Don't Believe Everything You See and Hear

2 Corinthians 11:14-15: "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."

If there is one certainty about Satan, it is that he is one who is crafty and deceptive. And as the great 16th-century reformer, Martin Luther, exclaimed, Satan is "armed with cruel hate." He truly hates the followers of Christ and his goal is to inject havoc and confusion into the Church by masquerading as an angel of light. His primary resources at his disposal to accomplish his bidding are his followers. They present themselves as people of righteousness, only to reveal their sinister nature later. How many times have we seen a person assimilate within a church and cause havoc within its walls? How many times have we seen a person exclaim their allegiance to Christ, only to reveal later by their actions that they are pursuing a clandestine, destructive agenda and are looking for followers? How many people have we observed in our society label themselves as Christian, but propagate ideologies that clearly are in defiance to the precepts found in God's Word? Such people are deceptive and vain; they are instruments of the Evil One to cause dissension and confusion for the Church. The Church must discern such apostates and keep clear of their influences; otherwise, heartache is the natural consequence.

We must remember that not everyone who espouses Christianity is in fact a true follower of Jesus Christ. Their fruit, observed over a period of time, will reveal their intent. Of course, the Lord will not be mocked by such rebellion. As the Scripture says above, they will receive in the end what their actions deserve.

Again, it can not be reiterated enough. When these "wolves in sheeps' clothing" infiltrate our assemblies, we are not to be swayed by their vain philosophies and charismatic personalities; rather, we are to remain steadfast in our allegiance to the Lord and His will as communicated to us in His Word. To Christ we must find our foundation, otherwise we will fall into the trap that the Evil One continually lays before us, through his emissaries that he sends our way.