The fiery presence of God has the incredible ability to force serpents out of hiding.
When we invite the presence of the Holy Spirit—and His fire—into our lives, the snakes are flushed out in the open, where we can effectively deal with them.
Cunning As a Snake
Genesis 3:1 says, “Now the serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field.” Snakes are sneaky. They know how to hide, so their presence in our lives is extremely difficult to detect. That’s because serpents are masters of camouflage technology.
Just think about snakes in the natural. Arizona boasts vast desert regions, and within those deserts you’ll find plenty of rattlesnakes. If you were to venture into that terrain, you would have to be on the alert for a rattler, because spotting one in the midst of sand, rocks and dirt can be incredibly challenging. Their scales perfectly blend in with their surroundings. They are truly camouflage masters.
Now shift your focus to the Amazon rainforest, with massive anacondas measuring more than 20 feet long and weighing up to 500. Despite their great size, these reptiles are difficult to detect because they move silently and their scales blend seamlessly with the jungle foliage. In fact, an anaconda slithers with such stealth that its prey often remains oblivious to its presence until it is too late. By then, the snake has already encircled its unsuspecting victim and tightened its grip until death is inevitable. These snakes are, without a doubt, masters of camouflage technology.
Supernatural Serpents
Let’s apply these truths to demonic serpents. Once these snakes find an opening in your life, they will sneak up on you, blend in with your surroundings, then coil themselves around you—and you will be none the wiser until it’s too late. It’s only once they begin to tighten their coils and inject their venomous schemes into you, wreaking all sorts of havoc—troubles with your finances, a drain on your prosperity, turmoil in your marriage, sickness in your body, and much more—that you realize something is wrong. However, even then, few of us are able or knowledgeable enough to grasp what’s really started happening.
You’re under a snake attack.
Holy Spirit Fire to the Rescue!
That’s where the fire of God comes into play. It has the incredible ability to force these serpents out of their hiding places, where you can see them. Millions of people throughout the world are walking around carrying demonic snakes and don’t even know it!
Let me prove it through this incredible story in Acts 28. In this passage we find the apostle Paul, who has just survived a shipwreck and been forced to swim to a beach during a horrific storm. Once ashore, he sets about gathering sticks to add to a fire the native islanders had built for warmth from the cold rain. However, in the process he unknowingly picks up a snake concealed within the bundle of sticks he has collected: “When they had escaped, they learned that the island was called Malta. The natives showed extraordinary kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because of the rain and the cold. When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper driven out by the heat fastened on his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, ‘Surely this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, justice does not allow him to live.’ But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm,” (Acts 28:1–5, MEV).
Let’s unpack this. First of all, Paul was walking around carrying a deadly viper, and he didn’t know it! How could that be? Because snakes are masters of camouflage technology! That snake was hidden in the sticks Paul had picked up.
It is very interesting that the word bundle (Greek plēthos) can mean “the multitude of people.” This tells me that a multitude of people are walking around carrying demonic serpents and don’t realize it. Let me say it again: People all over the world—men, women, children; people of all walks of life—are unknowingly carrying demonic snakes around with them, and as a result they suffer from various afflictions such as breast cancer, diabetes, respiratory issues, back and neck problems and unexplained bodily pains. Their marriages are breaking apart. Their businesses, churches and ministries are shattered, yet they are unaware that demonic serpents are strategically wrapped around them, causing these afflictions.
Snakes are elusive, but the fire of God has the power to drive them out of hiding. When Paul threw the bundle on the fire, the heat drove that serpent out of its hiding place. It bit him, but he just shook it off and was miraculously left unharmed! This story underscores why the fire of God is of paramount importance in our battle against these serpents.
Snakes hate fire! When we immerse ourselves in the fire of God, it will drive out the snakes that we have unknowingly picked up during life’s trials. The fire will force them to come out of hiding, where we can see them and get rid of them once and for all.
