October 21, 2009

When Love Yields to Fear – What is a Jezebel Spirit all about? (Part 3/3)

Table of Contents
Introduction
“Short ‘n’ Sweet” Description of a Jezebel
Key Characteristics of a Jezebel Spirit
Control-freak and Manipulator
Power Seeker
Usurper of Genuine Religious Authority; Enemy of True Christians
Pretentious Liar
Prideful, Vain and Narcissistic
Denier of Guilt or Responsibility; Unrepentant
Jealous
Bitter and Resenting
Warlike and Vicious
Feminist and Men Hater
(Self-)destructive
*Claims Undue Credit, Denies Others Due* Credit**
Information Gatherers
Sower of Confusion and Insecurity
Areas of Operation
Conclusion
Jezebel Compared to Hare’s Checklist of Psychopathy
How to Deal with Jezebel Spirits
References
Appendices
I – The Biblical Jezebel, Queen of Israel and High Priestess of Baal and Ashtoreth
II – Baal, Pagan Deity of Nature and Fertility
III – Ashtoreth, Chief Pagan Semitic Goddess of War and Sex/Fertility; “Queen of Heaven”, “Mother of God”

Conclusion

Jezebel Compared to Hare’s Checklist of Psychopathy

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On reflecting on all of the above characteristics, it should be clear that we are dealing with an extremely ferocious and malicious spirit indeed. In fact, it is so utterly uncaring for the interests of other people that will be interesting to find out just how closely a typical thoroughbred Jezebel satisfies the criteria for clinical psychopathy.

Let’s consider the Hare Psychopathy checklist:

The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is a diagnostic tool used to rate a person’s psychopathic or antisocial tendencies. People who are psychopathic prey ruthlessly on others using charm, deceit, violence or other methods that allow them to get what they want. The symptoms of psychopathy include: lack of a conscience or sense of guilt, lack of empathy, egocentricity, pathological lying, repeated violations of social norms, disregard for the law, shallow emotions, and a history of victimizing others. minddisorders.com

Now does that or does that not sound like our little Jezebel right there? I like to think so too, but let’s be a little more scientific about it.

Here’s the score convention of the Hare checklist:

When properly completed by a qualified professional, the PCL-R provides a total score that indicates how closely the test subject matches the “perfect” score that a classic or prototypical psychopath would rate. Each of the twenty items is given a score of 0, 1, or 2 based on how well it applies to the subject being tested. A prototypical psychopath would receive a maximum score of 40, while someone with absolutely no psychopathic traits or tendencies would receive a score of zero. A score of 30 or above qualifies a person for a diagnosis of psychopathy. People with no criminal backgrounds normally score around 5. Many non-psychopathic criminal offenders score around 22. minddisorders.com

Let’s go over the entire checklist point-by-point:

