Jezebel or Strong Woman?
Jezebel or Strong Woman?
By Steve Backlund
I believe we need to be careful with the word “Jezebel.” Certainly, there are people who misuse strength and influence through control, manipulation, and intimidation. (We see that clearly in the Jezebel in the Bible.) At the same time, I think we can too quickly use the Jezebel label for women who are confident, assertive, influential, and sometimes immature in how they express those strengths.
A woman can be confident, opinionated, courageous, gifted, decisive, and influential without being a Jezebel. She will most likely have areas where her strength is not yet fully mature.
Don’t we all? Immaturity is not identity. We don’t want to give people an identity based on something God is helping them grow out of.
God is giving great callings and assignments to women today. They are all around us. We have an incredible opportunity to recognize what He has placed in them, champion it, and help them mature in how they carry it.
1. Strength Was Not Jezebel’s Problem
Jezebel’s story is found primarily in 1 Kings 16–21 and 2 Kings 9. She was certainly a strong woman, but strength was not what made her dangerous. The problem was how she used her strength. She manipulated, controlled, intimidated, promoted idolatry, and used her influence for destructive purposes.
Scripture is also filled with strong women whose influence brought life. Deborah led Israel with courage and wisdom. Esther courageously influenced a king. Priscilla helped instruct Apollos, who became a powerful leader in the early church. God has never had a problem with strong women.
The issue is not whether a woman is strong. The issue is what her strength is producing. The same is true for men. Control, manipulation, and intimidation are not female problems; they are human problems.
2. Labels Can Keep Us From Seeing People
We live in a culture that loves labels. He’s far right. She’s far left. They’re MAGA. They’re ultra-liberal. They’re climate deniers. Labels make complicated people easier to categorize, but they can also make it easier to stop understanding them.
One of the dangers of labeling people is that labels can take away our responsibility to understand them. Once I’ve decided, “She’s a Jezebel,” I don’t have to be curious anymore. I don’t have to ask questions. I don’t have to see the gold in her. I don’t have to consider that she may simply be a strong woman who is still maturing in how she carries her strength.
A woman may act controlling in a situation without control being her identity. She may intimidate people without realizing it. She may need feedback about how she communicates disagreement or uses her influence. Those things are important to address, but we don’t want to turn immature behavior into permanent identity.
3. God Is Raising Up Strong Women
Women have always been a tremendous strength in the church. I believe in this hour, God is increasing their voice, courage, wisdom, and influence.
This increases the importance of healthy fathers and mothers today. Young women who sense a significant calling need mature people who believe in them, listen to them, give them opportunities, celebrate their gifts, and love them enough to give honest feedback.
Strong women don’t need people who are intimidated by their strength. They need fathers and mothers who can celebrate their strength while helping them mature it.
Healthy fathers and mothers don’t communicate, “You’re too much. Tone it down.” They say, “There is something powerful on your life. Let’s help you learn how to carry it well. Let me help you understand why people might be hesitant to trust you.”
Maturity does not require strong women to become weaker, but maturity teaches us how to steward strength.
4. Strong Women Are Learning to Champion Other Strong Women
Philippians 4:2–3 gives us an interesting glimpse into the early church. Paul urged Euodia and Syntyche “to be of the same mind in the Lord” and said these women had “labored with me in the gospel.” I have a hunch they were two strong women. We cannot know that for certain, but we do know they were significant women who had worked alongside Paul and were now having difficulty getting along.
I believe one of the great breakthroughs in this hour will be strong women championing other strong women.
Someone else’s strength does not diminish ours. Someone else’s success does not reduce our significance. Someone else’s influence does not mean there is less room for us. I believe this is an hour where God is strengthening relationships between strong women. Women are increasingly realizing, “Her success does not diminish me. Her strength does not threaten me. I can celebrate what God is doing through her.”
Strong women become even stronger when they celebrate strength in one another.
What Kind of Strength Are We Developing?
There are behaviors we see in Jezebel’s life that need to be confronted when they appear in any of us. Manipulation, intimidation, control, dishonor, and the misuse of influence are destructive whether they come from a woman or a man.
I don’t think our primary assignment is to figure out who the Jezebels are. Our assignment is to recognize unhealthy behavior, address it when necessary, and continue seeing people according to who God has called them to become.
Here is a helpful comparison. As we read it, let’s not primarily ask, “Who does this remind me of?” A better question is, “Where is God maturing the way I use my own strength and influence?”
Jezebel-Like Strength | Healthy, Strong Woman |
Controls people and outcomes | Influences while respecting people’s freedom |
Uses manipulation to accomplish goals | Communicates honestly and directly |
Is threatened by other strong people | Celebrates and champions the strength of others |
Uses intimidation to gain influence | Builds trust and inspires others |
Has difficulty receiving correction | Values feedback and continues growing |
Uses relationships to gain power | Uses influence to strengthen people |
Needs to be in control | Can lead strongly and still be influenceable |
Creates fear and dependency | Creates courage, freedom, and empowerment |
Right now, God is raising up courageous, influential, discerning women who know who they are. Fathers and mothers are rising alongside them to champion their calling, give wise feedback, provide healthy support, and create places for their gifts to flourish.
This is not an hour for weaker women. This is an hour for strong women who know who they are, celebrate the strength in one another, receive feedback, and use their influence to make other people stronger.
