6 Ways the Devil Uses the Bible to Deceive You

How the devil twists Scripture to deceive you. Let's take a look at some of his tactics. Number 1, he deceives us to be defensive against godly rebuke. Now, this is one of the more commonly twisted portions of Scripture. Take a look. Matthew chapter 7, beginning at verse number 1. Do not judge others and you will not be judged, for you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye, then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. Now, this is often twisted by the enemy to make Christians comfortable in their compromise. When they're called out for their sin, they'll say, judge not. When they're called out for their wrong thinking, they'll say, judge not. Maybe even if they see preachers preaching in the street calling people to repent of their sins, they'll apologize on behalf of those preachers who are declaring truth, and that makes them feel virtuous while they point to this scripture, judge not. The devil uses this to demonize truth-tellers. The devil uses this as a False comfort for those in sin. So what does this really mean? Well, look at the context. Verse five specifically: Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye, then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye. So Jesus isn't telling us not to judge period. He's telling us not to judge in our own hypocrisy. He's telling us to not judge others for doing the same things. That we ourselves are doing. Yes, we should call out sin. Yes, we should call out false teaching. Yes, we should lovingly tell people the truth. And no, this portion of scripture does not mean that we mustn't ever acknowledge those things or challenge those things or confront wrongdoing and compromise. That's a lie of the enemy. And that's one of the ways that he twists scripture to deceive you. Number 2, he deceives us into second-guessing our salvation. Matthew chapter 7, one of the most frightening portions of scripture. Not everyone who calls out to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and perform many miracles in your name. But I will reply, I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws. Now, the devil uses this portion of scripture to frighten believers. Many Christians hear this and they're left wondering, is that gonna happen to me? Am I gonna be that one who walks up to the Lord on Judgment Day only to hear those words, depart from me, I never knew you? You see, Christians weren't meant to live in uncertainty. It's the assurance of salvation, not the guesswork of salvation. God wants us to be confident In the salvation that we received through Christ. So how do we reconcile this with portions of Scripture like Matthew 7:21-23? Well, take a look here. Notice that the Lord tells them, I never knew you. That's an important clue because these were people who had never known salvation. Well, how then were they able to do miracles? Well, they preached the Word of God. And the Word of God is backed by God's power, but only his people are backed by his presence. Now, Look further, because their defense is quite revealing. When the Lord rejects them, they don't say, but Lord, we received the free gift of salvation. They don't say, Lord, but we put our faith in Jesus. What do they say? We prophesied in your name. We cast out demons in your name. We performed many miracles in your name. In other words, they were relying upon their works to save them. They thought their performance is what would guarantee them entry into the kingdom of God. Contrast that with Ephesians 1:13-14. And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the good news that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised. And that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Notice here, Paul writes to the Ephesians that this salvation is a guarantee, not a guess. You weren't created to live in fear. You weren't created to live in uncertainty. God did not save you to keep you guessing. So as a born-again believer, you have assurance. When you stand before the Father God, that you will be accepted because you placed your faith in Christ's work, not your own. So don't allow the devil to use portions of Scripture like this to deceive you into second-guessing your salvation. Number 3, the devil deceives us into embracing false teachers. And often false teachers will use Scriptures like this. Watch this now, Matthew 7:15-20. Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit. That's the key part. That is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruits, so you can identify people by their actions. So Jesus tells us very plainly that the way they live is a great indicator in terms of their sincerity. Yet false teachers will twist this and they'll focus on just that one portion, know them by their fruit. And of course, the enemy backs that claim. Because when they say, look at the fruit, they're not talking about character. They're not talking about integrity or the way they live. They'll say, look at the fruit, and they'll point to how many subscribers they have. They'll say, look at the fruit, and they point to book sales. They say, look at the fruit, and they point to the massive crowds that attend their events. Look at the fruit, and they point to how many resources are coming into their ministries. So when we say, look at the fruit, We shouldn't be talking about performance or metrics or numbers, because when Jesus said to identify them by their fruit, he was talking about character. So the result is that Christians think that ministry success equals genuine faith. And this is one of the tricks of the enemy. I'm not talking about Christians who struggle or who make mistakes. I'm talking about vicious, ravenous wolves who are out to destroy people. To consume only for their pleasure. And they hide behind portions of scripture like this, where they say, you can look at the fruit, you can look at the success, you can look