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“Satan: An Eager Worker in Every Church”
2 Corinthians 11:1-15
(ESV)
If you are familiar with First and Second Corinthians, it might seem surprising that in this eleventh chapter of Second Corinthians the apostle Paul once again addresses the danger of false teachers. After all, Paul warned about false teachers numerous times before, in both his first and second letters to the Corinthians.
It might seem surprising until we realize what a serious problem false teachers were in the church at Corinth, and what a serious problem false teachers have been throughout the history of the church.
Still today, the greatest danger facing the church is not from political regimes that threaten persecution. It is not from the ridicule of the post-Christian culture such as we have in the United States. Rather, the greatest danger the true church faces comes from those who infiltrate the church and seek to lead astray God’s people by teaching false doctrine.
The situation in Corinth was especially grievous to Paul because he had the privilege of planting that church. On his first missionary journey he had gone to Corinth, and by God’s grace and Spirit, established the church there.
As he points out in verse 2, he desired to present the church as a pure bride to the Lord, but now the Corinthians had been led astray. False teachers had come into the church; they ridiculed Paul and they preached themselves rather than preaching Christ.
As verse 4 points out, they preached a different Jesus than the one revealed in Scripture. They did not proclaim the true gospel, but instead they were professional orators who impressed the Corinthian church with their oratory skills as they lead them astray with false doctrine.
Orators were in high demand in the Greek empire. Since they had none of the electronic media that entertain so many today – the internet, television, that phone in your pocket or purse – orators would give grand speeches which people found interesting and entertaining. The orators were paid well for their services, and so when the false teachers used their oratory skills to entertain the church at Corinth, they also charged a high price for their speaking engagements.
That is another reason why the apostle Paul preached without receiving pay from the Corinthian church. He wanted to contrast himself from those who were speaking to make money for themselves without regard for the truths of the gospel, and without any love or concern for the spiritual nourishment and edification of the congregation at Corinth.
But because Paul did not accept pay from the Corinthian church, the false teachers – the orators – said that his speaking was unimpressive, and not even worthy of pay. They said, in effect, “If he has anything worthwhile to say, then it is worthy of pay, just as we are worthy of pay. But obviously,” they said, “the apostle Paul is not worth being paid. He is not an impressive speaker the way we are.”
As you can imagine, this intensely grieved Paul. He had a deep love for all the churches he served, and he certainly had a deep love for the church at Corinth as expressed in verse 11, where he writes of how God knew his love for the church.
He had planted the church, it was doing well, the Lord had called him on to other areas of service, and then he received reports of what was going on in Corinth. He heard about how skilled orators were leading the people astray; they were ridiculing him and the truths of the gospel that he had proclaimed.
And so, in this passage he defends himself, and as he does so, he gives one of the most serious warnings in Scripture against false teachers. It is a warning so applicable, not only to the church at Corinth so long ago, but to the church of all ages including the church today. In verse 14 and 15 he warns: “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness…”
It should not be surprising that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. He really has no other choice. If anyone, whether the Corinthians back in the first century, or you and me today, if anyone saw Satan as he really is – full of hatred and deceit, cruel to the core – no one would listen to him or be tempted by him. If people truly saw him for who he is, they would take the injunction of James to flee the devil and they would flee to Christ.
Consequently, Satan fully understands that he must disguise himself to do the work that he desires to do – to deceive, mislead and destroy the church – the Bride – of Jesus Christ.
And he is a master at deception. Jesus described him as the father of all lies and warned that there is no truth in him. So instead of presenting himself as he really is, he disguises himself as an angel of light. Using every scheme possible, he goes to work in the visible church.
Mixing Some Truth in with Error
One of the many schemes he uses includes mixing error with some truth. In verse 3 the apostle writes: “I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
When Satan appeared to Eve, he mixed error in with some truth. It was true that the Lord had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the devil used that truth, but he twisted it. You remember how he quizzed Eve, in Genesis 3:1, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’”
He twisted the truth, mixing in error, in order to plant the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind and heart. His first words to Eve, were “Did God actually – really – say...” And those seeds of doubt have been used on countless Christians over the course of history.
And those seeds of doubt have been nourished and proclaimed by false teachers who follow the example of the evil one. They mix in error, but they give just enough truth so that those who are not discerning are led astray by the cunning of these false teachers.
