Bite of the Viper

Have you ever experienced demonic attacks, especially in the form of physical attacks? I experienced one last night and I woke up this morning in such pain I could hardly navigate. I made my coffee, went to my rocking chair and began to worship God. I started to pray over my family when the Lord told me to grab my bible. Without question, I did. I asked Him to show me what He wanted me to know, and I opened the Word to Acts 28. I began to read the following:

1. Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta.

2. And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.

3. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.

4. So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live."

5. But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.

Paul had just been through a shipwreck that was meant to take his life, but the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said there would be no loss of life because God had appointed him to go to Rome. Notice that God did not take away the storm nor the shipwreck. Paul had to experience both. Now, as they had made their way to this island and Paul was helping to gather firewood, Satan attacked again in the form of a viper. Vipers are deadly. The natives knew that Paul was going to die because they knew that no one lived through a viper bite. I want you to see Paul's response to this deadly attack. Although he was hungry, beyond tired, wet and cold, he didn't go screaming through camp, crying and wailing because death was imminent. He couldn't call his fellow prayer warriors nor ask a fellow Believer to anoint him with oil and pray, for there were none of those present. He was among unbelievers and heathens. What did he do? He shook the viper INTO the fire and went about his business.

The Lord began speaking to me about what our response should be when the viper latches on and wants to hang from our body. The simple method to get rid of the demonic attack is to shake it back into the pit it came from. Look at these scriptures in Luke 11:17-19:

17. Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

18. And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven.

19. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you,"

Paul knew his authority over the viper, and he took it. But let me tell you something important, Paul began his journey of trust after his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. He went to a place where he studied the scriptures, prayed, and opened himself up to visions and encounters with the Lord. He prepared in advance for the shipwreck and the viper attack. When hope was lost in the natural on the ship, God sent an angel to give Paul hope and he relayed that hope to those men around him. When the viper sank its fangs into Paul's flesh, he shook it off into the fire and he became a testimony of faithful, fearless trust in his God.

What viper has attached itself to you, telling you your life is over? How are you responding to this deadly attack? You see, Paul did not allow the venom of this demonic entity to enter his body. He did not respond with fear but with complete trust in what God had called him to do. Paul ended up healing people on that island. He became a wonderful testimony to the sufficiency and miraculous healing power of God in the worst of circumstances.

I am encouraging you today that when the viper bites, shake him back into to pit of fire that will be his eternal home. By the way, I shook off this demonic attack this morning. I will not cave to the devil nor his imps. My trust is in God Almighty who brings me through the storms of life and viper attacks because He has called me to walk out His plan for me on this earth. I pray that this truth that God showed me today will cause you to draw closer to God and trust Him in ever circumstance. Be blessed!!

Deb