The Ahab spirit derived its name from King Ahab; a Hebrew King, whose

Transcription

1 AHAB SPIRIT 1. Introduction The Ahab spirit derived its name from King Ahab; a Hebrew King, whose history can be found in 1 Kings 16. Ahab married a pagan wife, Jezebel, and thereby, knowingly, entered into an ungodly alliance so that he could promote peace with Israel s neighboring countries. Ahab, through the influence of his wife, led Israel into pagan worship and allowed the prophets of God to be persecuted and killed. Ahab died during a battle when an enemy archer fired a very "lucky" shot from a distance, aiming only at the body of troops. What did he hit? Ahab - the random shot not only found the king, but also just happened" to hit him between the sections of his armor where there was no protection. He bled throughout the day before dying at sunset (1 Kings 22:29-38). In a very ghastly spectacle, dogs licked up Ahab s blood from his chariot -- just as the Lord had said would happen because of his wickedness (1 Kings 22:38). Let s take a look at where we can identify Ahab in today s society. Ahab can usually be found in a leadership position. Men have been appointed as priests in their household, but very few take up this responsibility. In the workplace, many of us are extremely successful by the world s standard, but weak in the spiritual perspective Ahab served idols. Although the Bible says that we should not be unequally yoked, today most men and women marry indiscriminately. They then compromise on their own belief in God, and in order to promote peace in their houses, they allow their spouses beliefs to influence their own Ahab relinquished his authority and power by allowing his wife to make decisions for him and perform some of his duties. Today many men allow others to take over their duties or they gladly relinquish their own responsibilities to their wives. These duties include the spiritual training of the children, taking care of family finances, taking care of discipline in the house and shielding the wife and family from the attacks of Satan Ahab was self-centered. The Ahab spirit prevails in a person who puts their own needs before that of their family. For example, spending excessive time at work to the detriment of their family or neglecting their family due to work or recreational time Ahab focused on the worldly. In today's society men are considered successful if they have good jobs, make plenty of money, and provide a nice home. The Lord gives us another recipe for success which differs from the worldly view. Matthew

2 6:31-33 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Ahab relinquished his spiritual responsibility. Men allow their children to be educated by others, whether it is public or private schools, church schools, or even home schooling where the wife is left to school the children. Yahweh makes parents, fathers specifically, responsible for the training and admonition of their children Ahab took no active stance against evil. In today s world, the Ahab spirit influences people to ignore issues such as homosexuality, abortion, promiscuity, low or no moral values, false doctrines, immorality, hatred, discrimination or dishonesty and the exclusion of Biblical principles in areas of our society like education and government Ahab did not fear God. Blasphemy, arrogance and pride have banished the fear of God in most people today. Most people accept the dictates of society and fail to consider God s reaction to the prevailing lawlessness and lack of morality The main characteristic of the Ahab spirit is its submissiveness. Just as King Ahab was in a position of power and relinquished this to his wife Jezebel, so this spirit attacks people in positions of power and gets them to relinquish their power to others. This spirit attacks within the marriage relationship by stripping the priest of the house of his authority. The wife usually operates in a Jezebel spirit, which wields ungodly control over others. The problem with this kind of situation is that both the husband and the wife are still held accountable by God for the positions He said they should be in 2. Scripture References 1 Kings 16:30 Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. 1 Kings 16:33 And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him 1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." 1 Kings 18:1-2 And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth. So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab; and there was a severe famine in Samaria. 1 Kings 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 1 Kings 21:2-29 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give

3 you its worth in money." But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!" So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food? He said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard. Then Jezebel his wife said to him, You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. And she wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. She wrote in the letters saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die. So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth both has blasphemed God and the king! Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. Then they went to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead." So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Thewn the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. You shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the LORD: Have you murdered and also taken possession? And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the LORD: In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours. So Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeraboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin. And concerning Jezebel the LORD also spoke, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field. But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife

