A Few Thoughts About Teachers to Avoid

 

2 Corinthians 11:4 WEL For if someone comes preaching another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you might well enough put up with him.

 

Paul is writing to the Corinthian church. They had many issues stemming from false teachers, devotions to various leaders, confusion from society, sin, and morality issues, etc.

 

Paul is writing again to them concerning various false teachers. He gives them a standard to judge teachers by.

B1 Who is Jesus?

B2 What about spirits?

B3 What is the Gospel?

 

We must know these, too, especially considering today’s culture and corruption in the churches. This corruption is because church leaders have not followed the above standard.

 

Who is Jesus?

B1 For if someone comes preaching another Jesus, whom we have not preached

B2 This is Christology

B3 Jesus is God the Son.

C1 The Trinity (Godhead) consists of 3 persons of one essence. Essence is the stuff that God is. Only God has it. I am the stuff, material, substance of human. Angels of spirit. God is a spirit but God spirit. Only God has the essence of a god. There are no other gods. In the god-classification of beings, there is only one God, that is, Yahweh.

C2 See the Athanasian Creed, which explains it best. I agree with the Athanasian Creed 100% wholeheartedly.

B4 Jesus is 100% God and 100% human.

B5 He is one person.

B6 He is the creator.

B7 He is the Messiah. He has always been Messiah, is, and always will be Messiah. He is the only Messiah.

B8 He is born of the virgin. He father is God. The pregnancy was by the power of the Holy Spirit.

B9 He was a baby, a boy, a young man, and made his living as a carpenter.

B10 He ministered for 3+ years.

B11 He was arrested, tired 6 times (3 times in the Jewish court and 3 times in a Roman court), was condemned, was fastened to a cross, suffered, truly died, was buried in a rich man’s tomb, went to Paradise (the compartment of Hades for the righteous dead as Noah, David, the prophets, etc.) for 3 days and nights, bodily arose from the dead, appeared to over 500 brothers and sisters, ascended into heaven (the first heaven is the atmosphere of the earth, the second is the universe, and the third is outside the universe and is where God lives), sits at the right hand of God the Father, intercedes for believers, is lord of the church (believers), and will return again (His next return is the Rapture which happens before the 7 year Tribulation, after the Tribulation, He will return to the Mt of Olives, which splits in 2 halves, judges those still living at the end of the Tribulation, sets up His throne in Jerusalem and reigns for 1,000 years at the end of which He judges the evil dead at the Great White Throne judgment), and judges and destroys this present universe to create a New Heaven and New Earth.

B12 Some articles

C1 Dr. Gary Habermas has several free books and articles on Christology.

C2 Christology: Jesus Christ from Bible.org

C3 David Hocking Media - Christology from Blue Letter Bible (Here is the pdf file that I believe is the same material).

 

What about spirits?

B1 ...or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received...

B2 The Spirit that they received is God the Holy Spirit

C1 The Holy Spirit is God. The Trinity, as above, is 3 persons of one essence. See the Athanasian Creed again, for what I and most Christians believe.

C2 The Holy Spirit is a person. He is not a force, power, idea, empowerment, etc. As a person, He has all the attributes of God and traits of a person as intellect, emotions, and will.

C3 He was present in the Old Testament. He was present and active in creation, giving wisdom, and guidance, etc.

C4 He initiates salvation. If God the Holy Spirit did not initiate salvation, no one could be saved from God’s wrath, forgiven, and regenerated.

C5 He regenerates. This especially refers to the new birth.

C6 He convicts of sin and rebellion. He opens the mind and heart to the truth of our sinful condition, guilt, and punishment.

C7 He baptizes all New Testament believers, giving them God’s presence in the newly created (regenerated) heart, and empowers them for service.

C8 He seals all New Testament believers identifying them as belonging to God.

C9 He guides us into truth.

C10 He gives gifts to all New Testament believers to serve fellow Christians and to glorify God.

C11 He plants, prunes, gives growth for believers to produce fruit.

B3 False spirits

C1 False presentation of themselves, for example, satan comes as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14) and so do his agents whether false teachers, false prophets, false leaders, abusers, etc. They look and sound correct, but they slowly and stealthily bring in false doctrine (Matthew 7:15, 2 Peter 2:1-3).

