The Way of SEDUCING SPIRITS: Temptation, Enticement, False Teaching & Apostasy

Hello again friends, brothers, sisters. It hasn’t been that long since my last entry, but the Lord gave me something and it should be sobering. It’s something we all need to hear, so let’s dive in.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 warns, “Now the Spirit says that in latter times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.”

I want you to pay particular attention to a few words emphasized in capital letters below:

DEPART from the faith (to fall away from the faith). Be careful here not to minimize this because we tend to think of this as referring to people no longer believing and going back to their old ways. But this also means people who will still think they are Christians, still walking in the light!

DEVOTING themselves (this says they are intentional and purposeful in doing so)

DECEITFUL, lying, seducing spirits (demons).
Though these three words are very similar, I like the use of the word “seducing” because it implies enticement. It is a lure, a false promise, a being led astray and away because of (perhaps) something that you already desire in your flesh. It is flattering in its appeal, it is counterfeit, it is an impostor (see James 1:12-16 as an example).

TEACHINGS of DEMONS (the teachings are demonic, ungodly, false, lying, meant to replace truth)

Through INSINCERITY (not genuine, saying one thing but having an entirely different motive)

SEARED consciences (cauterized, branding, destroying dead tissue, no longer useful or fruitful, desensitized, unfeeling)

We absolutely need to take into account some examples from both the real lives of people in Scripture and the real lives of people today to get a proper and practical feel of what this means and how it plays itself out so that we can recognize it for what it is AND so we can see this is not imaginary or embellished.

Please stop now and get out your Bible or look this up online in another window. Read 1 Kings 13:1-26 in its entirety. Verse 1 mentions a “man of God,” a real prophet. Verse 6 records a miracle was performed by G-d through his hands. This shows authenticity, that this prophet was a true Christian. Verses 8-9 tell that this same prophet obeyed what G-d had commanded him in front of the unbeliever. Verse 11 mentions an “old prophet.” It doesn’t say, and we must not assume, he was a genuine prophet. Verses 15-17 reveal that the old prophet tried to lure the true prophet, but did not at first succeed. Verse 18 explains he SEDUCED him by saying he, too, was a prophet and that an angel was sent to him. This is paramount to understand that the word of the old prophet contradicted the Word given to the true man of G-d. The Lord will never tell us to do something and then change His mind or say something different. (This is one reason we know that the claim of the Muslim to have the same G-d as the Jews and Christians is untrue. A Father will not tell his one child the Bible is true and tell his other child the Quran is true. One is a lie, since there are many contradictions, incompatible teachings, and historical references; the Jews and Christians have the same Father, the former simply go no further than the Pentateuch because they have rejected Jesus as the Messiah.) Verse 18 also shares, “But he (the old man) lied to him (the man of G-d, the true prophet).” Verse 19 says the true prophet gave in and disobeyed what the Lord had told him. Verse 21 mentions that the Lord told him he disobeyed through the mouth of the lying prophet. Verse 24 says the true prophet was then killed by a lion, showing he allowed himself to be seduced by a spirit working through the old and false prophet.

There was not a stark contrast between light and darkness, one that was easily detected by the original man of G-d (at least since he ultimately ignored the opposite and false prophecy). The devil had to employ a cunning strategy to get the unnamed, genuine prophet off track, distracted and misaligned with the Father’s truth, Word, and mission. Another often-used methodology by the enemy (Satan and his messengers) is to wrongly interpret Scripture to lead us astray from obedience into doubting, or even faith in the false, demonic teaching.

Another real-life scenario which played out between a friend of mine and me involved this verse, 1 John 1:9. It says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We had a good kind of what he called—and he was right—an “iron sharpening iron” conversation, although he is a man of the Bible and conviction (so am I), so we both may not change our views. He made the following three points with the assertion that this verse does not apply to the Christian because:

• Jesus has already forgiven us of all our past, present and future sins
• Jesus has imputed to us His righteousness, so we can rest in that
• That this verse (1 John 1:9) begins in chapter one; and that chapter two is when the Apostle begins speaking to believers because, in verse 1, it starts off by addressing them as “My little children” (in the faith)

