Dealing with Demonic Gatekeeping Spirits
In December 2015, the Lord gave me a dream. A saga really. All of it prophetic, but as we know is often the case with the Lord, He reveals in part, in pieces. And while I am still waiting for the Lord to reveal other aspects of the dream, there was one scene - the second to the last - that was strikingly clear.
The Dream
The vast majority of this dream was set in or around a tram or train that contained different people in its various compartments. And throughout the dream, I visited the different compartments. At this point of the dream, I decided to venture into one particular compartment because unlike the others, the doorway did not lead to outside, but rather to an open corridor. And across the corridor, a church service was going on and I wanted to attend it desperately. I had not been invited because I knew that it was for the current leaders in the Body of Christ.
As I entered the compartment and walked up the sole aisle to the corridor, I saw a woman in a white top and black pencil skirt who appeared to be drunk in the spirit. She was being helped by a woman who, when she saw me making my way upward said, “Take her there,” indicating the church service. And being a girl raised by the grand old Church of God in Christ, I knew just how to help her along the way. I ushered her across the corridor and to the doorway of the service. It was like a hotel conference room that had its double doors open.
The power of God was SO strong!! I could tangibly feel it hit me as I stood there. The room was full of people who were shouting in the presence of the Lord. The glory was falling and blessing them. At one point, I noticed a particular prophet who sat himself down in my line of vision on the front row. I wasn’t sure if he was moderating or ministering, but he sat down as one contented with whatever he’d just done. Just then, the woman with me was also struck by the presence of the Lord - yet her top half went completely two-dimensional! I was shocked as I realised that she was not drunk in the Spirit as I supposed, but she was under a judgment from God!
All of this had happened within a matter of a moment. I walked her to a nearby bench where I sat her down and maneuvered to a different spot in the corridor where an older black woman in nurse’s scrubs was acting as a type of tour guide for the corridor. I listened as she spoke describing the spirits that occupied the corridor. She called them “nurses.” While listening, I sat down nearby on what I took to be a bench. It was an intricately carved wood bench; I could not tell the origin be it Asian or African or Norse. The back of the bench stood 10 feet off the ground. And as I rested my hand on the empty seat next to me, a spirit brushed my hand as it sat down. When it touched me, I immediately perceived it size. The bench was not a bench at all, but a chair for the spirit! It filled the chair! I sprung out of that chair so fast it’d make your head spin!!
And just then, I heard the words, “...anyone who says God said something He didn’t…” and immediately, I could feel the strongest witchcraft I had ever felt in my life to date. (I can always sense it in my dreams.) And at that moment, I knew that those nurse spirits were attached to the false prophetic. And on the heels of that perception, I could hear the sound from the church service change.
Before, it had only been shouts of praise and the presence of the Lord. But now, even as I heard the joyous shouts continuing, I could hear another sound: shouts of terror as the judgment of the Lord was falling on the necessary people. Just like in the Old Testament when the Temple had been rebuilt and the shouts of those rejoicing could not be distinguished from the shouts of those wailing, so it was at that moment. And I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere near that room, and made a beeline back to the safety of the tram.
Why “Nurses”?
One of the overarching questions I had for weeks after having this dream was “why nurses?” Clearly there were no spirits in the Old or New Testament identified as nurses, so why would God call them that? And one day, after sharing the dream with one of my mentors, the Lord answered my question.
One of the things I teach frequently is that Jezebels aren’t born, they’re made. And they’re made through wounds such as offense or rejection that individuals NURSE, and those nursed wounds become the gateway to operating in witchcraft.
WOW!!!
But the revelation was not complete. I love God because He is always revealing new things, pulling back more layers, showing higher heights and deeper depths.
The Story of Balaam
In 2016, I was listening to one of Apostle Kimberly Daniels’ Periscope teachings, and in it, she was breaking down a particular spirit, and all of the sudden, I realised the Lord had revealed to me the biblical name for the nurse spirits through her teaching: Baal of Peor or Baal Peor.
Now, when finding biblical meanings, it’s often helpful to employ the Law of First Mention which is noting where and how a thing is originally mentioned in Scripture. And interestingly enough, for Baal of Peor, its origin is on the heels of the story of Balaam, the false prophet, found in the Book of Numbers.
Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. (Numbers 25:1-3)
Now for context, I encourage you to read Numbers 22-25 which is the story of Balaam and his works. (I’m actually working on a book about the Balaam spirit which is a very specific version of the Spirit of Jezebel and one of the few pictures in Scripture we see of how an authentic prophetic voice is corrupted so stay tuned.) Allow me to briefly break down the story of Balaam.
Balaam was a prophet of God whose way was corrupted or perverted through greed. In short, he allowed his prophetic office to be hired out to the highest bidder in the face of God’s direct prohibitions. Balak, the king of Moab who was in league with the Midianites, saw that the hand of the Lord was on Israel as they passed from Egypt into Canaan and saw that he would not defeat them through military might alone, but that if he could induce God to curse them, then he might have a chance to defeat them. So he enlisted the prophet Balaam to assist in his evil machinations and most of you know the story - Balaam was seduced by the money and promises of prestige, and eventually went to the high places to meet Balak and curse Israel. Twice, he tried to curse Israel, but the Lord would only allow him to speak blessings. The third time. His spiritual eyes were opened and he blessed Israel himself, thus temporarily thwarting the plans of Balak.
Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
Then he took up his oracle and said:
“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:
“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be in many waters.
“His king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
“God brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall break their bones
And pierce them with his arrows.
‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’
“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”
Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”
So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.” (Numbers 24:1-14)
Balak, was apparently able to persuade Balaam, and we see the fruit of his perversion: In Numbers 25, we see the beautiful women of Midian and Moab being used to entice the Hebrews into sexual harlotry which further enticed them into spiritual harlotry, thus creating a foothold for God to curse Israel according to His own Law. A plague breaks amount among the people, and only when Phineas, Aaron’s grandson, takes a javelin and runs a Simeonite prince and his Midianite harlot through does the plague stop. The Lord further commands His people to “harass” the Midianites in war because of their evil schemes and the death they wrought in Israel (Num. 25:16-18).
Israel was seduced into a covenant with Baal of Peor; they were joined to that spirit, and it cost them dearly. But what is Baal of Peor?
Baal of Peor
Baal of Peor is the “lord of the opening.” As they entered into the Promised Land, this god [demonic prince] sought to bar their way.
Baal Peor - lord of the opening, a god of the Moabites ( Numbers 25:3 ; 31:16 ; Joshua 22:17 ), worshipped by obscene rites. So called from Mount Peor, where this worship was celebrated, the Baal of Peor. The Israelites fell into the worship of this idol ( Numbers 25:3 Numbers 25:5, Numbers 25:18 ; Deuteronomy 4:3 ; Psalms 106:28 ; Hosea 9:10 ); master of the opening. (BibleStudyTools.com)
Baal-Peor - Name of a Canaanitish god. Peor was a mountain in Moab (Num. xxiii. 28), whence the special locality Beth-peor (Deut. iii. 29, etc.) was designated. It gave its name to the Ba'al who was there worshiped, and to whose service Israel, before the entrance into Canaan, was, for a brief time, attracted (Num. xxv. 3, 5; Ps. cvi. 28). The god is himself also called "Peor" by abbreviation (Num. xxxi. 16; Josh. xxii. 17). It is commonly held that this form of Ba'al-worship especially called for sensual indulgence. The context seems to favor his view, on account of the shameful licentiousness into which many of the Israelites were there enticed. But all Ba'al-worship encouraged this sin; and Peor may not have been worse than many other shrines in this respect, though the evil there was certainly flagrant. In Hosea ix. 10 "Baal-peor" is the same as "Beth-peor," and is contracted from "Beth-baal-peor." (JewishEncyclopedia.com)
Just as this spirit occupied the corridor in my dream, so this spirit occupies openings and corridors in the life of a Believer and serves as a gatekeeper, controlling what comes in and out of it. It is a foothold for Satan so his purpose can be accomplished in the life of that person instead of the purpose of God. And the thing is, you must be joined to this spirit in order for it to operate. The spirit is only present because it has been given a right to be present.
Giving Legal Rights & Access to the Enemy
Baal of Peor could open the door to a plague breaking out against Israel because through their harlotries, Israel came into agreement with that spirit and judgment was unleashed against them. Remember the words of Solomon:
“Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.” (Proverbs 26:2)
I love what Apostle Ivory Hopkins says: “In order for witchcraft to come to you, it has to work through you.” You have to give it access - knowingly or unknowingly - for it to operate in your life.
And don’t confuse this with a Job trial. Job was not under attack by witchcraft; it was a trial ALLOWED ( NOT INITIATED) by God as an opportunity for promotion. Job did not join himself with the enemy because if he had, God would not have bragged on His servant to the devil. Twice.
