Can You Spot the Difference between what is False and True?

This is a third part on dealing with temptation.

“…I have forgiven that one…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

2 Corinthians 2:10-11

Can you tell the difference between false and true?

Paul said that we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. In other translations, it says we know his “schemes”, and literally it means we know Satan’s mind and intentions. Regarding temptation, I ask ourselves this: Do we really understand Satan’s way of thinking, scheming and manipulating?

We need to really know our enemy. More than 500 years before Christ, Sun Tzu wrote the following in The Art of War:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

How much do we know about Satan’s schemes?

First, we know that he wants to replace God. He will appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14[i]), not only literally but figuratively, he will appear to us and try to replace the thoughts of God with his own deceitful plans. Satan will influence false apostles and teachers, who will appear as “ministers of righteousness”.

In other words, all that glitters is not gold. There is a way that seems right to human reasoning, but it will result in death (This is so important of a truth that Proverbs records it twice in 14:12 and 16:25[ii]).

If Satan’s schemes seem right and righteous, how can we know what is Truth? We must line up things with God’s Word and God’s Truth, especially as revealed in the New Testament and the teachings of Jesus. Paul wrote in Romans 1:20-23[iii] that if something takes glory away from God or glorifies human reasoning, then we should reject it.

Despite the movie The Parent Trap, a mother of identical twins can always tell the difference because she knows them intimately and thoroughly. We too must know God intimately and thoroughly. Judas Iscariot probably thought he was doing the right thing and in fact he often came across as very righteous, to the point the other disciples trusted him with the money bag and assumed even on the night of Christ’s betrayal that he was going off to do something good.[iv] But Jesus knew the Truth. If we know Jesus intimately, we can know the Truth.

In addition to knowing our enemy and his schemes and knowing Jesus intimately, we also need to be alert. As I mentioned on Sunday, 1 Peter 5:8[v] says, “be sober, be vigilant” or alert and on guard.

Be on the lookout and ready. The secret service spotted the assassin’s gun in the bushes because they were on the lookout. You’ve likely heard the phrase, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!” That phrase comes from scam artists who are liars and are appealing to our sinful nature of greed, pride, and laziness which makes us want to “get rich quick”. Being sober and vigilant means that we are not just praying (as mentioned yesterday), but also watching.

Unfortunately, Christians can be the most gullible of all people. We are people of faith and trust and sometimes that leads us to be too trusting of wicked and evil people. We must be alert. We must not be ignorant of evil schemes.

Thirdly (there are so many more, but I will stop here), we need to not only be knowledgeable and vigilant, but we must be spiritually in tune with God. We first must be sure we are “born again” (John 3:3[vi], 1 Peter 3:23[vii]) and have received the Holy Spirit of God within us (Romans 8:15[viii], John 14:17[ix]). “Christ in us” is the hope of all glory (Colossians 1:27[x]) and we spiritually have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

That verse (1 Corinthians 2:16) concludes one of my favorite passages from the Bible, which tells us we can know God’s thoughts because we have His Spirit within us. His Spirit will help us discern what is God’s Truth and what is Satan’s lying schemes:

¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. ¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 

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[i] And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

[ii] There is a way that seems right to a man,But its end is the way of death.

[iii] ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

[iv] But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.  For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. (John 13:28-29)

[v] ⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 

[vi] Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

[vii] having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

[viii] For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

[ix] the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

[x] To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.