4 stirred him up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house." 2 Kings 10:11 So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his close acquaintances and his priests, until he left him none remaining. Isaiah 3:3,4,12 I will give children to be their princes, And babes shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, Everyone by another and every one by his neighbor; The child will be insolent toward the elder, And the base toward the honorable." As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths." Malachi 4:5,6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. All scriptures mentioning Ahab: 1 Kings. 16:28, 29, 30, 33; 17:1; 18:1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 16, 17, 20, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46; 19:1; 20:2, 13, 14, 34; 21:1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29; 22:20, 39, 40, 41, 49, 51 2 Kings 1:1; 3:1, 5; 8:16, 18, 25, 27, 28, 29; 9:7, 8, 9, 25, 29; 10:1, 10, 11, 17, 18, 30; 21:3, 13 2 Chronicles 18:1, 2, 3, 19; 21:6, 13; 22:3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 Jeremiah 29:21, 22 Micah 6:16 3. Hierarchy

5 Principalities Ahab (Submissive) Submission Rejection Compromise Abdication Idolatry Self-Worship Manipulation Greed & Lust Sexual immorality Whoring Spirits Adultery Blame-shifting Lying Manipulation Avoidance Laziness (Sloth) 4. Main Task Ahab s main task is to destroy the Godly order, structure and authority in marriages and churches. 5. Identifying Questionnaire Directions Read through each of these statements and rate yourself using a score between 1 and 5. 1 = Never 2 = Seldom 3 = Usually 4 = Often 5 = Always To determine your score, rate yourself on each statement. List your scores, then add them and divide the total by the number of statements -- for example; if your total is 60, then your score will be 60/19 = 3.15.

6 1. I compromise on what is right in order to gain financially 2. My wife rules the house 3. My wife does not honor me 4. I feel alone even in a crowd 5. I avoid conflict 6. I serve idols in my life 7. I neglect my family 8. I spend most of my time at work 9. I avoid disciplining my children 10. I am lazy 11. I am easily swayed by a beautiful woman 12. I have or am committing adultery 13. I have been divorced 14. Biblical principles are not important 15. I'd rather shift blame than face consequences 16. I tell lies Here is what your score reveals about you: If your score is between 1 and 2: This is not the main area in which Satan and his demons have attacked you. If you have a high score on any of the issues listed above, simply ask God for forgiveness and refrain from committing this sin again. If your score is between 3 and 5: Satan and his demons have successfully attacked you in this area. You need deliverance and will need to follow the steps discussed in the section The Road to Victory. 6. Entrapments Through bloodline sins of the ancestors Viewing the things of the Lord and the Bible as trivial Compromising your own values, morals and beliefs. Ahab improved relations with the Phoenicians by marrying Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre. This was despite the admonition of God in Deuteronomy 7:3 which stated that the Israelites should not intermarry with idol worshipers Through immoral sexual relationships, sexual perversion and adultery Through willfully relinquishing God-given authority and responsibilities Laziness (sloth) Lack of the fear of God

7 Idolatry Ignorance Neglect Political correctness Trauma 7. Fruits Work / Action He will marry for convenience, lust, and political gain The man fails to rule his own house well In the church, the pastor would allow others to wield his authority and carry his responsibility He is willing to neglect or give up his children for work or money which will sustain his self-worship or pursuit of his own pleasures As husband, he defers or delegates spiritual education of the family. Fathers are specifically responsible for the training and admonition of their children (Ephesians 6:4, Psalm 78:4-8) Ahab always erects temples for his gods which can be sports (trophies), sex and a bigger house or a better car, basically anything that is more important to him in his life than God Manipulation Sexual immorality Emotions Feels rejected Helpless Depressed Deep hurt Sadness Directionless Anger Aggression Attitude Spineless Non confrontational Lack of commitment Lacks authority or relinquishes God-given authority

