In my last two blogs I laid out the biblical background for the spirit of python which seems to be encountered much more frequently now by deliverance ministries than it was even 20 years ago. This proliferation has most likely been brought on by the emergence of new age practices since the 60’s as well as the growth of satanic organizations and witchcraft in America.  Many Americans dabble in the occult without knowing the dangers or are exposed to it in unintended ways. How many of us when we were young played with Ouija boards, went to palm readers, or participated in séances at sleepovers thinking it was all fun and games?  This spirit can also be passed on generationally from grandparents who practiced white magic or who were involved in Masonic organizations decades ago.  Remember that python is a spirit of divination or witchcraft (Acts 16) which manifests in numerous ways.  The spirit of python can manifest in prophecy, communicating with the dead, and healing at times.  That was the draw at Delphi in the days of Paul.

I want to talk about some of those manifestations in this blog so that you can recognize what you are dealing with in those to whom you may be ministering.  In deliverance, knowing the name of a spirit is much more effective than simply calling out some unclean spirit.

Today, there are those who are demonized by this spirit who prophecy, provide spiritual counseling, speak to the dead, and even heal in the name of Christianity. Often, these individuals manifest uncontrolled jerking and shaking and claim they are under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  This may take some discernment, but as John said, we are to test the spirits because not every spirit is of God.

Those who are impressed by their prophecies and physical manifestations may seek an impartation of the gifts they believe they are witnessing and will receive not only a “gift” but the spirit of python as well.  The spirit is usually a source of significant income for those who allow it to work through them. Prayer, discernment and an observation of the fruit of that person’s ministry may be needed to determine if this spirit and the gifts are from God or not.  This spirit will seem to be a source of blessing at first so that people may believe that God is blessing them, but at some point that spirit will come to collect the bill for services rendered. Jesus has paid the bill for those who serve him, but Satan always comes to collect.

Those who are simply being afflicted by this spirit will exhibit some other manifestations.  Remember that python slowly squeezes the life out of people, organizations, and ministries.  For instance, if a once vibrant Christian has slowly lost his/her passion for the kingdom of God and has become apathetic towards prayer and ministry, this person may be under attack from this spirit.   This usually happens gradually rather than because of some traumatic event so that the person himself cannot explain the loss of passion. If a ministry or business seems to have stalled out with no further growth, even though everyone is still working hard and doing the right things, a python spirit may be coiled around the business or ministry restricting its ability to expand.

On a physical level, breathing disorders (asthma, COPD, chronic pneumonia, bronchitis, etc.) that doesn’t respond well to treatment or that keeps reoccurring may be an indicator of this spirit as his coils try to suffocate his victims.  We did a house cleansing recently where two of the family members had been plagued by breathing problems for several weeks.  Medications had not helped.  The Holy Spirit showed us that a python spirit was in the house so we commanded it to leave.  By the following day, the breathing problems cleared up. Skin problems may also become evident and reflect the molting of skin that a serpent goes through.

This spirit, because it is a spirit of witchcraft, may also manifest in perverse sexual drives and practices. Many pagan religions and cults through the centuries have had very sexualized rituals that included temple prostitutes (male and female), as well as public fertility rights, etc.  Some deliverance ministries suggest that this spirit may manifest in teenage women as a desperation or compulsion to get pregnant by any means and by anyone.

As you begin the deliverance process, you should have the person to whom you are ministering repent of any and all occult involvement for himself or his bloodline and to renounce all forms of witchcraft and divination. He or she should also agree to get rid of any objects in their house related to witchcraft in any form…jewelry, books, movies, music, souvenirs from overseas, even native American artifacts, etc.

When you begin to command this spirit to leave a person, you may find that it does not leave immediately or easily. Not only will it be coiled around a person but may be biting that person as well to maintain a hold.  You should command it not only to uncoil but also forbid it from biting. Often this spirit will hiss at those ministering deliverance and boast that the person belongs to him. On occasion, we have seen people sway like a serpent or fall on the floor and writhe like a snake. Those who are being delivered may complain of difficulty in breathing or pressure on their chest. You should forbid the spirit from restricting the person’s breathing or placing pressure on the chest as you continue to command it to leave.  You may also call on angels to cage this serpent or for the Holy Spirit to restrain the serpent.  You may also want to use the sword of the Spirit on the head of the serpent, as that is typically the best way to rid yourself of a snake.