Still today some truth is taught, even in the cults. And because some truth is taught, many people do not catch on that mixed in with some truth is a lot of error. And many people are led astray because the false teaching is patterned after the false teaching of the evil one for “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness…”
Appearing Where Least Expected
Another strategy of the evil one, and the false teachers who follow in his footsteps, is the strategy of appearing where least expected.
That has always been the strategy of Satan. He knows that it is an effective strategy. Every fighter knows the value of being in the unexpected place. Those who fought in the Vietnam War realize the enemy was not where we expected him to be. The people in a village, the workers in the rice patties, even the mothers and grandmothers could give a quiet nod as soldiers approached, but then deliver the deadly shot from behind as they passed by.
Satan knows that trick so very well. He often appears where least expected. Yes, Eve fell, but to understand her position – who would expect Satan to be in the paradise of God? Who would expect him to present himself as the most elegant and wise of all creatures? Is it any wonder that Eve, and Adam who was right beside her, were deceived by the serpent, by the devil’s disguise?
We see that activity of the evil one, even in the downward slide of our leading universities. Do you realize that Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and other well-known institutions of higher education were established to train men for ministry? Consider these requirements for Harvard, when it was established in 1636:
1st. Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ…as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of Him (Prov. 2:3).
2nd. Every one shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day, that he shall be ready to give such an account of his proficiency therein, both in theoretical observations of language and logic, and in practical and spiritual truths, as his Tutor shall require, according to his ability; seeing the entrance of the Word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130).
The motto of Harvard University, adopted in 1692, was from the Latin phrase meaning, “Truth for Christ and the Church.” That Latin phrase, “Truth for Christ and the Church,” can be found embedded on the Harvard Shield and on many buildings around campus.
But now Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and most other institutions that were established to train men for ministry have departments of theology that specialize in tearing the Bible apart. There are many at work in those departments of theology, systematically twisting the truths of God’s Word as they indoctrinate their students in error instead of in truth.
But it is not just in public universities where the truth of Scripture is twisted and heresy is taught. The same is true, unfortunately, in many universities that carry the name “Christian.” Many universities today that have Christian in their name twist the Word of God. For them the Word is not about repentance from sin and saving faith in Christ alone. Instead, the Word is twisted to make it conform to the ideologies of this fallen world.
As is often noted, heresy usually comes into the church from the top down. The seminaries become liberal, they produce liberal pastors, and those pastors lead their flocks astray. They are able to do that for the same reasons that the false teachers in Corinth were able to lead many astray. They have degrees, they are well educated and respected. Could what they are teaching really be wrong? Isn’t it just a new twist? Perhaps a deeper insight? A better understanding, or a more compassionate position, all brought on by their great learning and advanced degrees?
In Matthew 24:15 Jesus warned about the evil one and described how in the last days the evil one – “the abomination that causes desolation” will be standing “in the holy place.” – Do you see where the evil one is? He is in the most holy place – in the church – the Bride of Christ.
Likewise, 2 Thessalonians 2:4 describes the man of lawlessness as the one “who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
No wonder the apostle Paul was so concerned for the church! No wonder he defended himself time and again against the false teachers and repeatedly warned the Corinthians – and warns us – to be on guard against false teaching within the church.
Quoting and Mis-Quoting Scripture
Another tactic of Satan within the visible church is that he quotes – and misquotes –Scripture. After, all he knows the Scripture through and through. There is not a verse in the entire Bible with which he is not familiar.
When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, he urged him to jump from the highest point in the temple. And he used Scripture in his temptation. He quoted from Psalm 91: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
But Jesus replied by quoting Scripture himself. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
When Jesus was in the desert, famished from the time of fasting, the devil tempted him by using the Scripture against him. But each time that the evil one quoted Scripture in a vain effort to cause Jesus to stumble from his mission, Jesus also quoted Scripture to rebuff the devil.
It is just one more example of why it is so important to know the Bible and to memorize the verses in the Bible. The Bible is “the sword of the Spirit” as Ephesians 6 so accurately describes it. And in the spiritual warfare that we all face, how crucial it is to have a sword ready to use against the many schemes of the evil one, including the way he twists Scripture out of context, or uses a little bit of truth to hide heresy as he disguises himself as an angel of light, and his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
Counterfeit Miracles, Signs, and Wonders
Another tactic of the evil one is to imitate God by using counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. Satan’s goal has always been to receive the glory that belongs to God alone. Because he has that goal, he imitates God, much as an ape or monkey at the zoo will imitate you.
