#5 The Lying Spirits

Deceiving and lying spirits play a diabolical role in the life of the false prophet. If you think that evil spirits do not exist, just look at what was happening during the reign of King Ahab who, along with the wicked queen Jezebel, managed to bring Israel into apostasy (backslidden state).

When King Jehoshaphat sought confirmation before joining ranks with the wicked, king Ahab against their mutual enemy, Syria, four hundred false prophets of Baal boldly prophesied, “Go up to Ramothgilead.” Jehoshaphat was not convinced and asked, “Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? (I Kings 22:6-7).

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. (I Kings 22:8)

Micaiah’s first response was one of sarcasm, mocking the company of prophets and goading the King’s anger. Then Micaiah gave a searing Word that included a vision in the Spirit realm.

“And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him.  And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee” (I King 22:21-23).

Lying and deceiving spirits will eventually inhabit all false prophets. The lies may manifest in the form of staged healings, lying wonders, twisting scriptures, fake testimonies, fabricated stories of persecutions, and unreal consecrations such as, “I fasted 40 days and nights while praying before the Lord,” and ploys for money, “there are 21 people in this building that God says will give $1,000 dollars.” The lies serve to deceive their audience, bolster the prophet’s alleged spirituality and finally, extend his (her) bank account. Because God has chosen their delusion, they become pathological liars (Isaiah 66:4).

The Truth Is God

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. Once we are born again, the Spirit’s chief aim is to bring truth and reality to the heart and mind of every believer, because truth is God. Satan, on the other hand, is the father of lies. Each time an untruth, lie, or rumor comes our way, we should resist it, and cast it down from our minds to pursue a walk in truth, light and spiritual reality.

Lying spirits invade the conscience of the false prophet, and they cannot tell the truth because it has eluded them. They cannot grasp truth because they are estranged from God, who is Truth, and are given over to their own deceit.

Understanding Conscience

What do we mean by conscience? The human spirit has a component called the conscience that discerns what is right and wrong and carries these signals to the brain. The mind receives it, and the will of man makes decisions accordingly. No one is born with a pure conscience; it is developed through teaching, training, and discipline from childhood.

For example, while leaving a grocery store with my four-year-old son, I looked down only to see him chomping on a piece of chocolate candy. “Where did you get that?” I asked. “From there,” he replied while pointing his tiny index finger towards the store. I realized that he had helped himself to a low hanging open bin of assorted chocolates that patrons bagged themselves before purchasing at the checkout counter. “Josiah, you are supposed to buy that. Let Daddy know when you want something from the store, alright?” I said gently.

 I was trying to make him aware of what stealing was, and how to avoid it, without damaging him. As we learn lessons of right and wrong, good and bad, what is acceptable and unacceptable; we develop conscience. Once saved, the conscience unites with the holiness of God. We are stirred by what He approves or disapproves of, and conviction occurs when we miss the mark (sin).

 True prophets must walk according to conscience daily, keeping it pure, pliable, and renewed through meditation on the Word, and by seeking the face of God in prayer. When sin is committed, repentance should instantly follow. Sins of the flesh like sleeping around, smoking, or stealing are easily discerned, but sins of the spirit such as haughtiness, deceit, unforgiveness, bitterness, and revenge are the little foxes in the prophet’s vineyard (Song of Solomon 2:15).

Fake Healings

One of the ways that lying spirits manifest is through fake healings and lying wonders. While watching a famous televangelist with a renowned healing ministry in an open-air meeting, an eight-year-old African boy stood placidly before the evangelist as the assistant announced his need for healing of cross-eyes. The camera zoomed in closely on the left side of the boy’s face, where the good eye peered at the evangelist. After laying hands on the boy’s head and praying in the Lord’s name, the boy was turned face forward, and there set two perfectly straight, beautiful brown eyes glistening amid the backdrop of porcelain, ebony skin. The audience applauded, as praises rang up for the great “miracle,” but never at any point did we see the flawed eye. It was merely camera angles, emotions and, most sadly, fraud. I sighed in disbelief and sadness. God does not need shenanigans in order to look good, I thought. Neither is it His reputation that we are trying to bolster—it is our own.

# 6 The Sinning Spirit

Peter says that the false prophet is bent and cannot “cease from sin” (II Peter 2:14). This is very serious because it describes the reprobate. Every born-again believer has the DNA of God within his spirit. We have everything that pertains to eternal life and godliness (II Peter 1:3), and the Bible says that there is a seed inside the believer that cannot sin (I John 3:9). Our task is to allow this seed to produce fruit on a daily and consistent basis.