C2 Encourage evil desires of any type. They do this subtilty (2 Corinthians 11:3). They change definitions. They explain away the plain, normal sense of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). They make great promises. They pretend to live a godly life. They are full of charisma and are tremulously gifted speakers. Let us beware. We must study the Scriptures. It is not enough that someone can speak so convincingly. Despite appearances, they practice sin: 1 John 3:8-10 (practices sin is not referring to a one-time sin).

C3 Use fallen Christians to oppose God (Acts 5:1-9).

C4 Can cause incidents that appear to be miracles (Matthew 24:24)

C5 Often have character traits as secretly bringing in heresies (Galatians 2:4), denying Jesus (2 Peter 2:1 and 1 John 2:22), debaucheries (see here), all with the goal that the way of truth (Biblical Christianity is hated, Jesus is hated, and the Gospel is hated. They are satan’s agents (Compare John 8:44, Acts 13:10, 1 John 3:8-10, John 6:70)).

C6 Lead people from peace and safety to insecurity and unrest (Jeremiah 50:6)

C7 Promise freedom but leads them into addiction to sin (2 Peter 2:18-19)

C8 Inspire false teachers and prophets to have a wrong doctrine about Jesus. 2 John 1:7 EMTV Because many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and the antichrist. See also 1 John 2:22.

C9 Deceive people to follow mystical practices instead of being alert, thinking, and continuing steadfast and faithful to the Scriptures. We know the Scriptures, so who are these guides, jesus (my spelling of false Jesus’s), dreams, visions, prophecies, etc.?

C10 In general, they lead away from truth into error concerning theology, Christology, heaven, hell, etc. They work to get people to trust anything other than Scriptures. Most of these hold to the idea that these visions have not been corrupted by people in translation. They misquote and misinterpret “...the letter kills, but the spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6).” They believe that Scriptures are corrupted because people have translated wrongly for years. The methods of corruption.

C11 See 1 John 4:1-6, Matthew 7:15, 2 Peter 2:1, Matthew 7:21, etc.

C12 Let us avoid being this type of “Christian.”2 Timothy 4:3-5 NLT For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

B4 Articles

C1 Holy Spirit Series FAQ by Don Stewart

C2 Dictionary of Bible Themes – 3000 Holy Spirit (This is a topical list of many facets of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit).

 

What is the Gospel?

B1 ...a different gospel which you have not accepted...

B2 The basics of the Gospel are found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.

C1 Gospel preached

C2 Gospel received/accepted

C3 Belief

C4 Christ died. Jesus of Nazareth was the one nailed to the Roman cross. He truly died, dead.

C5 He was buried. He was buried in a rich man’s tomb that had never been used. His body did not corrupt (rot).

C6 He was raised the third day (Sunday). He was bodily raised. He had the glorified body, but it was his body. He was not resuscitated but resurrected.

C7 He walked and lived for 40 days on earth. He was personally seen by over 500 brothers and sisters.

B3 Definitions:

C1 Saved is not having to face God’s wrath (Luke 3:7 and 1 Thessalonians 1:10). The final wrath of God is conscious, never ending torment in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

C2 Born again/born from above (John chapter 3), regeneration (Titus 3:5), rebirth (Titus 3:5), etc. has the idea of a spiritual birth that is brought about by God (John 3:6).

C3 Justification is the decision by the Lawgiver and Judge that declares a person to not be a sinner (Romans 5:1-10). The believer is considered righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). The penalty has been paid in full by Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:24). We are now freed from sin and free to live by God’s grace as a servant of righteousness (Romans 6:18). God’s law was not set aside or merely ignored. The penalty was fully completed. Jesus completely fulfilled God’s laws in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds (Romans 10:3-9).

C4 Sanctification is the separation of the sinful nature to the righteous nature of God. God works and gives the grace, but we must continue to believe and live it (2 Timothy 2:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Thessalonians 2:13). Sanctification is the work and teaching of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is both instant (justification), life long, and complete in the future (glorification).

C5 Glorification is when the person who has believed God and trusted in Jesus Christ alone dies, is received into heaven, and to never sin, hurt, or suffer the curse from sin (1 John 3:2, Philippians 3:20-21, John 17:17). Truth is of utmost importance for us to do in our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds.

