Part 4 - Testing the Teachings We Christians Read and Hear

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called SATANIC DECEPTION TODAY.

All of man’s spiritual beliefs and doctrines originate from either “the word of truth… by the power of God,” (2 Cor. 6:7) or the spirit of error, [deceit, Grk. plane,] (1Jn. 4:6) which proceed from the Devil as “the father of lies (Jn. 8:44).

Jessie Penn Lewis, in “War on the Saints” refers to the Devil’s ‘deceiving spirits’ among believers by the title of ‘teaching spirits.’ They deceive many ‘Bible teachers, pastors, and preachers’ even today. The Devil deceives them and works through them in order to “deceive” the members of “the church, which is His body.” They teach “false doctrines” that rob believers of the grace inheritance that flows to us from Christ’s Cross and life. They work to diminish the knowledge of Sin and judgement, and of Satan’s work to destroy man, and to hinder or delay the consummation God’s eternal plan. They also work among so-called Bible scholars to produce more and more ‘modern bibles that add to, delete from, and twist the Scriptures in order to diminish the place of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, His shed blood and hide God’s eternal plan.

All the doctrines taught and held among the members of “the body of Christ” are to consists of Biblical words, are expressed as thoughts, and concepts to be taught by men. But all Bible teachers and preachers are fallible humans. Their words are not to be taken as truth based upon their character alone. The test for truth is “what saith the scripture?”

There is only one principle or test for all doctrinal, thoughts, beliefs, and concepts that are be held by us as believers and that is the test of the revealed written “word of God.”

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I [Jesus as “the Word”] speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63 (KJV)

12 For the WORD OF GOD is quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)

As we in our soul’s mind consider the thoughts, beliefs and the concepts being taught us… in the light of “the word of God” we will see that the ideas being taught us are either in harmony with God’s “word of truth” for today or not. Satan’s teaching spirits’ sometimes speak through well-meaning deceived teachers and writers so we must;

1) Know the foundational words of truth for today’s “dispensation of the grace of God,” and,

2) Never take what any man says apart from testing it by the written “word of truth.” The issue is “what saith the Scripture?” (Rom. 4:3).

Satan’s evil ‘teaching spirits’ deceive by corrupting “doctrines.” These ‘teaching spirits’ entice men to receive teachings that may be summed up in three ways:

1) These ‘teachings spirits’ come to provide their ‘doctrines and teachings’ as if they are spiritual revelations to those who ignorantly are foolish enough to accept everything that is ‘supernatural’ as being divinely of God. This makes Pentecostal / Charismatic folks extremely vulnerable to Satanic deception. They are ready to accept all such things as if from God. This form of corrupt ‘teaching’ comes directly to the person, coming in flashes of light supposedly on a Bible text; by revelations in visions, or by receiving streams of text to be typedall supposedly given by the Holy Spirit. Yet none of these will pass the test of Scripture “rightly divided(2Tim 2:15). These teachings may be a near miss because they will frequently ADD something to revealed Bible Truth, or Take Away from revealed Bible Truth, ‘twisting the Scriptures’ as Peter warned.

16 As also in all his [Paul’s] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [twist], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16 (KJV)

2) These Devilish ‘teaching spirits’ who infiltrate Christian churches and groups may mix their teachings with man’s own reasoning so that he thinks he came to his own conclusions. These teachings can appear so natural that they seem to come from the man himself as the fruit of his own mind, reasoning, and study. They counterfeit the working in the human brain, injecting thoughts and suggestions into the human mind; they can directly communicate with the human minds of men apart from gaining possession of the mind and body. They introduce the lies of Satan through the instrumentality of false unbiblical reasoning. I know of one YouTube grace preacher who in the past year or so has fallen away from foundational truth, now preaching the heresy of ‘universal reconciliation.’

3) These Satanic ‘teaching spirits’ also deceive through the direct means of deceived human religious teachers, who supposedly are conveying undiluted Divine truth. They often preach a ‘false unbiblical, undispensational, gospel.’ The human teacher may think he came his own conclusions, not realizing it was Satan’s “teaching spirits” who injected the ‘false light’ into his mind. Paul warns us;

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an ANGEL OF LIGHT. 2 Corinthians 11:14 (KJV)

Consider God’s people Israel, they were warned of consulting or communion with evil spirits.

9 When thou [Israel] art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times [astrology], or an enchanter [chants spells], or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits [dead family members], or a wizard, or a necromancer [commune with the dead]. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out [of the land] from before thee [Israel]. Deuteronomy 18:9-12 (KJV)

Despite repeated warnings from the Lord for Israel, to not adopt the customs of the pagan nations around them (Lev. 18:3), Israel did just that. Israel’s downward spiral began at the foot of Mount Sinai with the forging of the golden calf (Ex. 32) while Moses was away in the Mount obtaining the Ten Commandments. During Israel’s forty-year trek in the wilderness, some Israelites carved images of foreign deities (Acts 7:42–43). Next, Israel fell into Baal worship, through the enticements of the Moabite women at Peor (Num. 25:1–3). This Baal worship consisted of eating sacrifices offered to the dead (Ps. 106:28) and child sacrifice. 16 And they [Israel] left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 2 Kings 17:16-17 (KJV). In recent years the “Baal Arch” reproduction was erected in NY City, USA, nearby to NY City Hall.

