Doctrines of demons: Can we recognize them?

[Gerr]

Among the things that will take place just before Jesus comes are these:

1. Satan will work, "with all power, signs and LYING wonders, and with all unrighteous DECEPTION among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie." 2 Thes 2:10,11 NKJ.

2. "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." 1 Tim 4:1 NKJ.

What are these "doctrines of demons?"

Gerry

[Robert]

The doctrine of "self-love" is this doctrine of demons. The Devil has infiltrated the Christian Church by masquerading his principle of "self" into a Christian virtue. Instead of God's kingdom being built on "You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself" we are told "You must love self before you can love your neighbor." It sounds so right...but it is so wrong....

That's my take,

Rob

[cricket]

These are two distinctly demonic doctrines that are being practiced today:

• Do what thou wilt is the whole of the law.

• Love is the law; love under will.

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

---

Robert said:

Instead of God's kingdom being built on "You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself" we are told "You must love self before you can love your neighbor."

Rob

---

[:"red"] And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." [/] Mark 12:29-31 KJV

I have never heard any official premise from those who believe the Word, other than the above. Individuals have multiplied thousands of different beliefs.

Keep the faith

[Gerr]

Quote:

---

Christine Wall said:

These are two distinctly demonic doctrines that are being practiced today:

• Do what thou wilt is the whole of the law.

• Love is the law; love under will.

---

[:"blue"]Could you please elaborate? [/]

Gerry

[cricket]

I'm not certain that I can as I do not fully understand them myself. However, these are the two main doctrines, or fundamental beliefs held by those worshipping Satan--it can be found as a closing to any of their communications with one another.

"Do as thou wilt..." clearly verbalizes a disregard for others and does not acknowledge our obedience to the will of our Father.

The second statement, "Love is the law..." confuses me. This sounds like a wonderful concept. But, to love under will according to the law is a mystery to me. Whose will? Whose law?

[Gerr]

Can we tell a counterfeit when we see it?

Satan masquerades, transforms, disguises, himself as an angel of light. And his ministers (yea he's got them too) also masquerade, transform, & disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. 2 Cor 11:13-15.

He did not come to Eve as a horrible creature. He presented disobedience as something desirable by making the fruit so enticing as to make her wise, just like God.

He was able to counterfeit many of the miracles Moses performed.

He has a counterfeit Sabbath.

He has a counterfeit for immortality.

He has a counterfeit for hell.

And the list goes on.

Can we recognize his counterfeit for faith? His counterfeit for sanctification? His counterfeit for true revival?

Gerry

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Quote:

---

Christine Wall said:

I'm not certain that I can as I do not fully understand them myself. However, these are the two main doctrines, or fundamental beliefs held by those worshipping Satan--it can be found as a closing to any of their communications with one another.

"Do as thou wilt..." clearly verbalizes a disregard for others and does not acknowledge our obedience to the will of our Father.

The second statement, "Love is the law..." confuses me. This sounds like a wonderful concept. But, to love under will according to the law is a mystery to me. Whose will? Whose law?

---

Just FYI...these are quotes from Aleister Crowley who founded Thelema, which is a form of occultism. You will never find agreement amongst occultists as to the exact meaning, nor will you find that all occultists agree with Crowley. It's sort of like taking a directive quote from EGW and saying that all Adventists believe and follow that specific directive.

[Gerr]

Welcome to CA. Saw your bio. Looks interesting. Is it possible to hear the "rest of the story?" I'll start a thread on this subject.

Gerry

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

---

Gerry Cabalo said:

Can we tell a counterfeit when we see it?

He was able to counterfeit many of the miracles Moses performed.

Can we recognize his counterfeit for faith? His counterfeit for sanctification? His counterfeit for true revival?

Gerry

---

IMHO a great principle to follow in determining the false as opposed to the genuine, is to study the genuine until it is indelibly impressed on your mind, until seeing a counterfeit would be like placing a transparent overlay on the counterfeit, making the genuine stand out in stark contrast. To make it even more evident, allow the true overlay be red in color (the blood of Jesus) while the counterfeit would be black (the prince of darkness).

[:"red"] "Search the scriptures;..... they are they which testify of me." [/] John 5:39 KJV

[:"red"] "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." [/] Matthew 24:24 KJV

The bold of the preceding indicates it is not possible.

