When it comes to enemies of the truth found in Scripture and the gospel of Jesus Christ, some are easy to identify. But sometimes the enemies of truth are found within Christian circles and are even popular speakers and teachers within our ranks. This has been true all throughout church history from even the earliest days of the church in the first century. Paul was especially troubled by those who were effective at bringing in the crowds but equally as effective at subverting the truth.

We don’t like to talk about Christian leaders of our day as “enemies”. After all, we all know that Satan would like nothing more than to find ways to take our eyes off of him as the chief enemy we face. He regularly goes about sowing division in the church when we should have “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Yet when it comes to those who are deceiving people with false doctrine, we must take a stand like the apostle Paul and affirm that their “mouths must be stopped” (Titus 1:11).

There is an old saying which says, “Know thy enemy and know yourself”. But how can we identify these false teachers? How do we know those who are leading us astray? We will hear some on Christian radio and being promoted by mainline Christian ministries. Some will have popular podcasts or Bible study materials. They will undoubtedly be well spoken and effective communicators. Some will have good teaching on some subjects in the Bible. Here are some basic tools to identify those whose “mouths must be stopped”.

1. Be AWARE – Not everything or everyone is what they seem. As Paul wrote to Titus there are those (even today) who are subverting whole houses. Subversion occurs when someone is duped into thinking or believing that someone or their teaching is true and are then led astray by it. False teachers do not always stand out. They blend in with those who are reputable. Many will be wolves in sheep’s clothing. Don’t just assume that because they have written a book that you enjoy, are a good speaker, or are on Christian radio, that they are solid. We must be on guard at all time to ensure that we don’t become victims.


2. ASK Questions – If you are recommended a Bible teacher or study materials from a teacher or ministry that you aren’t familiar with, research them! Ask your Pastor about them. I get questions all the time from people asking whether I know a particular teacher or ministry. I am always grateful that people are interested in knowing if a ministry is reputable before getting too involved. Check them out online. There are new names rising through the ranks all the time and probably every one of them has a critical review of them from someone else. Do your research and be willing to “just say no" to those who don’t pass the muster.


3. ALERT Others – When you do identify false teaching, don’t be ashamed to warn others about what you have found. We live in a culture today where calling out someone by name is considered the worst form of prejudice and judgmentalism. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be kind and show grace to others in all things, but when we have verified someone to be a false teacher we have a responsibility to tell others. As Paul put it, their “mouths must be stopped”. If you stand idly by and allow someone else to be sucked into false teaching, you will be held responsible. “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

We live in a world that is treacherous to our faith. Not only is the world and our culture against us, but we also fight battles for truth within the ranks of Christianity itself. Don’t assume that every “Christian leader” with a witty remark who is selling Bible studies is someone you can trust. Know your enemy. The Bible tells us that even Satan comes masquerading as an angel of light – yet he is still seeking whom he may devour.