False Teachers are Wolves in Sheep Costumes

False teachers are Satan’s messengers. False teachers are men-pleasers; they preach more to please the ear than to direct people to God. Teachers are meant to be guides, shepherds, leading men to God. Every sermon, every book they write, must serve this purpose: to direct people to God’s word. We cannot increase in knowledge of God without spending time in His word. Pay attention to their ‘messages’. Do they exalt the self instead of God? Do they seek to lead you to a worldly ideal of a better life, rather than leading you to Godly action and humility? God resists the proud (1 Peter 5:5). If your pastor teaches you to think highly of yourself, to believe that you have power within you, then he is teaching you to be proud. This is one of the most blatant indicators that your pastor is a false teacher. YOU DO NOT HAVE POWER WITHIN YOURSELF. You cannot save yourself. If we could save ourselves, if we could fully order our steps—fate—in this world (Psalms 37:23, Proverbs 16:9), then we would not need a Savior. We are in desperate need of a Savior, every hour of every day. We owe Him. We need Him. If your pastor does not lead you to this biblical conclusion about your place in this world, then he is failing you, and he is certainly not helping you to increase in knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10). False teachers teach us to say Yes to the self, to our desires, but the true servant of God teaches us to say No to the self, and Yes to the will of God. False teachers say ‘Declare to yourself that you are a masterpiece’, but Jesus says ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me’ (Matthew 16:24). 

The reality of mankind’s fallen state and desperate need for Jesus is glossed over by false teachers, in order for them to avoid uncomfortable commands, and instead tell people what their itching ears want to hear.
Let us not focus on what we want, which is the way of the world, but rather let us reflect on God’s will.

The only way to protect ourselves from false teachers is by knowing God’s word. It is our shield. So spend more time in scripture, reading it, meditating on it, living it. Because if you don’t, you may find yourself being duped by these wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15).