Beware of Deceiving Spirits and Doctrines of Demons

SCRIPTURE

1 Timothy 4:1–6 NKJV

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.

EXEGESIS

1 Timothy 4:1 NKJV

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

“Now the Spirit” = Holy Spirit.

“expressly says” = clearly; distinctly; explicitly.

“that in latter times” = the time in which we live.

“some will depart from the faith” = depart from the truths of God’s Word; depart from the foundational truths of Christianity; fall away.

“giving heed to” = paying attention to; devoting themselves to.

“deceiving spirits” = seducing spirits; lying spirits; any demonic influence that deceives, tempts, or leads people into false beliefs, sinful desires, or unwise choices.

“and doctrines of demons” = teachings contrary to God’s Word.

INTRODUCTION

Satan is not Ugly on the Outside

2 Corinthians 11:14–15 NKJV

14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

Many people have a distorted view of who Satan is and how he presents himself.

Satan is not a red cartoon figure with a pitchfork, a tail, and a forked tongue.

Satan will disguise himself and his henchmen as good.

Satan is deceptive

He cloaks the darkness behind something that looks like the light.

He hides the deception within something that looks like the truth.

He conceals the poison inside something that looks beautiful.

He masks bondage underneath something that looks like freedom.

Just like Adam and Eve, all it takes is one bite of the apple!

We must be aware of Satan’s tactics, so we don’t become one of his statistics

Paul told Timothy, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ.”

And that is why it is important for me to warn you here today: BEWARE OF DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS.

MESSAGE POINTS

This morning I want to talk to you about three types of deceiving spirits that Satan uses to try to destroy us and how we can overcome them:

Misleading Spirits

Mimicking Spirits

Mocking Spirits

Misleading Spirits

Misleading Spirits are lying spirits.

Misleading Spirits spread their lies through disinformation (distorting God’s Word).

Misinformation is by mistake.

Disinformation is on purpose and intended to deceive.

Misleading Spirits promote false doctrine.

Misleading Spirits will try to get you to walk away from God’s will for your life.

If something or someone is trying to pull you away from God, BEWARE OF DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINE OF DEMONS.

If something or someone is trying to convince you that you don’t need to come to church, BEWARE OF DECEIVING SPIRITS AND A DOCTRINE OF DEMONS.

If something or someone is trying to tell you that you can live any way you want to live and continue in sin and still make it to heaven, BEWARE OF DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINE OF DEMONS.

If something or someone is teaching or preaching to you that the power of God is not real and that the Holy Spirit does not operate in the gifts of the Spirit and signs, miracles, and wonders today, BEWARE OF DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS.

We find an example of a Misleading Spirit in the story of the prophet Micaiah (1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18).

King Ahab of Israel (northern kingdom) and King Jehoshaphat of Judah (southern kingdom) formed an alliance against the king of Syria.

King Ahab was one of the most evil kings in Israel’s history. He was married to Queen Jezebel who was one of the most wicked and evil people in the Bible. They had a daughter named Athaliah who was about as wicked as her mother.

Jehoshaphat was one of the best kings of Judah. He wasn’t perfect, but he led Judah in serving God. But he allowed his son Jehoram to marry Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel.

BE NOT UNEQUALLY YOKED!

Because of their alliance, Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to go up with him into battle against the king of Syria to take back the city of Ramoth Gilead.

Jehoshaphat agrees, but first he asks Ahab to call for the prophets to ask God if it is His will.

WE NEED TO SEEK GOD’S WILL IN OUR DECISIONS!

Ahab calls for 400 of his prophets and they prophesy that God is with them and they will win the battle.

But Jehoshaphat can tell something isn’t right about these prophets and says, “is there not still a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of Him?” (1 Kings 22:7)

WE NEED SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT!

Ahab says, yeah there’s one named Micaiah, but I don’t like him because he only prophesies evil against me.

Micaiah was in prison for prophesying the truth. They called him out to ask him what the Lord had to say about this battle.

The guard tells him, “speak like the other prophets and everything will be ok for you.” But Micaiah says, “I will only speak that which the Lord tells me to speak.”

WE NEED PEOPLE TODAY WHO ARE NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK THE TRUTH!

I love Micaiah because he is initially sarcastic and says, “Go and prosper and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

But Ahab recognized the sarcasm and told him to prophesy the truth.

Micaiah then said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’”

In other words, king Ahab was going to die in battle and they would be defeated by the Syrians.

And then Micaiah told king Ahab the source of the deception behind his 400 prophets.

1 Kings 22:19–23 NKJV

19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. 20 And the Lord said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ 22 The Lord said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 23 Therefore look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

Ahab and Jehoshaphat ignored the word of the Lord from Micaiah and chose to accept the prophecy from the Misleading Spirits.

Ahab died in battle just like Micaiah had prophesied.

WE NEED TO NOT ONLY SEEK GOD’S WILL, BUT WE NEED TO FOLLOW IT!

BEWARE OF DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS!

Satan will send a Misleading Spirit to deceive you.

False doctrine.

Gossip.

Evil thoughts.

We overcome a Misleading Spirit with the Truth of God’s Word!

Compare prophecy to God’s Word.

If someone tries to prophesy something over you that does not line up with God’s Word, don’t accept it.

If it is not from God, it is demonic and witchcraft.

If you accept it, you are opening the door to the demonic in your life.

REBUKE IT and RESIST IT and it will flee from you!

Mimicking Spirits

A Mimicking Spirit is a false spirit that tries to imitate the true Spirit of God.

A Mimicking Spirit will try to deceive you through false power!

Satan has some power.

But Satan’s power is no match for God’s power!

A Mimicking Spirit will not only use false prophecy, like we’ve already talked about, but will also use:

False tongues,

False signs,

False miracles, and

False worship.

A Mimicking Spirit will try to deceive you into believing and falling into a false form of Christianity.

Satan does not have the creative power of God, so he mimics what God has already created.

He’ll take what’s good, mask it, and make it look like truth, but the real source behind it is deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.

Philip the Evangelist ran into a man with a Mimicking Spirit.

Acts 8:9–13 NKJV

9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

BEWARE OF DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS!

Satan will send a Mimicking Spirit to deceive you!

Beware that you do not chase after every wind of doctrine!

Beware that you are not so deceived by false power that you never experience the true power of God!

We overcome a Mimicking Spirit through the true power of the Holy Spirit!

A Mimicking Spirit cannot stay hidden in the presence of the power of the Holy Spirit!

Darkness cannot hide in the light!

EXPOSE IT and EXPEL IT in the name of Jesus!

Mocking Spirits

Mocking Spirits are false spirits that will openly come against the true Spirit of God.

Mocking Spirits will make light of the power of God.

Mocking Spirits will quench the Spirit of God.

Mocking Spirits will distract others from experiencing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

Mocking Spirits will deceive you through flattery.

Paul and Silas ran into a young woman with a Mocking Spirit.

Acts 16:16–18 NKJV

16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

BEWARE OF DECEIVING SPIRITS AND DOCTRINES OF DEMONS!

Satan will send a Mocking Spirit to deceive you!

Beware of those who make a mockery of the things of God and distance yourself from them.

Beware of those who use words of flattery to your face, but turn around and stab you in the back.

We overcome a Mocking Spirit through spiritual warfare!

God has give us the weapons that we need to be victorious!

“The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the pulling down strongholds. Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

DISCERN IT and DISPOSE OF IT in the name of Jesus!

CLOSING

Going back to our text in 1 Timothy 4, there are three keys to victory over Deceiving Spirits and Doctrines of Demons that I want to highlight:

The Word of God (v5)

Prayer (v5)

Faith (v6)