On a recent episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, theologian John Piper explained what the Apostle Paul meant in 1 Timothy 4:1 when he said, “… in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
“What does this look like? Can it really mean Christ-worshipers become blatant demon-worshipers? Or is this move far more subtle? Can you explain to me what’s happening in this text?” a listener named Leland asked in regard to the passage.
Pointing to Romans 8:30, Piper responded, saying that the Apostle Paul is teaching “that those who are predestined are called, and those who are called are justified, and those who are justified are glorified,” and as such, “no genuinely called and justified Christian ever falls away into demon worship – not permanently, anyway.”
According to ChurchLeaders.com, Piper further argued that the professing Christians mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:1 were not truly born again, hence why they left the faith and devoted themselves to doctrines of demons.
Regarding the “deceitful spirits,” Piper says the Apostle Paul warned Timothy that they will manifest themselves “through people who claim to speak in the name of some supernatural being.”
“In some charismatic way, perhaps, with a spirit of prophecy,” he added.
The pastor also pointed to 1 John 4:1 in arguing that true Christians will “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”
“Through these spirits, there arise cult-like practices that contradict biblical teaching but look religious,” Piper said.
“You can see that these are teachings of demons because that’s what the goal of demons is: to lure people away from Christ,” he continued.
In closing, Piper stressed that “Paul urges us in Ephesians 6 to put on the whole armor of God” and “keep alert with all perseverance” to keep Christians from being deceived.
He also shared that he loves the promise in 1 Peter 1:5, which highlights the believer’s security in God.
“By God’s power [we] are being guarded [being kept] through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time,” Piper quoted. “That’s our hope. Those whom the Lord calls, the Lord keeps.”
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.