Q:What is “the Spirit of Elijah,” and why is it so critical for the Church to understand and activate it in this generation?
A: The spirit of Elijah is defined as standing against the oppression of an evil regime while operating in generational cooperation. This narrative of generational cooperation is not limited to a single era. Still, it spans across generations, seeing the will of God and His people come to pass in a multigenerational capacity. It’s a larger, enduring narrative that we, as believers, are part of.
When we consider all the Scripture references regarding the spirit of Elijah, it becomes clear that this term, often used in pop culture Christianity, has a deeper significance. My purpose for using the phrase “spirit of Elijah” is to define the familiar conflict of national and even global powers that seek to usurp the authority given by God for the good of humanity. It’s about activating those who would rise with a word from God to oppose such forces.
As a prophet, Elijah was not only tasked with enforcing God’s will in his generation but also with passing on a generational anointing. This act of generational empowerment, symbolized by the transfer of his mantle to Elisha, ensured that the spirit of Elijah would continue to influence and guide future generations.
Ultimately, the spirit of Elijah is a spirit of reformation working through the Church at large that confronts cultural evil while also healing a generation through turning the hearts of fathers and children toward one another. Jesus said this would circumvent the curse. John the Baptist carried the spirit of Elijah and was anointed to announce the first coming of Jesus. The spirit of Elijah is upon the Church today as it also prepares the way for the second coming of Jesus.
Q: How can believers recognize the Antichrist spirit —and where is it showing up most?
A: The spirit of Antichrist is just that, a spirit, not to be confused with the Antichrist or the “man of sin.” This evil spirit operates by controlling world powers through systems of oppression. Examples can be found in instances such as the authoritarian overreach that nearly everyone experienced to some extent during the 2020 pandemic. A biblical example of an antichrist spirit at work is seen in the Pharisees, who deferred to Herod’s authority to intimidate Jesus as He was doing His ministry. Jesus’ response was to call Herod a fox, letting the evil ruler know the kingdom would advance regardless of the intimidation of the religious system or the government. (See Luke 13:32.)
Q: How is the Spirit of Elijah uniquely equipped to confront deception, both in the world and within the Church?
A: The Spirit of Elijah is uniquely designed to confront the spirit of the age. Elijah carried an uncontrollable and unmanageable anointing to confront the deception. When darkness sows evil and refuses to repent, it eventually reaps a reformer! This is what Elijah was, and this is what the Church has been since the very beginning, as seen in the statement from Acts 17:16, where those who turn the world upside down are described. Alternatively, one might say that the system of the culture is turned upside down. Like Elijah in his day, we, the Ekklesia, are called to restrain the forces of evil and through our faith bring the world or that system to its knees. First John 5:4 states, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” The Message translation says it this way, “…the conquering power that brings the world to its knees is our faith…” The Greek word for “world” here is the word kosmos, which means the public or society. When the Church moves in faith, confronting the evils of society, it does so through faith and cooperates with the same spirit that operated in both Elijah (confronting the evils of his day) and John the Baptist (preparing the way for the coming of Jesus). The Church today continues in the spirit of Elijah, as we prepare the way for the return of Jesus once again.
Q: What are some truths being hidden or suppressed right now that God is calling us to expose?
A: The spirit of religion is used to support a global Jezebel agenda. As mentioned, it was the religious institutions of Jesus’ day that cooperated with governmental tyranny and ultimately leveraged that for the crucifixion of Jesus. The spirit of religion is the institutionalization of a former revelation, meaning something that started good, and by the Word of God, which eventually becomes stagnant and will fight the current move of God through intimidation and control. Institutionalized revelation is dangerous because whatever the institution cannot control, it must either kill or persecute.
When the Church rises to its position in faith, many things will be exposed, much as John the Baptist called out Herod and Herodias. In our culture today, exposure should come in the form of uncovering the nefarious actors behind the mutilation of children, human trafficking, the vile behavior of elites, and economic oppression. A counter to it all is a call for a return to the purpose of each Godly nation, back to its original purpose.
Q: You talk about breaking the Antichrist spirit. What does that actually look like in a believer’s life?
A: In the believer’s life, fear is to have no place. The spirit of Antichrist desires to put believers into a place of fear and intimidation, rendering the potency of the believer into a place of stepping back from being a force for good and justice. Hebrews 10:38 says, “If anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” Meaning, when we retreat from the walk of faith and influence on the culture, it is not pleasing to the Lord. We are to rise in our walk of faith with the finished works of Jesus operating in our lives as a counter to the powers of darkness. When we do this, we become the Ekklesia that does not allow the gates of hell to prevail.
Q: Do you see a connection between the spirit of Jezebel and the rise of chaos and lawlessness today? How should the Church respond?
A: Yes, the spirit of Jezebel is mentioned by Jesus in Revelation 2:20, and it is a spirit that wants to be known as a prophet, a teacher, yet moves in control and sexual perversion, causing those who listen to it to be intimidated and compromised. When this type of demonic activity takes place within the body of Christ, it makes way for lawlessness to increase and leads the hearts of many to grow cold. Sadly, much of the Church contends against this through intellectualism rather than walking as a Holy Spirit-led Church.
Taking in ongoing Spirit-filled Bible teaching is the first way believers should respond. Secondly, we need to respond to the conflict in the Spirit of faith, meaning rather than mobilizing in the letter which kills, we must respond in the Spirit which gives life. When under the assault of Jezebel, it is essential to note that it cannot be out-communicated or out-argued, as it is a very persuasive and seductive spirit. Seductive in that it is highly appealing for many to desire to participate in its communication. For those rising above it, the main thing to recognize is that it is not a flesh-and-blood battle, but rather a vicious spiritual one, as the end goal of a spirit of Jezebel is to shut down the effective voice of prophecy and true liberty.
