“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

Many of you have heard the story of Henry Stanley, the ambitious American reporter who went to the Dark Continent in search of Dr. David Livingstone, an 19th-century missionary who explored sub-Saharan Africa.

When Stanley finally tracked down the famed evangelist, his first words when approaching the only other white man in Ujiji, Africa, were, as the story goes, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” The white man’s identity may have seemed like a no-brainer to the young journalist, but if he had been a prophet, Stanley’s presumption would have landed him in a heap of trouble. That’s because presumption is on God’s blacklist.

What does it literally mean to presume? And what exactly is presumption? Webster defines presume as “to form an opinion from little or no evidence” and “to take as true or as fact without actual proof.” Presumptuous is defined as “to overstep due bounds” and “to take liberties.” Those definitions outline some critical prophetic dos and don’ts.

First off, there is no room for personal opinion in the prophetic. Our “proof” must come from the Holy Spirit, not our own spirits or some other spirit. As mouthpieces for God, others take our words and insights very seriously, and we cannot abuse the grace people perceive on our lives.

We must not fall into the trap of filtering prophetic utterances through our own biases and in doing so deceive the hearers. What would cause the prophet to think anyone wants his opinion, anyway? (We’ll get to that in a minute.) The function of the prophet is to reveal the mind and will of God, not the mind and will of the prophet.

Second, prophets must recognize boundaries and not take the liberty of overstepping their prophetic authority. Yes, where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty, but not the liberty to speak outside our God-given spiritual jurisdiction.

That jurisdiction begins in the local church and expands as the prophet matures. Even the president of the United States, with all his authority, would be presumptuous to issue a decree over another nation. His words would fall to the ground because he would be overstepping his bounds.

Doubtless, God hates presumption—and He has good reason. There are several variations of the Greek word presume. Typically, the word portrays insolence (insultingly contemptuous speech or conduct), pride, arrogance or audacity (bold or arrogant disregard for normal restraints). Considering that the Lord includes a proud look and a false witness among the seven abominations, presumption is not something to be taken lightly.

In fact, while the Bible only mentions the words presume, presumed, presumptuous and presumptuously 11 times, it almost always leads to death. Indeed, there are few things worse than a presumptuous prophet. Deuteronomy 18:20 declares, “The prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die” (NKJV).

Mercy! Of course, we are living in a time of grace and even the most presumptuous prophet probably won’t be struck dead for this sin. But we must ask ourselves: What is happening inside of us, in our spirits, when we presume? Selah.

If you think God likes presumption any better in the New Testament than the Old Testament, then think again—or ask the apostle Peter, who was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost when he revealed that those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government (authority) are presumptuous, self-willed and slanderous (2 Pet. 2:9-10).

After pointing out that these presumptuous ones love to indulge in evil pleasures, revel in deceitfulness, possess an insatiable lust, lure people into sin and train themselves to be greedy, among other sinful qualities, Peter finally connects them with Balaam, the presumptuous prophet.

You remember Balaam. King Balak sent messengers to him with a sinister request and rewards of divination in their hands. Balak offered to pay Balaam to curse the Israelites. Wicked story short, Balaam initially refused to pronounce the curse but eventually helped King Balak defile the Israelites by giving him a strategy involving sexual sin (Num. 31:16). Balaam wound up committing treason (fighting against the Israelites), and his end was death. Listen to how the apostle Peter refers to Balaam’s presumption:

“They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice. These people [Which people? Presumptuous people!] are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness” (2 Pet. 2:15-17, NLT).

Remember our friends, young Stanley and Dr. Livingstone? Livingstone’s fascinating books sold in huge numbers all over the world as he pursued his dream to open the continent to make a way for other missionaries to preach the gospel. Stanley, on the other hand, was notorious for changing the facts to suit his purposes—or even making them up—in his books.

Stanley even lied about his heritage. He fought for the South in the American Civil War and then committed treason (like Balaam) and served the North when captured. He later helped the king of Belgium fulfill his greedy purposes (like Balaam) in Africa. Like Balaam, Stanley’s greed and pride caused him to compromise his professional ethics. Stanley eventually became a mass murderer.

It seems the fate of the presumptuous is ultimately the same throughout history. Thank God we have a Savior. We can repent of such sinful works. We need to pray like David. In Psalm 19:13 he cried, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then I shall be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression” (KJV). 

