In particular, it warns against what he can do through those human teachers who further his program by being false teachers. For this obvious reason, the New Testament warns against what the devil can do. 8:44), and it is still the horrible means by which he defrauds people of their hope (Col. In short, we can learn to discern - and we're in danger if we don't.Īll those who have obeyed the gospel need to be reminded that the devil's power to destroy people lies in his ability to deceive them, leading them away from the truth upon which their salvation depends (Jn. We can't acquire perfect knowledge, but we certainly can grow to 'full age' and be among those 'who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil' (Hb.

And as time goes by, we're to become more skilled at seeing through deception. Although we're to hold our convictions gently and humbly, the fact remains that we are to hold them. Solid, stable truth is held up as a worthy goal, and Christians are urged to get past the stage as quickly as possible where they're apt to be blown back and forth by 'every wind of doctrine.' We're not to be stubborn, of course. But the New Testament view of maturity is different. Many modern thinkers hold to the concept that 'truth' is totally subjective, and that the more mature a person is, the less dogmatic he will be about anything. Paul wasn't wasting words when he said that 'that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ' (Eph. Stability in the truthful teaching of God's word is not only a mark of Christian maturity, the lack of it makes new converts vulnerable to the loss of their salvation. Few things, if any, contribute to lifelong faithfulness more than the combination of discernment (the ability to distinguish truth from untruth, based on a study of God's word) and conviction (the willingness to take a stand for the truth once it has been discerned).

Bible verse beware of false prophets