Many times when using the term “religion,” one is referring to false or counterfeit forms of religion. Typically, one may have in mind a legalistic system that is largely performance-driven and/or micromanaged by narcissistic, ungracious, imperfect, and/or hypocritical leaders. The Ancient Writings state what genuine, good, or true “religion” looks like as follows:
“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
--James 1:26-27 NASB1995
What are the counterfeit forms of religion? Such may be described as “legalism” as well as belief systems that rely upon mere human efforts and good works as the means by which we establish a relationship with God or otherwise strive to become our own “gods.” The good news of God or “the gospel of grace” states that our mere human efforts to establish a right relationship with God the Father are futile (see Ephesians 2:8-9).
Due to the nature of our moral bankruptcy before God that no good works can amend, God came down to our level and paid the price to settle our debt of moral bankruptcy when Jesus gave His life in our place. Jesus took our punishment that we deserved upon Himself, in order that all our moral bankruptcy, guilt, shame, and condemned status before God the Father can be removed completely.
All we need to do is to receive that free gift of divine pardon that God gave us through Jesus, and we are declared innocent before God, brought into a personal relationship with God, and adopted into God’s family. When we become God’s sons and daughters, we get to communicate with God freely and nothing can separate us from His love. When we “receive Jesus” and “believe in His name” by submitting our entire lives to His leadership, then God gives us His Holy Spirit to be with us and in us forever (see John 1:12; John 14:16-18; Ephesians 1:13).
False forms of religion will tell us lies as they seek to keep us in spiritual oppression and bondage (see John 8:31-47; Galatians 5:1ff). The Ancient Writings uses the term “serpent*” 47 times (NASB1995), which frequently represent what we may call “deceiving spirits.” For the sake of illustration, we might place various kinds of biblical “serpents” into three categories (see diagram below):
In the animal kingdom, pythons are larger-sized snakes that strangle their prey. Their teeth are not venomous like that of smaller poisonous snakes (such as cobras, vipers, adders, etc.) Poisonous snakes like vipers or cobras lash out at their prey and inject them with poison in order to kill them. Biblically, such snakes represent how bitterness, unforgiveness, malice, hatred, envy, gossip, and slander operate. These emotions poison a person from the inside-out; among other physiological effects, the stress from bitterness can cause the cells of one’s body to retain toxins, and envy can make one’s bones rot. (1)
Romans 3 speaks of people who are under the influence of such an “inner cobra:” “‘Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving,’ ‘The poison of asps is under their lips’; 14 ‘Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness’;” (Romans 3:13-14 NASB1995). Such people use their mouths to wound people, just as a viper uses its mouth to lash out at its prey. [The Bible also uses weapons (such as swords, arrows, etc.) as analogies to describe the negative effects of bitter words.]
Given the knowledge that pythons are slower moving and non-venomous, they may appear less intimidating or dangerous than cobras. In Rudyard Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book, as popularized by the Disney movie versions, the boy, Mowgli, was not completely suspicious of the python, who nearly succeeded in devouring him as it put Mowgli to sleep with hypnosis and the admonition to “trust in me.” (2)
False or legalistic religion can feel or seem innocent, non-toxic, safe, or harmless enough to an onlooker. However, in the end a “spiritual python” could suffocate the life out of a person who trusts in their human efforts and own understanding in order to connect with God or divinity.
Where do pythons appear in the Bible? “Python” comes from the original Greek word used for “of divination” in Acts 16:16, πύθωνα (puthōna). As cited on the BibleHub website, the Strong’s concordance reads, “4436: Python, a mythical serpent slain by Apollo, divination:” (3).
“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.”
--Acts 16:16 NASB1995 [emphasis mine]
Such a serpentine “religious spirit” can speak truth, as the slave-girl did concerning Paul and his companions, yet there is a catch. The bit of truth spoken can serve as bait to capture the attention of the people, who then buy deceptive knowledge from the spiritual leader (or in this case, the fortune-teller) to the profit of an establishment but to the detriment of the buyer(s) or listeners.
In New Age circles, fortune-telling can occur when the fortune-teller receives accurate information about the people who come to them for help, answers, or direction. They get this accurate information from “familiar spirits” or demons who know all about a person and their generational history, for Satan’s kingdom of invisible spirits is very intelligent, active, and well-organized. The fortune-teller or prophetic poser will speak the accurate information in order to capture the person’s attention or trust. Then the fortune-teller may “predict their future” by speaking out an untimely death, disaster, or disease upon that person, setting into motion a “self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Having just cursed that person, who may be biblically (or spiritually) ignorant about how curses, destruction, diseases, death, and demons operate, then the will of Satan’s kingdom shall come to pass in that person’s life unless they repent (see 2 Timothy 2:24-26). To “repent” would mean to break their agreement or participation with the sin (of going to sources other than God and His Word for knowledge, wisdom, satisfaction, or direction). What does such “repentance” look like? It can look like a simple, contrite prayer of honesty with God, such as the following (for this hypothetical scenario):
“Father, I’m sorry I went to that fortune-teller. You told me not to [in Deuteronomy 18:9ff], but I did not listen to Your promptings, voice, instructions, or commandments. I turned to wrong sources instead of turning to You, trusting You, or obeying You. Instead of doing things your way, I tried to overcome my anxiety and uncertainty about the future apart from You. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sin, including that sin of not trusting You and going to the fortune-teller.
