The Wiles of the devil
Part 1
We are given a stern warning in
Ephesians 6:11 Put on
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the
wiles of the devil.
What does it mean to stand against the devil? How are we to achieve
this task? Jesus tells us in the book of Luke that we are to watch
and pray always against the evil of this world that we might be able
to stand before Him on that day.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and
pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
We are instructed to study God's Word that we may be able to stand
in the coming days ahead. Here is scripture instructing us to stand
on the Word of God.
Romans 5:2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We stand on
the Word and faith in God not on the foolishness of man.
1Corinthians 15:1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the
gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and
wherein ye stand;
1Corinthians 16:13
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you
like men, be strong.
2Corinthians 1:24
Not for that we have dominion over your faith,
but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Ephesians 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having
done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:14
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about
with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
(15)
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
(16)
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
(17)
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God:
Philippians 1:27
Only let your conversation be as it becometh
the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be
absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one
spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Philippians 4:1
Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and
crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of
Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers,
that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
1Thessalonians 3:8
For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.
2Thessalonians 2:15
Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the
traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our
epistle.
1Peter 5:12
By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I
suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this
is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
In Exodus God instructed Moses to stand before Pharaoh. Reading in
Exodus 8:20
And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and
stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto
him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
So what are the wiles of the Devil? How are we supposed to stand
against a power greater than our own? We know from the world around
us that satan likes to create a false, or an opposite to God's
instructions.
For instance God has setup a hierarchy for man to
follow, satan has also setup his own hierarchy that is the direct
opposite to God's plan.
Let’s take a detailed look at some of the wiles of the devil and his
deception upon the sons of men.
Bible Version:
Let's starts with the Bible itself. Which is the correct Bible? How
can we tell which one to use?
Does it really matter which bible you use?
There is a law that prohibits a writer from making a copy of a book
and sell it under a different name. This means that I can't copy
the King James Bible and call it the NIV for instance. This law is
called the Derivative Copyright Law
US Copyright Office Circular 14: Derivative Works notes that:
A typical derivative work registered in the Copyright Office is a
primarily new work but incorporates some previously published
material. The previously published material makes the work a
derivative work under copyright law. To be copyrightable, a
derivative work must differ sufficiently from the original to be
regarded as a new work or must contain a substantial amount of new
material. Making minor changes or additions of little substance to a
preexisting work will not qualify a work as a new version for
copyright purposes. The new material must be original and
copyrightable in itself. Titles, short phrases, and formatting are
not copyrightable.
(http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf)
This law alone should tell you something about the new so called
bible versions. If your bible carries a copyright notice then it
must contain sufficiently and a substantial amount of new material
then the King James Version or it could not have it's own copyright.
Many if not all of the new versions contain a copyright. You need
permission from the copyright holders if you intend to quote from
these bibles. Here is what the New International Version states on
their website:
Fair Use: Text from the NIV Bible may be quoted in any form
(written, visual, electronic or audio), up to and inclusive of 500
verses or less without written permission, providing the verses
quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible, nor do verses
quoted account for 25% or more of the total text of the work in
which they are quoted, and the verses are not being quoted in a
commentary or other biblical reference work. This permission is
contingent upon an appropriate copyright acknowledgment.
(http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Company/Policy/Rights/Bibles.htm?QueryStringSite=Zondervan)
Zondervan holds the copyright to the NIV bible. Zondervan is owned
Harper Collins which is owned by Rupert Murdoch. Rupert had been in
the news lately about his scandal-laden British newspaper news of
the world. One must wonder why a man like Rupert Murdoch would want
to hold the exclusive rights to a bible?
Here is a partial list of bibles that contain copyrights:
New Living Translation (NLT)
New International Version (NIV)
New King James Version (NKJV)
English Standard Version (ESV)
Reina-Valera 1960 Version (RVR)
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
American Standard Version (ASV)
Darby Translation (DBY)
Hebrew Names Version (HNV)
Webster's Bible (WEB)
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
Latin Vulgate (VUL)
Morphological Greek New Testament (mGNT)
Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)
Here is a list of bibles that do not have any copyrights and can be
freely read or made copies of.
King James Version (KJV)
Textus Receptus (TR) also known as the Received Text which is where
the KJV comes from.
So what are these changes? We could spend many hours on the changes
which were made in the new versions. Some of them are very minor and
some are salvation issues. Even though some are small changes we are
told that we are not to alter the Word of God.
Deuteronomy 4:2
Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye
diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the
LORD your God which I command you.
Deuteronomy 12:32 What
thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add
thereto, nor diminish from it.
Revelation 22:18 For I
testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of
this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add
unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Revelation 22:19 And
if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and
out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this
book.
2Timothy 3:16 All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
Let's take a look at 25 major changes that the new bibles are
saying. There are 100's of other changes but in the interest
of time we will only look at 25.
With over 200 different English versions available and a new one
coming out every 6 months, it’s difficult to individually separate
Satan’s counterfeits from the Word of God.
Check your Bible and see if it is a counterfeit.
