5 Smooth Stones

2 Corinthians 2:11 “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” Jesus said that “she calls herself a prophetess” indicating that she will seem spiritual, religious and prophetic. “She teaches and leads My bond-servants astray,” this pitfall will be found around those who are commi tt ed, who are leaders, who may be in government and often successful (2 Corinthians 2:19). This spirit working through a person, or people, is a tt racted to authority and power. It desires to exercise control through those in power. It will try to gain power by seducing the commi tt ed bond servant away from pure justice, and try to control through witchcraft, deceit, blackmail or seduction. “So that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacri fi ced to idols.” As with Balaam, this seduction pulls the person into a place where the grace of God is hindered and the devil can in fi ltrate the workings of authority. The spirit of Jezebel will be discernible by an unwillingness to repent when given the chance. A leader must be sharp to discern true repentance or simply excuses for error. When this spirit is unable to interject control or compromise it will a tt ack and undermine. When talking about this pitfall it is di ffi cult, sometimes, not to refer to it as female because Jezebel was an actual woman. However, what we are talking about here is a demonic in fl uence which works through, or is launched by, a person or persons, therefore it is important to identify it that way. It will not always work through a woman but often, maybe usually, will. However, it does a tt empt to compel its will through anyone available, usually a person of power or in authority. We can see examples with the governmental administrators and high o ffi cers in Daniel chapter 6 who used fl a tt ery to manipulate King Darius into a judgment upon Daniel whom they could not manipulate. But most often this spirit will work through feminine in fl uences with seduction, charm, compromise, manipulation and coercion. When these do not work, then pressure, deceit, false accusation, and spirits, including murder, may be implemented. We see this in the record of queen Jezebel and Naboth in 1 Kings chapter 21. Naboth was a righteous man and respected his Godly inheritance. Abab the king wanted Naboth’s vineyard for convenience to himself. When Naboth refused to sell out of Godly principle Ahab threw a hissy fi t. His wife, Jezebel, never to be intimidated by principle, and certainly not Godly principles, said she would take care of it for him. In similar fashion to the administrators in Daniel 6 she hatched a plan to catch Naboth in a scheme. 1 Kings 21:9, 10: “And she wrote le tt ers in Ahab's name, 144