at the metrics, and therefore you should accept everything I say. So fruit is character and integrity, not ministry metrics or giftedness. Listen, if you're being blessed by this message and you think other Christians urgently need to hear this, then make sure you leave a like on the video. That like will help to spread the content to more people. And also make sure you're subscribed to my channel. Don't miss any of the teachings. And you won't miss any of the teachings if you subscribe and you click the notification bell when you subscribe. Number 4, the devil deceives us into being entitled. This is a big one. John 14:12-14. I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done and even greater works because I'm going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Now, the devil uses promises like this to inspire entitlement. Christians who say things like, Lord, I did everything you asked me to do, so I should have everything that I want. Well, Lord, I obeyed you. I followed your commands. I listened to your word, and therefore I should be rewarded right here, right now, in the way that I see fit. Or, Lord, I've been walking with you, and therefore I shouldn't face any trials. I shouldn't have any problems. Do you realize, church, that sometimes doing the right thing will still seem to put you in the wrong place? Even when we obey, We're not promised that we won't have any trials. And even when we pray in faith, this doesn't obligate God to do as we will. Think about what Jesus said. He said, yes, ask for anything in my name. Well, what does that mean in my name? In my name means according to my will, by my power, and in my authority. Importantly, according to my will. Prayer is about aligning ourselves to the will of God. Not about persuading God to do that which is outside of his will. Now, the result of this kind of deception is that Christians think God is obligated to answer to their every whim, and they become angry when he doesn't. Many Christians become disillusioned. I had faith, where's my miracle? I obeyed, where's my reward? I gave, where's my blessing? And while God does respond to faith with miracles and to giving with blessings, We have to remember that he's still sovereign. He still does things in his timing. He still uses trials to process us. And I want you to notice a pattern with the way that the enemy uses these portions of scripture. He'll take truth and just slightly twist them. He'll take truth and just add a little bit to it. You see, if the devil was outright deceptive, or if he outright contradicted the word, then we would be able to easily identify those contradictions. But it's because the devil is so subtle. It's because the devil will take truth and just slightly alter them. That's how he's able to deceive. Next, we see that the devil deceives us into embracing legalism. Very popular portion of scripture, James 2:14-17. What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith, but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, goodbye and have a good day, stay warm and eat well. But then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn't enough unless it produces good deeds. It is dead and useless. Now, the enemy will take portions of scripture like this, And he'll twist it so that Christians embrace legalism. What is legalism? Legalism is man's attempt to do what only God can. The devil wants to convince you that you can contribute to your salvation. Now, this is where it gets a little subtle, a little nuanced, because when I begin to talk like this, some Christians hear me saying, oh, so you're saying I can live however I want? And that's not at all what I'm saying. I'm saying that how you live does not contribute to your salvation, but your salvation, if genuine, will contribute to the way you live. So works don't produce salvation, salvation produces works. And this is what James is touching on here, compared to Romans 3:28. So we are made right with God through faith and not works. by obeying the law. Is this a contradiction? No. Paul is writing against legalism or trying to earn your salvation through your works. James wrote against dead orthodoxy or counterfeit faith. Take a look at that again. It was in verse 14. Can that kind of faith save anyone? So in James, we're seeing a reference to counterfeit faith. Paul defends the root of salvation. James demands a demonstration of the fruit of salvation. James 2:19, you say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you. Even the demons believe this and they tremble in terror. So here the counterfeit faith is being compared to the faith that demons have. Well, do demons have saving faith? Of course not. So this is talking about a counterfeit faith. Paul writes of being declared righteous when writing of justification, and James is writing of demonstrating righteousness when writing of justification. So Paul writes of justification in the legal sense, James is writing of justification in the demonstrative sense. In Luke 7:35, we see an example of how this word justified is used. But wisdom is justified of all her children, or shown to be. So Paul is writing about justification in the legal sense, but here in James, we see justification being used as a simple demonstration. So again, one is a legal term, one is a practical term. So then we see that it is counterfeit faith that is being referred to in James. So counterfeit faith can't save anyone. Again, if I could simplify it, genuine faith produces good works, but good works could never produce genuine faith. But see, it's very nuanced, it's very subtle. And that's how the devil gets in and begins to just slightly warp this, To where now you're walking with this heavy burden on your shoulders. Now you're walking with this fear, this constant wondering of, if I make that mistake, am I rejected? Or if I go back to that one mindset just for a day, will the Holy Spirit leave me? Or if I don't live with perfection, am I gonna lose everything that I have with God? And that's how the enemy twists that truth. Number 6, He deceives us into despising prosperity. Now, the devil uses this next portion of scripture to make Christians uncomfortable with money or about money. The devil also uses this to cause Christians to demonize the wealthy. That's very popular in our culture. We see someone who has wealth and we automatically assume that they gained that wealth through deception or through bad practice. Or we see someone who has wealth and we label them as the villain or the bad guy, or that anyone who is wealthy must be running a scam, or that anyone who is wealthy must be taking advantage of others. That's not at all the biblical mindset. And we as Christians should reject it. But let's take a look at 1 Timothy 6:9-10. