9/5/25

The name Lucifer means light bringer (morning star). His purpose in God's creation was to reflect the light of God to creation. He was covered in precious stones bright and shiny when hit with God's light. However, he started to believe the light he brought was his own and not that of God. He became prideful and unrighteous and fell from heaven to earth in his sin. He has since portrayed himself as righteous even though he is not. He takes the truth of God and twists it to lead people astray, and we will see that in the text today. Acts 16:16-18 NASB95 It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

Luke identifies the slave girl for our understanding, as having a spirit of divination.

She was controlled by a demon. Luke uses the word that we translate as divination, because it describes a Greek serpent or dragon. This he does tying it to Satan. We see in her actions, the actions of Satan and his demons. She used the evil practice of fortune-telling to make a living for her masters. She kept calling out after Paul, Silas, and his other traveling companions, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God." This was true, so why would Paul have a problem with this?

We know he did because the text says he was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. The reason he was annoyed was that Satan and his demon were attempting to do the same thing here that Satan had done in the Garden. That is to lead people astray.

First, we see that if this woman who practiced the evil of fortune telling was joining with them, then people would associate this evil practice with God.

Then, second, she was twisting scripture. She continued on, saying these men "are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

The word "way" in Greek means, way, or road. This is the same word Jesus uses in John 14:6 when He says I am the way. However, there is a difference in what she says and what Jesus says. It is missed in many of our English translations. Jesus says a word before the word "way" that she doesn't. Jesus says I am THE way. She literally says, these men, "are proclaiming to you way." By leaving out the word "the" in Greek she is using the word way to mean one of many ways, or roads. "The" is in our English translation to help with understanding, but it often causes us to miss one of the points Paul is addressing.

The NASB 2020 translation takes care of this as it translates this scripture. Acts 16:17 NASB20 She followed Paul and us and cried out repeatedly, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you a way of salvation.”

Satan and his demon were twisting the word to say Jesus is one of many ways.

Satan is still doing this today. We see it in many feel-good (name it and claim it) churches today.

However, these two things annoyed Paul to the point that, in the power of the name of Jesus, he commanded the demon out of her.

We must be careful today. Satan is still using these tactics. He is attempting to convince us that we can accept sin as part of our worship and proclamation of God, and that there are many ways to the Father. Jesus made it clear that He is THE way!

The church today should be annoyed by groups that use the name church and teach these things. They are being used by Satan, just like this slave girl.

Paul didn't allow this to go unnoticed as He commanded the demon out in Jesus' name. Doing so made the Statement that fortune-telling is evil, and that Jesus, whose name he used, is the only way to the Father.

Be like Paul and stand in the name of Jesus against Satan's subtle ways of attempting to look like God. Satan's effort is simply not possible. We can notice it clearly if we compare it to the word. When we do this we can see Satan clearly, because there is NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS in God!

Love Bro. Scott