THE AHAB AND JEZEBEL SPIRITS
A Jezebel spirit is charming. It can operate in a man or a woman. But it can’t operate at full capacity without its companion spirit, Ahab. When Ahab, one of God’s anointed leaders, married Jezebel, it was not a godly partnership. God didn’t say anything against Jezebel, but instead, 1 Kings 16:30 reads: “Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him.” What is it about an Ahab that makes God unhappy? The Ahab spirit makes good people weak and easily manipulated. God doesn’t want His people abused. The Ahab spirit knows that a person wants to feel worthwhile, wants to be powerful and make a difference in life. But the Ahab spirit makes the person compromise and capitulate to get it.
An Ahab values peace more than purity. He or she would rather make a truce than a righteous covenant. They fear confrontation and will do just about anything to avoid it. Those under the influence of an Ahab spirit are passive. They like the position of authority, but look for someone else to make the confrontational and difficult decisions. They allow the person under the spirit of Jezebel to have acting authority. Ahab of the Bible allowed Jezebel to set up her witchcraft, her sacrifices to Baal, her strange religions and eventually Ahab sat by, letting Jezebel even murder the true prophets of God. Jezebel is a charmer, funny, engaging and even delightful, but once in control, vicious.
The word “Jezebel” means “unmarried, uncommitted, unrestricted.” A Jezebel spirit is always looking for an Ahab to control. Jezebel is not committed to Ahab but uses Ahab to facilitate his or her plans. And Ahab is a willing client. In psychology, the relationship between Ahab and Jezebel is called co-dependency. Jezebel needs a weak person and Ahab, who hates confrontation, needs a strong one.
Ahab conforms, compromises and counterfeits. He or she doesn’t want to make waves. Peace is prized above truth and the feeling of serenity above purity. 1 Kings 16:31 says Ahab thought it was no big deal to connect with Jezebel and “walk in the sins of Jeroboam.” Jeroboam was a master of compromise. The people were supposed to go to Jerusalem for their feast, but since Jeroboam was afraid they’d want to serve the king there, instead of him, he decided to do his own thing. He made up his own rules, contrary to the rules of God.
It looked pretty good, but it was a counterfeit. Jeroboam made some gold statues similar to the ones they made in the wilderness, set up two places for the feast—places much easier to get to than Jerusalem, and he changed the feast month to make it more convenient for him. (See 1 Kings 11:26-16:27.) It didn’t work out well for Jeroboam or his people.
When compromise starts, it escalates into the making up of new rules and situational ethics. Jezebel is allowed to make the rules, while Ahab feels obligated to religiously follow them, for fear of confrontation, a fight, or losing the relationship entirely. An Ahab recognizes wrong, but fear binds him. The Ahab can see a wrong but is afraid of the consequences of standing up to it.
The devil always wants to set up unhealthy, unholy co-dependent relationships and the Ahab/Jezebel is a perfect example.
The great thing is that both of these spirits are flighty—they easily flit back and forth, in and out. They’re fickle, which makes them easier to tackle and take out. They’re renters, not homeowners. When we recognize their characteristics, we can do something about them.
Rebuke them in the name of Jesus Christ. Tell them they cannot be in charge of you anymore. Tell them to find someone else to bother, or better yet, go out to outer darkness, in the name of Jesus.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). We are bold and brave. We do not have to be co-dependent with anyone but the Lord. He is our safety, our leader, our standard.
We don’t bow to anyone but God because only He deserves our love and trust. The Lord loves us enough to hear our prayers and set us free of any demons. His rewards for relationship are everlasting and eternally good.
Love, Carolyn
God inspires these articles, and you can find other great life-changing insights in these digital downloads and paperback editions. If you would like to receive a free sample book, email me at cjmolica@hotmail.com .
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