C6 Reconciliation is when an enemy and another are no longer enemies. Humans are enemies of God because we are not loyal to the King of all kings. We are rebels doing our own thing in life (Ephesians 2:1-3). Because of the work of Jesus Christ and our meeting God’s conditions (believe/faith) (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We are reconciled to God (Romans 5:10).

C7 Atonement is a sacrifice is made atoning for sin. It is related to expiation and propitiation. All these words mean that a pleasing sacrifice is offered. Either we are punished or a substitute. Atonement is when the substitute is punished. See 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 2:2, Hebrews 9:12, Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 3:18, etc.

B4 All humans are sinners (Romans 3:23). The human nature is such that it is addicted to sin (John 8:34). Human nature desires sinful pleasures (Isaiah 47:8 and Titus 3:3). Humans practice committing sin (1 John 3:4). There is no remedy available with our own strength. Sinning is actions against God’s law (Exodus 20:1-21) and can be in thoughts (Matthew 15:19), desires (Proverbs 21:10), words (3 John 1:10), and deeds (Colossians 1:21). Even one sin results in eternal death and punishment (James 2:10). The human will is totally corrupted (Titus 1:15) and cannot seek God (Romans 3:11). We are deceived that we are “good” people; we are evil (Galatians 6:7).

B5 No one could be saved unless God initiates salvation (Romans 3:11, John 6:44, John 12:32). The Holy Spirits open our minds (Luke 24:45), hearts (Acts 16:14), and understanding to see our true evil self, guilt, and the need punishment (Genesis 4:7 NIV). The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins (John 16:8-9). It is the sovereign act of God to free the will from its bondage to sin. Being freed from this bondage, the Holy Spirit invites all to believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We can either resist or not resist.

B6 God’s law is used to know we are sinners (Romans 7:5-12).

B7 There is only one Messiah, Jesus (Matthew 16:16, Luke 2:11, John 4:25-26). No one can be saved from God’s wrath through any other person (Acts 4:12 and 1 Timothy 2:5).

B8 Salvation is grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9) though faith alone (Philippians 3:9) in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 4:12).

C1 Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

D1 Paul—under inspiration—writes of salvation. Is it by works (something we do) or grace (something God does)? This teaches the contrast. Works do not bring salvation; grace does.

D2 The gift is salvation by grace, not by works. Faith is not the gift in the plain, normal reading and studying of this passage. Faith is contrasted with works.

D3 Works are something we do, a debt, that has wages (Romans 3:20). Faith is not debt that has wages. See Romans 4:1-8.

C2 Faith is believing the message of the Gospel of Jesus. Trusting is something we place in Jesus alone. We need to have our trust in Jesus alone for salvation. Faith is not a work earning salvation. It is the condition that God requires (Romans 1:17).

C3 The good works that James writes about (James 2) is not for salvation. It is the proof of salvation. If I have repented and believed, then I will show a change of life. Two examples are given by James—Abraham and Rahab.

B9 The blood of Jesus alone pays for our sins (1 John 1:7 and Colossians 1:19-22). Jesus suffered for our sins (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). We are guilty of sin and the punishment is eternal, conscious torment (Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 14:10 (there would be no torment unless there was consciousness)). Either we are punished, or a volunteer is punished. The volunteer must be sinless or else this one would have to be punished for their own sin. The substitute must be willing and qualified. Jesus Christ is the only substitute.

B10 We must repent of our sins. Repentance is a complete changed in attitude, motivation, words, thoughts, desires, and deeds. If there is no change, then there has been no repentance. Two examples are King Manasseh (2 Kings 21:11, 16, and 2 Chronicles 33:10-18) and the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). See James 5:19-20, Jeremiah 25:4-6, Jonah 3:10, Isaiah 55:7).

B11 God deals with everyone in a personal way. When a person believes, confession is made of our sin and guilt and a declaration is made pleading for forgiveness of sins (Romans 10:9-10 and Luke 18:11).

B12 Baptism is not necessary for salvation (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, and see Is baptism necessary for salvation?). It is a statement to God and the world that one has believed in Jesus alone, a declaration to be under the authority of Jesus (compare 1 Corinthians 10:2), and an illustration of being in Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12). It also shows the guilt has been washed away (1 Peter 3:21) and a sprinkling cleaning our conscious (Hebrews 10:22).

