“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:13–15, ESV)
Deep in the ocean, there is a fish that blends into the dark. It prefers to sidle alongside rocks or algae or burrow into the sand. It camouflages itself to appear like coral or the ocean bottom to blend in. It even has bioluminescent bacteria that grow on its esca that provides a soft, seemingly safe, light. It is called the Anglerfish. This fish, while blended into the background and offering a pretty glow, is a perfect lure for unsuspecting prey. Any small fish or fry that swims close will be gobbled up by the spikey teeth of the Anglerfish. It will not get away. (See a picture of the Anglerfish to the right!)
The lure of the anglerfish is that it provides a seeming safe haven to passing fish looking for security in dangerous waters. What the unsuspecting prey discover all too late is that the Anglerfish’s light does not provide protection. The reef where the anglerfish is lurking other fish to their doom is not safe. The anglerfish mimics safety where there is death. It mimics a warming light where dark teeth consume the unsuspecting.
There are spiritual anglerfish in our world. The scripture for today speaks of those who may look like spiritual leaders but perform evil. They seem like those who you can trust to bring you closer to God but all they do is corrupt your faith. 2 Corinthians 11:13 mentions that the world and even churches may be led by “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ”. From ancient times until today, you can find these types of evil people hovering around those looking for God. They promise salvation but only bring lies. They seem godly but are sinful. Their sermons might be passionate, their words comforting; but they are not working for the glory of God. Instead, they have evil intent.
2 Corinthians 11:14 explains that false apostles and deceitful spiritual leaders that act faithful are disguising their evil in the same way as Satan. You see, Satan “disguises himself as an angel of light”. Satan fooled Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He got them to defy God and partake in the forbidden fruit. Satan manipulated the friends of the Prophet Job, to pressure Job to reject God’s will. Satan tempted Jesus to commit suicide in the wilderness (Matthew 4). Adam and Eve sinned. Job’s friends sinned. Job remained faithful. Jesus fended off Satan. Some can see through Satan’s manipulations. Others are swayed by smooth talk and temptations.
The book of Revelation describes a False Prophet who will arise in the End Times. This prophet will use smooth talk and tempting words to lure many to accept the mark of the Beast and turn away from God. He will even use “signs and wonders” to lure people into his sphere of influence (Revelation 19). He will act righteously, but his intent is evil. Many will fall for his lies. All who follow him are doomed. In the end, this false prophet will be cast into eternal hell, drowning in a lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
Because false prophets lure people away from God and bring evil upon those who are manipulated, God has no mercy for these false leaders. They stand condemned. In the Bible we have this warning to faithful people like you: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1, ESV). Peter wrote that “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.” (2 Peter 2:1, ESV).
In a comment on today’s scripture, David Jeremiah noted that one of Satan’s “cleverest strategies is to make evil seem desirable.” (p. 203, Holy Moments in the Presence of God). I see this evil going on all over our world. Recently, a pastor claimed that God is “non-binary” and doesn’t care about a person’s sex or gender. Contrary to this sinful view, there are hundreds of scriptures where God defined two sexes and how to live faithfully as husband and wife. In a church newsletter, a pastor claimed that she is upset at some of the decisions made by Jesus. She claims that Jesus was corrupted by the patriarchy and did not understand gender ideology. Isn’t it interesting how these spiritual types attempt so openly to pull people away from Jesus and God’s word?
Just as Satan “disguises himself as an angel of light” and false prophets “disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:13-14), evil can be disguised as truth. Those who do not see this may be lured away from God to become prey to evil intentions. All you have to do is look around for evidence of this happening today.
Divorce is seen as the more loving option for a couple in crisis.
Sex without marriage is seen as a wise and respected way to live out a relationship.
God is portrayed as a quaint idea promoted by illiterate masses.
Abortion is offered as more loving than raising a child in an unwanted home.
Being nice to others in church is portrayed as faithfulness while being obedient to God is seen as religious bigotry or serial patriarchy.
Teaching children about LBGTQ rights in schools is seen as being “inclusive”, while teaching students the Ten Commandments is portrayed as judgmental.
Churches have advertised for “Drag Queen reading programs” in public libraries, schools, and church buildings while claiming that churches are not promoting such lifestyles??????
