solomon's wise words, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared" (Proverbs 22:24-25). You do learn ways from people by closely associating yourself with them. People rub off on you. If you associate with godly people, then their godly ways will rub off on you, but if you associate with ungodly people then their ungodly ways will rub off on you.






Popular Person


            Jezebel was a famous queen. Like her, this Jezebel woman at Thyatira was popular as well. She called herself a prophetess. She made herself to be important. Evidently her self-advertisement worked because even God's servants were deceived by listening to her teaching. She did not simply lead people into immorality, by example, but she taught it.


            What is it that she taught? We get an idea of what she taught: "Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets" (Revelation 2:24). The term "Satan's so-called deep secrets" is a reference to the Gnostics. They were a small minority trying to remove the apostolic teachings handed down directly by the apostles. The apostles were eye-witnesses of Christ and they alone saw Jesus in the flesh. John mentions this in his first letter, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it" 1 John 1:1-2).


            Since the apostles had the distinct privilege of being with Christ in the flesh, they have a preeminent place in the church. However, this competing sect wanted the preeminence. They believed that the flesh was sinful, and therefore, Jesus could not have become flesh. John criticized these false teachers, "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist" (2 John 7).




            One of the main messages of the Gnostics was this: "Since the flesh is sinful, Jesus could not have become flesh. And since the flesh is sinful, it does not really matter what you do with your body. What matters is what you do with your spirit." From this false concept was born other ideas.






            But Gnostics, believing that the body was evil anyway, convinced God's servants to go along with the festival in the fertility temple, saying that it doesn't really matter what you do with your body. She rationalized sinful behavior.


Tolerance can be a sin


            Jesus pointed out the main problem with the church of Thyatira: "You tolerate that woman Jezebel." Jesus did not simply criticize the woman, but also the church. It was their fault that she was misleading God's servants into immorality. The church should have excommunicated her, not give her a platform.




            This article is not written to try to change Jezebel, but rather to keep Jezebel from changing you. Jesus had no hope for Jezebel changing; He said, "I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways" (Revelation 2:21-22).




            This message is to you. You are not a victim that can't repent. There are certain "ways" you picked up from Jezebel. You have tolerated those ways in your life. You can't anymore!






Rejecting Authority




            The greatest manifestation of the Jezebel spirit is a rejection of authority or the abuse of authority. The greatest authority over us is God. Second, is God's Word, the Bible. When a person begins to argue against the teachings of the Bible, they are manifesting the spirit of Jezebel.










Abusive Relationships




            Sister, if you are married or seeing a man who is abusive or cheating, then you cannot put up with it. You must put a stop, and usually, the way to stop it is by ending the relationship. It is hard to do so. I get it! But you can't continue letting a man abuse his God-give authority to hurt you.


Affects of Jezebel


            What are some things that the Jezebel spirit does?



    It binds a wife to an abusive marriage.







How to Respond


            A pastor can't simply tolerate sinfulness in the church without addressing it.


            A wife can't simply tolerate an abusive or cheating husband without taking action.


            Citizens can't simply tolerate demagoguery in their nation without attempting to stop it.


            Brain-washed members can't simply tolerate the cult, they must get out.


            The problem with Jezebel is partly the blame of the victims. They let it happen. It's not a sweet and cuddly message to the  victims. However, it is the message the victims need. They need to know they have power to end Jezebel's influence over their lives.









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