Jesus taught us our resistance and dealings with the devil were seasonal. After he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, scripture tells us that Satan departed from him for a season. Lately, I’ve been reminded of that from our battles with Python. It’s another day, in another season, with another work; and almost right on cue the infiltrator comes again. But the victorious saints of God are not defeated, nor overcome!

From: The Violent Take It By Force – by deana barnes

Part II What Lies Beneath

In part one I show the reader photographs of a tree limb that had been overcome by an invasive vine that had twisted around the trunk of the tree and embedded itself deep into the tree branch. This is a prophetic illustration of the effects of the demon spirit Python. A powerful spirit that seeks to infiltrate Apostolic moves of God (sent to establish the new) to constrict their growth and divert their purpose. We see this spirit addressed in Acts 16:16.

Though divination was how Python manifested through the servant woman. The nature of Python restricts, constricts, and distorts; squeezing the life, and the breath of God, from its victims. It destroys the true composition, and form of what the new work of God is suppose to be. The original design that God created. The ravages of Python leaves behind it the debris field of what could have been. IN THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS, and all to often moves of God. We see the deceptive operation of the Python spirit in Acts 16:16 where the damsel who was possessed with a spirit of divination followed Paul’s team who was in the city to bring an apostolic work, in Philippi. Although, the female servant seemed to be there to encourage their endeavors, publicly proclaiming their intentions, even declaring God as THE MOST HIGH, yet, she was possessed of a spirit of divination, called Pythos in Greek. Scriptural proof that not all that glitters is Gold.

image in the world we live in today she would have made it into the board of directors, or appointed a deaconess, but Paul discerned the source of inspiration, and the plot of the enemy. PYTHON was there to restrict and distort, the move of God. To choke it out, replacing it with the power already in control in that city. When ever you feel a Christian gathering is being constricted, and the Holy Spirit quenched, or a service being diverted away from true worship, this is the work of Python, an evil spirit that joins with every demonic player of the power of the air to be a spiritual counterfeit, snaking its way into the sanctuary of God. This evil spirit may not even possess an individual, but could be oppressing them. The best way I have found to stop this spirit from quenching the work of the Holy Spirit is to do exactly what Paul did, stop what you’re doing, turn around and drive out that spirit in the name of Jesus, until it is gone. We need to cut off the head of operations, of Python. In this city the very thing that had it under control, sent out an agent of Satan to bring an Apostolic work into its control. I like to think that the damsel possessed of this spirit became a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, a sister in the Church of Phillipi.

Those under the control of an unclean spirit, will do one of two things, they will run towards the anointing that breaks the yoke, or away from it, depending on whether they want to be free or not. That is why those under control of unclean spirits habitually disappear out of a meeting when ever the anointing begins to fall, had they wanted deliverance the human spirit would have willed themselves into the presence of God. This is why we would see Christ approached by screaming devils, the human spirit, wanting freedom brought them into the presence of God willing to be set free. Had the demons had their way, they would have stayed away. The Lord showed me this in illustration when we attended a Church service where the presence of God fell mightily upon the people who were lost in worship. The Lord spoke to me to observe, the outer hub began to teem with nervous energy while the foyer began to fill with people. No crying demons just chatty, nervous, and distracted people. It is said we need to clean up our alters, this may be true, but we need to clean up our foyers, and parking lots, as well. To often the outer court influences inner court experiences. Even shutting them down. The outer court should have no influence whatsoever, on the moves of the Spirit. A climate not conducive for luke warm fish will not attract them. We don’t have to lift a finger to clean up the altar when we let the fire of God do it for us.

At Your Feasts, In your Presbytery

Notice in scripture the manifested demons actually bowed down and worshipped Jesus. The stronger, more powerful demons, who operate in those who are in authority, the perfectly possessed, you can say, are quite capable to withstand the anointing, and function around it, because they have influence to shift atmosphere that is compatible for them, they can do that with manipulative powers of agreement to quench the Holy Spirit, what they cannot stand is exposure. That is why, so often, the Jewish leaders opposed Christ, vehemently, when he exposed their wickedness. It is more disturbing when those under the control of Python go undetected, slipping into leadership, and the various administrations of God’s house, to put it under a death grip, doing what ever it can do to shut down the atmosphere of worship, that releases the power of God that will expose its darkness and drive it out. Pythos is an operative of Satan that seduces the un-discerning making them admirers aņd followers by divination, when it has control in the hierarchy of a church it would never support pure abandonment in worship, but begin to pull attention to itself, less the power of God is released. A genuine move of God almost always requires one to go somewhere different than they have ever gone before, in repentance, and committment. History reveals to us that the earmarks of an out pouring are extended, hilarious, and abandoned, worship. The kind that the Michaels of mockery jealously despise, of whom the Davids of dance defy, in the joy that the Holy presence of God is brooding over His people.

We have seen Pythos, find its way through various aspects of church functionality that seems to have a hand in changing the course of a meeting, or interrupt the atmosphere away from worship, away from the manifest presence of God, away from the word. Python goes after “breath” it operates best when given voice, what ever pythos can do to “chill” the atmosphere, taking “breath” or giving voice to redirect flows and currents, away from anointed word, and ministry; but more so, away from worship that brings in the manifest presence of God. One reason that would be is because anointed worship charges the atmosphere with power on a corporate level, taking the focus off of one man, and directing it to the Lord of Hosts, who, in turn, pours out His Spirit upon the body of Christ, corporately, who ultimately, is whom God has appointed to manifest the manifold wisdom of God. This kind of power released into the Church on a corporate level not only exposes principalities of darkness, but defeats them, and by the nature of true worship destroys the influence of LEVIATHAN (to twist) who is king of ALL the SONS of PRIDE. Does it not say with the High praises of God in our mouth and a two edged sword in our hands we will bind kings with fetters of iron?

Ephesians 3:8-11 … to me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things… His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

To continue: via The Violent Take It by Force