Spiritual Warfare VIII

False Teachers and Prophets: A Warning

2 Peter 2:1–22 ESV

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

There are so many voices vying for our attention. There are so many evil and lying spirits attempting to pass themselves off as truth or more accurately relative truth. In comes situational ethics to twist the truth to selfishly benefit those who listen. It is used as a work around of a conscience. However truth will prevail. If a person will arm themselves with Gods’ truth they will not be so easily swayed toward the lying spirits. The lying spirits will use a truth and start the twisting quickly but subtly the is truth into a believable lie. Something just don’t seem right yet, it seems logical to a carnal mind. We really need to have the mind of Christ when we get these “it doesn’t seem right in that it does not settle in my spirit with peace” feelings. We need this defense called discernment in the Body of Christ and inside all of us to detect these lies. We need the discussions of the lies and false doctrines that get brought into a church body. They need to be exposed and spoken so all the Body knows that this obviously wrong ideas, teachings or doctrines based on twisted truths. some are just plain old lies originated from evil sources. Much of what Peter warns us about sounds much like the hyper prosperity gospel. God does want his kids prosperous as their souls prosper. God can trust His faithful stewards with large amount of monies to sow into Gods Kingdom. Con men who make outlandish promises that giving to their ministries will get you rewarded 10, 20 100 times what you gave. Some appeal to our greed for a 1000 times return if we give to them. Your spirit should say WHAT???? Being rich isn’t a sin. Greed is a sin. Are evangelist appealing to your spirit or flesh? The ones who are appealing to the flesh are the easy ones to spot and expose. They are so obvious appealing to guilt, sympathy and just plain greed. Enough of this, in that it is obvious, DON’T give to them at all. No exceptions!!!!

Now to the less obvious, this would be known tele evangelist, preachers or religious leaders who are setting doctrine on vague or out of context scripture. They take a sentence or phrase and fit it together and create a thought process that is “ From the SCRIPTURE” . They emphasize you should not question it because Gods Holy Scripture is Gods’ inerrant word. This is an intimidation ploy , so we don’t question them. This is a fruit of the flesh, so again an easy clue they are lying from an evil lying spirit. Avoid reading anything they publish or teach. Go to Jesus and verify through the Holy Spirit all this in a very quite place. This is where you can find your peace and settle in your soul that these were the very people Peter was talking about. They are after fame, worldly gain and are full of all kinds of evil motives.

Then there are seducing spirits who entice a soul to give in to sinful actions, behavior, and thoughts. Balaam had told a King who had hired Him to bring a curse upon the just freed Israelites from Egypt. God would not let Him curse Gods people. So, he finally told the King to send his young women down to sexually entice the Isreal men into sexual sin and the worship of pornographic gods or idols that arouse sexual urges. Then Israel would fall under the curses they spoke on themselves if they did break covenant with Yahweh, their God that brought them out of Egypt and had made a Covenant with them. The covenant had blessings for covenant keepers. It had curses on those that broke covenant with Yahweh. So it is also with these people who entice Gods covenant people to sin. Their aim is to get Gods people to break covenant with Jesus and bring on chastisement as well as loss of fellowship. Many in the Hyper Grace Movement twist scripture to appeal to your flesh and encourage us to indulge in our flesh, especially sexual sin. They say,“Remember all is forgiven, all things are okay because our sin was payed for by Christ. It is okay, you are in freedom. All thing are permissible”. These are the people Peter is talking about. Avoid these people and all their publications. They are trying to ensnare you in their web of deceit.

There are even Deceivers, who blaspheme Heavenly beings with out fear and fall under the wrath of God for doing so. Their motivation is to WOW a crowd into believing they have a special power over all these celestial spiritual beings. These False teachers and Apostles are accursed. Again avoid them and all their media, publishings, and personal appearances across your sphere of influence. They are usually full of pride, boasters and speak as if they had authority and Persuading people to join them in their fight. They are rainless clouds full of promise but short on delivery. The reason, they are full of arrogant fleshly pride. They are not driven by the Holy Spirit, but resist the Holy Spirit in nearly all their ways and motives. Avoid, again. AVOID these people.

What shall we say to all of this? Read your Holy Bible and study it so that you will be approved. You will be established in faith and know the truth. Armed with the word and Holy Spirit you can resist and discern the imposters from the true believers.

False teachers and Apostles are everywhere

They are really motivated by self promotion for fleshly( or Carnal )gain.

“They are accursed Children!”

They are party people who entice Gods children to sin.

Stay away from all these deceivers.

They pronounce judgement before the Lord of these angels and spiritual beings. Even the angels would not do it but simply said “ THE LORD rebuke you O satan.” They do not have the authority do so!! They do not fear THE LORD nor discern they are doing it in front of the Lord. It is THE LORD who reserves the right to pronounce Judgement of these beings. that as the word says is at the end of the age.

Spiritual Warfare Application:

Reread 2Peter2 and Jude several times and ask Holy Spirit to show you the meaning of this Spiritual warfare that is acceptable to the Lord Jesus! How did Jesus do it.

How did the Apostle Paul do Spiritual Warfare?

Do we honor God by doing what we do in Spiritual Warfare or do we honor ourselves?

Will devils laugh at you and say, “Jesus I Know, Paul I know, but who are you”.

Real Spiritual Power lies in Spirit filled and Spirit led children of God. Those who fall in Balaam Error will find they will not have the power they boast about.

Pastoral Prayer:

Dear Jesus help us your church to be more mindful of service to You our King Jesus! May our focus and motives be Service to our King Jesus. We love you and thank you for accepting us as your disciples. Thank you for your Mercy and the Gift of Salvation! Unify us in your Spirit and Love. Let us seek you and your presence each and every day. May we remember You and rejoice in our hearts. Let us be filled with Holy Spirit and glow with your love and light inside of us!