                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                          Don't Run From Jezebel!

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By David Wilkerson
August 2, 1993
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          God intends for every believer to be in full control of
          his or her life - through the power and might of the
          Holy Ghost! The Bible makes it clear that our walk is
          to be ordered by the Lord David testified, "Those who
          trust in the Lord will not be confounded" (see Psalm
          22:5).

          Your life is not under control, how ever, if you are
          being victimized by a spirit of fear, lust, despondency
          or depression. If you are constantly bombarded with
          feelings of worthlessness or thoughts of giving up -
          your life is not under control!

          If any of this describes you, I pray that the Holy
          Ghost will use this message to grip your soul - and to
          put some fight back in you. God wants you to stand up
          against the devil - to reclaim all the territory you've
          given up to him!

          I want to show you how one of the most powerful, godly
          men in all of the Bible lost control of his life for a
          season - and how he got back in control. It is the
          story of Elijah!

          God told this mighty prophet to call together the 450
          priests of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah at the
          top of Mount Carmel, God was going to have a contest -
          a showdown with the devil! It was all about who would
          be worthy of worship - the pagan gods, or Jehovah God.

          You remember that Holy Ghost fire came down from
          heaven, consuming the sacrifice on Elijah's altar and
          licking up the twelve barrels of water. When the
          middle-of-the-road believers saw this, they all fell on
          their faces and worshiped the Lord!

          Then these people fell into a holy rage - because they
          had been fooled! Their exposure to the worthless
          idolatry had kept them under bondage in captivity. So
          they took those 850 heathen priests and slew them all!

          Meanwhile, Elijah told King Ahab, "Get ready for rain!"
          And the prophet went up on the mountain and prayed down
          a mighty thunderstorm, ending the drought. Then the
          Spirit of God fell upon him - and Elijah outran Ahab's
          chariot for sixteen miles, back to the palace in
          Jezreel!

          Scripture says, "And the hand of the Lord was on
          Elijah" (1 Kings 18:46). Indeed, no man could do any of
          this without the Spirit of God resting upon him
          mightily.

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          Elijah's Personal Battle Began at the Gate of Jezreel!

                  ---------------------------------------

          When Elijah came to Jezreel, he stopped outside the
          city gate and wouldn't go in. He represents where many
          of us are right now - outside the gate of evil,
          separated from sin, beyond the reach of all enemies.

          Up to this point, Elijah was very much in control of
          his life. He was uplifted, fearless, zealous for God
          and hating idolatry. His prayers prevailed - none of
          his words fell to the ground. And God had just used him
          in the greatest manner of all his ministry. Elijah
          single-handedly had shaken the very powers of hell!

          We don't know what Elijah was thinking as he sat
          outside the city gate. But we do know he "...was a man
          subject to like passions as we are" (James 5:7). He was
          fully human, in spite of all he had just accomplished.

          I believe Elijah greatly expected God to finish the
          work He had begun - to bring down all idolatry in the
          land! He probably thought, "Perhaps those righteous
          ones who saw the fire fall will rise up and cast
          Jezebel out of her palace. Surely she's fearful. She's
          probably packing her bags and ordering a chariot right
          now.

          "There could be riots in the streets. And the people
          are going to need a prophetic voice when everything
          erupts I've got to be here!"

          As he waited outside the city in anticipation of God's
          move, Elijah felt very important, very needed - and
          mighty in God. But, beloved, you can experience
          something like Elijah did on Mount Carmel - pulling
          down strongholds prevailing in prayer, rescuing souls
          from Satan's clutches and yet immediately experience a
          great fall!

          The most vulnerable point in your life as a Christian
          is right after you've experienced a mighty victory.
          Many pastors, evangelists and lay-people who have been
          greatly led of God have fallen because they became
          careless and smug in their hour of power. They thought
          they'd come to a place in God where they were above
          being attacked - that they could handle anything
          without any trouble.

          But an angry devil moved in at the first sign of their
          smugness. He injected into their minds a spiritual
          pride - and they fell because they were not prepared!

          That same pride was in Elijah! The true contents of his
          heart came out later as he hid in a cave on Mount
          Horeb:

          "And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God
          of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy
          covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy
          prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left;
          and they seek my life, to take it away." (1 Kings
          19:10). Elijah was saying, "I'm one of a kind, Lord.
          I'm the only one left In Israel who is fighting for
          You!"

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                   There Are Two Battles in This Story!

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          The battle on Mount Carmel never was between Elijah and
          Jezebel - it was between God and the devil! Elijah was
          full of God's Spirit, and Jezebel was possessed by
          Satan It was a battle between the powers of hell and
          God's corporate body on earth!

