Chapter 3
Deceptive Spirits:
1 John 4: 1-3
“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”
Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
-seek truth from the Word of God.”
-you are commanded to “test the spirits”
-church is a divine institution created by God and paid for by Christ’s blood
***Ask Lots of Questions
-the Bible says to scrutinize and exercise caution toward those who operate under the cloak of religion
Don’t believe every spirit:
-erroneous spirits
–Jesus said hell is a real place of eternal torment where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth”
Luke 13: 28
“Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?”
Mark 9: 48
“‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.”
Lying Spirits:
-Jesus warned believers that as the end of the age draws near there will be deceivers pretending to be Him
Matthew 24: 5
“For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.”
-Greek word: “name” translated & means “authority”
2 Corinthians 11:13
“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.”
Ex. Radical Islam is a threat infiltrated in the United States to destroy from within
-Paul called spiritual imposters “false” ; pseudo to mean “not genuine”
-deceitful workers know they are off course and willfully lead their students even further off course than themselves, making them “twice a much a son of hell
Matthew 23:15
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.”
-Paul exposed the false teachers whom Jesus called “ravenous wolves in sheep’s clothing”
Matthew 7:15
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
2 Corinthians 11: 14-15
“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
Demonic Spirits
-literal spirits and demonic entities
Job 1:7
“The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
1 John 4:4
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
2 Timothy 1:7
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Test All Things
-test the spirits
John 4:1
“Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John—”
-test all things
1 Thessalonians 5:21
“Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.”
***All means All
Test What You Hear
-specific word can have a variety of meaning
-redefining words
1 Corinthians 14:2
“For anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.”
-speaking in tongues is not to men but to God
Test What You See
-Satan can perform signs
-Satan can appear in disguise
-Greeks thought seeing and knowing were one and the same
-Paul warned about false teachers like the Pharaoh's magicians
2 Timothy 3:8
“Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.”
-last days, people will follow signs and lying wonders according to the working of Satan
-you must understand good theology and sound doctrine isn’t only for pastors and church leaders
-they are your tools for testing the spirits
Stay Centered
-you and I must stand fast in truth which is not human origin, but comes from God alone
Stay Centered by Judging Rightly
-Christians must operate at a high standard
-everything around us has a spiritual significance behind it
-God doesn’t waste one moment, one event, cation, or situation and neither does Satan
John 7: 24
“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”
John 14: 16-17
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
-ask the spirit for discernment to understand what is taking place around you so that you can judge what is beneficial and what to avoid
Stay Centered by Searching Diligently
Acts 17: 11
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
-God’s truth is the only truth that will save us, preserve us, and keep us from stumbling
-His Word helps to dispel the daze generated by deception
-Old Testament: 404 verses of Revelation either point to or are based on about 280 verses from the Old Testament
-immersion in Scriptures prove extremely important in the early days of any Christian life
Psalm 138: 2
“I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.”
-God magnifies His Word above His name
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
John 3:30
“He must become greater; I must become less.”
Stay Centered by Fasting and Praying
-when we can’t see clearly we read the Bible and pray
-fast and pray to cry out to God when you feel He is not listening
-fast with devotion and dedication that seeks God’s direction
-fasting brings your spirit into more attentive to the Holy Spirit who prepares you to receive answers to your questions
-pray he shows you what to do
**Jesus’ will surrendered to the glorious redemptive plan of God
Stay Centered by Praying Always
-not of self-action or self-effort
Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Proverbs 3: 5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
-discern the truth in these days of deception
-prayer to keep you from stumbling
Jude 24-25
“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—”
Jude 25
“to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”