Most of you have been to the zoo and have seen a monkey beat his chest if someone beats their chest. Or if someone else makes a face then the monkey will make a face, or if someone else makes their biceps bulge the monkey will do the same. We have that expression “Monkey see, monkey do.” And in much the same way, Satan strives to imitate the work of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 describes how the work of Satan is displayed in all types of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. In the church today we see the popularity of those preachers who supposedly are able to perform miracles, signs and wonders, healing people from sickness, reading their minds and meeting their needs in ways that seem supernatural.
And many people are captivated by those ministries, to their own destruction. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10: “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”
Always be on guard against counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. The evil one, and his followers are masters of deceit.
___
How do we apply these warnings of the apostle Paul to the Corinthian church? How can we discern and resist the subtle disguises and outright attacks of the evil one and his followers?
We apply the warning of this passage by realizing that it is a warning for the church of all ages, a warning for the church today, and even more specifically a warning for you and for me. It is crucial that we guard against Satan’s cunning. At times he attacks ferociously. In the words of 1 Peter, 5:8: “Be self-controlled and alert: Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.”
Yet, at other times, he beckons so subtly, just as he did to Eve back in the Garden of Eden. He instills doubt, asking “Did God really say…?” Either way, we must be on guard against him, both in our personal lives, and in the life of our church.
Countering the Work of the Evil One
Three ways, among many, to counteract the work of the evil one in the church include, first, being on guard against false teaching by reading and meditating on Scripture every day. It is by being immersed in the Word that we know what we are to believe and that we can recognize false teaching.
In Acts 17 we read about the Bereans, of how they tested what the apostle Paul taught them by comparing it to the word of God. Still today, our understanding of God’s word, and the memorization of Bible verses, enable us to test what we hear, and equips us with a mighty sword against false teaching and the deception of the evil one.
The systematic reading of the word of God, with our family – individually and with our spouse, and children, if we are married, is crucial. And as you read, memorize those verses that are especially meaningful and helpful to you.
The Bible not only teaches how we are to live our lives to the praise of God’s glorious grace, but the Bible also equips us to recognize and expose false teaching. Acts 17:11 “They” – the Bereans – “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” – to see if what Paul was teaching them was true.
In addition to being a Berean, be like Onesimus. His name means useful. Onesimus was an eager worker in the church and a great blessing to the Apostle Paul. Because of that, we might think that he had an exemplary life, from childhood right on through to his older years. We might think, “If I had all those good experiences, if I had the right background, I could be of value in the church too.”
But Onesimus had a background of being a slave – a servant to wealthy Philemon. He was not only a servant but a thief. He stole from Philemon and ended up in prison where he met the apostle, Paul.
It was in prison where he came face to face with the enormity of his sin. He undoubtedly came to realize that his sin was not just the sin of stealing, but that he was a sinner by nature, a sinner from the moment of conception. But as the enormity of his sin brought deep conviction and sorrow, it also drove him to Christ in humble repentance and true saving faith.
Paul undoubtedly taught him the wonderful truth of the gospel that Jesus offered himself as the only sacrifice for sinners. He shed his precious blood to blot out all our sins. But Christ not only gives us a clean slate – washing us whiter than snow. He also imputes – credits – to us his perfect righteous obedience to every command that we have broken. Consequently, when we have saving faith in Christ alone, our sins are forgiven, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and we stand before our triune God spotless and without blame.
Having learned the truths of the gospel, Onesimus left prison filled with gratitude; he left prison with “the joy of the Lord.” He turned from being a useless slave into a useful, faithful worker in the church – working not to earn his salvation, but working eagerly and gratefully because Christ had earned salvation for him.
We don’t know what Onesimus specifically did in the church, but every church needs willing workers like Onesimus. Studies show that in the average church ten percent of the people do ninety percent of the work.
Look around you in the church. Look at all the ways to be useful like Onesimus. You will find many opportunities to serve and to be useful. You will come to the conclusion of the sons of Korah who eagerly and joyfully served in the Old Testament Tabernacle and wrote many Psalms. As they worked in the tabernacle, they found joy and blessing. Psalm 84:10, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
A doorkeeper was like a janitor in those days. It was a position of service, but it was invaluable and necessary to the well-being of the tabernacle. It is the same way in the church, there is blessing in serving in whatever capacity is needed, doing whatever your hand finds to do, as working for the Lord, not just for men, women, and children in the church, but working for the Lord.
