What is the Jezebel Spirit? Bible Meaning and Examples

Many of us have heard about the person of Jezebel in the Bible. This evil queen of Israel murdered God’s prophets and reinstituted the worship of foreign idols such as Baals in Israel. Although many of us have heard about the person of Jezebel, we may not be as familiar with something known as a Jezebel spirit.

The Jezebel Spirit term is often used to describe someone who uses cunning, deception, and seduction to tear apart entire marriages, churches, and other entities. Unlike many evil spirits, the Jezebel Spirit operates more subtly and sinisterly. We’ll explore the Jezebel spirit, how to discern if someone you know might have one, and how to ultimately defeat this evil spirit.

Jezebel embodied evil during her lifetime on Earth. She killed men for their vineyards and threatened to murder one of the only remaining prophets because he spouted messages that didn’t digest well for her.

When someone calls another person a “Jezebel,” they mean a few things by this. First, it typically refers to the crafty nature of a person. Jezebel didn’t often do the dirty work herself in Scripture. Instead, she connived with others to get it done for her. For instance, when a man named Naboth refuses to give the land of his ancestors over to the king, a vineyard (1 Kings 21), Jezebel writes letters in her husband’s name to get Naboth killed so she and her husband can acquire the vineyard.

A Jezebel is also someone who uses sexual persuasion to get someone to do something for her. A femme fatale, but so much more insidious. Most likely, a person calls someone a Jezebel if they use the powers of seduction to woo a married man or a man of God away from the path of righteousness.

Calling someone a Jezebel could also hint at their wicked nature. Jezebel, in the Old Testament, embodied wickedness. But most likely, this wickedness comes in the form of adultery or sexual sin. A Jezebel will prey upon a man of God, like Potiphar’s wife to Joseph, to sway him to do something he’ll regret.

Jezebel also has ties with false prophets in Revelation. If someone also has all these traits coupled with the suspect prophetic ability and the powers of seduction, they may be under the influence of this spirit.

What is a Jezebel Spirit?

A Jezebel spirit is a demonic spirit that inhabits a person and causes them to be driven by sexual appetites. It’s often characterized by being seductive, unrepentant, and destructive. Like all spirits of Satan, this one likes to cause division, but it does so in an atypical way. Not many other evil spirits use sexual prowess to turn others away from Christ.

The Bible doesn’t mention the term “Jezebel spirit” specifically, but it does give us plenty of information about the personhood of Jezebel to understand how this type of spirit operates. There does appear to be a hierarchy of evil spirits, but we don’t quite know where this particular evil spirit stands in terms of the hierarchy.

That said, we want to avoid this spirit (and any evil spirit, for that matter) at all costs. To do this, we first have to recognize the tell-tale signs of a Jezebel spirit inside of someone.

Jezebel Spirit in the Bible

The term "Jezebel spirit" is used in some Christian circles to describe a certain type of negative influence or personality traits, based on the Biblical figure Jezebel from the Books of Kings in the Old Testament. However, it's important to note that the term "Jezebel spirit" does not appear in the Bible; rather, it's a modern interpretation or conceptualization.

"But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols." (Revelation 2:20)

Jezebel was a Phoenician princess who married Ahab, king of Israel. She is primarily known for promoting the worship of the Canaanite deity Baal over the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel, and for her opposition to the prophet Elijah. Her story is detailed in 1 Kings and 2 Kings, where she is portrayed as wielding considerable political power and influencing her husband to commit acts contrary to the commands of Yahweh.

In these biblical accounts, Jezebel's actions include:

• Supported the worship of Baal and Asherah, contrary to the Israelite religion, which worshipped Yahweh.
• Orchestrating the false accusation and execution of Naboth, enabling her husband Ahab to seize Naboth's vineyard.
• Opposing and threatening the prophet Elijah after he triumphed over the prophets of Baal.

