Deceiving Spirits and Lying Tongues

When it comes to guarding my heart from deceiving spirits and lying tongues, I’m in. I am going to read and study God’s Word, pray and meditate, go to church and do all the ‘right’ things because I don’t want to be deceived. I wonder then, where will these deceiving spirits come from. Surely, they will be in bars and on the streets where crime happens. Maybe they will be in the secular news or college and university campuses.

“The Spirit clearly says that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.” I Timothy 4:1-3

Well, that about brings my mind to a skidding halt! These deceiving spirits are not coming from the streets of crime or the universities, but from within the church itself. And they are coming through people “whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” They are coming from people who have decided what their ‘conviction’ is and are trying to force it on others. I’m shaking my head to try to clear my brain.

In Romans 14, Paul has more to say about how we handle our convictions within a fellowship of believers. “The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” Romans 14:3-4 “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way… If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died… For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” Romans 4:12-18

It seems then, that Paul is asking us to not only be aware of our own convictions, but also be aware of when our convictions may cause someone else to doubt theirs. His bottom line is whether or not we are acting out of love. Can I give up a freedom Christ has given me in order to not cause a fellow traveler in this life to stumble and/or fall? I wonder does that make me a hypocrite if I don’t always act on my beliefs and freedoms. Or does it make me a compassionate, loving servant to my community of faith.

What if I am one who has strong ‘convictions’ with a lot of ‘don’t do this’ and ‘don’t do that’ in my belief system? These rules help to keep me from sinning against God. How do I know when to confront another’s behavior based on my convictions and when to keep silent because my convictions are my convictions and they may not apply to them?

Now I Corinthians 13 is ‘gonging’ loudly in my ear. If I speak the most wonderful convictions and acts of God I know without love in my heart for the hearers of my words, “I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” I Corinthians 13:1 If I am extremely intelligent and have great theological knowledge and wisdom, “but have not love, I am nothing.” I Corinthians 13:2 If I am a very gracious and giving person and take care of all the poor around me with my wealth, “but have not love, I gain nothing.” I Corinthians 13:3

So back to I Timothy… I wonder what these deceiving spirits are and how they are misleading and misguiding believers. I wonder could it be that they are the very people among us who are the most vocal about their convictions – who have memorized many passages of Scripture and use it for rebuking regularly? Could it be the most giving people we know who give out of their wealth and quite possibly keep the recipients at arm’s length, groveling in continued need of love and friendship? Could it be that they are those who are lacking in their own knowledge of God’s love and mercy in their lives and, therefore, judge cruelly speaking harsh words of ‘conviction’ to others rather than speaking God’s love into the lives of those around them?

Oh that my understanding of God’s love for me would be greater so that I would not be caught deceiving others by withholding God’s love from them.