Since the Lord turned a thief into a faithful, useful member of the church, he can use your background – whatever it may be, to build up and fortify your church, to make your church strong against the attacks of the evil one, and to give you a great blessing in the process.
And then, also, be a Barnabas. You know, Barnabas was not the name he was given when he was born. He was named Joseph, and Acts 4:36 tells us he was a Levite from Cyprus. But they didn’t call him Joseph. They called him Barnabas which means “son of encouragement” because he was such an encouragement to others in the church.
Encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ is so crucial. Life is full of trouble. “Man is born to trouble,” Job 5:7 observes, “as surely as sparks fly upward from a fire.” And Jesus said, in John 16:33, “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Sometimes we can tell from the expression on someone’s face, or from the news that we have heard of their circumstances that they are discouraged; we realize that they need our encouragement.
But everyone needs our encouragement. I’m always amazed what is behind the veneer of those who seem to have everything going their way. We have all known people who seem to have not a care in the world or a problem in their life, but then once you really get to know them you find that they too have lives of sorrow. You find out that their lives also reflect the biblical truth of Proverbs 14:10 that “each heart knows its own bitterness”, and Proverbs 14:13, “even in laughter the heart may ache.”
Martin Luther frequently wrote about his dreams, and his dreams were fascinating. In one of his many unique dreams, he dreamt that the devil was having a yard sale. The devil had the tool of lust, the tool of greed, the tools of hatred, pride, covetousness, along with many other tools, all neatly lined up. And they were priced for a quick sale.
But way in the back was a tool that was covered up. And a sign with large letters said, “Not for sale.” In this dream, Luther asked the devil why the tool was not for sale and what it was used for.
The devil replied, “That is the tool of discouragement. I will never sell that tool. With it I can make a mighty prophet like Elijah call it quits and ask the Lord to take him home. With that tool I can take the commitment of someone bold as a lion, like Peter, and have them deny his Lord over and over and over. I can use that tool of discouragement against any and every Christian. I’m never going to sell that tool; it is one of the most valuable tools that I have.”
Because discouragement is universal, encouraging others is crucial. Encouragement comes in many forms. Maybe it’s a phone call, a card in the mail, a shared meal, or the encouragement of praying with the person in need. But encouragement is always crucial. 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore, encourage and build up one another...”
Be a Berean, immersed in Scripture, knowing what you believe so you can recognize false teaching. Be an Onesimus – working in the church at whatever your hands finds to do; “…work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men…” (Col. 3:23). And be a Barnabas, encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ. By doing so you will fulfill Hebrews 3:13: “But exhort – encourage – one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
___
So many years ago, as he wrote to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul was concerned. He knew the cunning and the power of Satan to mislead and he knew that since the evil one disguises himself as an angel of light his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
May you and I have the same concern for our church, and may we stand firm, always grounded in the truths of Scripture, using our time and energy to be useful workers in the church, encouraging one another daily, so that none of us are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and the disguises and schemes of Satan. Amen
Bulletin outline:
… 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 11:14, 15
“Satan: An Eager Worker in Every Church”
2 Corinthians 11:1-15
I. Paul warned the Corinthians that false teachers disguise themselves as
servants of righteousness just as Satan disguises himself as an angel of
light (13-15). Satan’s tactics include:
1) Mixing error with some truth (3; Genesis 3:1-7)
2) Appearing where least expected (4; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4)
3) Quoting and misquoting Scripture (Luke 4:1-13)
4) Performing counterfeit miracles, signs & wonders (2 Thess. 2:9-12)
II. The warning to the Corinthian church applies to the church of all ages.
Practical ways to guard against Satan’s cunning (3) and to strengthen
the church against his attacks include:
1) Be a Berean, with discernment from Scripture (Acts 17:11)
2) Be useful in the church like Onesimus (Philemon 1:10, 11)
3) Be an encourager like Barnabas (Acts 4:36; Hebrews 3:13)
Questions for Discussion:
What can you do to make your devotional time more like the Bereans?
(Acts 17:11)
Looking at your church and at your life, how can you serve and be useful
like Onesimus? (Colossians 3:23, 24; Philemon 1:10, 11)
Why is encouraging others an important part of being a Christian?
(Hebrews 3:13)
In what tangible ways – phone call, visit, card in the mail, giving, etc. – can
you be an encourager like Barnabas?