Sometimes a snake gets in because the spiritual, hedges or walls around the person have fallen into disrepair. Ask the Lord to rebuild those walls and then make sure the person to whom you are ministering knows how to maintain the walls or hedges of protection with time in the word and prayer. As always, we need to keep in mind that not everything is a demon, but we need to be one to the possibility and be ready to minister deliverance when the Holy Spirit points us in that direction.  Hopefully, this has been helpful.

Last week I introduced the topic of the spirit of divinationfrom Acts 16 and the Greek background of this spirit that the people of the day called Python.  Spirits with names like these tend to take on the qualities of the animal whose name they share.  The python and other constrictors do not kill by venom but instead squeeze the life out of their victims very often suffocating them before crushing them.  This is a very subtle and yet powerful animal and the spirit of python is as well…often taking its time to crush the spiritual life out of its victims.

Just as the serpent in the Garden drew Adam and Eve away from God’s truth, this serpent will do the same. Once we have been drawn away from God’s truth we become easy targets for other spirits to join in the attack.  Because of the subtle strategies of these serpent spirits, it is imperative that God’s people know the Word of God because it is the only plumb line of truth by which we can objectively measure what is aligned or misaligned with God in the church or in our own lives.

John tells us, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 Jn.4:1).  He is warning the church because these spirits will try to establish areas of influence in the church.  I can certainly tell you that over the past 25 years, the hunger to study the Word of God in many churches has been quenched. It is quoted and referred to but rarely truly studied in our day. The truth is that we have churches full of smart but biblically illiterate people who read spiritual books but not the Word, who go where they feel good, and who seek spiritual experiences that are not tested against biblical truth.  I am all for connecting with God emotionally and for spiritual experiences, but they must be tested and can only be tested by the Word and the Holy Spirit who always lines up with the word.  Knowing fragments of truth from the Bible without having some sort of overall understanding of God’s will and God’s ways is like having sections of a protective wall erected but with huge gaps in the middle through which the enemy can easily enter.

Paul warns us in his letter to the Thessalonians that, “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved (2 Thess. 2:9-10).  These spirits that are infiltrating the church will do impressive signs and wonders.  They will be counterfeit not because they are cheap tricks but because the source is not the true God.  If our theology is based on experiences only, we will be easily drawn to power without a filter to know whether we are being taught the truth or led away.

Should we then ban signs and wonders to avoid deception?  No. People are seeking these alternative forms of faith because they are looking for power, healing, prophecy, and so forth that they have not found in their churches.  Spiritual gifts, including the more miraculous gifts, are given for building up the church and must be exercised, perhaps, more now than ever if the church is to be strong and flourish.  We can’t abandon miracles and power to the enemy. We need to do them authentically and biblically…while teaching our people how to test the spirit behind them to see if they are from God.  Paul warned Timothy of this infiltration when he said, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1 Tim.4:1-2).

Just as the owners of the slave girl in Acts 16 were motivated  by money, influence and power, those who teach doctrines of demons will probably be motivated by the same things. We must be careful with our judgments however because everyone with disagree with is not a false prophet.  Unfortunately, you can go on YouTube right now and find dozens of preachers pointing the finger at other preachers for declaring the doctrines of demons. Typically, they are accusing men whom they have never met nor had a personal conversation with. They don’t know the fruits of their lives or ministries first hand. Division ion the church is one of Satan’s greatest weapons and sometimes we join right in.

Since a large part of the Christian church remains relatively uninformed about spiritual warfare, strategies of Satan, and demonic activity…how will they perceive and combat these doctrines of demons as those presenting them will come presenting themselves as enlightened Christians open to the new things of God? God certainly does new things but they are never contrary to his written word or character.  I think in many ways the break down of denominationalism and allegiances to one slice of the church is a good thing that can lead to unity, but I also believe that because of those break downs and people drifting from church to church or watching the electronic church, they don’t know what they believe and that makes them easy pray for the demonic.

My prayer is that God’s people will get serious again about Bible study, knowing what they believe and why, and will get serious about spiritual warfare in the church because the spirit of python and a multitude of other spirits are still alive on planet earth.  Too often we want to run to the gifts, run to the power, start the healing or deliverance without truly grounding ourselves in the Word. We should not be afraid because he that is in us is greater than anything hell can send our way but we do need to be equipped to fight…more than ever.  Knowing the Word is our first line of defense.  Knowing how to use the Word is just as important because it is the sword of the Spirit.

