A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers – Part 19

We are currently looking at the third aspect of what the Bible teaches about false preachers and teachers.

#3 – false preachers and teachers claim to speak for God, but are really spokespeople for the enemy of Christ (Satan)

False preachers and teachers are not just wrong in their preaching and teaching; they are actually mouthpieces for Satan. They are agents (representatives) of the devil. Just as a Christian preacher and teacher represent God and speak for Him, false preachers and teachers represent and speak for Satan.

In the last part of our series we saw that Jesus taught clearly that the devil is the deceiver behind all deception. Jesus also said that Satan is the “father” of all lies. Did Jesus apostles teach the same thing?

Apostolic Teaching About Deception

We know that apostolic teaching about Satan’s deception is exactly what Jesus wanted them to preach. How do we know that? Because of a promise Jesus made to His apostles –

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. John 16:12-14

Notice that Jesus said the Spirit of truth (the Holy Spirit) would ‘guide’ the apostles “into all truth” – not some of the truth, not most of the truth – but “into all truth.” That’s a direct promise from the Eternal Son of God to the men who would be His apostles. That promise did not include the traitor Judas Iscariot because he had already left the apostles’ meeting with Jesus to betray Christ to the high priest (John 14:30).

Jesus made the promise of the Holy Spirit guiding them into ‘all truth’ to the Eleven. So, did that promise also include Matthias and Saul of Tarsus? Yes, it did –

For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’ ‘Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.’ And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, ‘You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.’ And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Acts 1:20-26

Matthias was ‘numbered’ with the Eleven apostles, making him the Twelfth apostle.

Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do … Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ So the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.’ Then Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.’ And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. Acts 9:1-6, 10-18

Saul of Tarsus became the Apostle Paul. However, he was not the Thirteenth Apostle as some have called him. Israel has Twelve Apostles, which is why Matthias was chosen to take the place of ‘the traitor.’ Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles – a mystery to the Twelve until God revealed it to them (Acts 15; Ephesians 2 and 3).

This means we can look at the sermons, speeches, and writings of the Twelve and Paul and know that the Holy Spirit of Truth was guiding them “into all truth.” What they said and wrote about demonic deception through false prophets and teachers is the ‘truth.’

The Twelve On Demonic Deception

The ‘Twelve’ who we see in the Book of Acts include “Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James,” along with Matthias who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. If we want to know what any of them said or wrote about demonic deception through false prophets and teachers, we have their sermons and speeches in Acts and in their letters to Jews who believed in Jesus.

One of the first attributions to Satanic deception is found in Peter’s words in Acts chapter 5. It concerned two members of the Jerusalem congregation, a husband and wife, who agreed to lie about a ‘gift’ they were giving to the apostles –

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.’ Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Acts 5:1-6

Sapphira was not with her husband when this happened. She came in later and repeated the same lie in answer to Peter’s question. She also fell down dead.

What I’d like you to notice is what Peter said to Ananias – ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit.’ That is an example of demonic deception. Satan and his demons want believers to lie to the Holy Spirit. The consequences are often ruinous to a believer.

One of the most powerful statements concerning demonic deception comes from Peter in his first letter “To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” –

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9

How does the devil ‘devour’ people? Is he literally ‘a roaring lion’ who eats people? Not according to the context of Peter’s statement –

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 1 Peter 5:1-4

The spiritual task of a group of elders is to ‘Shepherd the flock of God which is among you.’ They do that by ‘serving as overseers’ and ‘examples to the flock. Elder/overseers, of which Peter said he was a ‘fellow elder,’ exist to ‘feed and protect’ God’s people from the devil who ‘walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.’ Believers do that through spiritual ‘resistance.’ The context is spiritual, not physical.

Keep in mind that the devil is one angel – powerful, but not omnipresent. The devil uses a spiritually sophisticated system that includes a large number of demons. Remember that Jesus cast out a ‘Legion’ of demons from one man that went into about two-thousand swine. The herd of swine ran violently into the sea and drowned. Those demons did not die. They found other human hosts over time. Satan’s system is described by another apostle (Paul) as including principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. That’s what God’s people are up against spiritually.

We also learn more about how the devil ‘devours’ the ‘flock of God’ in Peter’s second letter –

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. 2 Peter 2:1-3

The context of Peter’s statement to believers is the ‘prophetic word’ of Scripture that had been confirmed by God –

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:19-21

Demonic deception includes lying about the ‘prophetic word confirmed.’ They use ‘false’ teachers and preachers to ‘secretly bring in destructive heresies.’ That’s why this particular series of studies exists – as a serious warning to the deception of demons.

As you continue to read through 2 Peter you will see how false prophets and teachers operate in the power of the devil’s deception –

But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’ 2 Peter 2:12-22

Peter ended his warning to believers with these words – the last words written by Peter before his death –

You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:17-18

Next Time

We will learn what another member of the ‘Twelve’ taught about demonic deception in the next part of our special series, A Layman’s Guide to False Preachers and Teachers.

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You can download a free copy of this and previous studies about A Layman’s Guide to False Preachers and Teachers here. We invite you to share it with friends and family as God leads.

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 1

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 2

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 3

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 4

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 5

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 6

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 7

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 8

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 9

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 10

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 11

A Layman’s Guide To False Preachers and Teachers Part 12