[:"red"] "My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me. The Father and I are one." [/] John 10:27-30 NLT

The underlined seems to indicate those who have received eternal life will never perish. The bold would perhaps indicate a quick snatch as impossible, but might not address a slow seduction, which has often succeeded in spiritual warfare, at least temporarily as is attested by the written record of almost all of the illustrious Bible characters.

[:"red"] "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life..."[/] John 3:36 KJV

[:"red"] "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test. " [/] 2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT

[:"red"] "....Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." [/] Romans 14:5 KJV

[Clio]

I was going to post this elsewhere, but it is distinctly apropos to this discussion....

This is the text of an email from a friend of mine living in the UK. He is not SDA, but seeks Abba Father with a true and sincere heart. He is one, that I am patiently waiting for the HS to teach him about the Sabbath.

But I digress... Here is what he sent which I believe point out doctrines of demons prevalent today.

*************************************************************************

I visited in Wales.. I went in for a service, perhaps a friendly confab afterward, and I learned a lesson in where the contemporary church is headed..

This gal from Scotland was giving people at this, her sister church, messages from their 'dead relatives'.. I was shocked and just sat there in horror, mentally praying, "oh dear Lord, should I high-tail it outta here?", and I just sort of sat there patiently and observed.

It started out like a normal Christian service; singing hymns, quoting from Jesus in the Bible.. Then, the gal started channeling messages from beyond the grave, as it were.. She would walk up to random people and give them their messages from this spirit or that.. Then she pointed to me, and I was mentally praying, "Lord, do you want me to stand up and rebuke these people or do what?!"

I sat there and listened to what she had to say.. At this stage, nobody in that church had spoken to me, therefore they didn't know I was American. And the Scottish Channeler said to me, "I'm getting a message from an older man; he is hard to understand, he has a strange accent.. He's somewhat of a portly chap, and he's telling you to make sure you eat a good breakfast everyday."

The thing is, there is a backstory with my grandfather cooking breakfast for me, and staying at a bed and breakfast, and the fact he just recently died, that, if I didn't understand what was going on, I could have been easily deceived by this event.. But I'm not ignorant to the devil's methods/abilities...

Well, she then said to me, "I have a message for you, that.." and I interjected, "that I have a heavy burden?".. And she sort of fumbled a bit and got just a hint flustered/defensive, and explained to me it was hard to understand him because of his accent... .

Needless to say, when that service was over, I never went back to that church.. But when I walked out, nobody greeting me or starting a conversation with me (which I was frankly pleased about), the Scottish spiritist gal kind of followed behind me a bit and got my attention as I started walking down the sidewalk toward my Bed and Breakfast...

She smiled and told me everything would be fine, as if to relieve 'my burden'.. She did have a genuine look of compassion, but I felt more sorry for her after a fashion.. I wanted to talk with her and explain what the Bible says about seducing spirits, but my spirit just turned me around and kept me walking toward home (the B&B was my home at that time).

************************************************************************

If you fail to comprehend the Biblical statements on the state of the dead and the abomination of necromancy, then with signs and lying wonders... who would disbelieve?

Clio

[Bravus]

Interesting - i was just about to comment that EGW was most likely talking about the 19th century spiritualism craze, and that that seems to be less of an issue these days, but clearly that's not the case! Thanks for sharing that, Clio.

It would be very tempting to just use the 'doctrines of demons' label to slap on our pet hated doctrines, but as I understand it spiritualism is much more the focus.

[Clio]

Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

We should be so familiar with the truth that when false teaching and false teachers are seen and heard by us they will stick out as black sheep and be automatically recognized. If we do not know the Word of God we will not recognize the lies of Satan. Many modern ministers would certainly be in big trouble if those in the pews actually started reading their Bibles as they should.

Their appearance:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep´s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (Matt 7:15)

Recognizing false teachers is not easily done, considering that they have the appearance of being sheep.

The mission of a deceiver is to deceive. Deceivers will not always appear deceptive, or else they would never be able to deceive anyone. Their lies will always be disguised as truth. Beware because their charm will be enticing and their glamour blinding for those who refuse to be discerning. Often they will look better and more successful than everyone else, portraying the image that everyone would want to be like. Their grass many look greener and their water clearer, but they are poisoned with lies and seasoned with deceit.

