This is Control... do you copy?

If I can be careful with my wording, here, today, maybe more assertive... or maybe more subtle... "Maybe", I can make my readers do some of the things I think they should do. Even with the scriptures, I might be selective enough... or switch back and forth between the various translations to make what I want to present sound more persuasive...

But wait... Isn't that controlling? Well, if we look at some of the words I use in my statement, it probably would be. One huge giveaway is the word, I. Getting others to do what "I" want can be controlling. This issue of controlling things... controlling one another... what it is, and what to do about it, is the focus of our study today.

I am NOT a doctor nor an expert on this subject... the things I want to "share" with you are only from my interpretation of Gods' studied and prayed-over Word.

First, we must consider that there is positive and negative control. We should want to be controlled by God, His Spirit, and His Word. The bible is clear about this. And too, we should want safety controls within the work-place, on the highway, etc... not all control is negative control. According to Gods' Word, we need positive control; first, by His Spirit and His Word, but also by parents controlling children, governmental laws controlling violators and criminals, etc. But the primary type of control I want to address is negative control, in both, the natural and demonic realms.

We find three principle systems... or ways that negative control are manifested. First, Emotional manipulation, like a baby crying to get their way, a boss going into a rage to intimidate an employee, or a spouse giving the silent treatment to manipulate the other spouse. These are just some of the examples of playing on others emotions to assert a desired outcome. God will have NO part in that kind of control.

Another, is Spiritual manipulation, such as false visions, like, "I saw your husband with another woman in my dream last night, so you need to...". God has... and may still send a vision to someone... but more often it's just the pizza they ate, or thoughts gone to sleep with... which spill into our dream-state, or maybe it's the fabrication of someone with a controlling spirit! False prophecies are also another example of spiritual manipulation, such as, "Christ will return on "the sixth day of the sixth month in 2006, so we need to settle up our estates and do this one last thing for The Lord... ". Again, Gods' Word shows us that He could NOT be involved with anything like that!

Negative Communications that push people down, drive them to anger, failure and defeat, or into unnatural obligations, guilt, criticism, and intimidation... this is another system. The negative characteristics of Controlling Spirits reveal their relationship to sin and even the devil, himself.

"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night" Rev 12:10.

However, for a Holy Spirit controlled person we have the very next verse to be comforted.

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" Rev 12:11.

Jesus does not want you to be controlled in a negative manner by anyone. The Pharisees could not control Jesus, Peter or Paul. In Matthew 22, verses 22-28, we see that they defeated the controlling spirits by being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Controlling spirits working through people will try to keep your highest potential from being in God.

Symptoms of being controlled manifest in many ways? It can leave you physically and mentally drained... feeling as if you're running a losing race. There can be a loss of your own spiritual vision. Depression is often found in people who deal with a controlling person. Fear can be both the result of control and become controlling itself. People who fear being controlled have a difficult time in discerning the difference between natural authority and un-natural control. There may become a willingness to compromise your values to try to please a controlling person. Hiding or running away from a problem rather than confronting the controller over the situation is another sign. People who are controlled often feel they are too weak to confront the person controlling them and in their weakness will try to hide or run away from the problem.

Controlling people like to get you alone with them so they can program you. Cults use this method. The controller will give you reasons to get away from your pastor, your church and anyone else who might contradict the controller. They will only allow you to be around people with whom they can also control or with whom they know will be sympathetic to their ideas. A controlling person will deny that they are trying to control you and try to make you believe that all of the choices you make are purely your own.

People become controllers in many ways. They get hurt and vow not to get hurt again so they assume to control their whole world and people around them. People who grow up in an atmosphere of control tend to do the very thing they hate when they grow older. Some people just choose to be controllers. A person can become controlling by demonic possession (becoming possessed by demonic spirit), but all negative control is influenced by sin and/or spiritual entities (Controlling Spirits). Remember, that Controlling Spirits may only posses people whom The Holy Spirit does not dwell in, however they can still influence new or weaker Christians to do things just as much as they do anyone else and they never stop trying to affect even the strongest Christian.

A controlling spirit... or a "Jezebel" Spirit is one of a large number of evil spirits that have been assigned with this Jezebel - controlling warfare. Control is one of many tactics the enemy uses in spiritual battle. Let's continue to keep close to the scriptures as we move through our study.

In the book of Revelation, the Lord speaks to the church at Thyatira

"Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols" (Rev 2:20).

At first glance we might ask "What? Jezebel? Didn't she die back in Second Kings? How can Jezebel be threatening the church in Asia?" Obviously, the literal person of Jezebel was not present in Thyatira. This reference is what's called, a prophetic parallel. Just as John the Baptist was "Elijah" because he came in the spirit and power of Elijah, this person or "influence" in Thyatira was under the spiritual control of the same demonic influences that controlled Jezebel of old. This is only one area of scripture that reveals the various tactics... or type of demonic influence in society and in the church. But here we can see how this spirit rightly came to be called by the name Jezebel.

This spirit obviously existed long before Queen Jezebel, but she was so totally controlled by its nature that she has become its namesake. In scripture, Herodias is also a type of this force. As Jezebel opposed Elijah, so Herodias opposed John the Baptist.

Interestingly, in the Hebrew, the name Jezebel means literally "without cohabitation". She will not live or "cohabit" with those she cannot dominate and control. She will have no equals. Control is what Jezebel wants more than anything. Even when Jezebel appears to be submissive, it is usually out of a carefully wrought plan to gain influence.

Although commonly referred to as "she", we obviously must conclude that as a spirit, Jezebel is gender neutral. Jezebel certainly has as many male slaves as female. However, since Jezebel initially tends to establish control without the actual use of physical force, she is more easily associated with classic feminine persuasion techniques.

Symptoms of being a controller are revealed as: Feeling that, the only way you can be important is to give orders or commands, Feeling possessive toward other people, or not allowing other opinions to be voiced or discussed, Feeling jealousy toward a person, Feeling threatened over new relationships a person close to you has or finds. If you are over-protective toward those near you, or find that you try to dominate every area of a person's life. You make plans for the person you control without his/her permission or if you criticize every move and every statement the other person makes, You think the person you control owes you something, and you demand that they pay you back, or If you control people with flattery. Or if your life totally revolves around nurturing and developing another human being. This is true, even in the role of a parent whom never allows the child to develop it's unique personality.

I think for today, we have enough about the issue to study and make ourselves more aware of this issue which is not only a reality, but very wide-spread... deep rooted, and very powerful. I would be willing to continue in this study should you have questions or would like to know how to deal with it either as a victim or a controller, yourself.

I am not prepared to discuss how to deal with demon possession today, nor have the room in this single study to expound on it here, but I am aware (through first-hand experience and from Gods' Word) of how we are to deal with people most common of controllers.

We must remember to not be condemning of someone with the Jezebel or controlling spirit. Regardless of what they have done, they still are another human being and God says we are to love them. Condemning and Conviction are two different things and we should expect people to be convicted by the truth of their error. This is not done by convicting them but by loving them and treating them with love... we can trust that love, as we have learned from the example of Christ, can bring conviction.

Let me know if this has been helpful and whether or not you would like to continue in this study.

I love you,
Preston