You can download a sample chapter of Jennifer’s new book, The Making of a Prophet, by clicking here.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet. 

God made the Israelites a promise to bring them into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites and the Jebusites—all the “-ites,” as some say—into the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey (Ex. 13:5). Fulfilling this prophetic promise, then, meant engaging in a battle to dispossess all the so-called “-ites” from the land in which they lived. It meant going to war with the enemies.

Unfortunately, some of the Israelites moved in presumption against the Amorites and felt more than the sting of defeat—they felt the sting of death in the wake of disobedience. As you read this article, remember this: Presumption can be deadly.

In fact, while the King James Version of the Bible only mentions the words presume, presumed, presumptuous and presumptuously 11 times, it almost always leads to death. So it stands to reason that wisdom cries out against entering into spiritual battle presumptuously. It’s not likely that you’ll die, but you could get smacked around by the enemy of your soul. So let’s learn this lesson from the Israelites and learn it well.

Losing the Battle Begins With Unbelief

The seeds of Israel’s defeat took root after Moses sent men to Canaan to spy out the land God promised to give them (Num. 13:1-2). When they returned, they saw that it was just as Moses prophesied—a land flowing with milk and honey. What’s more, the Israelites brought back grapes, pomegranates and figs. It must have been a welcome sight after so much manna and quail!

But even in the face of God’s prophesied provision, Israel’s leaders brought back a bad report. It all started with one negative word: nevertheless. “Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan” (vv. 28-29).

As the story goes, only Caleb and Joshua believed God and declared, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (v. 30). The Israelites believed the negative naysayers rather than the Spirit-inspired dynamic duo of faith. They cried. They wept. The complained against Moses and Aaron. They wished to return to Egypt. They even started talking about electing a leader to go back to bondage! Moses and Aaron went into immediate intercession, but God pronounced a death sentence on the unbelievers.

Presumption in the Face of God

The men who brought the evil report about the land died in a plague, but others would soon die in their presumption. After mourning the loss of their tribal leaders, the people decided they’d better obey the Lord and take the land. The only problem was they were moving in presumption. God did not tell them to go up against the enemies at that time. Timing is everything in a battle plan.

Moses tried to warn them: “Now why do you transgress the command of the Lord? For this will not succeed. Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the Lord, the Lord will not be with you” (Num. 14:41-43).

And then: “They presumed to go up to the mountaintop. Nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed from the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah” (vv. 44-45).

As I’ve said before, there’s one question every believer should ask before engaging in spiritual warfare: “Shall I go up?” In other words, we need to be led by the Holy Spirit into battle if we want God to lead us into triumph. If we lose a battle, it could very well be that the Holy Spirit didn’t lead us into the spiritual skirmish in the first place.

Before you run to the battle line, ask the Holy Spirit, “Shall I go up?” Then obey what He tells you. It could be He’s assigned someone else to go up and defeat the enemy. It could be that God is taking the battle into His own hands. Or it could be that you aren’t yet skilled enough in battle to take on the enemy that’s rising up. The reason doesn’t matter. What matters is being in the will of God, even in our spiritual warfare. Amen. 

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

He was the last guy you ever thought would fall into sexual sin. Pastor Bob Coy confessed to a “moral failing” in his life last week that disqualifies him from leadership of the megachurch he founded.

After stepping down from Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, which reports 20,000 members at its main campus alone, “Pastor Bob” has been met with nasty remarks from heresy hunters—and a flood of grace from members of his church. Here are a few of the gracious reactions from people posting on Charisma News’ story about the fallen pastor:

“It was Pastor Bob who restored my faith in God and got me back into church. I know he went down the wrong path but with redemption and prayer and the forgiveness of family, friends and the church, he will come back to us and teach us the Bible again. My prayers are with him and his family.” —Terri Thomas

“Pastor Bob, you are my brother in Christ. I will be praying for you and your family, as well as for all my brothers and sisters who are part of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale.” —Cindy Cooper

“If not for Pastor Bob, the staff and all I have learned through Calvary Chapel, I would not have been able to overcome the worst and most difficult times of my life. I am today a strong and confident women, I live my life with joy and have been able to minister to many because of Calvary Chapel. Our prayers and love for Pastor Bob, his family and Calvary Chapel are unconditional. But we need to pray for those who will use this to attack Pastor Bob, Calvary Chapel and Christianity.” —Leida Iris Santana

