IS A PYTHON SPIRIT TRYING TO SQUEEZE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU?
Have you ever been accused of not being a good Christian? It could be a python spirit. The Bible tells us that our enemies are not people, but evil spirits that work in people, many times through the words they speak. We learn about python spirits in Acts 16.
Paul and other disciples went to Philippi and “now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 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” (vv. 16-18a). This doesn’t sound like such a bad thing, right? “But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her” (v. 18b). Why did this woman’s words grieve Paul so much? Because “the spirit of divination” is a “python spirit.” She wasn’t a follower of Jesus yet. What she was really pronouncing is that Paul’s group said they followed Jesus, but they had very unreligious ways about them. And she was telling everyone.
This woman’s income depended on keeping things as they were. If people believed in this new unreligious message, she would be out of a job, and her owners would be at a loss. Her mission was to speak up loud and long, bringing as much negative attention and criticism to Paul and the disciples as she could.
Many good Christians are walking by the Spirit, but have been attacked and accused in the same way Paul was. It is not a foible or coincidence. It is by design to knock us down, make us feel bad, and doubt ourselves. People don’t like it when we don’t fit their ideas of how a Christian should talk and act. The men who were making money off the woman in Acts 16 were so mad, they riled up the city leaders, saying: “These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe” (vv.20-21). The merchants got Paul and Silas thrown in prison.
Someone once told me I wasn’t “friendly enough.” Other times I’ve been accused of being too negative when I was only speaking the truth. How many good Christians have been told by an abusive spouse that they are not being loving enough? Or how about this one: “You’re a Christian. Aren’t you supposed to be more forgiving”? These statements could easily be the words of python spirits. Think about it.
A python is a snake that wraps itself around its prey and squeezes the life out of it. Python spirits try to constrict us and make us conform to religious rules that aren’t necessarily the Bible for the situation. They squeeze and squeeze, trying to wear us down. They want us to be quiet, while they spout off in any way they want to. Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, they are talking spirits and say ridiculous things like: “You shouldn’t raise your voice; Be nice; Just ignore the problem; Don’t offend anyone.”
Jesus offended people all the time with truth versus religion. He broke religious rules and chose to commune with God instead of being moved by what others would think or say.
The Lord shows us spiritual matters so that in our everyday life we are not ignorant, and demons can’t take advantage of us. Second Corinthians 2:11 tells us: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” One of the devil’s devises is to use the python spirit to accuse us.
But we know those snakes, and we resist them. James 4:7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” And we rebuke them. Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”
We continue to walk by the spirit, boldly. Romans 8:14: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Luke 9:1 “He gave them power and authority over all devils.”
We cut off serpents’ heads; That’s what we do.
Love, Carolyn
FREE DOWNLOAD - WINGS: BEING BOLDER AS A CHRISTIAN - Today thru Tuesday, April 24. If you don’t have Kindle Unlimited or Prime, I can send you a word document or a pdf file, so you can read my books FREE on your computer. Let me know at: cjmolica@hotmail.com
In this sample book I’ve chosen chapters specifically about being bolder in our Christian walk. The true stories show the different ways God has to help us be bolder but not annoying in the challenging situations we encounter daily. Chapters include:
SPEAKING FAITH,
CHASE THE DEPRESSION OUT,
NO MORE TOIL, DON’T GIVE UP,
DIG AND DUNG
TELLING THE DEVIL WHERE TO GO
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