1. Genesis 22:8
The counterfeit bibles change ". . . My
son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:. . ."
to distort the prophesy that God would become the Lamb. The
counterfeits read as, "God will provide for Himself the lamb. .
." or "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt
offering". The fulfillment of Genesis 22:8 is found in John
1:29.
2. Isaiah 14:12
Most counterfeits confuse the Lord Jesus Christ with Lucifer. They
replace the word "Lucifer"
with "morning star, day star, star of the morning". Morning
star is a title reserved for the Lord Jesus in Revelation 22:16 .
This is also the only time the word "Lucifer" is found in the Word
of God. In Isaiah 14:15 the counterfeits do not send Lucifer to
"hell" but only to the confusing "Sheol", or the "grave".
3. Matthew 20:20
Many counterfeits remove the words
"worshipping him" and rob worship from the Lord Jesus
Christ. Some will replace "worshipping him" with "kneeling down"
or "kneeling before", but just simply "kneeling" is not
worship.
4. Matthew 26:28
Many counterfeits replace the phrase "new
testament" with the generic phrase "new agreement"
or "new covenant". This is an obvious attack on the written
Word of God. It’s interesting, even though the counterfeits remove
the phrase "new testament", they do not title their New Testaments
as "New Agreement" or "New Covenant". Why? The counterfeiters know
they could not sell their counterfeit bearing the title "New
Agreement" or "New Covenant" on the cover, so like any good
counterfeiter, they disguise it.
5. Mark 3:29
The counterfeits change the serious consequences of blaspheme
against the Holy Ghost from "eternal
damnation" to "eternal sin" or "eternal
condemnation".
6. Luke 4:4
Many counterfeits remove the last half of Luke 4:4,
". . . but by every word of God"
This is another assault on the Word of God. In Luke 4:4, the Lord
Jesus Christ is quoting Deuteronomy 8:3. Do the counterfeiters
believe the Lord Jesus does not know what Deuteronomy 8:3 says?
7. Luke 4:8
Many counterfeits remove the words "get
thee behind me, Satan". Here the Lord Jesus Christ
openly rebukes Satan – but the counterfeits do not rebuke Satan.
8. Luke 16:23
Many counterfeits refuse to translate the Greek word "haides".
Rather than translate "haides" to the word
"hell", the counterfeit will
transliterate the Greek word "haides" into the English "hades". By
this trick the counterfeit attempts to extinguish the flames of
hell. Hades is not "hell". Hell is flames, torments, weeping and
wailing, complete darkness – forever. Hades is a new-age place of
purification, or a fantasy place in Greek mythology. The Assyrian
Hades is an abode of blessedness with silver skies called Happy
Fields.
9. John 4:24
Many counterfeits change "God is a spirit"
to "God is spirit". By removing the critical article "a",
the counterfeits teach an impersonal, formless, esoteric, new-age
"spirit god".
10. John 14:16
Many counterfeits change the Holy Spirit from a loving, concerned
"Comforter" to simply another
"Helper, Counselor".
11. Acts 2:47
Many counterfeits change the completed act of
"saved" to the working, in
progress "being saved". With this change, the counterfeits
deny the complete and finished salvation in the blood of Jesus
Christ to a progressive, salvation by works. You are no longer
"saved" but in the process of
"being saved". See also in 1 Corinthian 1:18 and 2 Corinthians 2:15.
12. Acts 4:27
Many counterfeits abandon the Lord Jesus Christ as the Father’s
"holy child" to His "holy
servant". A subtle (see Genesis 3:1) and clever denial of the
deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. The counterfeits do this again in
Acts 4:30.
13. Acts 8:37
Some counterfeits completely remove this wonderful verse (and
several others). Acts 8:37 is the Ethiopian eunuch getting
saved. The counterfeits stop him from getting saved. Some
counterfeits are a little more subtle. They do not remove the verse
from the text, but will add a footnote questioning the verse and
plant a seed of doubt. Sound familiar? "Yea, hath God said. . .?"
Many counterfeits also remove: Matthew 17:21, 18:11, 23:14, Mark
7:16, 9:44, 9:46, Mark 11:26, 15:28, Luke 17:36, 23:17, John 5:4,
Acts 8:37, 15:34, 24:7, 28:28, Romans 16:24 and 1 John 5:7!
14. Acts 17:29
The counterfeits change "Godhead"
to the new age doctrine of "Divine Nature" or "Divine
Being".
15. Romans 6:22
Many counterfeits demote Christians from the voluntary, loving
"servants of God" to cruel
"enslaved" or "slaves of God". The counterfeits describe my
Father as a "slave owner" and His precious children as
"slaves". Oh how contrary and wicked to the character of my
loving and wonderful Heavenly Father! This is done many times in the
counterfeits. It's amazing because the first part of Romans 6:22
reads ". . . being made free from sin,. . ." and according to the
counterfeits we now are slaves!
16. 1 Corinthians
1:21
Many counterfeits change ". . .the
foolishness of preaching. . ." to the "foolishness
of what was preached" or "foolishness of the message preached".