Faith Bible Church 06.15.2025
__________
“Satan: An Eager Worker in Every Church”
2 Corinthians 11:1-15
(NIV)
If you are familiar with First and Second Corinthians, it might seem surprising that in this eleventh chapter of Second Corinthians the apostle Paul once again addresses the danger of false teachers. After all, Paul warned about false teachers numerous times before, in both his first and second letters to the Corinthians.
It might seem surprising until we realize what a serious problem false teachers were in the church at Corinth, and what a serious problem false teachers have been throughout the history of the church.
Still today, the greatest danger facing the church is not from political regimes that threaten persecution. It is not from the ridicule of the post-Christian culture such as we have in the United States. Rather, one of the greatest danger the true church faces comes from those who infiltrate the church and seek to lead astray God’s people by teaching false doctrine.
The situation in Corinth was especially grievous to Paul because he had the privilege of planting that church. On his first missionary journey he had gone to Corinth, and by God’s grace and Spirit, established the church there. As he points out in verse 2, he desired to present the church as a pure bride to the Lord, but now the Corinthians had been led astray. False teachers had come into the church; they ridiculed Paul and they preached themselves rather than preaching Christ.
As verse 4 points out, they preached a different Christ than the one revealed in Scripture. They did not proclaim the true gospel, but instead they were profession-al orators who impressed the Corinthian church with their oratory skills as they lead them astray with false doctrine.
Orators were in high demand in the Greek empire. Since they had none of the electronic media that entertain so many today – the internet, television, that phone in your pocket or purse – orators would give grand speeches which people found interesting and entertaining. The orators were paid well for their services, and so when the false teachers used their oratory skills to entertain the church at Corinth, they also charged a high price for their speaking engagements.
That is another reason why the apostle Paul preached without receiving pay from the Corinthian church. He wanted to contrast himself from those who were speaking to make money for themselves without regard for the truths of the gospel, and without any love or concern for the spiritual nourishment and edification of the congregation at Corinth.
But because Paul did not accept pay from the Corinthian church, the false teachers – the orators – said that his speaking was unimpressive, and not even worthy of pay. They said, in effect, “If he has anything worthwhile to say, then it is worthy of pay, just as we are worthy of pay. But obviously,” they said, “the apostle Paul is not worth being paid. He is not an impressive speaker the way we are.”
As you can imagine, this intensely grieved Paul. He had a deep love for all the churches he served, and he certainly had a deep love for the church at Corinth as expressed in verse 11, where he writes of how God knew his love for the church.
He had planted the church, it was doing well, the Lord had called him on to other areas of service, and then he received reports of what was going on in Corinth. He heard about how skilled orators were leading the people astray; they were ridiculing him and the truths of the gospel that he had proclaimed.
And so, in this passage he defends himself, and as he does so, he gives one of the most serious warnings in Scripture against false teachers. It is a warning so applicable, not only to the church at Corinth so long ago, but to the church of all ages including the church today. In verse 14 and 15 he warns: “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness…”
Masquerading as an Angel of Light
It should not be surprising that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. He really has no other choice. If anyone, whether the Corinthians back in the first century, or you and me today, if anyone saw Satan as he really is – full of hatred and deceit, cruel to the core – no one would listen to him or be tempted by him. –If people truly saw him for who he is they would take the injunction of James to flee the devil and flee to Christ.
Consequently, Satan fully understands that he must disguise himself to do the work that he desires to do – to deceive, mislead and destroy the church – the Bride – of Jesus Christ. And he is a master at deception. Jesus described him as the father of all lies and warned that there is no truth in him. So instead of presenting himself as he really is, he disguises himself as an angel of light. Using every scheme possible, he goes to work in the visible church.
Some of the many schemes he uses include mixing error with some truth. In verse 3 the apostle writes: “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
When Satan appeared to Eve, he mixed error in with some truth. It was true that the Lord had commanded Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the devil used that truth, but he twisted it. You remember how he quizzed Eve, in Gen 3:1, “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?’”
He twisted the truth, mixing in error, in order to plant the seed of doubt in Eve’s mind and heart. His first words to Eve, were “Did God actually – really – say...” And those seeds of doubt have been used on countless Christians over the course of history. And those seeds of doubt have been nourished and proclaimed by false teachers who follow the example of the evil one. They mix in error, but they give just enough truth so that those who are not discerning are led astray by the cunning of these false teachers.