This all sounds very good and true on the surface, and there may be many, many who would agree with his/ his “pastor’s” interpretation of it. However, it is more the reasoning behind the interpretation (the cause, the foundation, the seducing by a spirit) that causes me concern. I responded to his thinking (thanks to the Spirit of G-d) either immediately to him on the phone, or later in my mind with these counterpoints:

• Yes, as far as our salvation is concerned, we are cleansed and forgiven but we are continually being sanctified, our bodies carry around sin, our flesh and our spirit are at war with each other, so we dismiss (if not confessed) our sins as if they mean nothing or we will become desensitized (SEARED) to it.
• Yes, Jesus gives us His amazing righteousness in exchange for our sin when we committedly make Him Lord, Savior and Master of our lives, but if we don’t make the effort to confess our sins, we are all but certain to trivialize our disobedience (if we can even remember) and how it offends Almighty G-d! We will take the Cross for granted. Our sins separate us from our Father at least to the point—since we are now believers and have been reconciled to Him—that our relationship with Him will suffer; we will cease to hear His voice as clearly, we will get out of the habit of reading His Word and our prayer life will falter to name just a few.
• And when you write a letter to someone or even a group of people, you don’t begin your correspondence by writing to, say, Steve, and then switch, at some point, to start talking to Allen; the whole letter is written to the same person or same collective body. Additionally, verse one in chapter two follows the greeting of “My little children” with the words “I am writing these things…” meaning the previous “things” in chapter one were written to them! Lastly, but very importantly (so much so that when I learned this from Holy Spirit the day after I had already posted this, I had to go back and add it in and update it), He reminded me that when the disciples had asked Him to teach them how to pray (in Matthew 6:12), He responded in this verse by saying clearly, “…and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The Greek word translated here as “debt” refers to sins or offenses. The Lord who died to forgive all sin proclaimed the need to forgive and be forgiven in His famous example of prayer. We don’t receive forgiveness if we don’t ask for it, which means we need to confess our sin. And, at the time He shared this, His close followers– the twelve and more–had already become baptized believers. So, Christians need to follow and obey the word in 1 John 1:9.

He had mentioned now and, previously, on a number of occasions the name of the man whom he refers to as his “pastor,” although he listens to him on the radio or watches him on TV. I looked up this man (whom I will not name since it is not my intention to hurt or malign anyone) on the internet and came across a very informative, unbiased blog or article. Virtually everything this author mentioned or referred to were things I have heard come out of my friend’s mouth, almost verbatim on more than one occasion. But you must understand that my friend is not an immature believer, he is not new to the faith, and yet to me it seems as if he has succumbed to a seducing spirit, at least in part—and at the hands of this preacher. I have not mentioned this to my brother because I don’t think any good will come from it, and I am sure he will vehemently disagree with me. In fact, the only reason I bring it up here is because of the freshness of our exchange and how it is what I consider to be a real and very practical example for our subject. (But since I love him with a brotherly, PHILEO, love I will have to bring it up at some point. Loving confrontation is what the Lord calls us to. How can I love him if I let him go down a wrong path? Ezekiel chapter 3 talks seriously about this to the believer.)

Question: So, what are we to take away from this?

• We MUST stay in the Word! How will we recognize a spoken lie or one given to us in our minds by messengers of Satan, if we are not knowledgeable of, and grounded in, the Bible (the truth)?
• We MUST be obedient to the Word of the Lord, not turning to the left or the right. Eve knew the command of her Father. It was clear and simple (Genesis 2:16-17), “…You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” It was a tree. It looked similar (like the genuine and the lying prophet) to other trees. Do not be deceived!
• Do not be content to merely get into Heaven, although this is glorious! 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 warns, “Each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation (which is Jesus Christ) survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” We do not want to be deceived. We do not want to be seduced. We do not want to think we are true believers, while we follow after myths and lies.

2 Timothy 4:3 warns, “For the time is coming when people (including many Christians!) will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears (wanting to hear what they want to hear, rather than the Truth!) they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” Ask the Lord Jesus for grace, wisdom, discernment, courage, obedience as well as endurance, and to care more about pleasing G-d than men (including ourselves). The reason the Lord Jesus led me to share this, teaching me, opening my spiritual eyes, and the reason—in this case—I prefer the better, more essential usage of the word “seducing”(KJV) instead of the rendering “deceitful” used by the other good translations (including mine, the ESV) is because of the thin-line, almost indistinguishable types of lies and implications that can lead us astray, totally unaware. They are subtle, hard to detect and nuanced, mixing Scripture with lies so as to seem credible, especially to the ignorant and biblically illiterate. It is like trying to get a child to take the medicine he or she doesn’t like the taste of, by slipping the tiny pill into a scoop of ice cream so that it will be swallowed unnoticed.

