Speaking the Right Message with a Wrong Spirit
Partial Outline: FULL PDF HERE
Acts 16:16-24
Our text mentions a “damsel”—young woman (unmarried)—who was possessed with “a spirit of divination.” She was a “soothsayer” or fortune-teller (v. 16 cf. Dt. 18:10). She wasn’t a fake, but literally possessed with an evil spirit—a demon.
This “damsel” had “masters” (v. 19) indicating she was probably a slave.
”Divination” is the ability to speak secret knowledge (prophecy) from a source other than God.
The Greek word translated “divination” is “python.” In Greek mythology, this was a large snake that was connected with predicting the future and fortune-telling. Jeanne Dixon claimed her work of predicting the future began after dreaming a large serpent wrapped himself around her and looked into her eyes.
Fortune tellers are big business now-a-days (using a crystal ball, cards, astrology, or reading a person’s palm). “Fortune cookies” are supposed to predict something about your future.
Visualize the scene. Paul and Silas would be preaching and this damsel would CRY OUT (v. 17), “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.” This went on for “many days” (v. 18). She was doing what every Christian should be doing!
Verse 16—This damsel spoke the right message… she followed the right men…! BUT, she had the wrong spirit!
What she said was not what you would expect a demon possessed person to say. You would expect her to say some very untruthful and wicked things about Paul and Silas. But she spoke the truth. Paul and Silas were indeed “servants of the Most High God, who show… the way of salvation.”
While she agreed with what Paul and Silas was doing, she had never received the truth that they were preaching. She had a wrong spirit!
Paul rejected what she said!
Some might ask, “Why wouldn’t Paul welcome this damsel’s free advertising? Because is it never right to employ the devil to do anything—even when it seems he is doing the right thing!
God’s work doesn’t need the devil’s publicity (vs. 17-18).
The Bible mentions SEVERAL KINDS OF WRONG SPIRITS: (see full PDF for listing)
3 things about a person who has a wrong spirit, but says the right things.
I. They are either very backslidden or they have never been saved.
- What’s wrong with this picture: A person sings, “Oh, How I Love Jesus” in church, but outside church take His name in vain? What kind of spirit is that? A LYING spirit?
- What kind of spirit would say “Amen” to what the preacher preaches, they leave church and do just the opposite? A spirit of DISOBEDIENCE?
- There is something very wrong with a person with this spirit. As James 3:10-12 says, “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”
A person cannot live in rebellion and say, “I love God.” If you have a rebellious spirit, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. You cannot say, “I’m a witch, but I love God.” It won’t work!
II. People with a wrong spirit honor God with their lips, but their heart is far from God (Mt. 15:7-8).
God is more interested in where your heart is than what your lips speak!
Partial Outline: FULL PDF HERE
