This Means War: Battle for the Altar

Text: 1 Kings 19:1–5 (ESV)

“Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’ Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’ And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Arise and eat.’”

  • Jezebel represents a demonic end-time influence revealed in Revelation (Rev 2:20) that Opposes God, Rejects the Truth and Seduces the Church.
  • Jezebel is jealous for your authority and uses manipulation to tempt into compromise.
  • Where you compromise, you surrender authority.
  • She doesn’t just want your authority, she wants your altar.
  • Her weapon is intimidation to capture your attention.

Whatever commands your attention will eventually control your altar.

Four Lessons from Elijah’s Battle with Jezebel

1. DON’T CONFUSE THE STARTING LINE FOR THE FINISH LINE

(1 Kings 19:1, ESV)

  • Fresh fire attracts fresh warfare.
  • Revival → Reformation → Restoration
  • Don’t confuse a moment of fire with the mountain of restoration.

2. JEZEBEL FIGHTS IN THE SHADOWS. WE WIN IN THE LIGHT!

(1 Kings 19:2, ESV)

Jezebel’s drumbeat:

  • Intimidation
  • Isolation
  • Accusation

Paul said, “…a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me,” (2 Corinthians 12:7, ESV).

Believers can come under spiritual attack when they open a door through compromise or become a threat.


“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God” (John 3:20–21, ESV).

Don’t fight private battles in the dark! Stay in the light of the Word, in the light of accountability.

3. WHEN YOU’RE OVERWHELMED, REMEMBER WHO IS OVER YOU

(1 Kings 19:3–5, ESV)

Elijah wasn’t failing, he was exhausted!

Spiritual exhaustion can feel like failure, but it often means you’ve poured out more than you’ve filled up.

Elijah’s pattern:

  • He withdrew.
  • He compared.
  • He complained.
  • He nearly quit.

Signs of Spiritual Depression
(The Elijah Effect – 1 Kings 19:3–5)

1. Withdrawal – You pull away from people and isolate yourself.
Elijah left his servant and went alone into the wilderness.
2. Comparison – You measure yourself against others and lose perspective.
“I am no better than my fathers.”
3. Negative Self-Talk – You replay failure until it drowns out God’s voice.
“It is enough… take my life.”
4. Loss of Appetite (for both food and faith) – You stop feeding on what sustains you.
Elijah lay down and refused to eat until God intervened.
5. Desire to Quit – You mistake exhaustion for failure and believe God is finished with you.

“Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap and eat cake.”

God didn’t lecture Elijah. He fed him and called him to rise again.

4. WHEN YOU’RE EMPTY, RETURN TO THE SOURCE

(1 Kings 19:8–13, ESV)

8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

When God asks a questions, He’s not seeking information. He’s offering revelation. When God asks twice, He’s initiating restoration.

Horeb is where Moses encountered the burning bush. Elijah returned to the first place of burning.

Where Elijah lost focus:

  • He focused more on problems than praise.
  • He looked for God in the loud, while God waited in the whisper.
  • He tried to fight a thousand fires instead of tending one flame.

When you return to the altar, God restores the anointing.

Reflection Questions

  • Where has Jezebel gotten into your head?
  • Where do you need spiritual rest and renewal?
  • What altar do you need to return to?
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