Jealousy is a result of thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concerns over the lack of material things or safety. Jealousy, feeling angry feelings or resentment toward another person because of his or her success or talents; wishing we had what someone else has. The Bible says, "Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous" (Proverbs 27:4).
The Spirit of Jealousy is a very dangerous spirit. The first occurrence of jealousy is found in the Book of Genesis, when the serpent convinced Eve to be jealous of God's understanding of good and evil. "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). Then it spread to Cain, who killed Abel out of jealousy. Esau and Jacob was in fierce competition. Each wanted what the other had. Joseph's brothers hated him. They became jealous of Joseph when he told them about his dreams. Saul was jealous of David, because the people made more of David's single victory than all of Saul's, and the king went into a rage.
All throughout the Bible, you see the Spirit of Jealousy at work. The first time the Bible mentions the term, "the Spirit of Jealousy," is in Numbers 5:14, "And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled."
When I was 16 years old, I was hired as a seasonal part-time salesperson at a very prestigious department store in an upper class community. I was simply ecstatic that I had obtained such a position, especially with no experience. I had been looking for employment the entire year. I was a senior in high school and I needed to pay my senior fees. I had attended summer school for two years in a row, just for the purpose of being able to participate in the DECA Program. This program allowed you to attend school for half a day, only if you were employed.
When I was hired, all I could do was praise God for such a blessing. I became so excited, all I wanted to do was share the good news with everyone in my neighborhood. My grandmother pulled me aside and said, "Keep your mouth shut!" I didn't understand why she would say such a thing to me. I was completely confused. My question to her was, "why?" She simply answered, "everybody can't receive your good news and jealousy is an evil spirit." As a young girl, that statement went right over my head. I didn't understand what my grandmother meant by her statement. She made me wait until I was hired as regular part-time employee to share my good news.
Many people are so preoccupied or consumed with the things that other people have until it reaches a point that the "spirit of jealousy" is activated. We see people with a new car, a new or bigger home, new clothes, start a new business, get a new job, a husband, a wife, children, and people tend to get jealous. People are even jealous of the different gifts that God has blessed you with. People just get jealous when they see other people prospering.
Jealousy is an evil spirit. Jealousy is a sin. Jealousy is a monster within and once its released, it can do some major damage in our lives and in the lives of others. If jealousy is not dealt with, it will turn from jealousy to resentment. From resentment to hatred. And that hatred will turn to an action that will cause people to commit deeper sins, like crimes. Sin will cause us to be jealous. Sin will cause our heart to fall away from God and will have us to act in an ungodly way.
The "Spirit of Jealousy" is an ugly evil spirit, and it comes in all shapes and sizes, and in all colors. The Spirit of Jealousy doesn't discriminate and it doesn't care who it attacks. Jealousy causes destruction in lives. Jealousy will raise its ugly head in relationships. Jealousy will raise its ugly head on your job. Jealousy will raise its ugly head in your home. Jealousy will raise its ugly head even at church.
Anytime we walk away from our moral compass of God and try to fulfill our own selfish desires, it will destroy us. The problem is that people are walking in their own fleshy desires. The Bible says when you follow your own wrong fleshy desires, your lives will produce these evil results: "impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, spiritism (that is, encouraging the activity of demons), hatred and fighting, jealousy and anger, constant effort to get the best for yourself, complaints and criticisms, the feeling that everyone else is wrong except those in your own little group - and there will be wrong doctrine, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties, and all that sort of thing. Let me tell you again as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:19-21).
The remedy for these sins are to walk in the Spirit of the Almighty God. When we are walking in the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit will control our lives. He will produce fruit in our lives like, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The more the Lord is in our lives, the less the world is in our lives. The Spirt of God cannot dwell where the Spirit of Jealousy dwells. Our heart must be guarded from evil thoughts. We must dwell on the Word of God. Those that belongs to Jesus have nailed those evil desires to His cross.
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).