Jezebel’s Character compared to the Hare Psychopathy Checklist
Trait	Estimated Score + Comment
glib and superficial charm	Score=2 … Jezebels resort to pretense and trickery to hide their blackened character and ditto actions behind.
grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self	Score=2 … Jezebels are vain to the point of being narcissistic and therefore are too proud to think less of themselves.
need for stimulation	Score=2 … Since they are warlike, vicious and seek power they naturally gravitate to “action.”
pathological lying	Score=2 … It’s part of the bag of tricks to help gain what they want. Jezebels excel in lying.
cunning and manipulativeness	Score=2 … Jezebels obsessively use manipulation to satisfy their desires and attain their goals.
lack of remorse or guilt	Score=2 … They feel they do not and cannot do anything wrong. Their pride and vanity prevents them from being able to do so.
shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness)	Score=2 … Jezebels are shallow when it comes to anyone but themselves, period. Unless it serves their interests they will only superficially pretend to show affection for others.
callousness and lack of empathy	Score=2 … By their warlike and manipulative character Jezebels demonstrate to not care for people other than themselves.
parasitic lifestyle	Score=2 … It’s the consequence of seeking to usurp (religious) authority and the power from other people who are deemed “useful”. Jezebels use people and when they are “done” with them, they drop ’em like hot potatoes.
poor behavioral controls	Score=2 … Jezebels know no ethical restraints.
sexual promiscuity	Score=2 … This is implied by the willingness of Jezebels to apply sexual seduction to meet their goals.
early behavior problems	Score=2 … Their lack of concern for other beings makes them prone to all kinds of behavioral problems. It is also in their nature though to cover up their behavior by cunning, deceit, pretense and denial.
lack of realistic long-term goals	Score=2 … Ego dominated thinking is necessarily myopic in nature. On a more philosophical note, goals detached from God are always unrealistic in the long run.
impulsivity	Score=2 … Jezebels think firstly about themselves and secondly about… themselves also. If they feel their egos are challenged they act swiftly and ruthlessly.
irresponsibility	Score=2 … If something goes wrong, it is always the fault of someone else. Jezebels never take responsibility for something that has gone wrong. They do however claim credit for something they do not do, if it only makes them look better.
failure to accept responsibility for own actions	Score=2 … Jezebels cannot “lower” themselves to feel responsible and display sympathy for a disadvantaged party. They probably rationalize it away, claiming that they merely deserved it or that it was “tough luck” etc.
many short-term marital relationships	Score=1 … Given the inclination of Jezebels to use sexual seduction as a weapon this may indeed pose problems in regards to loyalty to possible spouses. This point needs individual assessment though.
juvenile delinquency	Score=2 … Because of their lack of ethical consciousness there is a systemic lack of inhibition to commit crime, in all age-groups.
revocation of conditional release	Score=1 … Likely but to be decided on an individual basis…
criminal versatility	Score=1 … It’s a consequence of their unscrupulousness and the absence of ethical inhibition. “The end justifies the means,” is their credo. If a crime needs to be committed, then so be it.

Source Hare Checklist: minddisorders.com

We see that a typical Jezebel scores at least 37 points. By satisfying the check-list to such outstanding degree, a Jezebel spirit finding expression in a consistently willing or relenting human host, demonstrates to indeed have the character of a (virtual) prototypical psychopath.

How to Deal with Jezebel Spirits

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Confrontation is really the only “cure” in dealing with a Jezebel spirit. The problem is that many people fear confrontation, knowing it will create an ugly scene. Therefore they prolong the inevitable. Vassula Ryden

Jezebel wants to paralyze with fear, condemnation, depression, apathy or whatever it takes until we withdraw. The only answer for those under Jezebel’s attack is perseverance in battle. We must remain on course no matter how long it takes! jonhamilton.com

Indeed confrontation and perseverance is required in dealing with the Jezebel spirit. I can say out of my own experience that Jezebel will hold out to the very end. She is very aggressive and tenacious. You cannot afford to ignore her because she will do damage. It is therefore important to make hosts, or captives, realize that they are protecting her and allow her to stay as long as they deny that she’s in them or are too ashamed to repent for their sins. Once that groundwork has been done though, preparations for deliverance can be done and she can be evicted relatively easily.

Jezebel needs to be dealt with ruthlessly and without compromise:

True, fervent intercessory prayer causes hearts to change from pride and loftiness to repentance and humility; nothing brings a greater death blow to the spirit of Jezebel. Vassula Ryden

First, we must rid ourselves of Jezebel’s ways. We cannot cast out lust when we harbor lust in our lives. We cannot bring down a spirit of control if we use manipulation and hype to control our congregations. We must examine our own ways, and repent of Jezebel.

Second, it takes Jehu. Although Elijah was Jezebel’s enemy, it took JEHU to trample Jezebel.

Jehu took no prisoners and showed no mercy to Jezebel. He had singleness of purpose and was driven by it. As he approached Jezebel those who saw his chariot noted he “drives furiously” (2Ki 9:20). When others offered peace and compromise, Jehu responded “How can there be peace as long as the harlotries and witchcrafts of Jezebel are many?” (2Ki 9:22)

This is repeated in the NT: “What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?” (2Co 6:15) NO COMPROMISE

Jehu would not rest until Jezebel was dead. Her pleasures could not attract him. Her threats did not deter him. He would not tolerate Jezebel.

Jesus says we too cannot TOLERATE Jezebel. (Rev 2:20) We must learn the prophetic power of the word “No!” We must give no ground.

