Spirit of Divination

[Acts 16:16] 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 account that is given of this damsel is she was pythonissa, possessed with such a spirit of divination as that damsel was by whom the oracles of Apollo at Delphos were delivered; she was actuated by an evil spirit, that dictated unclear answers to those who consulted her, which served to gratify their vain desire of knowing things to come, but often deceived them. In those times of ignorance, infidelity, and idolatry, the devil, by the divine permission, thus led men captive at his will; and he could not have gained such adoration from them as he had, if he had not pretended to give oracles to them, for by both his usurpation is maintained as the idol of this world. This damsel brought her masters much gain by soothsaying; many came to consult this witch for the discovery of robberies, the finding of things lost, and especially to be told their fortune, and none came but with the rewards of divination (prediction) in their hands, according to the quality of the person and the importance of the case. Probably there were many that were thus kept for fortune-tellers, but, it should seem, this was more in repute than any of them; for, while others brought some gain, this brought much gain to her masters, being consulted more than any other.
The testimony which this damsel gave to Paul and his companions: She met them in the street, as they were going to the place of prayer. They went thither publicly, every body knew where they were going, and what they were going to do. If what she did was likely to be any distraction to them, or a hindrance in their work, it is observable how subtle Satan is, that great tempter, in taking the opportunity to give us diversion when we are going about any religious exercises, to ruffle us and to put us out of temper when we need to be most composed. When she met with them she followed them, crying, "These men, how contemptible so ever they look and are looked upon, are great men, for they are the servants of the most high G-d, and men that should be very welcome to us, for they show unto us the way of salvation, both the salvation that will be our happiness, and the way to it that will be our holiness."
Now, this witness is true; it is a comprehensive encomium on the faithful preachers of the gospel, and makes their feet beautiful, Romans 10:15, though they are men subject to like passions as we are, and earthen vessels. The idols we Gentiles worship are inferior beings, therefore not god.
“They show unto us the way of salvation." Even the heathen had some notion of the miserable deplorable state of mankind, and their need of salvation, and it was what they made some enquiries after. "Now these men are the men that show us what we have in vain sought for in our superstitious profitless application to our priests and oracles."
How came this testimony from the mouth of one that had a spirit of divination? Is Satan divided against himself? Will he cry up those whose business it is to pull him down?
As designed by the evil spirit, that subtle serpent, to the dishonor of the gospel; she designed hereby to gain credit to herself and her prophecies, and so to increase her master's profit by pretending to be in the interest of the missionaries, who, she thought, had a growing reputation. Satan, who can transform himself into an angel of light, and can say anything to serve a turn, designed hereby to disgrace the apostles; as if these divines were of the same fraternity with their diviners, because they were witnessed to by them, and then the people might as well adhere to those they had been used to. Those that were most likely to receive the missionaries' doctrine were such as were prejudiced against these spirits of divination, and therefore would, by this testimony, be prejudiced against the gospel; and, as for those who regarded these diviners, the devil thought himself sure of them.
The Messiah caused them to be taken notice of, by giving them power to cast the devil out of this damsel. She continued many days clamoring thus; and, it should seem, Paul took no notice of her, not knowing but it might be ordered of G-d for the service of his cause, that she should thus witness concerning his ministers; but finding perhaps that it did them a prejudice, rather than any service, he soon silenced her, by casting the devil out of her. Paul was grieved. It troubled him to see the damsel made an instrument of Satan to deceive people, and to see the people imposed upon by her divinations. It was a disturbance to him to hear a sacred truth so profaned, and good words come out of such a wicked mouth with such and evil design. Perhaps they were spoken in an ironical bantering way, as ridiculing Paul’s pretensions, and mocking them, as when Y’Shua's persecutors complimented Him with Hail, king of the Jews
Paul commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. He turned with a holy indignation, angry both at the flatteries and at the reproaches of the unclean spirit, and by this he will show that these men are the servants of the living G-d, and are able to prove themselves so, without her testimony: her silence shall demonstrate it more than her speaking could do. Thus Paul shows the way of salvation indeed, that it is by breaking the power of Satan, and chaining him up, that he may not deceive the world (Revelation 20:3), and that this salvation is to be obtained in the name of Y’Shua HaMashiach only, as in His name the devil was now cast out and by no other Power went along with the word of Messiah, before which Satan could not stand, but was forced to quit his hold, and in this case it was a strong hold: He came out the same hour.
The preachers of the gospel would never have had an opportunity of speaking to the magistrates if they had not been brought before them as evil doers.
Satan's power to deceive is broken: the priests hated the gospel because it turned men from the blind service of dumb idols, and so the hope of their gains was gone. The power of Messiah, which appeared in dispossessing the woman, and the great kindness done to her in delivering her out of Satan's hand, made no impression upon them when they detained that they should hereby lose money.
Satan has always tried to copy the things of the Father, so in receiving the Spirit of divination one must have discernment, for satan will always give a bit of a truth to deceive you.