“Pastor Coy has been my pastor for a really long time. I am a sinner, he is a sinner, you people reading this are sinners. The difference is…Pastor Bob preaches God’s word so dynamically, and our church has so many wonderful ministries and out reaches that Satan I am sure doubles or triples his efforts with Bob and Calvary. I know this is a huge , horrible bump in the road, but God will heal these wounds. God gave him such a gift…thousands get saved when he and our other pastors preach. I love him … and will pray for Diane and the kids ….God restores our soul. Calvary will stay strong!” —meglvsJC

“Pastor Bob needs grace right now. The devil is so bad and so dirty that he will use this opportunity to mess with people’s mind, especially those that aren’t so strong in Jesus.” —Patrick Lima

“I am saved because of Pastor Bob through Jesus Christ and my life has forever been changed for 10 years now. Pastor Bob is a blessing of a teacher of the Word and he has saved hundreds week after week. Whatever he did, Jesus has already forgiven him. I am heartbroken that he has resigned. We all make mistakes, no one is perfect but Jesus. I am praying for you Pastor Bob and your family wherever The Lord leads you, you will be blessed, a blessing, an amazing man, and certainly not ever forgotten.” —Annie B.

After confessing to a moral failing in his life that disqualifies him from continuing his leadership, Bob Coy on Sunday resigned as senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale in Florida, effective immediately.

Coy has served as senior pastor since the church was founded in 1985. More than 20,000 people call Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale their home church. The church has planted sites in Boca Raton, Boynton, Florida Keys, Hollywood, Naples, North Lauderdale, Plantation, the Villages and West Boca.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Coy confessed to key leaders on Wednesday. A board meeting was called on Thursday, in which he confessed and resigned.

“Leadership made every effort to let the staff and church hear directly from leadership rather than rumor by calling meetings for Sunday,” our source, who asked not to be identified, told Charisma News.

An open church service on Sunday at 4 p.m. included worship, the reading of a letter from Coy and the reading of a statement from the board, followed by honest sharing of a reminder that Jesus is leading and that the church will move forward together. That was followed by more worship. Sources tell Charisma News there was a positive response from the staff and congregation. 

Coy and family have spent much of the last few days with pastors and friends in prayer and counseling.

The media ministry, Active Word, that distributes Coy’s Bible teachings through radio, television and digital media has also been suspended, according to a statement from the church board.

“Pastor Bob will be focusing his full attention on his personal relationship with God and with his family. The governing board of the church is providing counselors and ministers who will help guide him through the process of full repentance, cleansing and restoration,” the statement reads.

“Trusting in God’s providence, protection, provision and direction, the staff of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale will continue our mission to ‘make disciples,’ through regular services at all campuses and through myriad other ministries the church has established over the years,” it says.

The statement goes on to say that a team of assistant pastors already on staff will maintain their usual rotating schedule as teaching pastors for all services.

“Recognizing we serve a God of second chances and that our hope is in Him,” the statement concludes, “the leadership, staff and members of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale have joined together in prayer for Pastor Bob and his family during this time of healing.”

The first Calvary Chapel was started in Costa Mesa, Calif., in the 1960s as a small nondenominational church of 25 members, pastored by Chuck Smith. The Lord blessed that small group, and now Calvary Chapel has grown to a fellowship of approximately 1,400 churches worldwide and has been listed as one of the ten largest Protestant churches in the United States.

At 24 years old, Coy left an executive position in the music industry to serve as an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Las Vegas. In 1985, Coy and his wife, Diane, moved to South Florida and began Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. As senior pastor, he became well known for his unique style in expounding the Scriptures and relating its truths to everyday life. His teaching style emphasized the highest standards of life application of God’s truth.

After 67 years of sharing the gospel around the world, Morris Cerullo has never seen America like it is today. What’s on his mind?

Charisma magazine editor Marcus Yoars sat down with Cerullo in this pivotal interview. In it, you’ll hear Cerullo’s surprising take on the nation’s spiritual state. You’ll also learn how you can walk in greater power with the Holy Spirit—regardless of cultural shifts.

