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Rays of Light Bible Lessons by Keith Holder

A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED

Acts 16:16-18 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: the same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

This event, no doubt, took place in the city of Philippi soon after the conversion of Lydia and her household. Evidently Paul and his fellow servants of Christ went to prayer, and after doing so, returned to the same riverside at which prayer was wont to be made (by Lydia and) ...the women which resorted thither (Vs. 13). It is also evident that this riverside location was a place normally used to gather and engage in congregational acts of religious devotion to God. What makes it suitable for this purpose is not revealed. However, when they were gathered there on that day, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.

The word "damsel" is used here to describe this person as a young woman that was probably a female slave or servant. What does it mean when it is said that she was possessed with a spirit of divination? Certainly there were many occasions recorded in both the Old and the New Testaments where magic trickery and delusion were used by those that practiced its art to deceive others with various forms of supernatural sorcery, witchcraft, and wizardry. However the Holy Scriptures assure us that Satan or demon possession truly existed during biblical times. A good example is the two demon possessed men found in the tombs in the country of the Gergesenes from which Jesus cast out the devils that inhabited their bodies (Matt. 8:28-33). In many instances Jesus cast out devils that possessed others during his personal ministry on earth (See Matt. 4:24; 12:22; Mark 1:23-26). Other servants of Christ also cast out demons in the name of Jesus (See Mark 16:15-17; Luke 10:17). Jesus used these occasions just as he did with the healing of all sorts of diseases and bodily malformations to demonstrate to the world that He was the Son of God, having complete power over Satan and his mind-controlling forces of sin and evil that was prevalent in the world.

No doubt this young woman was also demon-possessed and used by her masters for much gain by soothsaying, that is, supernaturally foretelling future events. We are not told whether her predictions, as prompted by the devil, came true or were merely deceptive speculations designed to profit her owners. However, she was possessed by a demonic spirit that enabled her to utter strange, seemingly superhuman predictions of the future that deceived people to the extent that they sought her out and paid her owners for her "prediction services."

Coming into the presence of Paul, and his fellow laborers, this same damsel followed them for many days. And as she followed them, she made this truthful confession: These men are the servants of the most high God, which show us the way of salvation. For one possessed by Satan to admit that Paul and his fellow laborers were servants of God, may seem odd. However, the man of Capernaum also had a spirit of an unclean devil. Realizing that Jesus had the power of God to destroy him, the spirit of Satan confessed Jesus of Nazareth to be the Holy One of God (Luke 4:31-34). James preached that with a sincere belief that there is one God,produces faith, but faith without works is dead. Then he commends all that believe in God as the author of eternal salvation through His Son, Christ Jesus, and adds that the devils also believe, and tremble (James 2:17-19). These scriptures assure us that the demon that possessed this damsel also recognized these gospel preachers as messengers of the most high God.

Considering the demon-possessed condition of this young slave girl, and after the confession made by the devil which possessed her, Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. Just one more infallible proof that the inspired gospel message of Christ delivered by Paul was, indeed, the true word of God.