Jezebel desires attention and allegiance to itself and will constantly communicate to those who have ears to hear. Remember that it was Elijah, one against 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah, who ate right at Jezebel’s table. A move of God and a supernatural intervention are what is required to overcome a full-out assault of Jezebel. Reformers were born to destroy the hold of Jezebel, and they do it through fervent submission to the Lord while walking in obedience to God Almighty. God will fight for those who are fully submitted and obedient.
Q: Many are sensing a shaking both in the world and within the Church. Could this be the beginning of an Elijah-style confrontation—where God is exposing what’s been hidden and calling His people back to truth, holiness, and spiritual authority?
A: Elijah came and called the people of God to repentance, and this is what we are seeing today. This is nothing new, as 1 Peter 4:17 states, “For the time has come for judgment to begin in the house of God.” One reason judgment begins in the house of God is so that the Church can be a potent force against the spirit of the age. As a response, the Church should embrace repentance, humility, and the types of restoration outlined in Galatians 6:1. God is exposing what's been hidden and calling His people back to truth, holiness, and spiritual authority. In the process, however, the devil is aware that he cannot beat the Church, so he finds ways to join it, through pharisaical behavior, fault-finding, and keeping the Church from walking out Galatians 6:1, which says, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Restoring begins with genuine repentance. This is the primary reason for exposure: not to destroy but to restore those who have been harmed and victimized as well as those who repent and fall on the authority of church leadership.
Q: How can we position ourselves to experience God’s supernatural provision even in the darkest times?
A: God’s economy is specifically designed to bring His people through times of difficulty and seasons of lack. We know it was dark in Egypt, but it was light in Goshen. Think about Joseph during the years of famine. Genesis 47:15 says, “When the money failed in Egypt, the people came to Joseph.” This is a reference to a reformer being in a position. However, even greater than Joseph is Jesus in His Body today. Because we have a new covenant built on better promises, we have a heightened level of receiving, which is activated through our sowing and reaping. Being positioned for provision and even a massive increase begins with our sowing, but it also requires being positioned with the right people and place in the body of Christ. When generous givers sow into the proper ground, they participate in every joint supply, and they will also personally increase. God delights in taking His people through difficult scenarios with increased favor, no matter what it looks like in the world. We see this repeated throughout Scripture.
Q: You boldly say that defeat is not an option for God’s people. How can believers rise in their God-given authority and walk confidently, even as the world grows darker?
A: Scripture points out in Matthew 24:6, which says, “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet…” Notice right in the middle of that verse that Jesus says, “See that you are not troubled.” What a statement that is—many who experience the things Jesus prophetically declared might be filled with fear had He not inserted this command. See that you are not troubled… this means He is commanding us not to be troubled. Not being troubled is the first point in making sure we do not succumb to the natural fear that rises in times of crisis. Philippians 1:28 says, “And not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God…” When the believer walks in faith directly in the face of adversaries like fear or global chaos, it is proof to the darkness that we are God’s and those agreeing with evil are on the road to hell.
Ultimately, it is our walk of faith that overcomes the world, both in its entirety and in our personal lives. A walk of faith is developed by exercising your senses to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14 teaches us to exercise our senses, putting them under the authority of the written Word of God, and this discipline will fashion discernment in your heart and start you down the path of living by faith. When a believer grows in discernment of what is evil and what is good, they will know what to do in response. Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” John 6:63 states that Jesus’ words are Spirit, so it could be said that if you walk in the Word of God, you are walking in the Spirit and growing in faith that will overcome a dark and present evil age.
When you also recognize that Jesus came to deliver us from a present evil age according to the will of God (Galatians 1:4), this will give you boldness. It will provide you with the mentality that darkness might come walking over, but it will go limping back when it runs into a faith-filled believer!
Q: What would you say to Christians who feel powerless or intimidated by what’s happening in culture and government?
A: I often say to my audience every day, "Even on a bad day, you are anointed by God to be the very best there is!” You are God’s weapon as a free moral agent who has the natural ability to make a difference in this world. The question is, are you trained or untrained? If you will train your heart not to fear but to have boldness through the promises of God, you are a dominant force in this world. Even as the hearts of many would grow cold, which is a weapon of darkness, causing believers to shrink back due to being exposed to non-stop lawlessness all around, what you were built for is to overcome everything the darkness can throw at you. Another thing you need to know is that Jesus wants you to win even more than you do! He is committed to your victory. Knowing this brings encouragement; therefore, agree with Him and keep walking.
Q: If readers walk away with one prophetic truth from this book, what do you hope it is—and what should they do with it right now?
A: I will answer by referencing the Sons of Issachar found in 1 Chronicles 12:32. They knew the signs of the times and what to do about them. This is a powerful combination. However, there is one more piece that made them effective in their generation under the leadership of King David.
They had their brethren and their chiefs at their command. Meaning this, it is not enough to discern the signs of the times, or even to know what to do about it; these sons of Issachar also had their tribal alignment in place. Here is the takeaway for you. Your tribal alignment is very important! When you are with your people, you will find your purpose. This is a necessary part of the body of Christ being effective—who you are with. Find who you are called to be with, and you will be an effective part of the body of Christ. Something I often say is you will know you are with the right people because you cannot say the wrong thing to the right people, just as you cannot say the right thing to the wrong people. When you are with your people, you will be celebrated, not tolerated. In this position comes advancement as every joint supplies the forward motion of the body of Christ. Remember another thing— Jesus wins! He also wants you to walk in His victory every day, and you can. This is part of the Spirit of Elijah impacting the culture, rather than the culture impacting you. Being rightly aligned and in your lane brings strength, significance, and is part of beast-proofing your future. Meaning the spirit of Antichrist will have no power over you now or ever!
