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Blatant evil is not our greatest threat as believers; it is deceptive evil wrapped in a package of truth.
But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a complete and pure devotion to Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3 HCSB
It’s easy to judge evil based on what is visible. But when we look at Scripture, we find the most potent evil being done under a shadow of deception. Judas disguised his evil actions of betrayal through friendship and even handed Jesus over with a kiss. The central threat to the early church movement was the deception of false teachers who came into the church with half-truths. The whole world will be awestruck as they follow the beast of Revelation.
Yes, evil is still evil. We should stand up against all forms: murder, hate, rape, theft, violence, etc. But just think… what’s worse than murder? Someone who pretends to be your best friend and then stabs you in the back. What’s worse than kidnapping? A person who “grooms” a family with kindness in order to kidnap their child and sell that young boy or girl to the highest bidder in the sex trafficking industry. That’s a distilled type of evil we cannot fully understand. Satan produces workers that act just like him. Deceit, craftiness, and trickery are always his first priority.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul compares the church at Corinth to Eve. They have been deceived and seduced, pulled away from Christ. The false teachers who came in among them were sophisticated and full of knowledge. They claimed to be closer to God than any other. They received the praise and awe of those around them. But worst of all, their teachings were 90% truth and 10% compromise. Paul knew that the 10% was enough to unhinge believers from their simple faith in Jesus.
Consider, these false teachers (or false apostles) were not just “good people” with misguided theology. They were emissaries of Satan!
For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their destiny will be according to their works.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 HCSB
Disguise – to change appearance; to masquerade, to transform.
How will we know if they are in disguise? How will we recognize them? The simple answer is… by their fruit! If you know what the real thing looks like, you will always be able to spot the fake.