Their reputation:

"Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets." (Lu 6:26)

Those who please man often do not please God, and those who please God often do not please man. The popular minister is not like Christ who was thrown out of the synagogues, who even foretold to those who follow Him "They will put you out of the synagogues" as well. (John 16:2). If a "good" name or a "good" reputation automatically meant a good preacher, then what about the early Church that was "spoken against everywhere"? (Acts 28:22)

Their message:

"For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! When there is no peace" (Jer. 8:11, Eze 13:16)

Rather then preaching life eternal, many are preaching life enhancement. Rather then preaching deliverance from sin and hell, they preach deliverance from suffering and hurt. Ray Comfort wrote "The modern gospel has degenerated into means of happiness, rather than one of righteousness." False teachers speak only of blessing, prosperity, and the favor of God but will not touch on Gods righteous wrath or His holy indignation. They promise an easy life, Christ promises a crucified life. They serve the flesh as opposed to serving The Spirit. They appeal to the greedy heart of man as opposed to the conscience.

Their audience:

"Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many." (Mt 24:11)

It says that "many" false teachers will "deceive many". This means that they will have many followers. If we measure a man’s anointing or the blessing of God on a ministry by how many people believe in the message and the messenger, then the false prophets in the Old Testament would be from God and men like Jeremiah would be considered a liar.

"For false christ´s and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." (Mr 13:22) A false teacher will deceive both the sinful and the uneducated. Their audience will be made up of both sinners and saints. They appeal to the sinner because sinners never are made to feel bad about their lifestyles, but rather are given false hope and false peace. They appeal to the saint because they appear to be the real deal; they are wearing sheep´s clothing though they are wolves. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light." (2 Cor 11:13-14)

Their Motive:

"Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?" (Ezekiel 34:2)

A false teacher has an eye on people´s bank accounts while a true preacher has his eyes on eternity. A false teacher may preach a message saturated with truth, but it will be seasoned with lies. They will use the Bible and speak the name of Christ. Their Christian language will be the same as ours, and that is their deception. Even the devil lies with half truths! These men may encourage people to go after God, but will not convict people of their sin. A preacher is "to exhort and convict those who contradict." (1 Tim 1:9). They never warn people that their sin is destructive to their life, deadly to their soul, and disgusting to a Holy God. A watchman that does not blow the trumpet when the sword is coming must either be sleeping or not love the city!

Their results:

"And He spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?" (Lu 6:39)

A false teacher will turn the grace of God into licentiousness by teaching that God came to save men in their sin, not from their sin.

"For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:4). These men ultimately say "Enjoy your sin and enjoy Jesus too". This is the old destructive lie which says Jesus can be your Savior but doesn´t have to be your Lord; God is pleased with you even in disobedience. This truly is the modern heresy which has inebriated many. This is the despicable message of freedom to sin rather then freedom from sin. They speak death disguised as life. They lead to bondage cloaked as freedom.

The Answer <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/soapbox.gif" alt="" />

"But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Tim 4:5).

It was as if Paul was saying "yes, men are preaching lies and will continue to deceive the multitudes. But as for you, preach the truth". We can constantly judge and condemn other ministries, or we can have ministries of our own. It is the truth that will prevail against lies!

To answer the well known question of, "Can´t we all just get along?" The answer is no. The only way that the world will accept us is if we accept the world. Christ came to cause division. (Matt 10:34). We must be completely for Christ, we can not have any side loyalties to the world. If you want to follow in the way of the Master, kiss the world good-bye!

Throw reputation out the window for the sake of the truth. Endure afflictions, overcome any hardship; persevere through any tribulation to recover even one sheep that has wandered off. Count it a blessing and a joy when you are hated, rejected, spoken badly of, persecuted, and even killed. Live your life with your heart for God´s glory. Even if people do not care for you or your message, care for people and their souls. So then, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mk 16:15)

<img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/soapbox.gif" alt="" /> ------------> Coming down off my soapbox now....

Clio

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

re: the email from Clio's friend who encountered channeling in a church.