The deceitful counterfeits change the object of "foolishness" from
the act of "preaching" to the "message" of preaching – the gospel of
the Lord Jesus. There’s nothing "foolish" about the "message" of
Jesus Christ – it’s the greatest and most reasonable message in the
history of the universe! 1 Corinthians 1:18, shines some eye-opening
light on the counterfeiters. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says ". . . the
preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto
us which are saved it is the power of God." It makes you wonder. . .
are the publishers of these counterfeits saved?
17. 1 Corinthians
6:9
The counterfeits change the word
"effeminate" to "homosexual" or "male prostitutes".
This dilutes the serious warning of just the appearance or mannerism
(effeminate) to the sexual act of homosexuals.
18. 2 Corinthians
2:17
The counterfeits change the word "corrupt
the word of God" to "peddling (or selling) the word
of God". An apparent attempt by the counterfeiters to hide the
fact they are "corrupting the word of God". It won’t work. . . God
knows what they are doing.
19. 2 Corinthians
10:5
The counterfeits change "imaginations"
to "arguments" or "obstacles" or "speculations". This
change lines the counterfeit up with the new age religion, as the
new age is built upon "imaging" and "imaginations". It also removes
the spiritual identification to where sin begins – in our
imaginations.
20. Colossians
1:14
Many counterfeits remove the phrase
"through his blood". Salvation is only "through his
blood". Without shedding of blood is no remission of sins (Hebrews
9:22)
21. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
The counterfeits change "all appearance of
evil" to "every form (or kind) of evil".
22. 1 Timothy
3:16
Many counterfeits change the crucial word
"God" to the unmodified, vague pronoun "he".
This is the clearest verse in the Bible stating that Jesus Christ
was "God manifest in the flesh" and the counterfeits destroy it.
23.
1 Timothy 6:10
The counterfeits add the words "kinds of". This addition
dilutes the conclusive statement, ". .
.the love of money is the root of all evil" to the subjective
". . .the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil".
24. 2 Timothy
2:15
The counterfeits remove the word "study".
The counterfeits do not want you to study your Bible. You might just
find out they are mutilating it.
25. Revelation
1:5
Many counterfeits change the wonderful words
"washed us from our sins in his own blood,"
to "loosed" or "freed" us from our sins. Revelation 1:5 is
the only verse in the Bible that says you are washed in the blood –
and the counterfeits destroy it. What can wash away my sin? Nothing
but the blood of Jesus.
Again this is a small sample to the changes that the new version
have changed and promoted as the written word of God.
So what about all of the changes to the KJV. You will find
that this is a argument that some will try to use when discussing
this topic.
I realize that most King James Bibles published today are based upon
the 1769 Oxford text (an edition of the 1611 version). The
authorized 1611 King James Version has never been revised, only
edited. The main purpose of the 1762 and 1769 editions was the
standardization of spelling. This in no way altered the meaning or
preservation or inspiration of the 1611 King James Bible. We can
trust our King James Bible.
Here is a sample of changes to the original 1611 King James Bible.
Lets take a look at these:
1611:
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the Heauen,
and the Earth.
Genesis 1:2 And the
earth was without forme,
and voyd,
and darkenesse
was vpon
the face of the deepe:
and the Spirit of God mooued vpon
the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:3 And God
said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:4 And God
saw the light, that it was good: and God
diuided the light
from the darkenesse.
Genesis 1:5 And God
called the light, Day, and the
darknesse he called Night: and the
euening
and the morning were the first day.
1769:
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven
and the earth.
Genesis 1:2 And the
earth was without form,
and void;
and darkness
was upon
the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon
the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:3 And God
said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:4 And God
saw the light, that it was good: and God
divided the light
from the darkness.
Genesis 1:5 And God
called the light Day, and the darkness
he called Night. And the evening
and the morning were the first day.
So the question is, how great were these "revisions"? How
much has the wording really changed? Some claim there are 40,000+
changes, you would think we don't have anything like the original
today.
The changes, though, are largely related to spelling "corrections"
as seen in the above sample. This type of change doesn't affect
the ear in the pronunciation. The sound is the same.
Counting only the changes that could be heard from Genesis to
Revelation produced only 421 changes that were pronounced
differently. A large part of these 421 changes, were just changes in
spelling.
There were only 136 substantial changes that were different words.
The others were only 285 minor changes of form only. Of these 285
minor changes there are 214 very minor changes such as 'towards' for
'toward'; 'burnt' for 'burned'; 'amongst' for 'among'; 'lift' for
'lifted'; and 'you' for 'ye.'
These kinds of changes represent 214 out of the 285 minor changes of
form only. So you're talking about only 136 real changes. So
implying that the King James Bible is completely changed from what
they had in 1611, that there are thousands of differences is being
deceitful at best.
A question that comes to mind is why would God need to translate a
new bible when we already have a Bible that can be easily read?
I hope this was helpful in strengthening your walk with the Lord of
Lord and King of King.
Until next time this is Rick Funk