I thank and praise You that Christ’s death made it possible to break the curse spoken over me by the fortune-teller or false prophet, for “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” when He hung on the tree. [see Galatians 3:13] As I repent, agree with Your word, receive Your forgiveness, and obey Your voice as I keep moving forward, I thank You for removing me from that penalty of the curse on the basis of the blood of Jesus and His death in my place. As I submit myself to obediently doing Your will as expressed in Your precious commandments (which are not burdensome), I thank You for making me who You want me to be [see 1 John 5:3; Proverbs 2:1ff].
In Jesus name,
Amen.
Just like in the animal kingdom, spiritual “pythons” can come in many shapes and sizes; they can manifest in different ways or forms in many different situations. “Python” (as a symbolic metaphor for how a spirit of divination operates) can even slither itself into some Christian circles as well. For example, if a minister were to offer prayer, healing, blessing, or some miracle in exchange for one’s money or services, then he would violate the standards of God’s grace (see also 2 Kings 5).
Salvation and forgiveness is a free gift from God that can never be bought, bribed, nor earned. The same applies to healing, freedom from mental torment, miracles, and other blessings. Jesus said, “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” (see Matthew 10:8 NASB1995)
There is a place for giving financially to ministries, pastors, elders, and/or ministers (see 2 Corinthians 8-9; 1 Corinthians 9:8ff; 1 Timothy 5:17-18). However, such financial giving comes from a heart of gratitude, expectancy, and surrendered trust that God will use those financial gifts as He ultimately sees fit, not necessarily what we would want that gift to accomplish.
Giving as a manipulative way to “twist God’s arm” or to pay for God’s free gifts (of salvation, healing, deliverance, etc.) would be a grave spiritual malpractice, for healing is a free gift from God. Jesus already paid the price for those things on the cross and at the Roman whipping post, for “by His stripes you were healed.” (see Acts 8:4-24; Isaiah 53:5). God’s miracles and healing manifests when our trust and obedience reaches mature completion and the works of the kingdom of darkness (such as fear, guilt, shame, bitterness, pride, anxiety, lusts, etc.) are overcome in our lives.
Although we may receive the manifestation of healing instantaneously, it usually comes at the end of a “journey” or process called “sanctification,” where God’s truth makes us free from the lies that have kept us in bondage, pride, fear, and self-preservation (see John 8:31-32; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; 1 John 4:18; etc.). Healing, restoration, and/or wholeness requires relational encounter with God the Father through His Word by the power of His Holy Spirit.
Pythons kill their prey by suffocation, throwing their coils around their victims’ body and then squeezing. (4) How does legalistic religion kill a person’s spiritual life? Legalism puts the person under a lot of pressure, suffocating the life out of them. Perfectionism, pressure to perform, guilt, criticism, judgmental-ism, and religious striving will spiritually, emotionally, and physically wear a person out (see Matthew 23:4).
How else can a person’s spiritual life be suffocated, such that a person does not grow to spiritual maturity? Stress, tension, and/or excess pressure upon a person can also come from worries and the distractions of riches, entertainments, and other worldly pleasures [when they become “God substitutes”]. In Jesus’ parable about four types of soil, the weeds or thorns choked the plants that had been sown among them. In other words, the weeds suffocated the life out of them. Worries, riches, and pleasures of this life can choke, stifle, or suffocate a person’s spiritual life when they take the place of God as “counterfeit gods” (see Luke 8:14).
How does one overcome legalism, pride, greed, or counterfeit religion?
What does it look like to love God and to receive God’s love, so that one will not run to “God-substitutes,” “counterfeit gods,” or other things that cannot satisfy our deepest longings to connect with God?
How can we know God and be known by Him?
For more information on what it looks like to enter into a personal relationship with God, see “Which Fiery Furnace Will You Choose?” or other articles on this “Good News” page.
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/stress-due-to-repressed-emotions-leads-to-melanoma
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Jungle-Book
https://biblehub.com/lexicon/acts/16-16.htm
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/snakes-know-when-to-stop-squeezing-because-they-sense-the-heartbeats-of-their-prey#:~:text=A%20constricting%20snake%20like%20a,squeezes%20a%20little%20more%20tightly.
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