Beware of preachers of "teachings of demons."

Believer, consider 1 Timothy 4:1- "The Spirit says clearly that some people will abandon the faith in later times; they will obey lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons. 2 Such teachings are spread by deceitful liars, whose consciences are dead, as if burnt with a hot iron."

At first, this "teachings of demons" connotes images of "juju," people asking their congregations to eat grass  and committing sins with reckless abandon. Not so! Before we address this, understand from the passage above that those follow this horrid teaching of demons are those who  "abandon the faith." Such people have nothing to do with the "faith." You know what else God's word says has nothing to do with faith? See this in Galatians 3:12 in the passage below:

10 "Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, “Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God's curse!” 11 Now, it is clear that no one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the scripture says, “Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall live.” 12 But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, as the scripture says, “Whoever does everything the Law requires will live.”"

The churchgoer who is trying to keep the Law in order to get God to have a good opinion of him "has got nothing to do with faith."  Plus no one can do everything the Law requires. Romans 3:20 says: "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the Law commands. The Law simply shows us how sinful we are."

Back to 1 Timothy 4:1- "The Spirit says clearly that some people will abandon the faith in later times; they will obey lying spirits and follow the teachings of demons. 2 Such teachings are spread by deceitful liars, whose consciences are dead, as if burnt with a hot iron."

So what is this teaching of demons? Believer, it is the same teaching that Satan the chief demon used to deceive Eve when he told her that she could be godly aka "be like God" through human striving at doing something. Eve believed this demonic teaching that said she had to do something by her will-power or human effort in order to be godly. But God created she and Adam to be like Himself from the start! She and Adam were already "like God." See this in Genesis 1:27-

"So God created human beings in His own likeness.

    He created them to be like Himself.

    He created them as male and female."

Adam and Eve were already "like God" but Satan the chief of demons and originator of this false teaching deceived them into believing that they were not godly. Satan taught them that could be godly (be like God) if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Believer, see the forbidden fruit as a picture of the Law that many churchgoers are actively trying to keep in order to be godly (be like God) in Romans 7:8-12 (MSG.)-

"Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me."

Beloved of God, Satan's strategy has not changed since Eden. The same seduction/teachings of demons is still being taught in many places of worship today- Satan through his "pastors" behind some pulpits is still telling believers to strive to be godly (be like God) by human effort at obedience aka keeping the Law - a picture of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; this after God Himself gave the Way to make us godly! 

Beloved of God, God's Way of making us godly has got nothing to do with human striving at obeying the Law, just as Adam and Eve's godliness had nothing to do with their human striving at attaining same. Isaiah prophesied of Christ's suffering for us in Isaiah 53. See the result of His decease which He accomplished at Jerusalem in Isaiah 53:11-

"After He has suffered, He will see the light of life. And He will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what He will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins."

Beloved of God, Christ suffered and died to make us godly. Believer, when we became born-again, CREATED ANEW in Christ Jesus, we became godly- "like God." 1 John 4:17 says of we who believe:

"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world."

Believer, as Christ is, so are we IN THIS WORLD. Not after the Rapture but right now, here on earth. God's word says we are like Christ of whom it is written in Colossians 2:9-

"For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,"

And God's word says we are like Him! Believer, by Grace, don't let preachers of "teachings of demons" sway you and cause you to start eating the forbidden fruit aka keeping the law in order to be what God has already made you to be in Christ- GODLY like Himself.

Just as Satan did with Adam and Eve whom God CREATED to be like Himself,  preachers of "teachings of demons" focus on telling churchgoers and even believers who have been CREATED ANEW in Christ that we are not quite godly yet and that the way to be godly aka “be like God" is through human striving (law-keeping) at attaining godliness and not through the blood of Jesus. See Satan's "teaching of demons" in Genesis 3-

4 "Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings."

Just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the law gives the knowledge of good and evil. God's word says "The letter (law) kills," just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Satan still goes about saying God's word is not true; that you have to depend on your own human striving (law-keeping) in order to be godly and that "You will not surely die" if you try to keep the Law in order to be godly aka "be like God." But the letter kills.

Recall Eve's reaction after she heard Satan's "teachings of demons"- "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise,..."

Eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil seemed good to Eve, just as keeping the Law seems good to many churchgoers today. Afterall, what is bad in trying to be godly by keeping the law? Believer, this way seems right to man as it did to Eve, but like the tree, the end is death- Proverbs 14:12-

"There is a way that seems right to a man,

    but its end is the way of death."

Eating of the said tree did not make Adam and Eve godly. Rather, they lost their right-standing with God! Just as the tree caused Adam and Eve to realise that they were naked (devoid of righteousness,) the Law simply shows us how sinful we are:

"For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the Law commands. The Law simply shows us how sinful we are." Romans 3:20.

Beloved of God, God wants us to be godly like Himself. And He made the Way for us to be godly. His name is Jesus Christ. The result of trying to get right with God or "be like God" by human striving is still the same as it was since Adam and Eve tried to do so in the Garden of Eden- being cut off from Jesus Christ the Tree of Life/Bread of Life as we see in Galatians 5:4-

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

The curse also follows all who obey this teaching of demons: Galatianns 3:

10 "Those who depend on obeying the Law live under a curse. For the scripture says, “Whoever does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the Law is under God's curse!” 11 Now, it is clear that no one is put right with God by means of the Law, because the scripture says, “Only the person who is put right with God through faith shall live.” 12 But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, as the scripture says, “Whoever does everything the Law requires will live.”"