When Jezebel attempted to captivate Jehu, he did not even allow himself to be drawn into conversation with her. Instead, he called on her eunuchs (a type of today’s men) to cast her down from her balcony. Those with the Jehu anointing will call to Jezebel’s emasculated slaves to rise up above their miserable situation, and they too will cast her down, and be set free. albatrus.org

To confront this spirit, we must be ruthless toward it, showing no mercy and no sympathy toward it and its behavior. We must realize that we are dealing with an evil spirit, and although we must be compassionate to the person in its clutches, we must deal a death blow to the evil spirit. Steve Sampson (p. 19)

Anyone who is hit by this spirit needs, first of all, to repent deeply of their sympathetic thoughts toward it, and then war against it! Do not waste days and weeks under condemnation. Separate yourself from that Jezebelian thinking which was fostered upon you in your youth, pick up the sword of the Spirit, and war against the principality of Jezebel! Pray for the saints in your church. Pray for the Christians throughout your community. If you war against Jezebel when you are tempted, eventually you are going to be dangerous! This spirit will stop attacking you once it recognizes that your aggressive counterattack is setting other people free! Francis Frangipane (p12-13)

Jezebel hates prayer. Intercessory prayer pries her fingers off the hearts and souls of men. It sets people free in the spirit. When you pray, it binds her. When you pray against immorality, it cripples her. When you pray for a submissive heart, it is like trampling of Jehu’s horse upon her body. Francis Frangipane (p 15)

If a man has relinquished his headship authority to a Jezebelian wife, Frangipane writes:

God’s answer to dealing with Jezebel is not to exchange one form of oppression (Jezebel’s), for another (the man’s). God’s objective is to replace Jezebel’s concept of security with the security a woman receives when she is tenderly loved by her husband. Thus, the man wins the war against Jezebel by becoming Christlike.

The woman overcomes the haughtiness of Jezebel by seeking the meekness of Christ. She pursues a “gentle and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 2:23-3:4), which is natural to Christlikeness. The woman must see God’s wisdom in the divine order of the family and honor her husband as her head. If she is unmarried, she should be submitted to the order God has established in her church as unto the Lord. Her humility and peace in serving others is a sign of destruction to the nature of Jezebel (see Philippians 1:28). Francis Frangipane (p 35-36)

What terrifies and cripples the power of darkness more than anything else is when believers surrender totally to the person and nature of Christ. To be Christlike is to wield a powerful weapon against the enemy, because, after all, the Jezebel spirit is specifically opposed to the nature of Christ.

To have disdain and intolerance for all types of the influence of Jezebel, there must be consistency in our lives as believers. For example, many times we rejoice and worship before the Lord in church, and yet we come home later and watch immoral entertainment on television. When we tolerate the influence of the spirit of Jezebel in our private lives, we give inroads to the sanctuary of our lives. This behavior doesn’t fool God, and by being tolerant of Jezebel, we greatly hinder the flow of God’s power in our lives and our effectiveness for Him. Steve Sampson (p. 24)

Some might suggest that a Jezebel spirit can simply be cast out. If it were only a demon, this would be true. However, Jezebels have a personality that has been shaped by controlling demonic thoughts. Flesh cannot be cast out. Neither can personality traits that are deeply entrenched. Therefore, the person must be willing to ruthlessly face truth and be willing to let God crucify his flesh. The flesh and its patterns must be subjected to the Holy Spirit daily in order for the person to be permanently set free. Steve Sampson (p. 37)

After having cast Jezebel out, the battle is not over. The flesh will need daily crucifixion and constant intervention by the Holy Spirit to undo the effects of the subjection to captivity of such a vicious and malicious spirit.

I can affirm from my own experience as being a captive of Jezebel that while she couldn’t achieve full control over me, she did manage to leave thought-imprints on my mind that weren’t my own. Now Jezebel is no longer in me, these thoughts are still in my memory though. The reason why is quite simple: Thoughts, when interpreted as instructive, may lead to behavior. Behavior, when exercised repetitively, may become habitual and habits do not go with the spirit but rather need to be unlearned. Therefore, critical self-examination and constant re-evaluation of old (Jezebelian) thoughts is required so as to be able to root out any and all traces of Jezebel’s interference with your mind. The longer she’s been in, the longer it will take to eliminate her impression on your soul.