B13 We must beware of those who pervert the Gospel. Galatians 1:7-9.

B14 Articles:

C1 The FACTS of Salvation F: Freed to Believe by God’s Grace

C2 What is the Gospel?

 

These are always 3 things to keep in mind when reading or listening to a teacher. We must know. We must discern. We must be true.

A Few Thoughts About the Greatest Liar

John 8:44 WEL You are of [your] father, the Devil, and you want to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he has not continued in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he tells [it] from himself, because he is a liar and the father of it. 

 

Some basics about the devil: 

B1 He was created 

B2 He was originally sinless 

B3 He originally was a servant of Yahweh 

B4 He was gifted more than any other created being 

B5 He starting admiring himself and as a result became proud 

B6 He was removed from his privileged position

C1 He was rebuked 

C2 He sin was exposed 

B7 He became all that God is not, that is, God’s character traits are opposite of the devil’s character. 

C1 He became violent 

D1 The Hebrew word is חָמָס châmâç.  

D2 It means violent, false witness, oppression, and doing what is wrong. 

C2 He became a murderer 

C3 He became the Father of lies in whom no truth resides 

D1 He lies 

D2 He deceives 

D3 He pretends to be an angel of light 

C4 He will become humiliated 

B8 He will be thrown out of heaven and will never enter again except for judgment 

B9 He will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to suffer eternal, never ending, conscious torment 

B10 Verses: 

C1 Isaiah 14:12-14 NKJV How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' 

C2 Ezekiel 28:11-17 GNB The LORD spoke to me again. 12 "Mortal man," he said, "grieve for the fate that is waiting for the king of Tyre. Tell him what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying: You were once an example of perfection. How wise and handsome you were! 13 You lived in Eden, the garden of God, and wore gems of every kind: rubies and diamonds; topaz, beryl, carnelian, and jasper; sapphires, emeralds, and garnets. You had ornaments of gold. They were made for you on the day you were created. 14 I put a terrifying angel there to guard you. You lived on my holy mountain and walked among sparkling gems. 15 Your conduct was perfect from the day you were created until you began to do evil. 16 You were busy buying and selling, and this led you to violence and sin. So I forced you to leave my holy mountain, and the angel who guarded you drove you away from the sparkling gems. 17 You were proud of being handsome, and your fame made you act like a fool. Because of this I hurled you to the ground and left you as a warning to other kings. 

C3 Matthew 25:41 NIV Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 

C4 Revelation 12:9 NRSV the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 

C5 Revelation 20:7-10 NKJV Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Some ways the devil lies: 

B1 Charm 

B2 Curiosity 

B3 False promises 

B4 The true source of knowledge about something 

B5 Pretend to tell the future 

B6 Being the ultimate narcissist. 

B7 The Narcissist’s Charm  

B8 The Incredibly Seductive Pull of a Very Skilled Narcissist 

Diverse ways of lying 

B1 It can be in thoughts, desires, words, and deeds 

C1 Thoughts where we deceive ourselves. 

D1 Pride 

D2 Low self-esteem 

D3 Excuses not to do something. We think we are not smart enough, strong enough, gifted enough to do something. Others tell us we can, but we still refuse. 

C2 Desires 

D1 We want to do something we know is wrong, but we justify it. 

D2 Manipulation to get what we want. This might be faking pain to get pain medicine or disabled status. 

C3 Words 

D1 Exaggeration 

E1 Telling others of your great deeds, that are lies. 

E2 False resumes. 

E3 Writing a book with plagiarism, etc. 

E4 Starting rumors. 

D2 Selectively leaving out some details. 

E1 Salespeople might do this. 

E2 Politicians might do this. 

E3 In this type of lie, only what is winnable, manipulative, etc. Is mentioned. 

D3 Broken promises 

E1 If someone promises his children that he will take them fishing this Saturday, but then a friend calls and tells you that he must move, can you help. What do you do? 

E2 If we promise our friends that we will go and _____ this Saturday, but then you get a phone call from the physician that your dad is dying. What do you do? 

E3 We apply the highest priority rule. Our children are a higher priority than our friends, so we keep our promise. Our parents are a higher priority than our friends, so we break our promise to our friends. 

E4 Pretending to be interested in someone for a relationship, then dumping them or disappearing or even worse to hurt purposefully. 

