In the life of ministry, the spiritual battlefield is real—and sometimes it shows up in the most unexpected ways. In a powerful interview with Kap Chatfield on the Directed Life Podcast, Lisa Bevere shared about a striking encounter with the Jezebel spirit and how this moment could have derailed her husband’s calling.
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At the time, Lisa’s husband, John, was serving as a youth pastor under a senior leadership team that did not always support his teaching. One morning, Lisa faced an intimidating confrontation at the copy machine. The executive pastor’s wife threatened, “Things are going to change around here.” Lisa realized this comment was directly aimed at her husband’s ministry work.
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Determined to protect him, she initially set out on her own. “I thought, ‘If my husband won’t defend himself, I will defend him. I’ll get a meeting with the pastor. I’m going to tell him what’s going on,” she said, having made a list of the issues happening at the church. But God had other plans.
One night, while praying over her son’s cradle, Lisa experienced a spiritual encounter unlike any other. In her foyer appeared a towering, almost holographic figure, a combination of Cleopatra and an Amazon, and she knew immediately: she was confronting a Jezebel spirit.
God then spoke clearly to Lisa: “This spirit is something way bigger than you can fight in the natural. Tear it up, Lisa. I’m doing a deep work in your husband, and you’re acting like you’re trying to protect him, but really, you’re trying to control the outcome.”
In that moment, she surrendered her desire to fix the situation, recognizing that spiritual battles are ultimately won in alignment with God’s will, not in our own schemes.
Soon, the corrupt leadership was exposed, embezzlement revealed and the Jezebel spirit’s schemes crumbled—without Lisa ever having to intervene directly. The result? John went on to write The Bait of Satan, a book that has ministered to millions worldwide. Lisa reflects, “I don’t even know how many millions of people have been touched by the book, The Bait of Satan, because of John’s obedience, but almost got averted because of my disobedience.”
Lisa emphasizes that Jezebel is not simply a “difficult person”—it is a spirit that manipulates, controls and disrupts godly order, often targeting men in positions of authority. She notes, “It creates chaos so that they’re the only ones who really know what’s happening… it emasculates men.” For leaders, the key is discernment: confront the spirit—not the person—through humility, prayer and godly counsel.
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The Bevere’s story is a powerful reminder: the highest form of spiritual warfare is obedience. The first step is humility. Resist the devil, and he will flee. As Lisa concludes, “We go low. We humble ourselves before God. Resist the devil, and then he flees.”
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