As I pen a prophetic devotional that will be released early next year, I’ve been spending hours upon hours in worship and prayer. The Holy Spirit has been speaking life-changing words to me that I believe will also be life-changing for those who read them in the years to come. The Holy Spirit’s words bring life, renew our minds to His way of thinking, and reveal His loving heart to us. 

Deep worship, abandonment and surrender—a willingness to yield to His every movement as you listen for the sound of His heart—ushers you into the Holy Spirit’s presence in a magnificent way. Sometimes you can even smell His fragrance.

I’ve experienced the fragrance of God a few times, but never as strongly as this morning. I want to share with you what Scripture says about these supernatural experiences.

His Name Is Like a Perfume

In Song of Solomon, the Shulamite woman declares that God’s love is better than wine: “Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth” (Song 1:3-4). Where the name of Jesus is exalted in adoration, the stage is set for you to enter into a secret place in which you smell that anointed ointment that’s poured fourth in your midst.

The Fragrance of His Knowledge

Paul the apostle understood the sweet smell of victory—literally. When we follow the Holy Spirit no matter where He leads us, He will give us fresh power to be His witness and through us diffuse “the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Cor. 2:14). We may offer a repulsive smell to those who refuse Christ, but those who are seeking Him will smell His life upon our garments.

The Fragrance of His Love

When we walk in love, we give off His scent. God is love, and when we abide in Him, we will smell like Him. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Eph. 5:1-2).

The Fragrance of the Anointing

I’ve been reading about the Levitical priesthood this year. Most of it reminds me how grateful I am that Jesus went to the cross and we have relationship rather than rules that allow us to find forgiveness of sin, approach His throne and fellowship with Him freely.

But I appreciated the passages about the anointing oil, which was fragrant—and unique. Exodus 30:23-25 instructs, “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.”

The blend of herbs was used for the anointing oil and only the anointing oil. This was a type of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. A.W. Tozer, a 20th-century pastor, preacher, author, magazine editor and spiritual mentor to many, put it this way:

“The fragrance of the anointing oil was unique. If someone went near an Old Testament priest, he could say immediately, ‘I smell an anointed man. I smell the holy oil!’ The aroma, the pungency, the fragrance were there. Such an anointing could not be kept a secret.”

The Anointing Abides

Of course, if you are born again, the anointing abides: “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).

This is true, and yet there is a another experience of the anointing—that fragrance of God, the sweet-smelling aroma of His presence. One way to get to that place is through deep worship, opening your heart up completely to Him, asking for nothing and ready to receive anything He might offer, and pursuing His heart with all of your heart.

In the end, there’s no formula for entering into a place where the fragrance of God manifests. And that should not be our goal in intimacy, but oh, how sweet it is when He chooses to allow us to smell the fragrance of His knowledge, the fragrance of His love, the fragrance of His anointing! And if we’ll embrace that moment and allow that anointing to rest upon us, we’ll come out with a fragrance that will attract others to His heart. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

So many people, including myself, regularly come to places in our lives where we haven’t been before. And when you’re inexperienced in an area, your natural tendency is to move back into the familiar. Fear always comes against us when we face new things. But if you think about it, everything you’re doing right now is something that at one time you had never done before.

I often think of Joshua, a man who was given a huge task by God—one I’m sure he didn’t feel ready for. Can you imagine how he felt when Moses died and God told him that he was going to take over and lead Israel into the Promised Land? Fortunately, God knew Joshua was up to the task. In Joshua 1:6, the Lord commanded him: Be strong (confident) and of good courage, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

That day, Joshua had a choice. He could step out in faith and watch the Lord do the impossible through him…or he could stay in his “safety zone” and never find out. Instead of being afraid of new things, you and I ought to be excited about the new challenges and opportunities that God brings into our lives. Even when everybody else tells us it’s impossible, if we will step out in faith like Joshua and follow God, He will give us the grace to go forward.

I’ll never forget the day (in the late 1970s) when God first showed me His plans for my future as a teacher of the Word. I was making my bed when He spoke to my heart and said, “Joyce, you are going to preach my Word all around the world and have a large teaching ministry.”

Now, at the time, this seemed impossible to me. I was a housewife from Fenton, Missouri who wasn’t teaching anybody. I decided to share what God spoke to me with some of my friends. To put it mildly, they were not very encouraging. One friend even told me, “Joyce, we’ve been thinking about what you said, and we just don’t think that’s possible with your personality.” However, over the years, God continued to lead me, step by step.

