Discerning The Pythonic Spirit

The Pythonic spirit in the Book of Acts

“And it happened, as we went into a place of prayer,
a certain girl slave having a Pythonic spirit met us,
whose divining brought much gain to her lords.”
Acts 16:16 (LITV, BLB)

What was this Pythonic (original Greek word used here) spirit declaring?

“…These men are the servants of the most high God,
which shew unto us the way of salvation.”
Acts 16:17

This is not surprising to those who have had at least some experience with true spiritual warfare. The scriptures prove that His people must comprehend the deceptive nature of our enemy. Too often today, such ”prophecy” is readily received without understanding the nature of the deadly ministrations being allowed in our midst.

The consequences of these “Pythonic” expressions being tolerated and received as genuine are as deadly as they are deceptive. In the Book of Revelation, we read that the church in Thyatira suffered the Jezebel spirit, calling herself a prophetess to teach and seduce the people of God (Revelation 2:20).

We must see past the words and “lying signs” to discern the spirits behind much of what goes on in our midst. A lack of the fear of the Lord and a shallow apprehension of spiritual realities disarms His people and renders them ill-equipped to discern the true and the false.

It is imperative that we know the spirits that birth these false expressions. We cannot judge things solely by the mere words of these wicked and deceiving spirits. Spiritual ignorance is the product of a shallow and carnal walk with God and a heart that has not been accustomed to the voice and leading of His Spirit.

The Pythonic spirit is one of change, camouflage, and deceit, speaking good things while bringing deception and spiritual death. Its manner of operating is beyond the senses of the natural mind.

“There be three things which are too wonderful for me,
yea, four which I know not…
the way of a serpent upon a rock…”
Proverbs 30:18-19

These spirits move in great subtlety, “feeding themselves without fear” in our midst unashamed and emboldened (even to places of prominence) because of the blindness of God’s people.

“These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.”
Jude 1:12-13 (ESV)

May God grant us discernment in this critical day!

Related Post: Discernment – Wisdom

SELAH!

In addressing the Church at Corinth, Paul spoke hard words to keep them true to the Gospel of God. Here, Paul upbraids them for their willingness to receive false expressions that catered to their flesh rather than to the truth of God in Christ Jesus.

“But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your thoughts should be corrupted from the purity which is due to Christ. For if, indeed, the one coming proclaims another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed, or if you receive another spirit which you have not received, or another gospel which you never accepted, you might well endure these.”
2 Corinthians 11:3-4 (read the previous verse as well for context)

The frivolous ways of our day and the spurious approach to the Gospel of God have created an environment ripe for the Pythonic spirit to move freely.

“…These men are the servants of the most high God,
which shew unto us the way of salvation.”
Acts 16:17

Such are the words of these perverse and deceiving spirits!

“Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong;
rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.”
Charles Spurgeon

________________________

“Take heed to yourselves,
that your heart be not deceived,
and ye turn aside.”
Deuteronomy 11:16

Brian Troxel