It seems they have always lurked among the people of God . . .they showed up in all four of my readings this morning. In Job, they are “a friend” . . . a comforter . . . a counselor . . . one who speaks a word that, on the surface, sounds wise but, in reality, is sourced in a secret place of darkness and spoken by a spirit which makes the “hair of my flesh stand up” (Job 4:12-14) . . . you can almost hear the hiss in his voice. In Ezekiel they are called out for what they are . . . false apostles. Those who prophecy from their own hearts (Ezek. 13:2). Like Job’s friend, they speak out of “false visions and lying divinations” in order to mislead the people of God (Ezek. 13:9-10). And in John, they come dressed up in regal robes which scream of religious piety. They are those who oppose “the Light of the world” accusing Him of bearing witness of Himself by Himself . . . declaring for all who would hear that the testimony of the Author of Truth is itself not true (John 8:12-13). And then . . . I get to 2Peter 2 . . .

On the surface, it seems almost disproportionate . . . the amount of time Peter spends in this short letter on the reality of false prophets and false teachers. The entire second chapter . . . one third of the letter . . . 22 of 61 verses . . . dedicated to those who “will secretly bring in destructive heresies” (2:1). Bold and willful, driven by their desire to feed their defiling passion, they are blasphemers of that which they know nothing about . . . driven, like animals, by raw instinct . . . having eyes full of adultery . . . insatiable for sin . . . trained in greed. And what’s really scary, is the thought that they can be dining at the table of the saints . . . like Job’s friend, or the false prophets of Ezekiel, or the religious fakes of Jesus’ time, these who revel in their deceptions can be found feasting at our tables (2:10-16).

I guess that’s why Peter spends so much time warning of their existence.

So . . . if they “walk among us” . . . and look like us . . . and talk like us . . . what steps can we take to protect ourselves from these masters of deception? There’s a clue in verse 14 . . .

They entice unsteady souls.    (2Peter 2:14b ESV)

The unsteady and unstable . . . that’s who these “blots and blemishes” prey upon. They seek those who haven’t got their feet set on solid rock . . . those who are wavering in their belief . . . those who have ears to hear the latest and greatest cut on what God really means. Those who are not grounded in the word and submitted to the Spirit . . . those who elevate their own thoughts above God’s.

Thus, it seems the best defense against those who come secretly to deceive is, as much as lies within us . . . and by the enabling power of the Spirit who resides in us . . . to stabilize our souls . . . to steady the seat of our feelings, desires, and affections. And I don’t how that’s done apart from a continual ingesting of the word of God. His Word . . . illuminated through His Spirit . . . bringing up His desire for His people. A steady soul!

God’s people becoming so familiar with God’s truth that, when the deceiver whispers in our ear, we recognize the hissing voice . . . we discern the half-truths and distortions . . . and give no ground to destructive heresies.

Daily bible reading isn’t just so we can “start our day right” . . . though it does. Devo’s on a regular basis aren’t just about spiritual discipline . . . though it is. Sunday morning sermons aren’t just about being encouraged in our faith . . . through they do. But it’s also about stabilizing our souls . . . about setting our feet on solid rock . . . about calibrating our GPS on the ways of home . . . about being so grounded that we avoid becoming prey to the roaring lion who seeks to devour us (1Peter 5:8).

O, Word of God speak! For a steady soul . . . by His grace . . . for His glory . . .