Seducing Spirits

1 Timothy 4:1

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

The Spirit has expressly declared that in the last days, many will depart from the faith. Well, my friends, we are currently in the last days. However, take note of how this falling away shall take place. The first thing that is going to happen is that men will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.

SEDUCE - attract (someone) to a belief or into a course of action that is inadvisable or foolhardy.

It is clear that in these last days members of the Body of Christ will be attracted to non-biblical beliefs, and will be seduced into ungodly deeds. Nevertheless, the power of this seduction is to bring you into a trance-like state, where you cannot perceive your true spiritual disposition. If we are to examine the traits of seducing spirits, it would be good for us to revisit the place where it was first seen-THE GARDEN OF EDEN

Genesis 3:1

1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

There is so much to be pulled from this one verse. Firstly, let us take a moment to dissect the devil’s approach. He chose the most subtle creature he could find as the vessel he would operate through. Lucifer was given great wisdom from God, and this wisdom was not taken from him when he fell from God’s glory. I really want us to take a look at the devil and the devices he uses to seduce the servants of the Lord. Consider these absolutes for a moment. Satan had an agenda. He needed to get man to disobey God. However, he needed someone that could approach Eve with the same agenda. He chose the serpent.

We know that Lucifer was the first to sin in God’s creation. He is the author of sin and death. But his sin, which God called iniquity, was a creation of his own. His thoughts became a product of his unrest and discontentment with God. He wanted more than God had allocated. He wanted more. This more, represented a lust for that which was outside the boundaries God had set.

Take note of the fact that a seducing spirit is an offspring of something that is a direct opposite and contradiction to what God is. In other words. Lucifer fell because he decided he would exalt his throne above that of God. He thought to make himself greater than God. Thus, he rebelled and convinced many of the angelic hosts to follow in his folly and foolhardiness. Now don’t miss the operation here, because it is very important. Lucifer is in total disagreement with the will and purpose of God for his life. He announces himself to the host of heaven, as a contradiction to God, though he mimics what he sees of God.

2 Corinthians 11:14

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Look at the subtlety of the enemy. Though he fell from glory he still has the ability to transform into an angel of light. He transforms himself into something that is unsuspected or seemingly trustworthy. When he does this, he knows he is free to have an unguarded conversation with you.

Ezekiel 28:14

14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

His wisdom was not the only thing he retained, he also retained his anointing. When he abandoned God, his anointing was perverted. It is the anointing of God that destroys the yoke of bondage that Satan produces, however, Satan’s evil anointing is what creates the yoke.

2 Corinthians 11:15

15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Even as Satan is able to appear as righteous, so are his ministers. His ministers may seem to have righteous intent. However, their true desires are selfish and evil. These are seducing spirits that are sent to take the people of God off course. The agenda of all seducing spirits will be the same as the original seduction in the garden.

The devil comes into your life as trustworthy, with the intent of working subtle evil. This causes the one who entertains him to be unguarded and unsuspecting. It is good to highlight here the fact that the devil approached the woman. Why did he do so?

Genesis 2:15-18

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

According to the scriptures, God made Adam first. It was Adam who received the commandment concerning eating the forbidden fruit. Eve was made after the commandment was spoken to Adam. This causes us to know that Adam was given the ultimate responsibility for himself and his family. It was his job both to teach them that they should not eat the fruit as well as to ensure it. Hence we are back to our question, why did the serpent approach Eve?

Genesis 2:23-25

23And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

The serpent knew Adam’s emotions concerning his wife. He saw how he cleaved to her. He understood that the way into his heart was through his wife. Thus, though Adam was ultimately responsible for their actions concerning the tree, an approach through his wife was a foolproof way to ensure that he would walk into the trap. Seducing spirits continue to operate in this manner. It is our wantonness through which seducing spirits have access to us. I have often counseled many in leadership saying, “Want nothing!”

WANTONNESS - An unlawful desire for anything that God has forbidden. A desire for something that is so strong that it makes you willing to trade your relationship with God for it.

2 Peter 2:18

18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

Wantonness is the access point for a seducing spirit. A seducing spirit will not be able to influence you, if you 'want nothing'. It is our contentment with godliness that makes us steadfast and unmoveable in the faith. However, if we have a desire or secret hope for anything that is beyond God’s providence, we have moved out of the faith, and will fall prey to seducing spirits.

It is important to note that wantonness isn't only relative to sexual or financial lust. It can also be unforgiveness, which is a want for revenge when God demands forgiveness. It can be a lust for ministry, when God has said you are not spiritually ready. Wantonness is that rebuttal you bring to God when He has confronted you about your ways.

Genesis 3:2-3

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

It is interesting to see the devil’s approach here. He brings a question to the table. However, it is a question he already knows the answer to. His purpose for asking is to allow the responder to voice and hear their own answer. If there is a controversy in your heart, regarding any commandment of God; this creates a space for doubt. “Is my answer the truth, or am I believing something I am unsure about? This is a setup for further deception. It postured Eve to be receptive to alternative suggestion, just in case she had misunderstood God's commandment; when in truth she understood it perfectly.

Likewise, today these spirits will cause you to second guess the influence of God in your life. He will cause you to wonder if what you have believed of God for many years has been a lie. Many times God’s influence comes through people. However, a seducing spirit’s agenda is to cause you to question your trust, and become an observer of the righteous. Nevertheless, the Word of God is sufficient! God’s leading never breaks scripture. However, a seducing spirit will attempt to entice you to ignore aspects of the scripture, and definitely your own disposition or iniquity.

