As a deceiver, Satan has no equal. In addition to being the world's greatest con artist, he is also its most accomplished counterfeiter.
Notice Paul's warning to the Christians in Corinth: "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!" (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).
Here Paul describes three areas in which Satan employs clever counterfeits of the truth to deceive even Christians.
First he presents Jesus as being quite different from the Christ revealed in the Bible—in effect creating another Jesus, a false Christ. This is the Jesus most people hear about today—a counterfeit of the Jesus Christ of the Bible. Regrettably, most of Christianity is built around this false Christ.
The second of Satan's clever deceptions is to represent the natural outpouring of human emotion—or, in some cases, the direct influence of demons—as God's Spirit. Hundreds of thousands of people are deceived every year in this manner. They are impressed by what they see or feel rather than by fruits of God's Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23 and by whether the accompanying teaching is indeed of God (Isaiah 8:20).
The true Holy Spirit is the power of God (Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:7) through which "those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24). It is not the mere expression of human emotions or a communication with the world of spirits (demons), nor is it a third person in the Godhead. Rather, through the power of the Holy Spirit God "works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philippians 2:13, NIV).
The third deception, twisting Jesus' gospel message, seems to be Satan's most effective tool for maintaining his deadly grip on many people. Jesus explained that, as soon as people begin to respond to God's Word, Satan acts quickly to snatch it away (Matthew 13:18-22). The devil's methods are powerfully effective with many.
For example, notice Paul's lament over what was happening to the Galatian Christians who had been converted under his ministry. "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:6-8).
To learn more about Satan's counterfeits and how they have infiltrated Christianity, be sure to request your free copy of "The Church Jesus Built".
