The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Subtilty

  • Disciple New Believers

    “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

    2 Corinthians 11:3

    Paul gave his life in service to the Lord to reach the lost for Christ. We read of his three missionary journeys taking the Gospel message to those who had not heard of Jesus. Paul cared deeply for the people whom he led to the Lord. He not only taught the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, but he proceeded to teach those new Believers how to live that new life daily (for an example, see Ephesians 4:17-32). Because these new Believers were beginning a whole new life, there was much for them to learn. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). It would take much time and patience to teach them. God had many places for Paul to go in order for people to hear the Gospel Message. When he could not stay in one place long enough to disciple a new Believer himself, he left men he trusted in charge of these new Believers to teach them (Acts 20:28-32). These new Believers formed the first churches. Today, we call this “discipling new Christians”. This is when a new Believer is instructed how to live this new Christian life according to God’s Word, and taught the reasons why we are to live this new life in Christ.

    Keep in mind that when God is working, changing the lives of people, Satan tries to thwart God’s work. Remember what Jesus warned as He taught the people. “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15). Satan tries to take away the Word, immediately. Paul understood this. Paul knew that God wanted him to continue on missionary journeys (even when he wanted to stay with the people), and Paul obeyed God. However, he warned the people of dangers when he could not be with them. “2. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2-3). Chaste means “chaste, pure; predominantly used to express freedom from defilements or impurities.” It is important to remember that Believers, collectively, are the bride of Christ (“espoused you to one husband”). Paul was jealous for new Believers, for he understood that Satan would try to steal the Word from them. If he could not steal it from them, he would corrupt their understanding of God’s Word, just as Satan did to Eve in the garden. Paul so wanted them to be presented to Jesus as pure and free from defilements. So Paul warned them of the subtlety of Satan. Subtilty means “adroitness (shrewdness, clever skill, or high ability), that is, (in a bad sense) trickery or sophistry (the use of clever, deceptive reasoning or argumentation that sounds superficially plausible and logical, but is actually false or intellectually dishonest, typically used to trick or mislead).” Paul did not want their minds corrupted. Corrupted means “to corrupt, that is to seduce to evil company or corrupt opinions.” They must be grounded in their faith.

    Paul’s warning: “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:4).

    There are three specific things of which Paul warned them:

    1. Some would preach a false savior: “if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached”: Jesus warned of this: “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:24).
    2. Some would come having a false spirit: “if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received”: There are deceiving spirits. Remember the test of the true Spirit of God: “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 12:3).
    3. Some would teach a false salvation (gospel message): “or another gospel, which ye have not accepted”: There are false teachings of ways to be saved other than Jesus. We know: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

    Paul also wanted them to consider, “ye might well bear with him.” Paul did not want them to listen to, or tolerate, these teachings. This would be wrong. Paul warned them again: “13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). They are wrong and very dangerous.

    Pastors, teachers, and Christians mature in their faith should be discipling new Believers – and even those who have never grown in their faith. They need to know how to live, why we live this new life, and be warned of Satan’s subtlety.

    Are you grounded enough in your faith to be able to disciple a New Believer?

    Are you faithfully doing it?

  • Do You Know Your Enemy?

    “Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”
    Psalm 64:1

    Who is the enemy of a Christian? “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil (Satan) is the enemy. We can read from this verse that he attacks and wants to destroy Christians. Why do we need to know about our enemy, Satan? “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).

    Before we continue, it is important that we understand a few things about Satan: 

    • He lost his position in heaven because of pride:  “12. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13. For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14).
    • He is the father of lies: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). This is what Jesus said about the devil when He was speaking to the religious leaders. We are to recognize that Satan is a murderer, there is no truth in him, he only speaks of his own, and he is a liar. These religious leaders obviously were not in righteousness – which is the distinction between those who belong to God instead of belonging to the devil.
    • He tricks through subtlety: “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
    • He appears as an angel of light:  “13. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-14).

     When Jesus came to earth, He came to defeat Satan (the devil), once and for all. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). Not only do we learn that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, but we recognize just who belongs to the devil. (One who commits sin in this verse is “one who practices or lives in a prolonged form of sin.”) How can you tell the difference between those who belong to the devil and those who belong to God? “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:10). There is a definite distinction.

    How do Christians defeat our enemy, the devil?

    In the following verse, one can understand a warning: departing from the truth of God’s Word, becoming a friend of the world, causes one to become the enemy of God. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). Adulterer means “apostate.” Therefore, a Christian must resist the devil in the faith. “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Peter 5:9). If Satan can shake the faith of Christians and draw them into departing from the truths of God’s Word, he can defeat them. Christians must stand fast in their faith. “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5).

    Christians must be humble before God. “6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). It is important to humble a Christian life to God, understanding that He cares for those who belong to Him. How can this be done? “And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

    Do you recognize your enemy, standing fast in your faith while fearing the Lord and departing from evil?