For five years I taught a weekly Bible study at my home. Then the Lord directed me to quit my full-time job and devote myself completely to studying His Word and preparing for ministry. After going through a season when I felt like God wasn’t doing anything at all, I was asked to be an associate pastor at our church. This is where my weekly women’s meetings began. Then, five years later, in 1985, the Lord called my husband, Dave, and me to begin our own ministry.

All along the way, I faced many obstacles. I battled the fear of failure, the fear of not having enough money, and the fear of what others thought. But it always came down to the same question: Am I going to do what God has put in my heart to do? I’ve certainly made my share of mistakes over the years. But through all of this, I learned a valuable lesson: When we step out in obedience to God while we feel afraid, then that releases the grace (or power) of God to do what needs to be done.

It is unbelievable what God can do if you’ll fight your way through all the opposition that comes against you and say, “If God says I can, I can.” It’s important to remember that when the Lord calls us to do something, He also gives us the motivation and energy to press on through each challenge that comes. Maybe you’re thinking, Yeah, I’ve missed a lot in my life because I was afraid to step out or fearful of what others might think. You know what? I believe God has you reading this for a reason!

You can’t change the past, but you can begin today to follow your heart and step into the things God has for your life. Sure, there will be obstacles, and sometimes you will make mistakes. But you must be true to what God’s calling you to do if you want to be happy. Friend, I encourage you to find God’s destiny for your life.

Find what’s going to fulfill you and all you’re meant to be. Then choose to be bold enough to step out into an amazing, memorable, life-changing journey. When you step out into the unknown to do what you believe is God’s will, He may not give you an exact blueprint to work with, but He will guide you step-by-step all along the way.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored 100 books and hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org.

They say sex sells—and it’s not just hearsay. Remember Calvin Klein’s controversial—and sex-charged—advertising campaign from a decade ago? It doubled the designer’s revenue. And that’s just one example.

Although studies show that some are offended by sex in advertising—I am one of those people—it seems the topic nevertheless drives viewers in droves.

With that theory in mind, I set out to review some of the most popular articles of all time on Charisma News. You probably don’t have to guess what I found. Yes, it seems sex sells—even among tongue-talking, Spirit-filled Pentecostal and charismatic Christians who frequent this site.

Let’s review a few of the headlines on Charisma News that prove the point.

“Sex Symbols Who Speak in Tongues?” was one of our most popular articles in the history of the site. Megan Fox claims she speaks in tongues, and Michael Brown asks some hard questions.

And did you know that science proves premarital sex rewires the brain? Yes, one of our most popular articles ever reveals there’s a reason why breaking up from a sexual relationship is much more emotionally painful and much harder to forget than one that didn’t involve sex.

Another article that went massively viral was my column that asked “Why Do So Many ‘Born-Again, Spirit-Filled’ Women Show Off Cleavage in Church?” in which I question why some women enter God’s sanctuary on Sunday mornings dressed for clubbing.

Let’s not forget my recent column, “Forget Gay Marriage, Mainstream Media Now Pushing Polyamory,” which is another of our most popular all-time articles. Or the article “Pastor Cancels Wedding Over ‘Sexy Dress,’ Persecuted for Modest Mindset.” Or the perverted concept outlined in “Bestiality Now Making US Headlines, Not Always Illegal.”

So what’s the rub? Why does anything related to the topic of sex sell—even among online-magazine-reading Spirit-filled Christians? And what does that say about human nature?

At Charisma News, we rarely write about sex or related topics, save the gay marriage issue in the culture war or overcoming pornography addiction. In fact, these articles were among the relative few on the topic of sex among the multiplied thousands of articles we’ve posted. Yet these articles are among the most popular ever on our site. Why? Sound off.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Every year about this time there’s an onslaught of witchcraft attacks against me—and many people I know. This year the enemy used a different tactic. Since the spiritual forces of darkness could not slow me down by day, the attacks are coming at night.

First, let me explain what I mean by witchcraft. During Lent, some people have a tendency to exalt Mary, the mother of Jesus. But we know that’s not God’s will. God has “highly exalted Jesus and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee must bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father” (Phil 2:9-11). Let me be clear: I am not Catholic-bashing here. This is not about a religion or a denomination. It’s about spiritual practices in which some are engaging.

