9 Warning Signs Someone Is a Jezebel

What does the Bible say about the spirit of Jezebel? Because the phrase “spirit of Jezebel” or “a Jezebel spirit” is not used in the Bible, people often mean different things when they use these phrases.

Since the Bible does not directly talk about “the spirit of Jezebel,” I prefer to simply talk about someone being “a Jezebel” rather than having “a Jezebel spirit” since that denotes a type of demon possession which is not what I will be referring to in this article.

While the Bible doesn’t say anything about the “the spirit of Jezebel,” the Bible does say a lot about the evil person Jezebel and Satan certainly wants people to act like this evil woman. So when I say that someone is a Jezebel, I simply mean that this person is acting in an evil way that is inline with the corrupt, cunning, and coercive character of Jezebel the woman. And to be clear, “a Jezebel” can be a man or a woman.

So here are 9 warning signs to look out for so you can detect a Jezebel.

1. A Jezebel Is Someone Who Has Studied Evil and Promotes Evil Systematically

As we will talk more about in the points ahead, there are certain types of sins that a Jezebel is prone to practice, such as sexual immorality, manipulation, and heresy. But overall, a Jezebel is someone who has been well trained when it comes to evil and idolatry. This is not just your casual sinner, blindly following their fleshly desires. This person has usually studied darkness and systematically seeks to promote evil in a very intentional, thought out way.

Jezebel is introduced in the Scriptures in 1 Kings 16:30-32. It states:

And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.”

Jezebel not only fit well with this evil man Ahab, 1 Kings 21:25 says that Ahab was so evil because of Jezebel, “There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited.” Since she was a princess from a nation that worshiped the false god Baal, it’s clear that she was not a mere novice idol worshipper. She wasn’t content to just be a Baal worshiper herself. She wanted to systematically stomp out God’s truth and spread the worship of Baal. She did this by killing God’s prophets (1 Kings 18:3-4) and providing for the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19).

So one sign someone is a Jezebel is when they are more than just a carnal sinner, seeking self-gratification at any cost. A Jezebel is someone who is clever, intentional, and well learned when it comes to darkness and sin.

2. A Jezebel Doesn’t Care About the Truth. A Jezebel Just Wants Total Control

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah makes a mockery of the Baal prophets. He challenged them in front of all the people by telling them to call on Baal to send fire from the sky to consume their sacrifice. They danced and chanted and slashed themselves until finally they gave up. But then Elijah called upon God to consume his sacrifice with fire and then God did it. All the people saw this (1 Kings 18:39). The truth was evident. God is real and Baal is not.

But Jezebel didn’t care about truth. All she wanted was control. 1 Kings 19:1-3 then states:

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’ Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.”

Elijah later regained his strength in the Lord, but the point here is that a Jezebel is someone who will never be convinced by the truth of the gospel because they are not interested in truth. All they want is control and they will pursue it at any cost. 

3. A Jezebel Uses False Accusations to Get What He or She Wants

In 1 Kings 21, Jezebel’s husband, Ahab, begins to covet Naboth’s field. Naboth refuses to give it to him, so he begins to pout and wine. Jezebel sees this and comes up with a plan. She writes letters in Ahab’s name and tells her followers to plan a feast and to make Naboth the head of the people there. But while at the feast she instructs them to have “two worthless men” accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king. When these men make these false accusations, the people then stone Naboth. Ahab and Jezebel then take his field (1 Kings 21:1-16).

A Jezebel uses this tactic when things get desperate. A Jezebel will be the type of person who will accuse people of things that the mere accusation is enough to ruin their reputation regardless if they are later proved innocent. A Jezebel will try to seduce you first but if you won’t give in this person will attempt to make false accusations against you.

4. A Jezebel Uses Blatant Sexual Seduction to Manipulate People

After Ahab dies, Jezebel’s son, Joram becomes king. But God then anointed Jehu to be king. 2 Kings 9:22 then says, “And when Joram saw Jehu, he said, ‘Is it peace, Jehu?’ He answered, ‘What peace can there be, so long as the whorings and the sorceries of your mother Jezebel are so many?’” Jehu then kills Joram. On his way into the city, 2 Kings 9:30 states of Jezebel, “When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window.”