Roger Michel, the IDA’s executive director, told the Times: “It is really a political statement, a call to action, to draw attention to what is happening in Syria and Iraq and now Libya. We are saying to them ‘if you destroy something we can rebuild it again.’ The symbolic value of these sites is enormous. We are restoring dignity to people.” “This arch that led to the Temple of Baal was reproduced down to the smallest detail and erected in New York City,” details Cahn. “It was erected in the park outside City Hall. It sat covered in a giant sheet to keep it cloaked until the time of its unveiling. Seats were set up around the veiled arch so that leaders and dignitaries could watch.” “Before the moment of unveiling, a live band began playing Middle Eastern music. As one listened to the drumbeat, one could imagine similar music being played as worshipers ascended the ancient Temple of Baal.”

Israel of old was seduced by Satanic ‘lying, teaching spirits’ such that its ‘prophets and priests,’ much like many preachers today, became lying hypocrites. So much was this that the people came to ‘love these lies’ rather than the words of God.

30 A wonderful [wondrous] and horrible thing is committed in the land [of Israel]; 31 The Prophets Prophesy Falsely, and The Priests Bear Rule By Their Means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? Jeremiah 5:30-31 (KJV)

Paul wrote of today saying: 3 For the time will come when they [of Christendom] will NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 2 Tim. 4:3

Today during this age of worldwide iniquity many unregenerate people claim to be ‘spiritual but they are not genuine believers, not naming Christ as Savior and His Cross-work as the basis of man’s Salvation.

All genuine truth is in harmony with the only channel of revealed truth in the world, the written “word of God” as it applies contextually and dispensationally. All teachings originating from Satan’s ‘lying spirits’ serve to:

  1. Weaken the authority of the Scriptures;
  2. Distort the teachings of the Scriptures;
  3. Add to the Scriptures the thoughts of men;
  4. Or, put the Scriptures entirely aside.

Their ultimate object is to hide, distort, misuse, or put aside the revelation of God concerning Christ’s Cross of Calvary, where Satan was overthrown by the God-Man Jesus, and where freedom was obtained for all of Satan’s captives.

In the Christianized world the “doctrines of devils [demons]” may be tested by these two principles. The test for the thought and belief of man therefore is;

  1. Its harmony with the written Scriptures “rightly divided (2Tim. 2:15) according to its dispensations (according to whom the words apply) while yet in the context of the full body of Biblical truth.
  2. Its attitude toward the Cross of Christ, and toward ‘Sin.’ Unbelievers fail to acknowledge Sin, and Jesus Christ alone as Savior. The Cross of Christ is our source of reconciliation, forgiveness and for the indwelling eternal life of Christ.

22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:22 (KJV)

Paul tells us, “The mystery [secret] of iniquity is that iniquity doth already work today in the secular humanistic world and among the world’s religions … by Satanic lies, hypocrisy, and “deception” being foisted not only upon the world, but also upon so-called Christendom.

7 For the mystery [Grk. musterion, secret] of iniquity doth already work: only he [the Holy Spirit] who now letteth [allows this] will let [allow it], until he [Holy Spirit] be taken out of the way. 2 Thes. 2:7

One of Satan’s greatest successful lies came in the early 1900’s whereby Satan has foisted upon gullible Christians the Pentecostal (Charismatic) movement. Its subscribers look to external miraculous proofs of God, foolishly assuming that all miracles are of Divine origin. Unknowingly, they are following Satan’s False Lyingteaching spirits’ even today. Being on that track many will yet be deceived even more by the ‘lying wonders’ (miraculous demonstrations) to come by the hand Satan’s demons and ‘lying spirits,’ being led to receive Antichrist’s fullest deceptions to occur during the Tribulation period.

Thus, Paul warns the believers of this age as follows;

1 Now the [Holy] Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times [of today’s age of grace] some shall Depart From The Faith, giving Heed to SEDUCING SPIRITS, and DOCTRINES OF DEVILS; 2 SPEAKING LIES In HYPOCRISY; having their conscience seared with a hot iron [insensitive to the Spirit of the Lord, denying His written word for today]; 1 Timothy 4:1-2 (KJV)

Surely any, genuinely intelligized, Christ indwelled believers today should recognize the deceit of the so-called ‘faith healers,’ ‘prosperity preachers,’ man-centered preachers of today…  who have forsaken the genuine “Gospel of the grace of God” to gain fame, stature, and filthy lucre [money].

Our answer to this is to have our ‘mind set upon the spirit’ (Rom. 8:5-6) and the Bible’s words of God for us today, which teach us and guide us in the truth of God.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is THE WORD OF GOD: Eph. 6:17

16 ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Timothy 3:16-17

12 For the WORD OF GOD is quick [living], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)

63 It is the spirit that quickeneth [giveth life]; the flesh profiteth nothing: THE WORDS THAT I [JESUS] SPEAK unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:63 (KJV)

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit [mind] the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be Carnally Minded Is Death; but to be Spiritually Minded Is Life and Peace. Romans 8:5-6 (KJV)

(Portions of this Study are adapted from “War on the Saints,” by Jessie Penn Lewis and “Earth’s Earliest Ages” by G. H. Pember.)