Still today some truth is taught, even in the cults. And because some truth is taught, many people do not catch on that mixed in with some truth is a lot of error. And many people are led astray because the false teaching is patterned after the false teaching of the evil one for “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness…”
Another strategy of the evil one, and the false teachers who follow in his footsteps, is the strategy of appearing where least expected. That has always been the strategy of Satan. He knows that it is an effective strategy. Every fighter knows the value of being in the unexpected place. Those who fought in the Vietnam War realize the enemy was not where we expected him to be. The people in a village, the workers in the rice patties, even the mothers and grandmothers could give a quiet nod as soldiers approached, but then deliver the deadly shot from behind as they passed by.
Satan knows that trick so very well. He often appears where least expected. Yes, Eve fell, but to understand her position – who would expect Satan to be in the paradise of God? Who would expect him to present himself as the most elegant and wise of all creatures? Is it any wonder that Eve, and Adam who was right beside her, were deceived by the serpent, by the devil’s disguise?
We see that activity of the evil one, even in the downward slide of our leading universities. Did you realize that Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and other well-known institutions of higher education were established to train men for ministry?
Consider these requirements for Harvard, when it was established in 1636, first, “Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and therefore to lay Christ…as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning. And seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of Him (Prov. 2:3).
Second, “Every one shall so exercise himself in reading the Scriptures twice a day, that he shall be ready to give such an account of his proficiency therein, both in theoretical observations of language and logic, and in practical and spiritual truths, as his Tutor shall require, according to his ability; seeing the entrance of the Word giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130).”
The motto of Harvard University, adopted in 1692, was from the Latin phrase meaning, “Truth for Christ and the Church.” That phrase, “Truth for Christ and the Church,” can be found embedded on the Harvard Shield and on many buildings around campus.
But now Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and most other institutions that were established to train men for ministry have departments of theology that specialize in tearing the Bible apart. There are many at work in those departments of theology, systematically twisting the truths of God’s Word as they indoctrinate their students in error instead of in truth.
But it is not just in public universities where the truth of Scripture is twisted and heresy is taught. The same is true, unfortunately, in many universities that carry the name “Christian.” Many universities today that have Christian in their name twist the Word of God. For them the Word is not about repentance from sin and saving faith in Christ alone. Instead, the Word is twisted to make it conform to the world. Many universities today that have “Christian” in their name are woke and worldly.
As is often noted, heresy usually comes into the church from the top down. The seminaries become liberal, they produce liberal pastors, and those pastors lead their flocks astray. They are able to do that for the same reasons that the false teachers in Corinth were able to lead many astray. They have degrees, they are well educated and respected. Could what they are teaching really be wrong? Isn’t it just a new twist? Perhaps a deeper insight? A better understanding, or a more compassionate position, all brought on by their great learning and advanced degrees?
In Matthew 24:15 Jesus warned about the evil one and described how in the last days the evil one – “the abomination that causes desolation” will be standing “in the holy place.” – Do you see where the evil one is? – He is in the most holy place – in the church – the Bride of Christ.
Likewise, 2 Thessalonians 2:4 describes the man of lawlessness as the one “who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.”
No wonder the apostle Paul was so concerned for the church! No wonder he defended himself time and again against the false teachers and repeatedly warned the Corinthians – and warns us – to be on guard against false teaching within the church.
Another tactic of Satan within the visible church is that he quotes – and misquotes –Scripture. After, all he knows the Scripture through and through. There is not a verse in the entire Bible with which he is not familiar.
When Satan tempted Jesus in the desert, he urged him to jump from the highest point in the temple. And he used Scripture in his temptation. He quoted from Psalm 91: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.”
But Jesus replied by quoting Scripture himself. He quoted Deuteronomy 6:16, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
When Jesus was in the desert, famished from the time of fasting, the devil tempted him by using the Scripture against him. But each time that the evil one quoted Scripture in a vain effort to cause Jesus to stumble from his mission, Jesus also quoted Scripture to rebuff the devil.
It is just one more example of why it is so important to know the Bible and to memorize the verses in the Bible. The Bible is “the sword of the Spirit” as Ephesians 6 so accurately describes it. And in the spiritual warfare that we all face, how crucial it is to have a sword ready to use against the many schemes of the evil one, including the way he twists Scripture out of context, or uses a little bit of truth to hide heresy as he disguises himself as an angel of light, and his servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.