Jezebel knew her time was running short, so she resorted back to using her sexual beauty to try to get what she wanted. We also know Jezebel was into dark sexual sins because the worship of Baal involved these types of perversions. This is why in Revelations 2:20, Jezebel is again mentioned when it states, “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.”

So one sign of a Jezebel is when someone uses blatant sexual seduction in an attempt to manipulate others.

5. A Jezebel Desires to Corrupt Godly People and Desires to Destroy Those That Won’t Be Corrupted

In Revelations 2:18-29, Jesus is warning the church in Thyatira. He mentions “that woman Jezebel.” It’s not entirely clear who this Jezebel was, but more than likely it seems there was an evil woman in that church or at least a group of evil people who seemed to exhibit the character and evil traits of the Jezebel mentioned in 1 and 2 Kings. In any case, by studying what Jesus said about “that woman Jezebel,” we can learn a lot. Revelations 2:19-23 states:

‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 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. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.”

One of the first traits we can see about a Jezebel from this passage is that they try to corrupt godly people. Notice that this church actually did have many good qualities that were pleasing to the Lord. But this Jezebel wanted to corrupt them.

A Jezebel isn’t content to agree to disagree. A Jezebel won’t leave people alone who resist them. They are actually drawn to people who resist them and want to corrupt those who are not yet corrupted. They won’t just attend a church that agrees with all their evil practices. They want to go to the church that disagrees with them so that they can convince others to believe their lies. They won’t just want friends who are manipulative like them. A Jezebel wants good friends that he or she can tempt into evil. A Jezebel is drawn to environments that are pure and good because this person has a craving to bring corruption to others. 

6. A Jezebel Is Drawn to Passive People Who Tolerate Her Seduction, Manipulation, and Heresy

Because a Jezebel loves to corrupt others, a Jezebel is also drawn to passive people. Notice what Jesus said in Revelations 2:20, “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.”

A Jezebel loves those people who “tolerate her.” A Jezebel knows that seduction and corruption take time. Therefore a Jezebel is drawn to passive people who are prone to being dominated by someone with a charismatic or controlling personality type. 

A Jezebel also looks for passive people because he or she wants to lead people into heresy. Revelations 2:20 again says, “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.” Revelations 2:24 also states, “But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.”

A Jezebel is not someone who holds to the fundamental truths of Christianity. They may tolerate those truths at first to get in good with other people. But eventually a Jezebel will try to convince others to believe in heresy and “the deep things of Satan.” A Jezebel is actually a convincing teacher but this person will teach people lies from the pit of hell.

7. A Jezebel Is Someone Who Doesn’t Repent No Matter How Many Chances They Receive

Revelations 2:21 states, “I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.”

A Jezebel is under God’s condemnation, but in kindness God gives people opportunities to repent. Throughout our lives, all people exhibit some traits of a Jezebel. But what marks a true Jezebel compared to others is that this person never repents no matter how many chances they get.

They will be the type of person who gets busted but then promises you they will never betray you again. But then they just keep doing what they were doing before. A true Jezebel will never change.

8. A Jezebel Leaves a Trail of Casualties in His or Her Path

A Jezebel will try to hide their past because when you finally discover their past you will see a repeated theme of destruction in the lives of everyone they get involved with. A Jezebel is like that pastor who bounces from church to church in different cities so that no one really knows who they are. But after a few years, things always end up the same. The church implodes and people get hurt. A Jezebel is like that person who acts like they have no dating experience but in reality they have had countless relationship experiences and they all ended the same – with heartbreak and betrayals.

Revelations 2:22-23 states, “Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead.” When it states that God will “strike her children dead,” it’s not referring to her literal children but rather her followers and those who practice her ways. A Jezebel leaves a trail of causalities.

9. A Jezebel Is Used By God As an Example to the Church of His Wrath on Those Who Do Not Repent

While a Jezebel is crafty and cunning, eventually God always exposes these people for who they really are. God also uses his public judgement on these people as an example for his people.

Before God had Jezebel destroyed, he foretold her end so that the people would know it was him who brought judgment on her. 1 Kings 21:23 states, “And of Jezebel the Lord also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’” This later occurred just like God said it would in 2 Kings 9:34-37. In Revelations 2:23 it states, “And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.”

So a Jezebel will be marked by public humiliation meant to serve as a warning not to follow in her ways.