Detecting The Errors

Recommended Reading:  Acts 16:16-34

For several days this week my daily Bible reading that goes along with my devotional for the day has been coming from the above passage.  There are several points in this passage that have caused me to pause and think more deeply as I’ve read it.  The one I want to point out today is verses 17-18 from the Amplified version: “She followed after Paul and us and kept screaming and shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!’  She continued doing this for several days. Then Paul, being greatly annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit [inside her], ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ [as His representative] to come out of her!’ And it came out at that very moment.”

The first thought that came to my mind is why Paul wouldn’t want her speaking what she did since it was the truth?  But we have to remember that she was a fortune teller so the spirit that was prompting her wasn’t the Spirit of God.  I would think that she was probably speaking in a taunting and sarcastic tone.  So when Paul had had enough, he spoke to the demon spirit within her, casting it out.  Remember, if it had been the Spirit of God speaking through her it wouldn’t have responded by “coming out of her” – so it obviously was an evil spirit.  

This was not unlike what Jesus did – more than once:  “And Jesus healed many who were suffering with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him [recognizing Him as the Son of God].”  (Mark 1:34 AMP)  “There was a man in the synagogue who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud and terrible voice, ‘Let us alone! What business do we have [in common] with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent (muzzled, gagged) and come out of him!’”  (Luke 4:33-35a AMP)  “Demons also were coming out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).”  (Luke 4:41 AMP)  

“In the Kingdom of God, the source counts.”* 

We always need to be aware of where our information is coming from and what spirit is delivering it to us.  Satan has his armies that are out here trying to deceive us every day and it can be easy for them to do if we don’t stay aware and make certain that we know when nuggets of deception are thrown into the mix of truth.  Those little things can be all that’s needed to cause us to make a wrong turn.  

“What they say isn’t as important as the spirit in which they say it.”*  ”We have to understand the spirits of the age…The new life we have in Christ will be contested.  The message we share will be counterfeited.  The unauthorized variations on God’s true theme will be sublet and dangerous.  The most important thing we can do today and every day is to arm ourselves with truth and live in the true spirit of God.”* 

The more we arm ourselves with the Word of God in our hearts and minds the better we will be at detecting the errors when spoken to us – both in the written word and verbally.  The lies aren’t going to present themselves to us like a neon light that alerts us.  So it’s up to us to learn how to discern the truth as well as the errors.  We need to rely on God’s Holy Spirit to prompt us when those errors are in the mix.  So, read God’s Word and pray regularly so that you will be well armed.

Written by Karran Martin – September 2, 2023

[All bold emphasis is mine]
*Quotes from Chris Tiegreen