GOD’S WORD DISCERNS DIFFERENT SPIRITS

Jesus Christ, who loves us enough to die on the cross for our sins that we might have eternal life, said: “The words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are life” (John 3:16; John 6:63; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). As our loving shepherd, he warns us in God’s biblical Word beware of deceptive spirits: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in SHEEP’S CLOTHING, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthews 7:15). They distort God’s words, to draw away the Lord’s followers to themselves (2 Corinthians 11:13-14). 

JESUS USED GOD’S WORD TO EXPOSE THE DEVIL

Jesus used God’s Word in exposing and defeating the attempts of the devil’s to deceive him. And Jesus said we should “live by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthews 4:1-4). Furthermore, the Lord said, you must be born again of the Spirit to be part of God’s Kingdom; which enables you to discern his Word (John 3:5-7; I Corinthians 2:14).  Even so, recognizing false prophets may sometimes be difficult to discern even for born-again believers. We should follow our Lord’s example of using the Word of God to expose and defeat false prophets of the devil.  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

PAUL EXPOSED FALSE TEACHERS WITH SCRIPTURE

Paul, a Rabbi, who knew Scripture well, was chosen by the Lord and anointed with the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel-word of God that can set people free from sin and deception (Acts 9:15; John 8:32). The Apostle Paul said: All Scripture is giving by inspiration of God… that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped (2 Timothy 3:16-17). And the written word of God is a spiritual “discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

PAUL WROTE TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH, fearing that they were being deceived and led away from the true gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected, by false prophets. He said, false prophets were being misperceived by the Church as “super apostles.”  But, Paul said, “Such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, that his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.” (2 Corinthians 11:5, 13-14). 

WRITING TO THE EPHESIAN CHURCH, Paul said: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11; 6:12).  Paul named Elymas, Hymenaeus, Philetus and Alexander as false prophets who deceived people of God (Acts 13:8-11; 2 Timothy 2:16-18; 1 Tim. 1:18-20; A).

HE WARNS US ABOUT DECEPTION IN THE LAST DAYS:  “Evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”   They will have “a form of godliness,” but deny the power of God to work in their lives. He advises us to “turn away” from such people ( 2 Timothy 3:5; 13)

A RECENT BORN-AGAIN WRITER WARNS US WITH THE WORD

A recent born-again writer who was deceived shares what the Word of God enabled him to discern about world-wide deceivers among God’s people. Warren Smith, a born-again author, said he was deceived by leaders in the New Age/Spirituality movement. He discovered they did not teach the gospel of Jesus Christ crucified as the Bible teaches. He said he felt compelled–as Paul felt it necessary to “expose” dark deceptions (Ephesians 5:11-13)– to warn the Church about the dark spiritual deceptions of the New Age/Spiritual movement. And he says, after being  enlightened by the Scriptures, he has written several books on this movement to expose its deceptiveness. 

SPIRITUAL DECEPTION ON PURPOSE:  Warren Smith said he wrote his book, Deceived On Purpose, to expose dark spiritual implications of New Age/Spirituality, like those seen in writings of The Purpose Driven Life, by famous religious leader Rick Warren.  Mr. Smith said he initially decided to read this book because it was being spoken of as a phenomenal Christian book. However, he said when he began to read it, he noticed some things that reminded him of  Satanic deceptions he had encountered in the New Age/Spirituality movement.  Recognizing the deceptions in The Purpose Driven Life, Smith said he decided “to specifically address the New Age/Spirituality implications of these purposes.”

A DECEPTIVE NEW AGE “SUPER PASTOR:”  Mr. Smith warns us about Pastor Rick Warren of the famed Saddleback mega-Church, who wrote The Purpose Driven Life. Mr. Smith says Pastor Warren is widely accepted as a “Christian” Pastor, and has a “magic” that causes people to trust him in a way they do not trust many others pastors. And he has an exceptional ability to lace deceptive New Age ideas into his “Christian” teachings (p 113).  Smith warns, “Rick Warren is in the process of leading the Church astray.”

Mr. Smith sees Pastor Warren’s book–The Purpose Driven Life, as one world-wide instrument of his deception. It was published in 2002, and is said to be “one of the bestselling nonfiction books in publishing history.” By 2019 it was published in “more than 85 languages.” 

DANGER TO THE CHURCH:  According to Mr. Smith, Pastor Rick Warren subtly promotes the misleading New Aged/Spirituality idea in his book, that “God is in everything,” including everyone.  Smith, a convert from New Age/Spirituality, says it defines “God is in everything“ as “oneness with God,” as meaning you are divine. Smith, observed that this pantheistic New Age idea is contrary to the Holy Bible. 

• The biblical Word of God teaches that everyone is born in sin and separated from God (Psalm 51:5; Roman 5:12; Isaiah 59:2). Everyone is condemned by God unless they are born-again by repenting and believing in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord–And it is only by doing this that they receive the Spirit of God into their lives. (Luke 13:3; John 3:16-18; Acts 2:38).
• if  as New Agers believe, everyone is inherently one with God, they could hardly truthful teach that anyone needs to repent of sin as the Bible teaches.
• Mr. Smith says, when Pastor Warren selectively quotes “God is in everything,”  he is quoting Ephesians 4:6 out of full Bible context. Smith says if Pastor Warren were to read from Ephesians 1:1, he would see that in apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesian Church, he clearly states that he is writing “To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus”– Paul Is not writing to everyone, and is not saying God is in everyone.

GOD’S WORD SAVES AND KEEPS US

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of [biblical] teaching  that has now claimed your allegiance” (Romans 6:17).

The Word advises believers to be separate from and not fellowship with unbelievers, because believers and unbelievers are of different spirits (2 Corinthians 6: 14-17; Ephesians 6:12). 

However, because  God’s loves everyone (John 3:16), he tells us who are born again of his Spirit to lovingly pray for everyone (1 Timothy 2:1). And gently try to teach those who are misled and held captive by the devil–In the hope that God may also set them free by the truth of his Word (2 Timothy 2:25-26)—Even as he has set us free by repenting and believing in our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, and being filled with the Spirit of God (Acts 2:38).