the servants of the most high God, which chew unto us the way of salvation" (Acts 16:17), Paul
finally turned to her and spoke directly to the spirit. He didn't deal with the woman at all.
It was probably the gift of discerning of spirits in operation because Paul spoke directly to the
spirit; Paul was possibly talking to a spirit that he saw.
He spoke to the spirit and commanded it to come out of her. After that, the maiden couldn't tell
fortunes any more. Paul dealt with the spirit involved, not the person.
The Inward Witness As Our Guide
On the other hand, without even having the discerning of spirits in manifestation, if we know
the Word of God and if we are walking in the Spirit, we will have an inward witness if someone
is operating by a wrong spirit. The Holy Spirit on the inside of us, in our spirits, will warn us if
we are at all sensitive to Him.
I once knew a highly esteemed Bible teacher who was deceived by a preacher who was simply
not right with God. Much of what the preacher was teaching was error an