Most often, Christians pray against several spirits as the life of a Christian is one that allows them to interact with supernatural entities. Some of these spirits are sufficiently captured within the pages of the Bible, while some are not mentioned but inferred. Interestingly, human actions and people’s attitudes are often influenced by spirits, whether good or bad. The first time I heard about the spirit of Ahab, I was as confused as you are now. However, with further study using the Bible and other spiritual books as a reference, I learned more about the existence of such spirits.
The Ahab spirit is a demonic spirit that fights the presence and power of God in a land or among a people. In other words, this wicked spirit seeks to turn the hearts of Christians from God and cause them to commit abominations in the sight of God. Amazingly, every believer will encounter the Ahab spirit at one point in their Christian walk, so you should read this article to the end to avoid such demonic influence.
How Did the Ahab Spirit Come Into Existence?
Telling how certain spirits gain access to this world can sometimes be tricky because spirits were not explicitly categorized in the Bible, unlike demons, who are fallen angels. With entities like familiar spirits, spirits of divination, and lying spirits, there are certain mentions of them and their manifestations in the Bible. However, to consider the Ahab spirit, understanding who Ahab was is necessary.
According to the Bible and records of the Old Testament, King Ahab was one of the kings of Israel and the husband to Jezebel, one of the most wicked females to be recorded in the Bible. Aside from being an active proponent of idolatry in Israel during his reign, he gave Jezebel free rein to establish false gods like Baal and Asherah throughout Israel. Also, when Israel had kings, their kings usually functioned as both rulers and priests responsible for keeping social order and helping the people tilt towards worshipping God.
However, Ahab neither loved God as a person nor did he encourage the Israelites to serve God. Instead, his reign marked one of Israel’s highest eras of iniquity. In 1 Kings 16: 30-34, the Bible records that continuing in Jeroboam’s sinful path was easy for Ahab, thus making him marry Jezebel from one of the lands God prohibited marriage. In addition to his disobedient marriage, he built altars and sacrificed to strange gods while allowing his wife to rule his house and Israel by extension. As a result, once a believer begins to act similarly to the Biblical Ahab, one can point fingers at being influenced by the Ahab spirit.
What Is an Ahab Spirit?
Like most other spirits that sponsor evil, the Ahab spirit is demonic. It influences people to behave and exhibit attitudes similar to those of the Biblical Ahab. Simply put, the Ahab spirit makes people portray actions identical to those attributed to Ahab. Now, with spirits, learning about them involves understanding how they are expressed in people and within human interactions. It also entails knowing what such spirit is associated with.
First, the Ahab spirit hates God and everything He represents. This means that once a believer or a person begins to hate God, His people, His power, His presence, and His influence, the Ahab spirit is at work in such a person. Biblically, Ahab, during his reign as king of Israel, neglected God and instituted false gods like Baal and Asherah all over Israel. The Ahab spirit is such that it actively fights against the will and manifestation of God in a land. It ensures that Christians are distracted from their worship of God to serve false gods and idols. The Ahab spirit subtly embodies idolatry and establishes both in the hearts of people and in society.
Interestingly, several believers are held under captivity by the Ahab spirit, which creeps up on careless Christians. Today, Christians have made idols of several things unknowingly to them. Things like politics, entertainment, football, alcoholism, and gambling are slowly replacing the love of God within believers. Even in the church, Christians are beginning to take their pastors and teachers as gods and idols. All such thoughts, actions, and behaviors are expressions of the Ahab spirit.
Also, the Ahab spirit is a demonic spirit that pushes men to make bad marriage choices. This spirit labors tirelessly to ensure that Christian men do not consider God’s plan and choice for them when going into marriage. This results in them marrying ungodly partners capable of turning their attention away from God. We see this in 1 Kings 16, 17 & 18, how Jezebel took away God’s love from Ahab and influenced him into worshipping and institutionalizing the worship of Baal.
In addition to turning the hearts of Christians from God, the Ahab spirit has recently focused on bringing doubts to the minds of Christians concerning their salvation. When a Christian begins to second-guess their salvation or the potency of the sacrifice of Jesus, it is a clear operation of the Ahab spirit. How might such affect a Christian? The truth is that a Christian who is doubtful of their salvation is speedily drifting from God. It will not be long before the love of God is quietened in their hearts.
Furthermore, the Ahab spirit expresses fear and cowardice in a Christian’s heart. Even though Ahab was king of Israel, he was never known for bravery or courage. Rather, the Bible recorded several instances where Jezebel acted in his place. For example, Elijah, the prophet, locked up heaven and prevented rain for three and a half years in Israel. One would expect the king of Israel to summon, threaten, or appeal to him to change his mind. However, it was Jezebel, his wife, who threatened the prophet. The Ahab spirit makes the Christian think of himself as weak and feeble-minded. It also presents the Christian as one weak in resolve and mental will.
How To Deal With an Ahab Spirit
Most Christians may not agree, but the Ahab spirit is one of the strongest weapons of demons in the battle against the church. Such is possible because the spirit acts subtly and can sometimes be overlooked. As a result, recognizing it alone is not enough. You should also learn to fight it. Here are a few ways to wage war against the Ahab spirit:
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Confess Your Love for God Regularly
The first thing an Ahab spirit attacks in a Christian’s life is their love for God and all He represents. To fight off this spirit, observe a daily confession of your love for Him, whether as a standalone period or during your devotion. This way, your spirit and mind are constantly reminded of how much you value God.
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Guard Your Heart
Proverbs 4:23 commands Christians to keep their hearts as it is the source of life issues. Keeping one’s heart there translates to guarding your heart by diligently studying God’s word and interacting with Him in prayers.
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Keep Your Focus on Jesus Always
Once a Christian’s focus is God, it leaves no room for other attractions or distractions, including spirits like the Ahab spirit.
Conclusion
Although some spirits are not often discussed in church, Christians must know about them. The Ahab spirit is one such spirit that causes problems and divisions in the church and society. The Ahab spirit fights against the love of God in the hearts of Christians and God’s presence in the land. However, once you recognize and understand the Ahab spirit, you can easily avoid falling prey to it.
