Addressing the Spiritual Root
As Christians, we believe that the visible world was created by the invisible one. The roots of our natural world lie in the spiritual realm. Just as seeing a spider’s web means there’s a spider nearby, and a tree implies hidden roots, when we see a human being, we understand there’s an inner being—thoughts, feelings, and emotions we cannot see. The spiritual world is the true reality. If we only address anxiety, depression, and feelings of being overwhelmed on a natural level, we miss the spiritual roots of these problems and, consequently, the path to lasting freedom.
For example, someone plagued by tormenting voices doesn’t just need better time management; they need deliverance. Ignoring the spiritual roots is like sweeping away a spider’s web without addressing the spider itself.
“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” (Acts 16:16).
The Greek word for divination here is ‘python.’ In Philippi, locals believed a giant snake called Python lived in Delphi, Greece, until the god Apollo killed it and took over. Priestesses at the temple of Apollo would fall into trances, believed to be possessed by ‘the spirit of Apollo,’ giving ‘divine’ information to patrons, similar to modern-day psychics. These priestesses were possessed by a spirit of divination or python.
It’s interesting how demons often take the form and name of snakes or animals. During exorcisms, it’s not uncommon to hear demons claiming to be a snake or embodying emotions like anger.
Three Traits of the Spirit of Python
A. Pythons Can Swallow Their Prey Whole
Pythons have flexible jaws that allow them to swallow large prey whole. They start with small animals but as they grow, they aim for bigger targets, sometimes waiting days for the right one. When they find suitable prey, they bite and swallow it whole.
A chilling real-life example is Watiba, a 51-year-old woman who disappeared while tending her garden. Villagers found a python with a swollen belly nearby, and upon killing it and cutting it open, they found Watiba inside.
Satan seeks to swallow people alive. John 10:10 states, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The enemy tries to overwhelm individuals with problems and pressure, pushing them towards suicide. Suicide, the 11th leading cause of death in the USA, is the 2nd leading cause among young people up to age 34. It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
The Bible mentions people who faced such despair. Solomon hated life at one point (Ecclesiastes 2:17), Elijah was depressed and yearned for death (1 Kings 19:4), Jonah wished to die out of anger with God (Jonah 4:8), and Paul and his companions faced pressures that made them despair of life itself.
The enemy’s lie suggests the world would be better without you and that all your pain ends with your life. Suicide is a sin because it is self-murder. Instead of asking if a Christian who commits suicide will go to Heaven, ask how Jesus can deliver you from committing this sin. Jesus offers hope through His death on the cross, not through our death.
Jesus assures us that we are born on purpose with a purpose found in God. Trust Him, don’t believe the lie that your life has no meaning. Suicide transfers your pain to your loved ones and opens a door for the spirit of death to attack your family. God delights in your existence and has a brighter future for you.
B. Pythons Squeeze Breath Out of Their Victims
Pythons kill by wrapping around their prey and squeezing until it can no longer breathe. Similarly, the enemy aims to take our spiritual breath, often referred to as life or the Holy Spirit in the Bible.
Jentezen Franklin identifies seven signs you’re being squeezed by a python:
- Loss of hunger for God
- Being physically tired all the time
- Attack of lack
- Struggling or non-existent prayer life
- Feeling super overwhelmed
- Old habits resurfacing
- Withdrawing from the Christian community
If you’re experiencing these signs for a prolonged period, you might be under spiritual attack. The enemy’s goal is to make you lifeless, gradually squeezing the spiritual breath out of you.
We Must Inhale and Exhale
To fight this, we need to keep breathing spiritually. Inhale by reading the Word of God daily and exhale through prayer and praise. The Bible is like air for Christians—you can’t live without it. Prayer releases your anxieties and frustrations to God instead of bottling them up inside, which can lead to an emotional explosion.
C. Pythons Lay Eggs and Incubate Them Until They Hatch
If the enemy can’t swallow you whole or squeeze you out of your spiritual rhythm, he will try to lay eggs of doubt in your mind. These eggs are potential problems waiting to hatch under the right conditions.
Satan planted the egg of doubt in the Garden of Eden, questioning God’s words. Doubt isn’t bad if it leads us to God, but it can be dangerous if it turns into unbelief. Doubt seeks answers; unbelief is a refusal to believe.
To overcome doubt:
- Stay connected to the Christian community.
- Focus on what God has done, not what hasn’t happened.
- Remember Jesus’ love for you.
- Call on Jesus in your doubt.
- Speak God’s Word against the devil.
We all go through seasons of doubt. Turn to God, and you’ll find Jesus worthy of your trust. Don’t let the enemy’s eggs incubate. Seek the right answers and stay connected with those who can guide you.
By pressing into the Lord, reading His Word, and praying, you’ll conclude that Jesus Christ is trustworthy. Avoid isolating yourself and seek support within your Christian community.