Yet many churchgoers who think they have the power to keep the law say: "At least we should play our part and at least try to live a godly life as best as we can." Beloved of God, this is the height of Pride and Foolishness- to think that of ourselves, we have any good or will-power to "at least try" to do anything at all to get into God's good books or live a godly life. See what God's word says of man's will-power as was Paul's experience in Romans 7:18-

"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

God's word says human effort (the arm of flesh) will fail, is powerless and cannot. But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail says:

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law, do good things, make God pleased with me and resist temptation to commit sin by my own will-power."

Reminds one of pre-denial Peter who knew 100% that he would not deny Jesus. At first, Peter even seemed to be making good on his resolution- he slashed off someone's ear when soldiers came to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane, ready to fight for Christ. But the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) will fail. Like pre-denial Peter, the reason why we are not committing particular sins and seem to be doing well at keeping the Law is because God did not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them or that they can keep the Law and live a godly life.

For all man's efforts and striving at trying to be godly ("be like God" as Adam and Eve did,) the result is like "a menstrual rag" in God's sight according to Isaiah 64:6-

"We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight."

Believer, the spirit of the antichrist is not anti-God. In fact, like the religious Pharisees who did their best to be good but hated and rejected Christ, carriers of this antichrist spirit that teaches "teachings of demons" seem to be very godly, religious, preach strongly against sin, always looks like they just finished having lunch with God and are always shouting godliness and holiness from the rooftops. But their own way for you to attain godliness is through the same deceit that was fed to Eve in the garden- human striving at attaining godliness aka keeping the Law. This demonic teaching strives to remove and replace the finished work of Christ in making the sinner who believes in Jesus godly/be like God the Righteous with human striving at attaining godliness and salvation from earthly ills and death. 

A quick way to identify such is their preaching on generational and other curses. Galatians 3:13 says: 

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),"

Believer, the second you believed in Jesus Christ the ADVOCATE and "Bearer of sins" of all who believe, your godliness and redemption from every curse came into effect. God the RIGHTEOUS JUDGE sees you as Righteous/Godly -Romans 5:9. The Holy Spirit bears WITNESS to the Truth that God does not remember your sins and lawless deeds anymore - Hebrews 10:17. These are all JUDICIAL terms.

The curse itself was instituted by God to fall on all those who are under LAW but satanic preachers go about making it look like Satan manufactures curses and can just dash anybody the curse anyhow. Satan is an Accuser. "HaSatan" is literally "Prosecutor at Law" in Hebrew. Today, every prosecuting attorney in Israel goes by the title "HaSatan."

What Satan does is accuse one to himself in order to get one to accept guilt. Many of these accusations (fiery darts) are shot by his agents behind pulpits! Once a person starts to fast, keep the Law or depend on his will-power to be free from guilt and the curse, he has rejected God's gift of righteousness and salvation from the curse that is found only in Christ our ADVOCATE. He is condemned. As it is in any earthly court of Law, judgment (the curse of the Law, including generational curses) follows condemnation. This is smack where Satan wants everyone to be - depending on laws kept, tithes paid and fasts undertaken in order to get a favourable verdict from GOD THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE. But God cannot bend the Law for anybody. He knows how hopeless we are when it comes to keeping the Law to be righteous (Romans 3:20) so He gave His own Son to bear our sins, our curse and to die the death that the Law demanded of us, because He loved us so. Christ has finished the work of our salvation. Only believe, and this we do by God's Grace alone.

 

But these seemingly holy teachers of "teachings of demons" deny the finished work of Christ of redeeming believers from the curse, accuse believers of still being under the curse and send you on a wild goose chase of 70 days dry fast for you to be free from generational and every other curse that Christ hung on the cross to redeem you and I who believe Jesus from! Many of Satan's accusations (fiery darts) are shot by his agents behind pulpits! How strange is it that most people first hear of their generational curse from behind pulpits that should be preaching Galatians 3:13!

Believer, beware of such. See how God sees you and I who believe in Jesus Christ in Romans 5:9-

"And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God."

In Christ, God sees us as 100% godly/righteous, “even though we are guilty of many sins.”- Romans 5:16. 

Seeing ourselves as God sees us in Christ isn't something that we do just for the sake of it neither is it just so that we can continue to wallow in sins as preachers of "teachings of demons" who point you to yourself for godliness say. Believer, by seeing ourselves as our heavenly Father sees us through the mirror of His Word (Righteous through the blood of Jesus) and not through the Law (which Romans 3:20 says was given to show us how naked of righteousness we are,) we are being transformed by His Spirit: see 2 Corinthians 3:18-

"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Only people who are imperfect of themselves need transformation. With Christ as our righteousness, we are 100% righteous in God's sight and "so lovely" to Jesus Christ our Shepherd-King, “even though we are guilty of many sins.” This is not so that we should continue to wallow in sins freely as antichrist preachers say. God's word says only by receiving His abundance of Grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ do we get to live in triumph over sin and death. See Romans 5:16-17:

16 “And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ.”

Believer, beware of law-toting antichrist pastors and their teachings of demons . Our part in the entire journey of our salvation is to receive God's abundance of grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ by submitting helplessly to Jesus Christ our Doctor who gave Himself to make us godly, frees us from sins, cleanses us of every ill, transforms us to godliness and wholeness and makes us 100% committed to doing good works. Titus 2:14 says of Him - 

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

No sin is too big for Him to save the sinner who believes from. The one who can transform himself to be godly "be like God" by will-power and human striving (arm of flesh) at obeying the Law does not need the Spirit of the Lord to transform him. This act of transformation to godliness by human effort is an effort in futility too. Adam and Eve tried it and look where it landed them. 

As long as we depend utterly on Christ for our godliness and aren’t trying to achieve these things by sheer will-power, we can rest assured that our paths will grow brighter and brighter like the morning sun because Christ is fully in charge.

Right believing always produces right living.