SEE RELATED: Are You an Accuser of the Brethren?
Giving Place to the Enemy, Personal Responsibility
Israel created a cause and the curse alighted. Now your situation may not be so intense as witchcraft coming to or through you, but perhaps it is another demonically inspired problem. Deliverance is something certain sects of Believers do not like to discuss or buy into because they feel that the concept of deliverance removes the concept of personal responsibility. Properly taught, it does not. Time and again, we see the Word of God cautioning against giving place to the enemy.
God told Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it,” (Gen. 4:7). Jesus told His disciples, “for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me,” (John 14:30). And the apostle Paul told us, “Do not give place to the devil,” (Eph. 4:27 MEV).
We are to give no place or no “opportunity” as the English Standard Version says to the enemy. This absolutely requires personal responsibility. You know the saying, “Give the devil an inch, and he’ll take a mile.” The enemy doesn’t play fair; he doesn’t make good on his bargains. And why would you want to bargain with him to begin with?
Strongholds & Strongmen
Perhaps a foothold is difficult for you to imagine. Well, imagine a stronghold with me if you will. A stronghold is a fortified castle or tower - a fortress - that belongs to a ruler (i.e. a king or duke) or a military group belonging to a ruler. When the castle is built, it is owned by that ruler. Through warfare, it is either defended and kept by that ruler or overcome and fallen to the enemy ruler. A territorial war can be made all the easier or all the more difficult because of how well or how poorly strongholds are defended.
Now according to the Psalmist, the Lord is to be our stronghold. He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold,” (Psalms 18:2).
Now the Lord cannot be overcome by any means, yet we can allow ourselves - a territory and temple of God - to be overcome by the enemy. This can be through sin and any type of demonization. The Lord is the only strongman who should have access to our lives, and yet our abdication of authority through sin enables us to be fair game to strongmen from the enemy’s camp. All of the Christian life is a territorial war. It’s us or them, the light or darkness, righteousness or lawlessness, life or death. Our actions are what determine the outcome for our life, whether or not we will be an enemy or even a casualty of that war.
While Baal of Peor in the Old Testament was a fallen angelic prince, I believe there are demons [earthbound evil spirits] bound to that prince whose end goal is the same: to be a type of strongman and gatekeeper to Hell in our life. I’m sure you can think of someone or even of yourself who is overcome by a sin or some type of demonization be it an illness, a vicious cycle of some sort, or an addiction they can’t break. Or maybe they’re even headlong in the Occult. However great that demonization may be, however natural the malady may appear, I know a Strongman whose name is Jesus who can and will overcome any opposition that stands in His way.
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. (Luke 11:21-22)
Summation
We have identified one particular type of strongman in this teaching. We have identified that you must join yourself to [come into agreement with] him, give him a place, in order for this spirit to operate in your life. We have further identified that you are like a stronghold or fortress that the Kingdom of Heaven and Kingdom of Hell are fighting over. But remember this: there is no strongman in the second heaven, the earth, or below the earth that is stronger than God. Christ already overcame the enemy through His Resurrection, and when we give Him access, He gives us access to everything belonging to Him.
I once saw a show that had one scene that comes to mind. A man was trying to check into a hotel. And at this time, an enemy who felt he and his team had a claim to his life came to attack him. While he’s dialoguing with them, the concierge is dropping hint after hint that all the man has to do is simply click the button completing his transaction, and he would suddenly be freed to defend him. Finally, it clicks - literally! - and hidden guns come out of the ceiling and the concierge himself is packing heavy, and every single one of those enemies was beyond obliterated in a matter of seconds. You see, full protection was one of the amenities the hotel offered.
Likewise, many of us - even those of us who have become Believers - have refused to make Christ the Lord over every area of our lives. I have an older post that discusses the rebellion as the original Baal worship. Baal is a false god; he’s a mockery of everything God is. He’s a false lord, a false fire, a false father, part of a false trinity. And when we operate in sin and rebellion, we give him place as the strongman of our lives. Yet repentance and acknowledgment of Christ as our Lord does for us what the completed transaction did for the man on the TV show: it gives Christ license to obliterate the enemy harassing our souls! And who doesn’t need that?!
Repent in truth, and give Christ the Lordship that is due His name. Displace the enemy in your life, and watch God open up a new gateway of blessings you won’t have room enough to receive!
