“And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” – 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
We live in such a confusing time! There are so many conflicting voices on just about every issue we face, and many of these voices claim to speak for Christ and Christians. How can this be possible? Some are legitimately in disagreement over difficult issues, but some of these Christian voices are actually serving Satan, whether they realize it or not! They do so by subtly drawing us away from Christ, away from the cross, and toward finding authority, fulfillment, and satisfaction in something or someone else. That is Adversary’s work!
How can we be discerning as followers of Jesus? Should we simply be persuaded by the loudest, most relentless, most pleasant, most persuasive, most popular, or most controversial voices? No! We must look deeper, seeing past the disguises.
We must first look at what’s being taught – is it Scriptural and consistent with the entirety of the Bible? We know Satan can quote Scripture, which is why many deceivers draw in the faithful with a few twisted verses. Is what’s being taught consistent with the entirety of the Bible, the nature of God, and the work of Christ? We must each know and grow in what we know of God’s Word, every single day.
Then we must look at the life and character of the one doing the teaching. Is it godly? Is the Fruit of the Spirit prominently on display in his or her life? Many so-called Christian leaders who’ve been revealed for their falseness could have been detected by simply asking where was their love? Their joy? Their peace? Their patience? Their kindness? Their goodness? Their faithfulness? Their gentleness? Their self-control?
If a loud and plausible sounding “Christian” leader is missing these qualities, he or she is probably not a servant of righteousness. Stay alert, for these days are evil!