Due to these actions, Jezebel is often associated with traits such as manipulation, seduction, and control, particularly how she used power to influence and corrupt. In Christian teachings, a "Jezebel spirit" is often used metaphorically to describe individuals who are seen as using similar manipulative tactics, especially in spiritual or church contexts. However, this is a symbolic rather than a scriptural interpretation.

What Does the Jezebel Spirit Do?

How do we recognize when someone has a Jezebel spirit? This article mentions a hierarchy of evil spirits and suggests this is one higher up due to its cunning nature and ability to pull more than one trick out of its hat.

Although these characteristics don’t always hint at someone having a Jezebel spirit, they are very much symptoms of being influenced or possessed by one. First, a person wants to orchestrate or control everything, as mentioned in the Bible Knowledge article. Jezebel was the same during her time on Earth. She wanted all the subjects in Israel underneath her thumb.

Secondly, the spirit often uses manipulation or deception to get what it wants. In the same way that Queen Jezebel coerced others to do her bidding, the spirit will try to do the same through subtlety and sneaking.

Thirdly, and most telling, the Jezebel spirit uses seduction to sway people away from the paths of righteousness (Revelation 2:20). The church in Thyatira ran into this problem in Revelation when a fake prophetess, with the name Jezebel, tried to seduce its members, and the church allowed her to continue to stay.

Finally, the spirit is unrepentant of its actions. It knows it wreaks havoc and destruction. Its modus operandi is to tear apart holy and pure institutions and relationships. Satan likes to pervert good things, and one of the best ways to do that is via seduction, manipulation, and division. Enter the Jezebel spirit.

Before we dive into ways to defeat this spirit, I wanted to clarify that no one can be possessed by an evil spirit if they have a saving relationship with the Lord. Demons can tempt believers, but they cannot inhabit them. We also need to exercise extreme discernment. A person may display all of these traits and still not be inhabited or influenced by a Jezebel spirit. When discernment must be implemented, pray and ask for guidance and clarity when approaching this person. If this person is a part of your congregation, make sure to exercise proper church discipline. If they do not attend a church, pray for discernment on how you will go and confront this person about their actions.

How to Defeat a Jezebel Spirit

Before we dive into how to defeat a Jezebel spirit that has influenced or inhabited someone, we must understand that the power to do so comes from the Lord. Christians who have called evil spirits out of someone, myself included, need to give the glory to God. After all, it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit in which we call these evil beings out of loved ones.

Let’s explain a few steps to defeat a Jezebel spirit once we’ve discerned that someone has one.

First, as mentioned in this article, ask God for the best next course of action. Different spirits require different dealings. First and foremost, we need to follow the will of the Lord.

Secondly, if this person goes to your church and refuses to repent and ask for deliverance, you may need to ask them to step away from your congregation. Allowing Satan to operate within the walls of your church will only lead to pain and destruction. No matter how much you love this person, sometimes we have to make the difficult decision to send them away from the congregation for a season.

Finally, as Christians, we need to know that we have the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to bind evil spirits in Jesus’ name and to cast them out in Jesus’ name. With that said, spirits often return to a host (Matthew 12:43) even after being cast out. The only permanent solution is if the person who had once been inhabited repents and asks for deliverance. Sadly, the Jezebel spirit often puffs up the pride of the host so that they do not feel as though they need to repent. Continue to pray for this person to have a clarity of spirit and a spirit of repentance.

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Kate Smith, Video credits for audio, video, photos: Soundstripe, Storyblocks, LightStock, ThinkStock

Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.

This article is part of our larger resource library of Christian practices and disciplines important to the Christian faith. From speaking in tongues to tithing & baptism, we want to provide easy to read and understand articles that answer your questions about Christian living.

10 Things to Know about Speaking in Tongues
The Fruit of the Spirit - What Are They?
What Is the Tithe?
What Is the Sabbath and Is it Still Important?
Baptism - What Does it Mean and Why Is it Important?

Communion - 10 Important Things to Remember
Armor of God - What Is it and How to Use It
What Does it Mean to Be Righteous?
What Is Christening?
What Is Submission?