          This is the kind of warfare most of us are engaged in
          right now. It is a battle over morals, between the
          church of Jesus Christ and the workers of iniquity -
          abortionists, drug pushers, flaunted homosexuals,
          pornographers, godless politicians.

          Yet we also see in Elijah's story a personal battle
          unfolding. This one is between the devil - and Elijah
          alone! Satan is saying: "I may have lost the battle for
          the church. But I'm going after God's man!"

          Jezebel represents Satan in this story. Everything she
          did was directed by the devil. She was his tool to
          bring confusion, disorder and turmoil to Israel. Listen
          to how God's Word describes her:

          "I have a few things against thee, because thou
          sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a
          prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to
          commit fornication.... And I gave her space to repent
          of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I
          will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery
          with her into great tribulation, except they repent of
          their deeds" (Revelation 2:19-22).

          Jezebel is a type of the devil- reprobate, past
          repentance. She represents a seducing spirit that is at
          work in the world right now, desiring to bring mixture
          into God's house. The spirit's aim is to rob the church
          of all holy worship given to the Father. It seeks to
          sidetrack believers out of worshipping God from a pure
          heart!

          "And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and
          how he had slain all the prophets with the sword" (1
          Kings 19:1). Jezebel listened as Ahab told how the
          miraculous fire fell on Elijah's altar...how the people
          fell to the round in awe and fear of God...and how they
          slew her 450 Baal priests and the 400 prophets of
          Asherah!

          Suddenly, Jezebel's face turned red with anger. (It was
          the devil rising up in her!) She said, "I may have lost
          all my priests. I may have lost the affection and
          worship that I expected from the people of God. This is
          a crippling blow; to all my plans.

          "But now I'm going after Elijah! I'm focusing all my
          attention on this servant of God who has caused such
          havoc in my kingdom. I don't care what else happens -
          I'm going to get this man!"

          At this point Elijah is sitting outside the city,
          minding God's business blameless, victorious, not an
          unholy thought in his mind. Then suddenly, seemingly
          out of nowhere, a messenger of Satan appears with a
          message from hell! "Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto
          Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more
          also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them
          by tomorrow about this time" (19:1-2).

          Satan was threatening: "Elijah, you're as good as dead!
          You've gone too far - and now the battle is between you
          and me. You've had it -you're a dead man!"

          Beloved, God allowed this personal challenge for a
          reason! And it's the same reason every godly, dedicated
          believer must experience the same battle!

          You see, it's one thing to stand up against the workers
          of iniquity. when you see the forces of evil at work in
          America - judges ruling God's name out of school,
          doctors killing babies, lesbians preaching from church
          pulpits - you know that Satan is working against the
          whole body of Christ. And that is a corporate battle.

          Yet is another thing entirely when you come face to
          face with an angry devil - and he's out to get you
          personally! He comes after you as an individual,
          because you've made an impact in the kingdom of God -
          you've shaken hell!

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                  It Was a Lie Jezebel Would Kill Elijah!

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          The devil uses lies and fear to try to take control of
          believers' lives. And he did it with Elijah!

          First, Jezebel swore her oath by gods that already had
          been exposed as powerless. Elijah had nothing to fear
          from those gods. Furthermore, God had put a wall of
          fire around Elijah; He had surrounded His servant with
          chariots of fire and a host of angels. The prophet
          wasn't in any danger!

          But Elijah wasn't thinking about those chariots. Nor
          was he thinking about the God who was with him on Mount
          Carmel - the One who could help him through his
          personal battle as well.

          No - Elijah panicked! Scripture says, "... He arose,
          and went for his life" (verse 3). In just a few hours
          he went from holy boldness, assurance and authority -
          to fear, despair and confusion!

          You must understand, the devil could not kill Elijah.
          Only God holds the keys to life and death. And besides,
          Satan didn't want to kill Elijah - because he knew
          death would only propel him into God's presence and out
          of his reach!

          Nevertheless, just twenty-four hours after Elijah's
          great victory, the prophet was sitting in the desert
          under a juniper tree, moaning, "I've had enough! I
          can't take any more. I want to die!" "He himself went a
          day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat
          down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself
          that he might die" (verse 4).

          I ask you - are you under the juniper tree? Are you
          worn out, confused, your life out of control? Is all
          power gone - all victories fading fast, with fear and
          despair setting in? Have you ever said, "Enough, Lord -
          I want to die!"

                     ---------------------------------

                Jeremiah Experienced The Same Great Battle!