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people craving money have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. So here the enemy will take this portion of scripture and he'll cause us to embrace a poverty gospel. In other words, people embrace poverty as a virtue, poverty as a saintly trait. And this is the problem with that, is that we lack the resources that we need To accomplish things in the material sense for the sake of the kingdom of God. So when we're told to feed those who are hungry, if God doesn't perform a miracle, you're going to need to get that food from somewhere. If you're supposed to house those who need a place to stay, how are you going to pay for that building? If you're going to clothe those who don't have clothes, how are you going to pay for those clothes? And even if they're donated, how did those people get the resources to donate those clothes? Well, it was money. So money is simply a system by which we exchange goods and services. There's nothing evil inherently about money, but rather it's the love of money that's evil. But still, if the devil can just twist this just so, he can cause Christians to despise prosperity. He can cause Christians to be uncomfortable with, and therefore ignorant about finances. And that's where he wants to keep the church. poor and unable to fulfill its mission in the material sense. So let's contrast this with just the verses found a little bit later. It's 1 Timothy 6:17-19. Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. Wait a minute. Let's read that again. Their trust should be in God who richly gives us all we need for what? For our enjoyment. So God doesn't mind if you enjoy this life. He created this earth. Now, as long as you're not participating in sinful behavior, he wants you to enjoy the life that he gave you. Some Christians think that the more miserable they are, the more spiritual they are. Yes, we'll have trials, but that doesn't mean we always have to pursue trials and never pursue anything outside of that kind of life. Paul said, I learned how to abase and to abound. And so there are seasons to this. Verse 18, tell them to use their money to do good. Whoa, wait a minute. I thought money was evil. That's not what verse 18 tells us. Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. Interesting. By doing this, they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future. So that they may experience true life. So this is going to enhance their life. That generosity is going to cause them to store up treasure. So there's a positive spiritual effect that can be achieved through generosity, even if you have wealth. And so the resources that God gives to you, that's okay to have. It's okay to have money as long as money doesn't have you. And so we have to be Careful to not fall for the enemy's deceptions in areas like this. So you need to be vigilant about the way that the devil twists scripture. Now I wanna pray with you that the Holy Spirit would give you discernment in this area. So Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray for that one watching now who desires to see with the eyes of the Spirit. And I pray, Lord, that you would give them discernment. to identify the subtle lies of the enemy. And Holy Spirit, give them revelation of your word, of your truth, of your voice, that they might walk in that truth, that they might be free. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. And I want you to type it real big in the comments section if you agree. Type a big amen. Well, I want to give you an opportunity to be a part of what God is doing through This ministry. Our ministry has a very simple goal: we want to see people saved, healed, delivered, and have encounters with the Holy Spirit. And this ministry is growing rapidly. We're seeing the media grow. We're seeing our events grow. We're seeing all of the different projects and missions of this ministry grow. And we need your help to keep up with this growth. Don't listen to the voices of fear. Listen to the voice of faith. The future is bright. God will provide, and good things are coming your way. And trusting in God's goodness frees us to be generous toward ministries that are impacting the world. So if your life has been touched by this ministry and you want to see other lives touched, then make sure you partner with us today. You can partner today by signing up for our automatic giving plan that takes place on a monthly basis. By going to davidhernandezministries.com/partner. Make sure you check out that website because there are various different offers that we have each month that I know will interest you. So again, davidhernandezministries.com/partner. Consider today a gift of $30 a month. That will go a long way in helping us to reach the world with the gospel. You can also give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate. Give generously, give sacrificially, give cheerfully, and know that your gift will make an impact. Now, if you enjoyed this teaching, make sure to also check out the teaching, 9 Signs the Holy Spirit Is Transforming You Right Now.