Conquering the Spirit of Python, Part 6

The Spirit of Python is Tasked to Delay Your Assignment:

Act 16:24 – Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Prison was not on Paul’s itinerary for his time in Macedonia. The agenda of the spirit of python is to hinder you and keep you out of the time and place that God has dispatched you to in your current assignment. When you are in transition or in transit be sensitive to interruptions. The spirit of python will conspire to bring pressure to bear to keep you from effective ministry.

You might ask what this has to do with the girl possessed with the spirit of python? Paul had cast the demon out but it was still operating in the city and in the people she worked for. Sometimes the demon exits the person but remains in the circumstance. You need to be discerning both before and after to avoid unnecessary problems.

Sometimes you need to let the phone ring unanswered. When you are walking into a ministry venue and the cell phone goes to ringing you need to let it ring if at all possible. The day before or evening before a ministry time there will be interruptions, phone calls, household problems, car problems etc. You need to pray ahead of time and prepare ahead of time not to be hindered or delayed or distracted.

Guard Your Attitude – Go Low and Worship:

25 – And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 – And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

When the distraction and hindrance gains the upper hand and actually stops you – GO LOW AND WORSHIP. God comes to the aid of the person who chooses humility as a response. Humility is your secret weapon. Humility is the one thing that Satan cannot counterfeit and he has NO defense against it.

So many people when facing delay or difficulty get mad and blame God or God’s representatives. They throw away their prophecies and accuse the prophets of deceit. This is not to the time to question God. Don’t DOUBT what God said – WAR with what God said.

Too many times people in trouble conclude the vision or dream they had wasn’t from God – all because something unexpected happened. If Paul would have done this, he would have been robbed of one of the greatest testimonies in the annals of Christian history.

Don’t Blame the Person – Blame the Devil:

Act 16:27 – And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28 – But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 33 – And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed [their] stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

When you are diverted don’t despair because God is still on track and he will not be deterred. You will now have a greater victory if you keep your attitude right and follow the leading of the spirit. Bars of hindrance or restriction are not obstacles to God and will be no obstacle to you if you pay attention and respond appropriately.

Out of the times of difficulty will come important relationships. The people who oppress and harangue you the most will become your most loyal supporters if you choose to discern between the PERSON and the demonic force using that person to attack you. Learn to look through the situation and not just at the situation. Don’t level blame but walk in unconditional love. Make it your watch word ALWAYS to FORGIVE, RELEASE and BLESS. God has a ways and means committee to get you loose. The person persecuting and oppressing you is not bigger than God. The pressure they are bringing on you will be returned to them a hundred fold until they take their hands off of your life.

Conclusion: Don’t Take the Easy Way Out – Maintain Fidelity to Your Assignment:

Act 16:35 – And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36 – And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37 – But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast [us] into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38 – And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39 – And they came and besought them, and brought [them] out, and desired [them] to depart out of the city. 40 – And they went out of the prison, and entered into [the house of] Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

You would think the spirit of python was totally defeated by now but it is still in operation. The magistrates know they are in trouble because they broke the law when they mistreated Paul. There are people in your life that know they are handling you in ways that displease God and violate His word. They have no intention of repenting. They think their treatment of you is justified and that God will not seriously deal with them because of their sin and rebellion and carnality. But they are superstitious and don’t want to go so far as to expose themselves to judgment so they will offer you an easy way out just like they did Paul.

This is what the girl with the spirit of python did as well. She started out loudly praising and glorifying Paul. With the reputation she had in the city this was a fast track to notoriety and success in the assignment God sent Paul to complete. Then fast forward to the end of the matter and the devil is still offering the easy route – the easy way out. Make it your determination not to take any avenue that God doesn’t sanction – wait for the exit strategy from heaven, wait for the finishing anointing that totally shames the enemy and puts his agencies in the lives of men to shame

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