I could go on and on. False prophets are not only in the world today, but they are also highly promoted. The Bible is clear that evil is often disguised as good. You must learn to “test these spirits to see if they are from God” (1 John 1:4). Your eternal life will be determined by which voices you heed and which you reject. This is no game. These are not trivial issues. Your soul is on the line, and Satan wants in.
The lure of the anglerfish is that it provides a seeming safe haven to passing fish looking for security in dangerous waters. What the unsuspecting prey discover all too late is that the Anglerfish’s light does not provide protection. The reef where the anglerfish is lurking other fish to their doom is not safe. The anglerfish mimics safety where there is death. It mimics a warming light where dark teeth consume the unsuspecting.
There are spiritual anglerfish in our world. The scripture for today speaks of those who may look like spiritual leaders but perform evil. They seem like those who you can trust to bring you closer to God but all they do is corrupt your faith. 2 Corinthians 11:13 mentions that the world and even churches may be led by “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ”. From ancient times until today, you can find these types of evil people hovering around those looking for God. They promise salvation but only bring lies. They seem godly but are sinful. Their sermons might be passionate, their words comforting; but they are not working for the glory of God. Instead, they have evil intent.
2 Corinthians 11:14 explains that false apostles and deceitful spiritual leaders that act faithful are disguising their evil in the same way as Satan. You see, Satan “disguises himself as an angel of light”. Satan fooled Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He got them to defy God and partake in the forbidden fruit. Satan manipulated the friends of the Prophet Job, to pressure Job to reject God’s will. Satan tempted Jesus to commit suicide in the wilderness (Matthew 4). Adam and Eve sinned. Job’s friends sinned. Job remained faithful. Jesus fended off Satan. Some can see through Satan’s manipulations. Others are swayed by smooth talk and temptations.
The book of Revelation describes a False Prophet who will arise in the End Times. This prophet will use smooth talk and tempting words to lure many to accept the mark of the Beast and turn away from God. He will even use “signs and wonders” to lure people into his sphere of influence (Revelation 19). He will act righteously, but his intent is evil. Many will fall for his lies. All who follow him are doomed. In the end, this false prophet will be cast into eternal hell, drowning in a lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
Because false prophets lure people away from God and bring evil upon those who are manipulated, God has no mercy for these false leaders. They stand condemned. In the Bible we have this warning to faithful people like you: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1, ESV). Peter wrote that “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.” (2 Peter 2:1, ESV).
In a comment on today’s scripture, David Jeremiah noted that one of Satan’s “cleverest strategies is to make evil seem desirable.” (p. 203, Holy Moments in the Presence of God). I see this evil going on all over our world. Recently, a pastor claimed that God is “non-binary” and doesn’t care about a person’s sex or gender. Contrary to this sinful view, there are hundreds of scriptures where God defined two sexes and how to live faithfully as husband and wife. In a church newsletter, a pastor claimed that she is upset at some of the decisions made by Jesus. She claims that Jesus was corrupted by the patriarchy and did not understand gender ideology. Isn’t it interesting how these spiritual types attempt so openly to pull people away from Jesus and God’s word?
Just as Satan “disguises himself as an angel of light” and false prophets “disguise themselves as servants of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:13-14), evil can be disguised as truth. Those who do not see this may be lured away from God to become prey to evil intentions. All you have to do is look around for evidence of this happening today.
Divorce is seen as the more loving option for a couple in crisis.
Sex without marriage is seen as a wise and respected way to live out a relationship.
God is portrayed as a quaint idea promoted by illiterate masses.
Abortion is offered as more loving than raising a child in an unwanted home.
Being nice to others in church is portrayed as faithfulness while being obedient to God is seen as religious bigotry or serial patriarchy.
Teaching children about LBGTQ rights in schools is seen as being “inclusive”, while teaching students the Ten Commandments is portrayed as judgmental.
Churches have advertised for “Drag Queen reading programs” in public libraries, schools, and church buildings while claiming that churches are not promoting such lifestyles??????
I could go on and on. False prophets are not only in the world today, but they are also highly promoted. The Bible is clear that evil is often disguised as good. You must learn to “test these spirits to see if they are from God” (1 John 1:4). Your eternal life will be determined by which voices you heed and which you reject. This is no game. These are not trivial issues. Your soul is on the line, and Satan wants in.
The video below contains examples of false teachings being promoted in churches today. Click below to see that video...