E5 “I’ll never do ______ again.” 

E6 If we make a promise, we must keep it as much as possible. Yet, remember the priority rule above.

D4 Manipulation 

E1 Telling a lie to make a sale or to recruit someone to the cause. 

E2 In relationships, as seeking a boyfriend or girlfriend. 

E3 Lying to law enforcement as in swatting, false child endangerment call, etc. 

D5 White lies 

E1 A physician who does not tell the patient the seriousness of the disease. 

E2 An excuse for not coming to a meeting, a date, an occasion, work, etc. 

E3 Promising to be someplace in a few minutes when you know it will be 15 minutes or more. 

D6 Lies 

E1 Starting rumors 

E2 False witness or testimony 

E3 Joking about someone that obviously is meant to hurt, and then saying, “I was only joking.” 

E4 False oath 

C4 Deeds 

D1 Covering up sin, errors, mistakes, forgetfulness, etc. 

D2 False appearances 

D3 Presenting oneself as a physician, nurse, law enforcement, preacher, holy person, etc. When it is not so. 

D4 False weights and measures. 

D5 Falsifying documents. 

D6 Changing a document for cover-up or whatever. 

D7 Destroying evidence

Some thoughts about lying: 

B1 It is against God’s character: Titus 1:2 CSB in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. 

B2 It is against God’s laws: Exodus 20:16 GW Never lie when you testify about your neighbor. 

B3 It is loving my neighbor to NOT lie. Galatians 5:14 CSB for the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. 

B4 It is human nature:  

C1 The heart of human is 

D1 Deceitful, wicked, beyond understanding: Jeremiah 17:9 NLT the human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?  

D2 The source of our evil: Matthew 15:19-20 ESV for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone. 

C2 Corrupted: Romans 5:12 NRSV Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned. 

B5 It has a source: John 8:44 WEL You are of [your] father, the Devil, and you want to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he has not continued in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he tells [it] from himself, because he is a liar and the father of it. 

B6 God hates it: Proverbs 6:16-19 NRSV There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, 19 a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family. 

B7 It is to be hated and not done by Christians: Colossians 3:9-10 WEL Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have completely rid yourself of the old nature with his deeds, 10 And have put on the new [nature], which is being renewed into knowledge according to the image of him who created him.

How do I avoid lies and liars? 

B1 Skeptical: don’t believe, check it out, take your time (don’t be impulsive), resist bullying. (If it involves a crime, then report it to law enforcement. This applies to abuse of any sort, molestation, etc.). 

B2 Study: multiply sources, pros, and cons 

B3 Research: seek those who have been reasonable in the past (yet be cautious), search in different countries, use safe and private search engines, be cautious 

B4 What is reasonable and most reasonable?

When is lying not lying? 

B1 To protect someone else.  

C1 Compare the ten Boom family hiding Jews to protect their lives. 

C2 Rahab:  

D1 Joshua 2 

D2 Hebrews 11:31 NKJV by faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace. 

D3 James 2:25 NKJV Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent [them] out another way? 

B2 To carry out God’s will. 1 Samuel 16:1-4 NIV The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." 2 But Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." 4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"

What to do when found out to be lying?  

B1 Tell the truth. 

B2 Psalm 51  

B3 Jeremiah 3:13 GNB Only admit that you are guilty and that you have rebelled against the LORD, your God. Confess that under every green tree you have given your love to foreign gods and that you have not obeyed my commands. I, the LORD, have spoken. 

B4 James 5:16 NIV Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 

B5 1 John 1:9 EMTV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

C1 If our sin is only known to God, confess, and repent (don’t lie anymore). 

C2 If our sin is known by 1 or a few persons, confess to God, confess to that person/s, ask forgiveness, then pay what is owed, etc.

 

C3 If our sin is known publicly, then confess to God, confess publicly, and restore.

Some articles: 

B1 30 Reasons Why People Lie 

B2 Top 10 Bible Verses About Lying 

1 John 3:8 EMTV He who practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God appeared, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

We will be destroyed, too, if we do what the devil does.

God gives grace to help:  

B1 James 4:6 EMTV But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 

B2 Hebrews 4:16 EMTV Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

B3 Jude 1:24-25 EMTV Now to Him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to make you stand before His glory, blameless with exultation, 25 To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.