Seducing Spirits & How to Conquer Them
Recently a girlfriend of mine tagged me in a Facebook post inquiring about seducing spirits, what they were, and how to deal with them. Perhaps that was the motivation I needed to just go ahead and write this Facebook post-turned-blog post. I have done an introductory teaching on the subject on Facebook Live and plan to do a series on it at some point. Yet the written word is important also. Let’s start with the literal mention of seducing spirits in Scripture.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” — 1 Timothy 4:1-3
Many other translations state deceiving spirits, deceitful spirits, deceptive spirits, and spirits of deception. Wycliffe’s translation, however, notably calls these seducing spirits spirits of error. This is in keeping with John’s first epistle.
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. — 1 John 4:1-6
Now what is interesting to note is that the context of 1 Timothy 4 demonstrates that a seducing spirit is much more encompassing than just sex or sexual. The phrases used by the other translations help to clarify this. In fact, Paul doesn’t even mention sex in this passage, but something akin to the opposite—forbidding to marry.
The way I view seduction—much like perversion—is as a massive operation, a massive building like for the CIA or FBI. Only one department of that operation is sexual. And yet so many of our minds immediately jump to the act of sex when we think of seduction.
At their core, a seducing spirit is any spirits that persuades or draws you away from the truth and righteousness. Some common “carrots” of seduction are money, knowledge position, promotion, power, influence, and, of course, sex. In a nutshell, it presents you with a method of compromise, a price you are willing to pay in order to get what you want.
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” — 1 John 2:16
“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” — James 1:14
According to the Word, we are all drawn away by our own lusts. In other words, you can only be seduced with what you desire.
9 SEDUCING SPIRITS
1. LUCIFER— seduced a third of the angels into rebellion against God and seduces humans to sin every day. He is the lead seducing spirit.
“And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.... And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” — Revelation 12:4, 9
2. BABYLON — Queen of Heaven, Mother of Harlots. This prince seduces the world both spiritually and socio-economically into compromise.
“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.... And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” — Revelation 17:1-2, 4-5
3. JEZEBEL — like her “mama” Babylon, but much more specific. The mission of Jezebel is to seduce the saints into sexual immorality and idolatry. Balaam is another manifestation of this spirit.
“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” — Revelation 2:20-23
“But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” — Revelation 2:14
4. FROG SPIRITS — these unclean spirits will seduce the masses with false signs and lying wonders, and will eventually seduce the kings of this world into battle against the Almighty. I believe this is the real “reptilian agenda.”
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” — Revelation 16:13-14
5. SEXUAL IMMORALITY & PERVERSION — spirits that seduce into illegal sexual activities in your fantasies, with yourself, and with others; these can be legal and illegal, socially acceptable and non-socially acceptable. And yes, this includes using sex appeal to literally seduce others into a sexual act or into some other exchange.
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.” — Acts 21:25
6. THE OCCULT — spirits that seduce one into false spirituality and false supernatural demonstrations; a work of the flesh; spiritual fornication and harlotry. One may even think they are operating in the godly supernatural or in concert with the Holy Spirit.
“When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you.” — Deuteronomy 18:9-14
7. FALSE RELIGION & IDOLATRY — spirits that propagate false spirituality and false religion; they seduce people away from the truth and into spiritual darkness; also spiritual fornication or harlotry.
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry...” — 1 Samuel 15:23
“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” — 1 Corinthians 10:14
8. FALSE GOSPELS — these are propagated by spirits that infiltrate the church and cults alike. They seduce people away from the truth of the Gospel and the Bible in context at large.
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” — Galatians 1:6-9
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!” — 2 Corinthians 11:3-4
9. INTELLECTUALISM, HUMANISM & THE POWER OF THE SOUL — spirits that seduce people into idolatry of thought, false concepts and paradigms, and the power of the mind/soul, and spiritually illegal manifesting. The power of the soul is a gateway to witchcraft.
“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” — Romans 1:21-23
HOW TO DEAL WITH SEDUCING SPIRITS
In order to deal with seducing spirits—in addition to godly living and pure thinking—you have to get your lust(s) under control. Get to the root of why you feel you need it whatever it is.
Jesus fought the ultimate seducing spirit with the Word. At His most susceptible, He still didn’t give into the temptation of men, priests, and kings, as Bishop Tudor Bismark would say (Matt. 4:1-11). And we have this confirmed later when He said:
“...for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me..” — John 14:30 (NKJV)
Crucifying your flesh and sanctifying your soul—mind, will, emotions—is crucial.
“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” — James 4:1-8
We must all lead lives that are impregnable to the enemy, body, soul, and spirit.