Another tactic of the evil one is to imitate God by using counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. Satan’s goal has always been to receive the glory that belongs to God alone. Because he has that goal, he imitates God, much as an ape or monkey at the zoo will imitate you.
Most of you have been to the zoo and have seen a monkey beat his chest if someone beats their chest. Or if someone else makes a face then the monkey will make a face, or if someone else makes their biceps bulge the monkey will do the same. We have that expression “Monkey see, monkey do.” And in much the same way, Satan strives to imitate the work of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 describes how the work of Satan is displayed in all types of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. In the church today we see the popularity of those preachers who supposedly are able to perform miracles, signs and wonders, healing people from sickness, reading their minds and meeting their needs in ways that seem supernatural.
And many people are captivated by those ministries, to their own destruction. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10: “The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” Always be on guard against counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders. The evil one, and his followers are masters of deceit.
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How do we apply these warnings of the apostle Paul to the Corinthian church? How can we discern and resist the subtle disguises and outright attacks of the evil one and his followers?
We apply the warning of this passage by realizing that it is a warning for the church of all ages, a warning for the church today, and even more specifically a warning for you and for me. It is crucial that we guard against Satan’s cunning. At times he attacks ferociously. In the words of 1 Peter, 5:8: “Be self-controlled and alert: Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.” Yet, at other times, he beckons so subtly, just as he did to Eve back in the Garden of Eden. He instills doubt, asking “Did God really say…?”
Either way, we must be on guard against him, both in our personal lives, and in the life of our church.
Countering the Work of the Evil One
Three ways, among many, to counteract the work of the evil one in the church include: (1) Being on guard against false teaching by reading and meditating on Scripture every day. It is by being immersed in the Word that we know what we are to believe and that we can recognize false teaching.
In Acts 17 we read about the Bereans, of how they tested what the apostle Paul taught them by comparing it to the word of God. Still today, our understanding of God’s word, and the memorization of Bible verses, form a mighty sword against the evil one. The systematic reading of the word of God, with our family – individually and with our spouse, and children, if we are married, is crucial.
The Bible not only teaches how we are to live our lives to the praise of God’s glorious grace, but the Bible also equips us to recognize and expose false teaching. Acts 17:11 “They” – the Bereans – “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” – to see if what Paul was teaching them was true.
In addition to being a Berean, be like Onesimus. His name means useful. Onesimus was an eager worker in the church and a great blessing to the Apostle Paul. Because of that, we might think that he had an exemplary life, from childhood right on through to his older years. We might think, “If I had all those good experiences, if I had the right background, I could be of value in the church too.”
But Onesimus had a background of being a slave – a servant to wealthy Philemon. He was not only a servant but a thief. He stole from Philemon and ended up in prison where he met the apostle Paul. It was in prison where he came face to face with the enormity of his sin. He undoubtedly came to realize that his sin was not just the sin of stealing, but that he was a sinner by nature, a sinner from the moment of conception. But as the enormity of his sin brought deep conviction and sorrow, it also drove him to Christ in humble repentance and true saving faith.
Paul undoubtedly taught him the wonderful truth of the gospel that Jesus offered himself as the only sacrifice for sinners; he shed his precious blood to blot out all our sins. But he not only gives us a clean slate – washing us whiter than snow. He also imputes – credits to us his perfect righteous obedience to every command that we have broken. Consequently, when we have saving faith in Christ alone, our sins are forgiven, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ and stand before our triune God spotless and without blame.
Onesimus found grace and forgiveness. He was convicted of his sin but found joy in his Savior. He left prison a changed man, a new creation in Christ. He realized his sins were covered – propitiated – by the precious blood of Christ. He realized that in the place of his sin there was no the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. He came to realize the truth of 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
And filled with gratitude Onesimus left prison with “the joy of the Lord.” He turned from being a useless slave into a useful, faithful worker in the church – working not to earn his salvation, but working eagerly and gratefully because Christ had earned salvation for him.
We don’t know what Onesimus specifically did in the church, but every church needs willing workers like Onesimus. Studies show that in the average church ten percent of the people do ninety percent of the work.