                     ---------------------------------

          The prophet Jeremiah was another holy man of God. He
          was righteous, blameless, without an unclean spot in
          his life. This man sounded so in control:

          "The Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one:
          therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall
          not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they
          shall not prosper: Their everlasting confusion shall
          never be forgotten... Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the
          Lord: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from
          the hand of evildoers" (Jeremiah 20:11-13).

          This sounds like a man who is full of faith and
          victory. Yet, suddenly we hear the groaning of a
          confused, dismayed, dejected prophet! Jeremiah sounds
          like he, too is sitting under the juniper tree:

          "Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day
          wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man
          who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child
          is born unto thee; making him very glad... Let that man
          be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented
          not... because he slew me not from the womb; or that my
          mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be
          always great with me" (verses 14-17).

          This holy man of God was saying, "Why didn't they kill
          me when I was born? If only I had died in the womb!"
          What had happened to make his attitude change so
          quickly?

          The devil had come directly against him - through
          Pashur, the chief governor, who beat him and cast him
          into prison!

          Jeremiah fell into confusion: "O Lord, thou hast
          deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than
          I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every
          one mocketh me" (verse 7). He was saying, "I have to do
          Your will, Lord, because You're stronger than I am. But
          whenever You tell me to prophesy, nothing comes to
          pass! Everybody mocks me!"

          Dear saint, I ask you - do you walk holy and righteous
          before God? Is your heart set on obeying and loving
          Him? Are you hungry for God - walking according to His
          power with all the light you've been given?

          Let me warn you - it is possible for you to have a
          season when things spin out of control! The enemy will
          come at you in the your time of greatest blessing -
          because of what you have done to his kingdom!

          We all know that addicts, alcoholics and ungodly people
          live their days out of control. But many godly people
          also go through seasons of running from the devil,
          their lives out of control. Few of us, in fact, can say
          with Nehemiah: "Should such a man as I flee?... I will
          not [run]" (Nehemiah 6:11). Most of us have already
          run, like Elijah!

          Perhaps you're under attack right now - and you're
          sitting under the juniper tree, dazed and confused.
          You're saying within your heart, "Lord, I've had
          enough. Take me home!"

          Dear saint of God, I want to show you how to take back
          control of your life from the devil - how to reclaim
          the ground you've lost to him!

          Here are three things the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart
          on this matter:

                      -------------------------------

                    1. You Must Keep in Mind That God Is
                     With You - Even in Your Running!

                      -------------------------------

          God is with you during every attack of the enemy. He
          never leaves you nor forsakes you! Elijah was in utter
          despair - totally confused, fearful, wanting to give
          up. But God looked upon him in his despondency and sent
          him a private angel - to be a butler and a cook for
          him!

          Scripture says: "As he lay and slept under a juniper
          tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto
          him, Arise and eat, And he looked, and, behold, there
          was a cake baked on the coals, and a cruse of water at
          his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down
          again."

          "And the angel of the Lord came again the second time,
          and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the
          journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did
          eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat
          forty days and forty nights" (1 Kings 19:5-8). Have you
          ever been served a meal so nutritious, it lasted forty
          days? That had to be some meal!

          Here is what I believe the Lord said to the angel
          before sending him to Elijah:

          "Be patient with him! He's hurting, confused, full of
          questions. He thinks he wants to die, but he really
          wants to live. He feels useless, at the end of his
          rope. But I still love him! I've got much more work for
          him to do in My kingdom.

          "Soon I'm going to awaken his spirit. But, meanwhile,
          feed him well - refresh him! And tell him the journey
          is too great for him. He can't make it without eating
          the food I supply!"

          Thank God the angel said that to Elijah! It is true -
          the journey is too great for all of us! We can't handle
          it. That is why God has given us this Word - and it's
          better than any angel! He says, "Go to My Word - eat
          and drink. There you will find all the strength you
          need to go through this trial!"

                      -------------------------------

                  2. Taking Back Control Requires Dealing
                    With The Lord's Still, Small Voice!

                      -------------------------------

          The voice of the Spirit will ask you the same thing He
          asked Elijah: "what are you doing here, Elijah?" (1
          Kings 19:9, NAS).

          God was saying to his servant, "How long will you allow
          the devil to lie to you? When will you wake up and say,
          'Enough of this foolishness!' It's time to take a
          stand, to fight back - to take control!"

          Perhaps the Lord is saying the same thing to you right
          now: "Why are you hiding here, living in this fear and
          depression? How long will you let this go on? You don't
          need to fear - I have never left you. Get up! Your work
          for Me is not done. Get out of this cave of sadness and
          guilt!"

          God had to put this question to Elijah twice. At first,
          Elijah answered that his holiness and zeal had gotten
          him in trouble: "Lord, they've slain all Your prophets.
          I'm the only one left -and they're trying to kill me!"