8 Accusatory concerning women who are strong in the Lord in order to hide his own laziness Lack of responsibility Calls evil good and good evil Critical Ambitious People pleaser, takes the route of least resistance World focused, not God focused Relinquishes power and authority in order to gain popularity and/or acceptance Compromises on important issues -- wants to be popular Compromises -- he goes along to get along Compromises on crucial issues, such as belief in God in order to gain acceptance and popularity Condition Lacks authority Ahab was brilliant in political and economic matters but weak in spiritual leadership -- allows others to influence him on crucial issues Insecurity Cowardly Sulks Bitterness Refuses to speak and tries thus to manipulate others Ignores evil, prefers not to take sides Prone to fall for adulterous or immoral sexual advances. This is often the Achilles heel of a person with an Ahab spirit. They have such a deep rooted spirit of rejection which leads to a strong need for acceptance. Most sexual advances will be seen as a form of acceptance Illnesses Cancer Sinusitis 8. Common Accomplices Spirit of rejection Baal Jezebel Witchcraft Asmodee Leviathan

9 Spirit of lust Lying spirit Spirit of deception 9. Road to Victory Identification of the spirit Identify the work of this spirit in your life by completing the Identifying Questionnaire. Forgiveness Make a list of the names of those people you need to forgive, including yourself, your parents and your ancestors. Forgive those who have sinned against you and release them. Ask God to forgive you, as you have forgiven those who sinned against you. Repentance for sins People who have a spirit of Ahab will often find themselves confronted by a prophet, instead of comforted when ministered to. The main reason for this is because the person with the Ahab spirit would have, willingly, laid down their God-given authority or power. This is something that they will have to repent of and turn away from, by taking back that authority as well as the responsibility that comes with it Church leadership who have entertained Ahab spirits will have to repent for endangering those under their care and leadership, by allowing Ahab and Jezebel spirits to function in God s body, as well as for relinquishing their Godly authority and responsibilities It is also important to repent for the sins of the ancestors and other bloodline sins Repent for idolatry and turn away from it. Repent for all other sins identified in the list of fruits of Ahab and turn away from committing these sins again Sever ungodly soul-ties and ungodly spiritual contracts Sever all ungodly soul-ties that have developed due to the influence of the Ahab and Jezebel spirits in the name of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh Identify all soul-ties that have developed due to ungodly sexual relationships. Cut each of these soul-ties individually and declare them null and void. Declare that the demons that have used these soul-ties to transfer from person to person will have no more rights to do this. Seal these soul-ties with the anointing of the Holy Spirit and / or the blood of Jesus

10 Tear up any spiritual contracts that Satan or his demons have to operate in your life and declare them void Revoke the rights that Satan and his demons had in your life due to these contracts Declare that you take back all rights in the name of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh Deal with curses and rituals Break any curses that have been spoken over you and declare them powerless through the blood of Jesus Ask the Lord to lift any curses that He said will come upon you because of these sins Cancel all rituals that have been performed against you in the name of Jesus. Seek God s face and ask Him if there are any specific counter / prophetic actions He wants you to perform regarding these rituals Pronounce destruction over the altars of this spirit in your life, and declare that you are a temple of the living God and that He alone reigns as King in your life Bind and cast the demons out Bind the principality. Then bind the power. Suggested wording: I bind you (name of power) in the name of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh. If you have identified these sins as bloodline sins, address it as follows: I bind you (name of power) in the name of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh in the fourth, third, second and in this generation. I speak death over your roots, branches and fruits in the life of (name of the person being delivered). Command the demon to leave and continue to do so until it leaves. This is where you have to operate in Godly discernment. Ask the Lord to help you discern when the demon has left. From experience, we have learned that the following will help you in your warfare: Remind the demon that you are standing in the authority of Jesus Christ and that the demon is actually facing Christ and not you Remind the demon of the victory that we have through the blood of Christ that flowed on the cross Remind the demon that all its rights have been taken away Remind the demon that the person being delivered does not want it to reside in them anymore. You may even ask the person going through deliverance to say the words out loud: (Name of power), I don t want you inside of me. Leave me in the name of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh Quote scripture, as the Spirit of the Lord leads you. Examples of scriptures to quote:

