Acts 16:16 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.
As Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy were preaching the Gospel in Philippi, a demon-possessed girl came into their midst. She was possessed by the demon of divination and a soothsayer. She was a witch who practiced magic, fortunetelling, and many other forms of witchcraft.
This young girl was a slave and her masters used her to make a lot of money. They charged people to have their fortunes told and to communicate with the dead through her. The demon within her would speak to the “customer” in different voices. We know this today as necromancy which is an extremely dangerous practice that no born-again believer should engage in.
Satan has convinced many Christians that witchcraft, divination, fortunetelling, and necromancy do not exist today but that is a lie straight from Hell! Just as he convinced Eve that God did not mean what He said, Satan is still convincing people today that God’s Word is not true. GOD’S WORD IS TRUE and GOD DOES MEAN WHAT HE SAYS!
The woman that Paul and his team encountered was possessed by the demonic spirit of divination. This demon is known as the spirit of Python. The Greek word is πνευμα πυθωνος (pneuma Pythonos). The English translation of this is “a spirit of divination.” In Greek paganism, Python was believed to be a serpent that lives in Delphi which is southern Greece today.
Demonic spirits are nothing to experiment with. They exist today and they are Satan’s army who comes ONLY to kill, steal, and destroy believers in Christ. (John 10:10) Jesus told us this and all throughout the Four Gospels and the Books in the New Testament, we are instructed to take authority over demonic spirits and cast them out.
This should be a common occurrence in all Christian churches but unfortunately, it is not and that is why we have so many demon-possessed people in the world today. Most ministers will preach and minister Salvation and Healing to people but few today will cast out a demon. Why?
I believe the answer to this question is fear, doubt, and unbelief mixed with the fact that they don’t want to do anything that might scare people. Demons are real and they can be scary but if we really love people as Jesus taught us to, we should want to see them Saved, Healed, and Delivered from all demonic influence in their life.
We have been given the authority (by Jesus) to bind, rebuke, and cast out demons. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My Name they will cast out demons; (Mark 16:16) He also said Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means harm you. (Luke 10:19)
I cannot close this Morning Message without reminding you of the very important WARNING from Jesus as recorded by Matthew in regard to this. When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he (the unclean spirit) goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he (the unclean spirit) says, “I will return to my house (the man that he used to possess) from which I came.” And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he (the unclean spirit) goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they (the unclean spirit and seven more) enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45)
We absolutely have been given authority to bind, rebuke, and cast out demonic spirits BUT as in all Ministry, there is a proper way to do it and we find it in God’s Word. We will discuss this more tomorrow.
Hold on! God is about to…..…….turn the tide……….in your life.
Thank you Lord! Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
