Python spirits, curses, spells, witchcraft, and black arts sorcery suck the life out of you and can cause bad things to happen. Knowledge of this spirit along with spiritual discernment is a must.
Remember the damsel that followed Apostle Paul? Naturally speaking it appeared this was a lovely young lady that was enjoying the gospel services. She followed the ministry for several days declaring, “These men are servants of the most high God which show you the way of salvation.” Sounds great right? But something wasn’t sitting with right with Apostle Paul’s spirit. After a few days, the apostle turned around and said come out of her! The result was a he came out of a her. (Transgender anyone?) Notice a he came out of a she.
Scripture declares, “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:16-18).
SPIRIT OF DIVINATION
Notice this was a spirit of divination. The Greek calls it a pneuma of python or python spirit. This was a fortune telling spirit. We would call it a demonic prophetic spirit. Demons love prophetic people and prophetic groups. This slave girl brought her masters lots of money but after her deliverance the ability to prophesy stopped. This stirred up her owner’s and they brought Paul and Silas to the city rulers and magistrates looking to fine or jail them.
SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT
Spirits like this python spirit must be spiritually discerned. Spiritual discernment is not soulish suspicion. Left undetected this spirit of divination would have caused all kinds of problems for this apostolic team. Scripture says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”(Ephesians 6:11). There are many spirits in the Bible but the word of God exposes them.
WILES OF THE DEVIL
Wiles are chicaneries, tricks, or strategies of deception. These stratagems are used to get you out of the will of God. Jesus said the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
DEMONIC SPIRITS
You will find that most demonic spirits use flattery and ambiguous mystical words to build your confidence in them. If you fall prey to their demonic lure, you will suffer much grief. I have seen good people allowing others around them that operated in prophetic divination. In the beginning, things seemed great, but little by little the python spirit began suffocating them and finally releasing full-blown word curses and witchcraft control.
BLACK ARTS SORCERY
Even Evangelist Philip was almost taken in. He went to the city of Samaria preaching Christ. The entire town was blessed seeing and hearing the healings, miracles, and deliverance by the Holy Spirit. During his crusade, there was a man named Simon who also believed the gospel of Christ and was water baptized. (This is what people do today. They repent of their sins and get water baptized as an outward sign of an inward change.) Simon, however, had a problem. He was not free from demonic influence. “Because that of a long time he had bewitched the people with sorceries”(Acts 8:11). This word sorceries is “mageia,” meaning magic. In other words, Simon was operating in black arts sorcery.
The way things were going, Simon was getting real close to Philip until the apostles were sent from the church in Jerusalem to see what was going on. When Peter and John got to the city of Samaria, they saw that none of the new converts were filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. They were only water baptized. As the apostles laid their hands on the believers, they were baptized by the Holy Spirit.
SPIRITUAL DECEPTION
Simon saw through the laying on of hands the power of God came on the believers. To Simon this was awesome, and he offered to buy the ability to do this. Peter answered Simon’s request. “And when Simon saw through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God might be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall (poison) of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity”(Acts 8:18-23). Look what was still in this man, bitterness, and immoral character. What would have happened if Simon was able to get on Philip’s ministry team?
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PYTHON
- Well camouflaged and hid themselves.
- Constrictors.
- Kill their prey by squeezing them until they stop breathing.
- Ambush their prey.
- Blend easily with their environment.
- Cold-blooded.
SPIRITUAL MATURITY
Spirit discernment is vital for you. Both these examples are people that tried to get close to someone in ministry. This could happen to you too. Spiritual discernment belongs to the spiritually mature. “For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil”(Hebrews 5:13-14).
TRY THE SPIRITS
Curses cause bad things to happen. Scripture says, “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Demonic spirits can cause you lots of problems when undetected. If you don’t stop them, they will destroy your life, family, and ministry. Don’t let this spirit hinder your spiritual life. Read the Bible and start working on sharpening your spiritual discernment.
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