11 Deuteronomy 32:30 one chases a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight Matthew 16:19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Matthew 28:18 "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Sing worship songs or praise the Lord Pray with understanding and pray in tongues Perform any prophetic actions that God gives you, for example: Thrusting with the Sword of the Spirit Walking around the person Placing your hand on the person, as the Lord leads you. Always keeping in mind the dignity of the person and what is proper and acceptable Removing yokes and false mantles or bondages, as the Lord leads you When the demon has left the person s body, thank the Lord and ask Him to command His angels to take the demon to where the He requires it next Bind and cast out only those demons in the following list that you identify as having assisted this demonic power in its work within the person being ministered to. (Following the same steps as used to cast out the power). spirit of rejection, spirit of compromise, spirit of abdication, spirit of idolatry, spirit of self-worship, spirit of manipulation, spirit of greed and lust, spirit of sexual immorality, whoring spirits, spirit of adultery, spirit of blame-shifting, lying spirit, spirit of manipulation, spirit of avoidance, spirit of laziness (sloth), spirit of trauma Bind and cast out each individual spirit in the name of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh. In addition, bind and cast out all the demons listed as Common Accomplices Lastly, bind and cast out the principalities involved. In this case the main principalities are Apollyon, Belial and Abaddon Restoration and Healing Invite the Lord Jesus Christ to take His rightful place on the throne of your heart This is a good time to pray for infilling of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord to fill you with the Spirit of adoption into the Body of Christ This is also the right time to pray for any physical and emotional healing that is required. We use olive oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit and we lay our hands on the sick and pray for healing in the name of Jesus Christ who came in the flesh

12 Identify the fruits of the Spirit that counteract the sins you were involved in and set your mind on growing in these areas Ask the Lord to help you to renew your mind and to bring you to a place of obedience where you will identify scriptures and apply them when you find yourself under spiritual attack. Renew your mind by consciously deciding against sinning. Gather scriptures that counteract the particular sins that plagued you and quote them in times of temptation until the urge to fall into sin flees from you Revoke and take back all rights Satan has to control your life, will, mind, emotions and body and submit them to the Lord Counteract the fruits of the spirit of lust by praying and spending time in God s presence, and by exercising self-control Find out who you are in Christ by identifying verses in the Bible. Memorize some of these verses and quote them when you find yourself under spiritual attack Quit looking at your own inabilities and failures and walk in God s abilities and righteousness Expect spiritual opposition and that the spirits that left will try to return -- be alert and aware. Satan will try and attack you with self-centeredness and compromise. Counteract these attacks by consciously dying to your own will and submitting to what God wants in every area of your life Do not waste time under condemnation Pick up the sword of the Spirit and war against the powers, principalities and their fruits in your life! Equipping and Aftercare Share with the person the keys to retain their deliverance, as shared in this book. In fact, it would be excellent for this person to have a copy of this book and to read it cover to cover. This will ensure that they obtain much needed knowledge and will not perish for a lack thereof (Hosea 4:6) Please keep in mind, and share with the person, that they will be tired after deliverance. They might also continue experiencing minor manifestations for the following days. This is normal and they need to press into the presence of the Lord and rest in Him during this time. This is why it is called warfare -- a spiritual battle has taken place and all those involved will feel the effects on their physical bodies Deal with the spirit of rejection In addition to being ministered to for the spirit of Ahab, people who have this spirit might require ministry for a deep-seated spirit of rejection The key to healing for a person suffering from rejection is to get to know God s unconditional love and acceptance through other Christians, as well as by building a personal relationship with the Lord and being filled with His Spirit of Adoption into the Body of Christ Most people who suffered rejection need inner healing. Obtain information on inner healing or attend sessions to help you heal

13 No deliverance can take place until the person has purposed in their heart to forgive the people who caused them to feel rejected. They must also forgive themselves and start looking at themselves through God s eyes of love and acceptance A person who suffered from rejection needs to find out who they are in Christ. They can do this by identifying verses in the Bible that tell them who they are in Christ. They should memorize some of these verses and quote them when they are under attack by the spirit of rejection These people often have to learn that they need to take their focus off themselves and their inability and focus on God and His ability Rejection sufferers also need to renew their minds and realize that they need not be perfect to be acceptable, but that Christ died for them in their brokenness -- they can quit striving and instead accept the righteousness of Christ as well as the forgiveness we enjoy in Him