St. Patrick and Snakes in Ireland

I was confused. I was trying to make a decision on the appropriate course of action I should follow, but was getting nowhere.

A friend suggested I try prayer and fasting as she had often found this the solution to such a dilemma. Prayer and fasting was often used throughout the Bible, even by Jesus.

Well, I tried it. Before many hours the answer came. The solution now looked so simple!

It is reported that many years ago in Ireland, St. Patrick went to a mountain at Clew Bay to fast and pray for his country. After a cold and treacherous journey up the mountain, he went without food, prayed and fasted for 40 days, thereby driving all the snakes out of Ireland.

Historically, there was a reason there are no snakes there because of the ice age. But the snakes St. Patrick eliminated represent something else.

St. Patrick established Christianity in Ireland and, in so doing, drove out all demonic activity. In the Bible, Satan, the devil, is often spoken of as a snake or a serpent. St. Patrick, by bringing God's power into the land, eradicated Satan's power, allowing Christianity to flourish.

Before St. Patrick fasted and prayed for Ireland, the culture was pagan. After he prayed, using the name of Jesus and the power of His shed blood, those involved in witchcraft and sorcery became powerless. They gradually realized what had happened, and saw there was ANOTHER POWER greater than the one they had been using to perform their supernatural acts.

The church of Jesus Christ must learn of its own power, greater than that of the dark world, to dispel the darkness. Darkness soon disappears when a light is turned on, and Jesus is called "the Light of the world" (John 8:12). He is also called "living Water" (John 4:10). Water, with enough force behind it, can sweep away everything in its path, and this is what the powerful force of Jesus can do to the snakes of our day.

Jesus won the battle against satanic forces almost 2,000 years ago. Christians have been given every protection against this evil power - if they know how to use it.

They need the spiritual armour spoken of in Ephesians 6 - the first item being a "helmet of salvation", a born- again experience. They need faith, they must become a holy people and must read and use the "sword of the Spirit", God's written and spoken words. Since Christians are "adopted" into Christ's family (Rom.8:15), they are eligible to use His Name and all the power inherent in it. By the mere use of His name by a born-again child of God (not by an unbeliever),snakes have to go!

To become stronger Christians, we need to FAST and pray. The apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ...my give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know Him better." (Eph 1:17 NIV). The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch" (Acts 11:26). After they fasted and prayed" the disciples sent Saul and Barnabus to tell the Good News about Jesus to the Gentile world (Acts 13:13).

The Christian church had begun its mission in prayer and fasting. Centuries later St. Patrick established Christianity in Ireland by prayer and fasting.

The Christian church is again using fasting and prayer as she seeks to purify herself and become strong. Hell itself cannot stop her (Matt.16:18)!