Satan--His Past, Present, Future

By Fred H. Wight and Karl G. Sabiers.

Chapter 6

SATAN'S COUNTERFEIT GOSPEL

     The Bible teaches that every unsaved person is under bondage to Satan. First John 5:19 R.V. "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the Evil One." Ephesians 2:2: "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." This bondage to Satan can be broken only by the power of Jesus Christ. John 8:36: "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."  

     A young engineer said to a comrade who had been converted: "You have lost your liberty now." But the young engineer replied, "Yes, I have lost my liberty to serve the devil, but it was not worth having, and I have got something far better."  

If Satan exercises influence over all unsaved people, then it stands to reason that his biggest task is to see to it that these same people do not become Christians. One of his chief methods in doing this is by means of proclaiming a counterfeit gospel, i.e. he gets men to accept what they think is the gospel, but really is not, and then these men believe themselves to be Christians when they actually are not.  

     But does Satan actually preach a counterfeit gospel? Let the Scriptures answer that question. Galatians 1:6-9: "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Yes, there is a counterfeit gospel and we know that its source is in Satan. Matthew 13:24-25: "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way." In this story of Jesus, the true gospel is likened to the wheat, and the counterfeit gospel of Satan is likened to the tares.  

     At this point it would be well for us to ask the question: What is the real nature of Satan's gospel? Actually it is a mixture of truth and error. The devil would not succeed in getting people to accept it if it were composed of all error. He is clever enough to mix some small amount of truth in it in order to get people to accept it. Just as a counterfeit coin has some of the real metal in it, and just as a piece of April Fool Candy has a coating of real chocolate around it, so the devil puts an element of truth along with a great deal of error, and then gets unsuspecting folks to swallow it whole. But one drop of poison mixed with some good food is sufficient to poison a man. Let us beware of the poison of Satan.  

WHAT DOES SATAN PUT INTO HIS GOSPEL?  

     One form of Satan's counterfeit gospel is given forth like this: "Yes, by all means be saved, but save yourself by your own good works." In some circles this teaching goes by the name of Humanism. Humanism leaves out entirely the supernatural. Humanists say: We seek the improvement of man, believing in the latent power of man for his own self-betterment." There are several things radically wrong with this doctrine. It does nothing about the past pages of the book of life before "the leaf is turned". It robs the person of the help of God in living a better life. But most important of all, it goes contrary to the principle of grace which is the foundation truth of the gospel of Christ according to the New Testament. Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, "not of works", i.e., by keeping the law ourselves, "lest any man should boast." If we can be saved by our own good works, then what was the use of Christ dying on Calvary's cross? Galatians 2:21: "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law (i.e. by our own good works) then Christ is dead in vain (or Christ died in vain)."  

     Now Satan's gospel often takes a slightly different form. It is put this way: "Be a Christian by imitating the life of Jesus." There are Scriptural injunctions to imitate Jesus Christ. But we must remember that such commands are always given to Christians and never to -unsaved ones. Furthermore, other Scriptures indicate that even Christians cannot imitate Christ in their own strength.  

     An unsaved man came to Dr. Stearns one day after hearing his sermon, and said to him, "I don't like your preaching. I do not care for the Cross. I think that instead of preaching the death of Christ on the Cross, it would be far better to preach Jesus, the Teacher and Example." Dr. Stearns asked him, "Would you be willing to follow Him, if I preach Christ the example?". The man replied, "I would. I will follow in His steps." Then Dr. Stearns added: "Let us take the first step". Then he quoted the Scripture describing the sinlessness of Jesus: "Who did no sin." He asked the man, "Can you take this step?" The man looked confused and admitted: "No, I do sin, and acknowledge it." "Well then", said Dr. Stearns, "Your first need of Christ is not as an Example but as a Savior."  

     Another way of expressing Satan's gospel is this: "Be a Christian by putting into practice the ethical teachings of Christ." Sometimes it is put like this: "If you live up to the Golden Rule or the Sermon on the Mount, you'll be a Christian all right." The subtle part of this statement is that it is so easy to say you are doing all this when as a matter of fact you are not. If you lower the standard of Christianity low enough you can take in most anyone. But we will not be judged by our standards of righteousness, but rather by God's standard. Teaching the ethical sayings of Christ apart from the message of the Cross never changes the lives of men.  