The voice of God will always be within the bounds of all scripture. Another point is that a seducing spirit will allow you to voice your spiritual beliefs along with the penalties for breaking them. We see this in Eve’s response. It is necessary for you to voice these consequences of your beliefs because it is the intent of the seducer to bring “clarity” to the things you regard as God. The devil has an intent to lessen the evil in your sin and he does it by first attacking your belief system or your point of view.

Genesis 3:4

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Here is your red flag. A seducing spirit will never demand righteousness from you. There will always be a subtle approach but the foundation of it is always a lie. The foundation is to get you to sin against your God. Notice the boldness of the devil? He directly contradicted the commandment of God. Likewise, the devil will be bold towards you, directly contradicting the scriptures as well as the influence that God has had in your heart. He will begin to deem God’s influence as the control of others, or even as your personal weakness. However, the devil is a liar! A seducing spirit will always point you to self.

What are the things you want? What are the things that have been unfair? What are the things that have been unspoken? Your focus is now shifted to all the things that preserve and exalt self. He did this with Eve by telling her that she will not die. This statement presents to her what seems like the best of both worlds:

1. She will get to eat the fruit and gain wisdom.

2. She will not die. However, the source of these desires are from selfishness as opposed to godliness.

Godliness puts God’s desires first. Godliness will cause an individual to deny rather than to appease self. However, it is wantonness that will give us the option of disobedience, when there should be none. I have seen this operation many times. It deceives one into believing they can ignore the scriptures and their commandments; but I will still have fellowship with God. This is a seducing spirit! This is why Jesus encourages us to deny ourselves if we are ever to follow Him, because self is an enemy of God. Self is an idol.

Genesis 3:5

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Here is a great indictment! The enemy in his lies is making it appear that God was impure towards Eve. He paints a picture that makes God appear as the selfish one who is working His own agenda. In his attempt to change her perspective of God he presents a false narrative that says God is either trying to place unnecessary limitations on her or that He has something against her. Those who sow seeds of discord among the brethren take this approach. They spread lies that make it seem as though the righteous are sinners. As though they are selfish and have hatred against others.

This causes the seduced to lose trust in those who have had a godly influence in their lives. However, the seduction blinds them from seeing the iniquity that is slowly building in their own heart.

The next step is for the seducer to present an escape. It presents an alternative to righteousness that seems to be a better option. It gives a false impression that there will be liberty if you obey it; and that you will be free of the limitations of the flesh. However, this is a lying spirit. Once again a seducing spirit only has power where there is wantonness in the heart. If Eve was content with her human state then she would have had no desire to eat the fruit. However, the seducing spirit dangled a possibility before her; the possibility of receiving what she desired. This caused her to see herself as currently lacking and restricted by God.

2 Peter 2:18

18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

Seducing spirits are the same today. They will speak words of vanity and allure you through your wantonness. Even though you were rescued from darkness, you will return to, it if wantonness is in the heart. The “swelling words” of these spirits will cause you to become puffed up. They will flatter you, and entice you into sin. It is crucial for us to examine our hearts.

If you are wanton and discontent with the state you're in, a seducing spirit can easily flatter, and allure you into its trap. If we are needy for recognition, it will ensure it recognizes you. If you are lustful for ministry, it will have a platform for you. If you are iniquitous, it will be a listening ear. Either way, its desire is to pull you out of God’s influence and to ensnare you in its own.

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

This is the most intriguing aspect to me. Notice that the serpent does nothing else from henceforth. It simply plants the seed and allows the person it planted it in to do the rest. It is the individual who develops his own iniquity and lust. This is the wisdom of the seducing spirit, in that it causes one to feel as if they came to these decisions on their own; when in truth they were led into them. I have seen people leave churches, marriages, and godliness due to this operation.

When the seducing spirits are questioned, they have a perfect response. They are able to skillfully place all blame on the one they seduced. They throw the stone then hide their hands. It was the woman who looked at the tree, and desired it. However, the reason she desired it, is because she now thought it was able to make her wise. This knowledge came from the devil. It was this devilish inspiration that caused her to leave her God.

Now here is where a whole new issue unfolds. Eve brought the fruit to Adam.

1 Timothy 2:14

14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Eve was actually beguiled by the devil. She was seduced and tricked into believing a lie. However, Adam was not beguiled, he was simply seduced by his wife. It was his wantonness for his wife that caused him to be seduced into disobedience. Once, again we see a seducing spirit approaching an individual through their wants.

There are many who follow seducing spirits not because they are deceived, but simply because they want what they want. They are willing to trade their souls for darkness and lusts. However, their end will be destruction. A seducing spirit will blind you to the truth which is, "If you obey it, your end will be hell." Instead, it promises you peace.

Genesis 3:7

7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Here we see the snare of the devil is complete. The first thing that happens once they are held captive by the devil is that their eyes are opened to the kingdom of darkness and its evil. Evil becomes the lens through which the world and people are seen. Suddenly, they feel that they were enlightened to people’s evil intentions towards them. However, they are simply under the power of seduction.

The ultimate goal of a seducing spirit is to bring souls to hell and to bring division in the Body of Christ. Once seduced, individuals will have no problem being separated from other members of the Body. Moreover, it will be their preference. This is how you tell the operation of a seducing spirit. It never rejoices in unity, and it never seeks to rescue his/her offender. Instead, it spews iniquity, and works its agenda in the lives of the blind. Body of Christ, be watchful because seducing spirits are loose in the world today.