Look around you in the church. Look at all the ways to be useful like Onesimus. You will find many opportunities to serve and to be useful. You will come to the conclusion of the sons of Korah who eagerly and joyfully served in the Old Testament Tabernacle and wrote many Psalms. As they worked in the tabernacle, they found joy and blessing. Psalm 84:10, “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
A doorkeeper was like a janitor in those days. It was a position of service, but it was invaluable and necessary to the well-being of the tabernacle. It is the same way in the church, there is blessing in serving in whatever capacity is needed, doing whatever your hand finds to do, as working for the Lord, not just for men, women, and children in the church, but working for the Lord.
Since the Lord turned a thief into a faithful, useful member of the church, he can use your background – whatever it may be, to build up and fortify your church, to make your church strong against the attacks of the evil one and to give you a great blessing in the process.
And then also, be a Barnabas. You know, Barnabas was not the name he was given when he was born. He was named Joseph, and Acts 4:36 tells us he was a Levite from Cyprus. But they didn’t call him Joseph. They called him Barnabas which means “son of encouragement” because he was such an encouragement to others in the church.
Encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ is so crucial. Life is full of trouble. “Man is born to trouble,” Job 5:7 observes, “as surely as sparks fly upward from a fire.” And Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).
Sometimes we can tell from the expression on someone’s face, or from the news that we have heard of circumstances in their life, that they are discouraged; we realize that they need our encouragement.
But everyone needs our encouragement. I’m always amazed what is behind the veneer of those who seem to have everything going their way. We have all known people who seem to have not a care in the world or a problem in their life, but then once you really get to know them you find that they too have lives of sorrow. You find out that their lives also reflect the biblical truth of Proverbs 14:10 that “each heart knows its own bitterness”, and Proverbs 14:13, “even in laughter the heart may ache.”
Martin Luther frequently wrote about his dreams, and his dreams were fascinating. In one of his many unique dreams, he dreamt that the devil was having a yard sale. The devil had the tool of lust, the tool of greed, the tools of hatred, pride, covetousness, along with many other tools, all neatly lined up. And they were priced for a quick sale.
But way in the back was a tool that was covered up. And a sign with large letters said, “Not for sale.” In this dream, Luther asked the devil why the tool was not for sale and what it was used for.
The devil replied, “That is the tool of discouragement. I will never sell that tool. With it I can make a mighty prophet like Elijah call it quits and ask the Lord to take him home. With that tool I can take the commitment of someone bold as a lion, like Peter, and have them deny his Lord over and over and over. I can use that tool of discouragement against any and every Christian. I’m never going to sell that tool; it is one of the most valuable tools that I have.”
Because discouragement is universal, encouraging others is crucial. Encouragement comes in many forms. Maybe it’s a phone call, a card in the mail, a shared meal, or the encouragement of praying with the person in need. But encouragement is always crucial. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 - “Therefore, encourage and build up one another.”
Be a Berean, immersed in Scripture, knowing what you believe so you can recognize false teaching. Be an Onesimus – working in the church at whatever your hands finds to do. In the words of Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men…”
And be a Barnabas, encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ. By doing so you will fulfill Hebrews 3:13: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today,’ so that none of you may be hardened sin’s deceitfulness.”
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So many years ago, as he wrote to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul was concerned. He knew the cunning and the power of Satan to mislead and he knew that since the evil one masquerades as an angel of light his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.
May you and I have the same concern for our church, and may we stand firm, always grounded in the truths of Scripture, using our time and energy to be useful workers in the church, and encouraging one another daily, so that none of us are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and the disguises and schemes of Satan. Amen.
bulletin outline:
…Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then,
if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.
2 Corinthians 11:14b-15
“Satan: An Eager Worker in Every Church”
2 Corinthians 11:1-15
I. Paul warned the Corinthians that false teachers disguise themselves as
servants of righteousness just as Satan disguises himself as an angel of
light (13-15). Satan’s tactics include:
1) Mixing error with some truth (3; Genesis 3:1-7)
2) Appearing where least expected (4; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:4)
3) Quoting and misquoting Scripture (Luke 4:1-13)
4) Performing counterfeit miracles, signs & wonders (2 Thess. 2:9-12)
II. The warning to the Corinthian church applies to the church of all ages.
Practical ways to guard against Satan’s cunning (3) and to strengthen
the church against his attacks include:
1) Be a Berean, with discernment from Scripture (Acts 17:11)
2) Be useful in the church like Onesimus (Philemon 1:10, 11)
3) Be an encourager like Barnabas (Acts 4:36; Hebrews 3:13)
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Ted Gray, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright, Rev. Ted Gray
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