That’s what the Gospel does. It confronts the idols in our lives. An idol is anything we look to, other than God, to find security, identity, and well-being.
Pythons typically try to strangle and suck the life of what it is trying to kill. That’s precisely what is going on in today’s passage. The python spirit had a stronghold in Philippi.
Thinking too highly of ourselves will always get us into trouble. In our fallen nature, we want to be God. This passage stresses the need to humble ourselves before God.
Paul had friends to help him in a great time of need. There was a plot to kill him! There are many perescuted brothers and sisters in the world who are in need of help today.