Where Mary is exalted, I believe it empowers the spirit of Jezebel and her witchcrafts. Some people in some religions refer to Mary as the queen of heaven. But Ashtoreth, the chief pagan goddess of war and sex mentioned in the Old Testament, is also known as the queen of heaven. And it’s the Ashtoreth spirit that’s behind Jezebel. The Lord speaks of the queen of heaven in Jeremiah 7, noting that the people of Judah were giving offerings to other gods and provoking Him to anger. The Old Testament Jezebel’s father, Ethbal, was the high priest of the goddess.

What Witchcraft Feels Like

Again, exalting Mary seems to empower the queen of heaven, also known as Jezebel. When Mary is lifted up to a place where only Jesus belongs, it unleashes demonic activity in that territory. As demonic activity increases, people report feelings of oppression, fatigue, strong spiritual warfare against the mind that makes you feel like quitting, and even physical manifestations for which doctors can’t find a reason. Are you experiencing any of these things?

When witchcraft is particularly heavy in the spiritual climate, my eyes actually burn. Everything seems like a much bigger deal than it really is because witchcraft works to take your eyes off Jesus by magnifying the problem. The enemy can use people to release witchcraft against you through word curses, but this spiritual force seems to sometimes hang over your head like a dark cloud—unless you break it.

This year, witchcraft couldn’t get me by day. I was ready for the onslaught. So instead, witchcraft attacked me at night—in my sleep. I have had some of the worst nightmares in the last two weeks that I’ve ever had in my entire life. Things I won’t even speak out loud because the power of death and life is in the tongue. Indeed, the enemy wants me to speak out the disturbing pictures he offered to give them life. But I refuse. And I break that assignment in the name of Jesus!

What’s more, I’m waking up to especially nasty messages via email. Although it’s not unusual to get a nasty message, the religious spirits have come out in droves to attack—out of the blue. They are releasing shame upon me, making false accusations and otherwise releasing word curses over my life. I bind them in the name of Jesus, bless those who curse me, and move on. 

Pushing Back Powers of Darkness

Of course, these witchcraft nightmares left me exhausted. Don’t you know it’s so much more difficult to work with one hand and battle with the other when you are physically exhausted? And to wake up to a string of email attacks from the religious spirit starts your day focusing on the wrong thing if you let it.

And if you let it, it’s all downhill from there. The devil wants your thoughts and words because then he can sway your actions. Thankfully, I discerned what was going on, and I’m changing my battle plans. I’ve spent many, many hours in worship and prayer seeking revelation on how I can better gird up the loins of my mind.

Always remember, we aren’t wrestling against flesh and blood, yet we do need to put on our whole armor and engage in the battle. Passivity isn’t going to deliver you from Jezebel’s witchcraft.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled” (2 Cor. 10:3-6).

When it comes to witchcraft, we have to withstand it. The Amplified Bible says to “be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]” (1 Pet. 5:9). It’s easy enough to give in to witchcraft, especially if you don’t know what is attacking you. So again, when you feel like giving up, when you feel tired for no reason, when you have strong confusion, when you are fighting an intense battle in your mind and when infirmities are manifesting, it could be witchcraft. Resist it at its onset. Cast it off. Submit yourself to God. “Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you” (James 4:7, AMP).

Again, submit yourself to the lordship of Christ. Exalt His name. Thank Him for His blood. Rejoice in the Lord. Praise and worship carry breakthrough. That’s often all it takes to change the spiritual climate in your home. And worship is where we should start because He is worthy of our adoration.

If worship doesn’t break the witchcraft, take authority over it in the name above all names. Witchcraft has to bow at the name of Jesus. But make sure you don’t have any common ground with the enemy. Repent for any rebellion in your heart, and surrender your will anew to God. Remember, we are more than conquerors in Christ, and no weapon formed against us can prosper—not even witchcraft. Our job is to be spiritually discerning enough to catch the devil at his onset, resist him, rebuke him and praise God for the victory. Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel and The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at [email protected] or visit her website at www.jenniferleclaire.org.

Hear what God said to Kynan Bridges: “This is the year of supernatural favor.” But you must be in right alignment with heaven and you must understand how favor operates. Kynan is ready to tell you how.