     As a young minister Dr. Thomas Chalmers preached for eight years in his Scotch pulpit the counterfeit gospel of Satan. He thundered away at sin in all of its forms. He made known the ethical teachings of Christ, but no change took place in the lives of his parishioners. Then one day he came upon the verse in the Bible. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." For the first time in his life he believed. He was saved by the old fashioned gospel. Then he started to preach the Cross, and right away he began to have conversions, and transformation of lives. He once said: "The only effective way to teach morality is to preach Christ."  

WHAT DOES SATAN LEAVE OUT OF HIS GOSPEL?  

     But in recognizing the counterfeit gospel of the devil it is just as important to notice what he leaves out of it as it is to call attention to what he puts in to it. To leave out any one of the following five things is to utterly spoil the gospel. First, Satan leaves out of his gospel the blood of Christ. The Bible teaches that there is no forgiveness apart from the atonement through shedding of blood. Hebrews 9:22: "Without shedding of blood is no remission."  

     The Apostle Peter in his second epistle, chapter 2, verse 1, warns us of the danger of denying Christ. Let us notice how he puts it: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them." It is with His blood that Christ buys us. Peter does not here say: "denying the Lord that taught them", but rather, "denying the Lord that bought them." Christ redeems us with His precious blood, not with His ethical teachings.  

     A gospel preacher was once invited to preach in a Modernist Church pulpit in Chicago. He chose as his topic: "The Blood of Christ." The pastor interrupted the preacher in the midst of his sermon by saying, "We don't believe that here. There was not enough blood in Christ's veins to save one man, to say nothing of the whole world." But the preacher replied: "Hold on a minute. It isn't quantity that counts, but quality." If Christ were merely a man and only that, then what this modernist pastor said would be true, but because He is more than a man, yes, because He is the God-Man His blood is indeed precious blood and is efficacious to atone for the sins of the whole world.  

"Could my tears for ever flow,  

Could my zeal no languor know,  

These for sin could not ajone,  

Thou must save, and Thou alone:  

In my hand no price I bring,  

Simply to Thy Cross I cling.  

     Second, Satan leaves out of his gospel the clear Scriptural interpretation of the Cross. Satan knows that the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement is an absolute essential to the gospel of Christ, and so he sees to it that those who preach his gospel leave that out. The counterfeight gospel is expressed like this: "Christ died as a martyr to influence men to be good, but He did not die for your sins." This is a partial view of the Cross with the vital part left out. It is true that Christ died to influence men to live right, but it is His death as our substitute that does the influencing and not His death as a martyr, for He did not die the death of a martyr, rather He died as a conqueror.  

     The Bible doctrine of substitution is well illustrated by an incident in the life of St. Patrick. He was doing evangelistic work in the South of Ireland when a heathen chief determined to kill him. But Oran, the faithful chariot driver for Patrick, discovered the plot and made a plan to save his master. When the chariot in which they were driving drew near to the fortress of the angry chief, the chariot driver feigned sickness, and so Patrick took his place at the driver's seat while he rested in the chariot. A poisoned arrow from a hole in the ramparts pierced the heart of this willing substitute, and Patrick was spared his life. He many times confessed that he owed his life to his servant's death. Even so, the Lord Jesus took our place and died the death of a sinner that we might have life through His name. That is the heart of the true gospel. And that is what Satan sees to it is left out of his gospel.  

     Third, Satan leaves out of his gospel regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught the necessity of the new birth to Nicodemus. John 3:6-7: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." But Satan substitutes reformation for regeneration. He wants men to think they can reform themselves by their own efforts although he knows they will fail in trying to do so. But a person who is regenerated by the Holy Spirit after believing Christ's gospel has a new power dwelling in him, and there is bound to be a transformation in his life.  

     Some years ago a group of United States senators were at a dinner together. One of them looked across the table and put this question to a very prominent senator: "Senator, do you believe in that old doctrine that a man must be born again to get to heaven?" His friend replied: "I certainly do. I am grieved to have to tell you that I am not a Christian myself, but I believe in the doctrine of the new birth as preached by Christ." Then the first senator said to him: "Pray tell me why you believe in that old exploded doctrine of the new birth." With a tear in his eye he replied: "My mother and my wife have both told me that they surrendered to Christ, and have been born again, and they both live like it is so." Yes, Satan would like to have us believe that the Bible doctrine of regeneration is an exploded doctrine, but there are many lives being lived today by truly born again men and women that prove the power and truth of the doctrine.  