There's a growing interest, especially in Great Britian and the US, in the idea of Christian witches. It sounds like this is what the person encountered in Wales. Christian witches are folks who use magick to "assist God" in healing, divination, and the like, and would include channeling messages from so-called spirits of the dead. Interestingly enough, most (but not all) Christian witches who I am aware of affiliate themselves with the Catholic church.

(p.s. Gerry, thanks for asking about the "rest of my story" ... I'll trying to post something at the new thread later this evening. It's a story with lots of twists and surprises.)

[cricket]

Another post giving specific examples of Satanic Doctrine:

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1967

[spanish, Croation]

1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.

2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.

3. When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there.

4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.

5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.

6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.

7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.

8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.

9. Do not harm little children.

10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.

11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.

The Nine Satanic Sins

by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1987

1. Stupidity—The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.

2. Pretentiousness—Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.

3. Solipsism—Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point.

4. Self-deceit—It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!

5. Herd Conformity—That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many.

6. Lack of Perspective—Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist. You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.

7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies—Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.

8. Counterproductive Pride—That first word is important. Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.

9. Lack of Aesthetics—This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied.

[Amelia]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />

He was able to counterfeit many of the miracles Moses performed.

He has a counterfeit Sabbath.

He has a counterfeit for immortality.

He has a counterfeit for hell.

And the list goes on.

Can we recognize his counterfeit for faith? His counterfeit for sanctification? His counterfeit for true revival?

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

Ok, this has me really wondering if I can and have ever? Pretty scary.

[cricket]

For a better description of the differences between Satanism, Thelma, Wicca, etc...Satanism FAQs

Of special importance and correction of my previous post(s):

Are ritual magicians Satanists?

Many ritual magicians are Satanists or share similar views with Satanism, although the origins of Ritual magick are Judeo-Christian. The Church of Satan and similar groups originated in ritual magick, and a great many Satanists practice some form of ritual or another; however, most magicians, including Thelemites (followers of Victorian occultist Aleister Crowley), are not Satanists.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Er...uh... :: cough :: Anton LaVey and his works were/are pretty much shunned by genuine occultists. His "Church of Satanism" attracted more of the disenchanted youth of the 1960's/70's than it did true practitioners. LaVey was a charismatic showman and his words are hardly original mind-boggling thoughts.

I believe Satan is and will be much more subtle and subversive in the planning and execution of his plans. Indeed, he probably laughs all the way to hell and back when he sees people look at LaVey's garbage and think they're seeing the "Doctrines of Satan." IMHO

I do not have much in the way of theological knowledge, but it seems to me that one way to know what the doctrines of Satan are, would be to clearly know and understand what the gospel is, as stated in the Bible. What goes against/doesn't stand up to the test of God's Word, would be the doctrine of Satan. Or am I being too simplistic?

[cricket]

Not at all. Simplicity is sometimes best.

While it is true that Satan uses any doctrine/method that is directly opposed to Christianity, the originator of this post asked, "What are these 'doctrines of demons?'" The answers provided were ones that were intended to answer this questions specifically.

Clearly, those who have experience with the world of the occult are better suited to answering these questions.

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

---

rudywoofs said:

I do not have much in the way of theological knowledge, but it seems to me that one way to know what the doctrines of Satan are, would be to clearly know and understand what the gospel is, as stated in the Bible. What goes against/doesn't stand up to the test of God's Word, would be the doctrine of Satan. >>Or am I being too simplistic<<

---

Not at all, sister. And please allow me to say, "Muy bueno" to the above discernment. Re: >> <<,

[:"red"]"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [/] Matthew 18:4 KJV

When a little child can understand it, the likelihood of its being from God is tremendously improved.

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

---

Amelia said:

Can we recognize his counterfeit for faith? His counterfeit for sanctification? His counterfeit for true revival?

---

Ok, this has me really wondering if I can and have ever? Pretty scary.

---

[:"red"] "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God..." [/] John 7:17 KJV

Keep looking up!

[Gerr]

"The last great delusion is soon to open before us. SO CLOSELY WILL THE COUNTERFEIT RESEMBLE THE TRUE, THAT IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THEM EXCEPT BY THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. By their testimony every statement and every miracle is to be tested." GC 593.

Yes, it is scary, Amelia. That is why we MUST know & understand the Word for ourselves.

Gerry