Next Week – specific indicators of a python spirit and how to pray against it.

We are living in a schizophrenic age in America where materialism abounds, atheism is trending, and science is seen as the great savior of mankind.  At the same time there has probably never been a greater hunger for the supernatural – psychic hotlines, Kundalini yoga, Wicca, spitiual healing clinics, and movies of all kinds about the paranormal, sorcery, and the living dead. On one hand, we deny the reality of the spiritual realm while at the same time being immensely fascinated by the realm we say we don’t believe in. This hunger and fascination confirms that a material world will only satisfy human longings  to a point, then we compulsively look for something more.

There is real danger in all of this because uniformed Christians are being drawn into hybrids of Christianity and occult practices such as psychic counseling, yoga, reiki healing, eastern philosophies, and eastern forms of meditation. . Many believers are being told that there is no harm in these forms of exercise, counseling, meditation and spiritual healing and that God is blessing it all.  Much of the yoga and spiritual healing forms talk about energy rather than spirits, but these ancient forms of exercise, meditation and healing have been designed to open the doors to spirits that were pursued in pagan rituals. Christians are seeking these “new” forms without understanding the door they are opening for demonic spirits.  Just because a session opens with a prayer in the name of Jesus, does not mean that everything that occurs after that is from the Father.

In Acts 16:13-18, there is an interesting account of Paul being followed by a young slave girl who was controlled by a spirit of divination while he preached in Philippi.  The text says, “Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling^.  This girl followed Paul and the rest of us shouting, ‘These men are servants of the most high God, who are telling you the way to be saved.’  She kept this up for many days.  Finally, Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus I command you to come out of her!’  At that moment the spirit left her.”  Of course, trouble soon followed because the money she had been making for her owners was suddenly cut off.  The text raises some interesting question and provides some valuable insights for believers today in this areas of Christian/occult hybrids.

First of all, the spirit in the girl was a spirit of divination.  It could predict the future, at least to a great enough degree that people believed it was authentic. The Greek word for the spirit is “pythona.” Today it is often referred to as a python spirit and we are seeing more and more of this spirit in deliverance and house cleansing sessions. Jesus spoke of spirits taking that form in Luke 10 where he said,. “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  This spirit takes on the qualities and strategies of a python and just as a python in the natural realm wants to crush the breath out of its victims, this spiritual python wants to crush God’s breath, the Holy Spirit, out of its victims.

The Greeks believed  that a great serpent or dragon called Python had once protected a hill with an opening into the earth at Delphi. In Greek  mythology, Apollo had killed the serpent and dumped his body into an open crevice where it continued to rot for centuries.  Delphi, in southern Greece, became a center for prophecy, healing, and fortune telling.  People would travel from all over that part of the world to get a word from the priestess of Delphi called Pythia and pay her lots of money for the privilege.. She would essentially sit over a fissure in the ground and breath fumes that placed her in an ecstatic state during which the “spirit of python” was supposed to speak through her.  The fumes were thought to be from the rotting corpse of the great serpent as his spirit still inhabited the place.  Girls like the one in Acts 16 were thought also to be under the influence of the ancient spirit called Python.

This spirit is identified as a demonic spirit in Acts 16, posing as a spirit of prophecy or fortune-telling. Notice that the spirit first arrived as Paul and his company were going out to pray.  One of the strategies of this spirit is to distract us from developing an intimate relationship with God though prayer. This spirit will crush or dampen our desire to pray and spend personal time with the Lord.  He will also offer an array of distractions.

Secondly, serpents are known for their cunning and stealth. In Genesis 3, we are told that the serpent was more crafty that any of the other animals God had made. He was crafty enough to seduce Adam and Eve into rebellion against the commands of God.  This spirit is subtle and invades a life or home slowly so that its target is almost unaware of its movement.

In Philippi, this serpent spirit said all the right things as he declared that Paul and his company were men of God and were showing people how to be saved.  Why would a demonic spirit even do that? In doing so, he was deceptively associating himself with Christ in the minds of those who heard Paul’s preaching. Because he seemed to be aligning himself with Paul, it was possible that those who would seek to follow Jesus might assume that it was the Holy Spirit speaking through the girl rather than a demonic spirit.  In that way, after Paul left to preach in another city, he could lead many believers astray under the guise of being a spirit sent by God.  That is exactly what is happening in these hybrid Christian/Eastern religious practices that are being adopted by believers.