     Fourth, Satan leaves repentance out of his gospel. The word "repent" in the Bible originally meant "to change the mind". The doctrine, of course, involves a change of life. It means a turning away from a life of sin, and a turning to Christ in order to trust Him for salvation. Christ said in Luke 13:3: "Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish." Satan is very busy urging people to join the church or profess to be Christians, only he tells them they need not give up their sinful ways. He tells them they can be Christians and serve the world also. This is one of the devil's clever lies.  

     A Christian was trying to persuade a moral man to become a Christian. But the man argued that he lived as good as life as many church members. "By the - way", the man was asked, "How did your neighbor Carlosky vote in the last election?" The answer was, "He didn't vote at all. He isn't a citizen". Then the Christian began to compare Carlosky with others in the city who were citizens and argued that he was just as good as they. But the man made answer; "Yes, Carlosky is all right, but you see, he was born in Germany and is still a citizen of that country." "Then, until he renounces his allegiance, and swears allegiance to the Constitution, he isn't a citizen?" "Exactly." "A man's citizenship, then, depends on something besides living in this country and obeying its laws?" "Sure, he's got to be naturalized." Even as a citizen of Germany must renounce his citizenship in that country and swear allegiance to the United States and its constitution before he can become a citizen of our nation, so a man no matter how moral he may claim to be, must renounce his living according to the standards of the world, and accept the obligations of a citizen of heaven before he can become a child of God. Repentance is absolutely necessary.  

     Fifth, Satan leaves out of Ms gospel real heart faith. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10:10: "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." The true gospel must be believed not only by the head but also with the heart. Satan understands all this, and so he is perfectly willing for people to accept the gospel if it only means that they mentally assent to it. As long as it goes no further than that, Satan knows the person is still under his influence.  

     We have an example of this in the character of Simon Magus in the eighth chapter of Acts. Verse 13 says of him: "Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip." The rest of the story makes it plain enough that when Simon believed, he believed only with his head and not with his heart. For he proceeded to try to buy the power of the Holy Spirit with money. And Philip said to him in verse 20: "Thy money perish with thee." This was another way of saying: "Thy money go to hell along with you." The character of Simon represents that of thousands of people to-day who have accepted Christ with their head, and have even been baptized and joined the church, but the gospel has never reached their heart or life.  

HOW CAN SATAN'S COUNTERFEIT GOSPEL BE RECOGNIZED?  

     With some people it seems to be a difficult thing to be able to tell the gospel of Satan from the true gospel of Christ. They are asking the question, "How can I always know the difference between the true and the false, between the real gospel taught in the Word, and Satan's countrfeit?" If the places for the preaching of the gospel were always correctly labelled it would not be difficult to distinguish the right from the wrong. Pulpits in churches that are supposed to be evangelical sometimes sound forth a false note. How can men know when they are hearing the old fashioned gospel and when they are not?  

     A young man was beginning his duties as clerk of a certain bank. He asked the president of the bank this question: "How can I distinguish counterfeit bills at sight?" The bank president made a very significant reply. He said: "Get familiar with the good bills, and you will recognize the bad ones without any trouble." And this suggests the answer to the question of how to recognize Satan's gospel. The way - to recognize his gospel is to become thoroughly acquainted with the true gospel of Christ. When you are, you will have no difficulty in being able to tell the counterfeit gospel when you hear or read it.  

WHAT IS THE TRUE GOSPEL?  

     A good definition of the real gospel is found in First Corinthians 15:1-4: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES, AND THAT HE WAS BURIED, AND THAT HE ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES." This was Paul's definition of the gospel which he preached. At the heart of it stand the words: "Christ died for our sins." Making it personal it would read thus: "Christ died for my sins." I deserved to go to the cross because of my sins, but Jesus took my place. He died in my place. If I accept Him as my substitute and Savior, I am saved. It is simple, yet it is sublime. Do not let Satan confuse you. Take the Bible to mean just what it says. Do not try to explain it away. Accept this gospel message to-day and let the Holy Spirit make it the turning point in your life. Then you will not need to be afraid of any counterfeit teaching which Satan may proclaim. Romans 1:16: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."