When we fall and confess our sin, the blood of Jesus covers and cleanses us. While learning to walk in purity, God wants us to enjoy the benefits of the kingdom, take dominion, tread on the head of the enemy, walk in our blessed inheritance, reach the lost, share the glory of this life, love one another, and serve Him with joy. The false prophet knows nothing of purity, and his mouth will attest to it with foul and insulting language.

 For example, a “hoe” is a garden tool and should never be ascribed to women whom God has chosen to bring all life into the entire world. Likewise, using swear words, vulgarity and derogatory names like “dyke” behind the rostrum is not only deeply offensive, but also reprehensible. Unlike Isaiah, the false prophet has never seen the Lord, high and lifted up. Neither has the hot coal from the altar of heaven purged their unclean lips.

While you may be trying to find someone who fits this description, remember the lesson that we learned from the airlines. Should there be decompression in the cabin; the oxygen mask will automatically fall from the compartment above. Place your mask securely over your head, first, and then assist someone else with theirs. In the spiritual realm, this means deal with yourself first by tightening up your own relationship with God, and then help your brother out as the Spirit leads (Matthew 7:3-4).

Personal Experience

In my earlier days as a single pastor, I was very young, naive, and thirsty for the things of God. There was a season when a series of women were coming into the ministry bearing spiritual gifts and looking for husbands to marry. I was truly interested in loving the Lord and working out His destiny in my life. My disinterest stirred up such fervor against me and the ministry that they became staunch enemies. Far more gifted than I, they began to use their revelation gifts to dismantle the church and pull members out. They said things like, “the Lord is showing me that the pastor is in disobedience concerning marriage, and the church is going under…better leave now.”

They approached other members with, “The Spirit is telling me to tell you to co-sign for me a car,” and “the Holy Ghost wants you to stay in this house and not leave.” If the person left to go to get groceries, it would be, “You disobeyed the Holy Ghost!” Much of this was going on without my knowledge, but I felt the effects in dwindling offerings, opposition, low morale, and sporadic attendance.

After one Sunday service, a dear brother came up to me and said, “Pastor, I have a Word for those two sisters, and I want you to witness it.” As they stood before us, he spoke, “The Lord said, stop it, stop it…or it will be turned over to witchcraft!” The witness of the Holy Spirit was very strong upon us all. They were church wreckers and eventually, I had to show them the door.

The lesson here is simple. Gift and authority misuse will bring divine warnings from heaven. If the heaven’s warnings are ignored, the gifts and authority will fall sway of seducing spirits, and the individual will operate in witchcraft. Let us all examine ourselves.

Barrenness

Jude says that false prophets were foreknown ages ago; even Enoch addressed their doom. Both authors compare them to three elements (wells, trees, clouds), which lack a byproduct. If wells contain no water, what good are they to the thirsty seeker? If trees bare leaves, but have no fruit, who can eat of it? And if clouds appear in the sky but no rain falls, what good are they to parched ground? Such is the state of the false prophet. They are barren; hence, they must fake everything.  Make no mistake about it, these glory-hogs, and Academy award-winning actors, will receive their ultimate reward in the Day of Judgment (Matthew 7). However, because of their bewitching charisma and blinding deception, we are warned to beware in these last days.

20^th Century tragedy

       In 1978 some 900 people perished in the jungle of Guyana, South America under the leadership of a charismatic preacher named Jim Jones. His blend of religion, socialism, integration, and communism appealed to a wide range of followers of every social-economic level, especially African Americans who comprised over sixty percent of multi-racial congregation. With a promise of leading them to a utopian, scores left family and friends in the bay area and traveled to Jones Town where they met their tragic end through mass murder and suicide by drinking cyanide-laced punch. (Anytime you here the term “don’t drink the Kool-Aid,” this unfortunate massacre is being referenced.)  Jones exhibited all six signs of a false prophet as detailed in this chapter and serves to remind us that the Word and relationship with God is our only safe haven. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFGhjfbSGc&t=2020s

Again, those who will play with God and His power in deceiving His people for vainglory and filthy lucre (godless financial gain) will open themselves one or more of these six entities. Sadly, they will not see it though others will. I end this blog with one word. BEWARE!

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