Just like Earth, the other planets in our solar system are always in motion. The strong
gravitational force of the sun pulls the planets towards it, causing them to move in an elliptical pattern in their revolutions.
When Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy, he compared certain people to planets. The fourth chapter of the book begins with these words: “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.”
You probably didn’t see any comparison to planets in that verse, but it is there. The Greek word translated as deceitful gives us the English word planet. These deceitful spirits have already wandered from the truth, and now their goal is to cause others to wander as well. In the end times people will listen to the deceptive words of these demons, and will follow them rather than the true words of Christ.
Evil spirits are wanderers. They don’t hold still, but move in their orbit from one false teaching to another. Whether it is easy believism, works based salvation, the prosperity gospel, or a host of false religions, Satan’s imps will drift from one heresy to another, doing whatever they can to get people off the right path.
We have been warned. We have been given a peek at the devil’s playbook. I believe we are living in those last days where people are departing from the faith and following the evil spirits. These spirits work through people, of course; in the next verse Paul says the spirits operate “through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared.” These are the false teachers that occupy many pulpits and spots on the best seller’s list.
How do we combat this problem? We need to be still. When the spirits are wandering in their orbit we need to hold a fixed position. We must double down on the truth because, as Jesus said, the truth will set us (and them) free. We must commit to preach nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified (I Corinthians 2:2).
It is the strong gravitational force of the sun that pulls the planets into their pattern. I believe the strong force of the Son can do the same, pulling people towards Himself. But just as the spirits work through people, so does the Lord. The wandering spirits work through false teachers, but the Holy Spirit works through us. That is why in the next few verses Paul tells Timothy to “train yourself for godliness (v.7),” and “command and teach these things (v.11).”
The demons are like planets, wandering in orbit and leading people away from the truth, so we must become a fixed body, shining the light of Christ for all to see.
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