It’s curious that Paul put up with the girl for “many days,” but eventually, troubled in his spirit, he cast out the demon. Perhaps, he knew that when he did set her free, there would be a huge uproar in the city that would then prevent him from continuing to preach the gospel there, and that is exactly what happened. The point is that demonic spirits can say the right things and appear to be aligned with God while they find ways to infiltrate the church and the lives of individual believers.   Pythons and other constrictors can slowly approach a victim that is not paying attention and then slowly squeeze the life out of that victim little by little.  When the victim recognizes he is in danger, it is too late to escape the coils of the snake. Satan has done that to many believers through the centuries.  There is a “new age” Christianity that is gaining traction that will be a hybrid of Christianity and the occult, but will all be presented as offering new spiritual pathways  to God. These spirits may even manifest in prophecy and healing today as they did at Delphi two thousand years ago. This spirit seems to be one of the most active spirits in the European and American church today. So, how doe we indeed notify it and what do we do after that?  We will talk about those indicators and solutions in Part 2 next week.

My wife Susan and I recently went to see Overcomer, which is the newest movie out from the Kendrick Brothers who also produced War Room, Fireproo,fand Courageous. This is a movie about a young black girl who became the single member of a cross country track team for a Christian School.  Of course, she overcomes all odds to excel in her sport and discovers herself and a family member she thought was dead. In some ways, the plot is predictable but in the end you still shed a tear and want to applaud as she overcomes an immense amount of  brokenness.

Although the movie is based on a formula, I highly recommend it. The formula works time and again because it develops the theme of redemption.  A person loses his way, makes terrible mistakes, hurts others, burns bridges, finally receives a second chance to do it right…and does it. Something in us wants to stand and cheer.  If you think about it, a number of great movies through the years have developed that theme including the classic Ben-Hur, Les Miserables, the Rocky series, the redemption of Darth Vader in Star Wars, etc.  I believe these work and we cheer the formula decade after decade because we all know deep within, that we personally need our own redemption.

The Word of God says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Eccl.3:11). The idea of setting eternity in the hearts of men can mean many things, but more than anything, I think it confirms that God has deposited within each man the sense that something lies beyond this life and beyond the physical realm. Within each of us there is a sneaking suspicion that when I take my last breath, a door is opened to another realm.  I know that there are self-proclaimed atheists who argue that there is nothing beyond that moment of death, but I believe they had to convince themselves of that view…it did not come naturally.

With an inherent sense of eternity and the longing and even certainty of life after death, the next logical question is, “What does life after this life look like?” Historically, every culture has developed some answer to that in the form of religion and each one has imagined some kind of reward for righteous living and some form of punishment for the wicked…however that was defined by the culture.  It is fascinating that every people group through the ages has struggled with their own mortality and has been concerned with their eventual destination after death.  I believe that is confirmation that God has indeed placed eternity in the hearts of men.

I also believe that we have inherited a sense of defectiveness from our ancestors – Adam and Eve.  After they both sinned against God, they were overcome with a sense of fear and shame…a sense that they were no longer acceptable to God. That sense of defectiveness haunts us all at some level.  One response is to construct a system of good works, courageous exploits, self-sacrifice, or special knowledge that will earn us entry into the blessed realm of the next life.  Every form of this option has us trying to earn our salvation, but men are still haunted by the fear that they have never done enough.  Another option is to simply deny life after death and the threat of judgment through a disciplined mindset of atheism. If I can’t earn my way to God, I will simply deny  his existence. The third option is found only in Jesus and that option believes that God is good and that he loved us enough to personally pay the price for our defectiveness.  We cannot earn salvation but can only accept it through the sacrifice of Jesus.  In a works religion, man keeps trying to get to God. In Jesus, God has come to man.  In him and him alone is the redemption we all long for because we know we need it.  Maybe we can’t verbalize it, but we sense it – we feel it.

When movies or stories hit that nerve, it resonates with our deepest need.  We identify with the character who finds redemption and we experience the hope of redemption in that moment.  Of course, it is only a movie or a book and that hope fades unless we have the abiding hope of Jesus.  One reason the gospel is so powerful, is because it hits that nerve.  As followers of Jesus, we have the story that meets the need.  We should be eager to tell it and the truth of it will resonate in the hearts of men. Jesus is the redeemer and the hero of every story.