My Testimony In Serpent Battles
I recall a personal experience in which I discovered a troubling indentation in my breast, roughly half an inch deep. Seriously concerned, I asked, “What is this, Lord?” At the time, I was on tour and had just finished preaching. Immediately the Lord instructed me to immerse myself in His fire to reveal the root of the issue. So, after returning to my host’s house around midnight, I played Misty Edwards’ song “All-Consuming Fire” all night long. I’d sing along to the song, drift off to sleep, then wake up and continue singing.
The following morning, I had a vision of a bloody bandage wrapped around my chest and a poisonous viper standing upright on its tail, with its characteristic triangular jaw, striking at me.
I asked, “What does this mean, Lord?”
He responded, “That serpent is putting breast cancer on you.”
That’s when I realized I was just like Paul. I had been carrying around a poisonous viper without knowing it, but the fire of God had driven it out into the open where I could see it.
At that moment I was livid at our enemy. I even said out loud, “Satan, this time you’ve touched the goods, and the hubby is not going to be happy!”
Fortunately, the Lord interrupted my anger with the next instructions: “You saw the head of the serpent. Now take it up as Jesus instructed you to do.” So, I prophetically put on a metal glove (in case it still tried to bite), and I pulled it off my breast, then threw it into the abyss, commanding it to burn and never return.
And here is a key practice for battling serpent spirits. I’ve found that over the years you will need to soak in fire until you see the serpent’s head. Sometimes these snakes are buried so deep in us that it takes a minute to get them to unwind. Once you see the head, however, you can remove its “headship” over you!
When I was back at home, the Lord instructed me to take communion frequently over the next three days, as this would force the venom out of my body and the life-giving bread would bring regeneration to the breast. I obeyed, but each night, I experienced significant pain. As I lay in bed, I clutched my chest, thinking, “Oh my goodness, it’s still there. I haven’t gotten rid of it. I’ve only made it mad.”
Nevertheless, on the third morning, when I woke up and went to shower, I discovered the indentation had completely filled in! The pain I had felt was not the presence of the serpent but rather the process of my flesh regenerating.
It is of huge necessity that we regularly soak in fire to drive these hidden demonic creatures off and out of our lives. That can look like anything from engaging in fiery worship, praying in fiery tongues, declaring Scriptures concerning the fire of God, singing along to a song about Holy Spirit fire, to even listening to my The Serpent and the Soul Fire Soak, an MP3 with healing and deliverance music accompanying powerful fire Scriptures and snake-trampling decrees.
When we declare and decree the fire-infused Scriptures, as well as engage in worship, praise, and thanksgiving, the fire of His divine presence descends on us, effectively driving these serpents out of their hideaways.
I’ve noticed significant surges in cancer cases worldwide. A huge percentage of these are snake-induced. I’ve had numerous conversations with individuals who have battled this disease. Cancer, even if defeated, often tries to come back. Case in point: Around five years after that encounter I attended a meeting with Tony Kemp, where he was teaching about the fire of God. As I sat there, I began fervently crying out, “Fire, fire, fire!” and praying fiercely in tongues. You see, I had been feeling oppressed, and I realized a serpent had come back to try to take me out with cancer again. As I persisted in pressing into the fiery presence, I actually could feel the serpents swirling in my breasts until they came out! Who knows what those demons might have done if I hadn’t pressed into the fire! And that wasn’t the last time they tried.
Don’t let demonic serpents wreak havoc on your health, mental and emotional wellness, finances, and relationships. God has given us victory over all the power of the enemy, so let’s walk in it!
Katie Souza is the founder of the prison outreach Expected End Ministries, which serves over 4,000 prisons in five countries, and the author of The Captivity Series: The Key to Your Expected End, Healing the Wounded Soul, and Be Revived. As part owner of channel 379 Direct TV, she produces her live television show, Faith with Katie, which also airs on all KSM social media platforms. Katie currently lives in Florida with her husband, Robert. Her newest book, The Serpent and the Soul, is available at amazon.com now.