          But God asked the question again - because Elijah
          hadn't told the whole truth! You see, God was after
          what was deep in Elijah's heart - the real reason his
          spirit and soul were down and out. It was this:

          "God, you let the devil get to me! You let him harass
          me, take away my joy, put fear in me. And I did not
          deserve such treatment! I have been holy, obedient,
          doing all You told me to do, Yet after all my praying,
          preaching and obedience, I ended up with the biggest
          battle of my life!"

          Does this describe your spirit as well? You've tried
          your best to do God's will and work, giving Jesus your
          whole heart and energy - and yet you've fallen under
          attack from the devil!

          The Lord is coming to you now, asking, "Why are you so
          down - why so panicky? Let's get to the heart of this.
          What's the real problem behind it all?" He wants you to
          admit what is really in your heart: "God, I didn't
          deserve this attack from the enemy, when I was trying
          so hard to please you!"

          Perhaps you already have poured out your heart to God
          in this way. But have you told Him the rest of what's
          deep inside:

          I'm tired of all the lessons, Lord! I don't want to
          learn anymore. I'm here simply to do Your will - to win
          victories for You, to save souls. Just let me do that
          and then go home to glory!"

          Beloved, this is the whole issue, the whole problem:
          We're tired of learning God's ways! We think, "Is there
          never a time when I can sit back and know the devil is
          defeated? Won't my battles ever end?" No - God has a
          different plan! And it is this: "When you learn how to
          resist the devil, he will flee from you!" (see James
          4:7).

          You may say, "I already know that!" But many Christians
          think resisting the devil means railing at him -
          yelling, trying to scare him away. But that is of no
          effect!

          God is talking about something entirely different here.
          He is saying: "How can you learn how to resist Satan
          until I have let him come at you, roaring and
          threatening? He is not a figment of your imagination -
          he is a real devil! And you have to learn to give
          opposition to him!"

          Professional snake handlers - those who draw poison
          from rattlesnakes for medicinal purposes - get their
          training by going straight into the snake pit. It is
          the only way they can rid themselves of fear. And it is
          the only way to learn snakes' devices how they move and
          operate.

          Beloved, God wants to take you into the pit - to stand
          face to face with the devil! He wants you to hear the
          enemy's crafty lying and roaring, so you can learn how
          to resist him. He - wants to teach you to stand firmly
          - to quietly withstand all of Satan's empty rattling!

          Scripture says of Michael the arch angel: "Yet Michael
          the archangel, when contending with the devil he
          disputed about the body of Moses, [dared] not bring
          against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord
          rebuke thee" (Jude 9). Michael was saying, without
          fear: "I don't have time to play games with you, devil
          I have work to do. The Lord will take care of you!"

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               3. You Regain control When You Begin to
                Understand Why God Has Allowed You to
               Endure Such a Personal, Grievous Battle!

              -----------------------------------------------

          First, God allows your trial because He wants to make
          you "devil-proof"! That doesn't mean you won't be
          attacked again. But you will be trained to stand! It is
          all part of His preparing you for greater service,
          greater anointing, expanded usefulness in His kingdom.

          Furthermore, the Lord is trying to strengthen you
          against the devil's wiles. He is raising up a body of
          believers who have faced the devil, who have been
          strengthened against him - and who know his devices and
          are not afraid of him! God is saying, "Once you
          understand why you're going through this, you will have
          taken back all the ground you've lost. You will be in
          control again - by the power of the Holy Ghost!"

          Once Elijah's trial was over, he would never run again.
          He now had a sense of direction - he was reassured in
          his spirit. You see, God was about to send him to
          nations to raise up kings, leaders and prophets!

          God told him: "Go, return on thy way... anoint Hazael
          to be King over Syria... and Jehu... to be king over
          Israel... and Elisha... to be prophet in thy [stead]"
          (1 Kings 19:15-16). Elijah had been given fresh
          anointing power. He was in control again!

          "So he departed thence" (verse 19). Elijah came out of
          the cave to do God's will! He didn't have to shed a
          river of tears. No - he simply had heard the Word of
          the Lord!

          Beloved, the only hold the devil can have on you is
          fear. And you've got to shake it off in faith! You have
          to say, "I'm not going down. God is going to give me a
          fresh anointing from heaven - He's going to use me!"

          Do you believe that God is not finished with you - that
          He is teaching and training you for better things? He
          wants to speak to you in your cave of despondency. He
          wants to tell you what to do and where to go - and He
          wants to bring you out!

          So get up out of your despair - shake off the bondage
          of fear and depression! Depart from your cave. You'll
          discover that the moment you get up and walk out, the
          anointing will flow! Amen!

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