Concerning this subject of seducing spirits/ discernment, our Savior said (as the Spirit of the Living G-d reminded me first thing early one recent morning), “I AM THE TRUE VINE…” (John 15:1). Our Redeemer also recently gave me a picture in my mind. You know how in Matthew 7:13-14 it proclaims, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Now if you can imagine a funnel, its mouth is wide and round and its surface is smooth. But as you see its form or function, it begins to get smaller and significantly more thin or narrow. This is how I now see and comprehend the kingdom of G-d and its entry way to be, thanks to the Spirit of the Lord. Further, it is designed this way on purpose. To illustrate this point in the natural (as our G-d does many times, especially in the literal lives of the prophets, such as Elijah, Jeremiah and Hosea), I had to put some more transmission fluid in my car just a few days ago. In my Honda and like most all vehicles, the transmission is further down and harder to get to because of the design, and the space under the hood is limited. The opening that the fluid must be poured into requires that the funnel have a bigger mouth, which makes it easier not to spill but it also has a longer and slender portion to reach down into the entry point of the transmission. So, by design and necessity, its form is wide to begin with but—also by design and necessity—its end is tapered so that the fluid can go where it is intended, into the narrower “gate.”

By observance in both the natural and spiritual realms, Father has also startled me (probably many other Christians as well) and given me concern to know that the narrow gate that our Savior talks about has a strainer or sieve in front of it too. This means that not only do many go the way of destruction (by choice, the worldly, casual, apathetic, unbelieving, self-loving, pleasure- and comfort-seeking, agnostic, atheistic, polytheistic, sexually immoral, liars, revilers, drunkards, idolaters, LGBTQ, etc..) but even many who think they are godly or call themselves by the name of Christ, will be strained out because they will fall away or not do the will of G-d. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” He also spoke very somberly, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the one who DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER Who is in Heaven. On that Day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me you workers of lawlessness.’” He is implying that there are people doing things they imagine or tell themselves will please G-d, but are not seeking Him to find out what HE wants them to do, are not listening to HIS voice and are not, in this way, truly following Him as John 10:3-5 and John 10:27-28 tell us.

This is not a word to particularly scare us (PHOBOS, in the Greek- we mentioned that a lot in a previous post), although, for some, if this is needed to course-correct us, it is a good thing. But it is meant to jolt or shake us, to sober us up, to wake us from our sleep, so that we will “DILIGENTLY seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6), “TEST the spirits” (1 John 4:1-3), “FULFILL our ministries” (2 Timothy 4:5) and “DIE to ourselves” (Matthew 16:24-25, Luke 14:27). The time for sleep (casual Christianity, meager faith, seeker-friendly churches, weak and timid preaching, half-hearted service, staying within the walls, sugar-coating and watering down the Gospel…) is over. Romans 13:11-14 and Ephesians 5:14-20 warn and exhort us in this. Our Lord JESUS IS COMING SOON! We need to make it all the way through the wide mouth of the funnel, down the chute, past the narrow shaft and beyond the sifting point and all the way into the glorious kingdom that awaits and has been prepared and promised to those of us who truly love Him and rightly proclaim Him as the Apostle Thomas did, “My Lord AND my God!”

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit love us SO, SO, SO much with an everlasting love, an unconditional love, a self-sacrificial love—that led the Father to implement a rescue plan for doomed mankind, empowered by Holy Spirit and willingly obeyed and lived out and victoriously accomplished by the Son – that entrance into the HOLY KINGDOM for all of eternity requires the same kind (AGAPE) of love from us. It’s the kind my friend and “syndoulos” (Greek for co-laborer) preached about last night in our home church. It is summed up in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord, our God, the Lord is One. You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your might. And these words which I command you today shall be ON YOUR HEART. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

G-d speak to you, each, personally.