Satan is not an initiator—but an imitator.

God has an only begotten Son—the Lord Jesus; so has Satan—the son of Perdition” (2 Thess 2:3). There is a Holy Trinity; and there is likewise a Trinity of Evil (Rev 20:10). Do we read of the “children of God”; so also we read of “the children of the wicked one” (Matt 13:38). Does God work in His children, both to will and to do of His good pleasure; then we are told that Satan is “the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience” (Eph 2:2).

Is there a “mystery of godliness” (1 Tim 3:16); so also is there a “mystery of iniquity” (2 Thess 2:7). Are we told that God by His angels “seals” His servants in their foreheads (Rev 7:3); so also we learn that Satan by his agents sets a mark in the foreheads of his devotees (Rev 13:16). Are we told that “the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Cor 2:10); then Satan also provides his “deep things” (Rev 2:24).

Did Christ perform miracles; so also can Satan (2 Thess 2:9). Is Christ seated upon a throne; so is Satan (Rev 2:13). Has Christ a Church; then Satan has his “synagogue” (Rev 2:9). Is Christ the Light of the world; then so is Satan himself “transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14). Did Christ appoint “apostles;” then Satan has his apostles, too (2 Cor 11:13).

And this leads us to consider: “The Gospel of Satan.”

Satan is the arch-counterfeiter. The Devil is now busy at work in the same field in which the Lord sowed the good seed. He is seeking to prevent the growth of the wheat by another plant, the tares, which closely resemble the wheat in appearance. In a word, by a process of imitation he is aiming to neutralize the Work of Christ.

Therefore, as Christ has a Gospel, Satan has a gospel too; the latter being a counterfeit of the former. So closely does the gospel of Satan resemble that which it parodies, that multitudes are deceived by it.

It is to this gospel of Satan the apostle refers when he says to the Galatians,

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. “ (Gal 1:6,7).

This false gospel was being heralded even in the days of the apostle, and a most awful curse was called down upon those who preached it. The apostle continues,

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”

The apostles of Satan are not saloon-keepers and white-slave traffickers—but are for the most part ordained ministers. Thousands of those who occupy our modern pulpits are no longer engaged in presenting the fundamentals of the Christian Faith—but have turned aside from the Truth and have given heed unto fables.

Instead of magnifying the enormity of sin and setting forth its eternal consequences, they minimize it by declaring that sin is merely ignorance or the absence of good. Instead of warning their hearers to “flee from the wrath to come” they make God a liar by declaring that He is too loving and merciful to send any of His own creatures to eternal torment. Instead of declaring that “without shedding of blood is no remission of sin,” they merely hold up Christ as the great Exemplar and exhort their hearers to “follow in His steps.”

Of them it must be said,

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Rom 10:3).

Their message may sound very plausible and their aim appear very praiseworthy—yet we read of them,

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

In Proverbs 14:12 we read,

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

This “way” which ends in “death” is the Devil’s Delusion—the gospel of Satan—a way of salvation by human attainment. It is a way which “seems right,” that is to say, it is presented in such a plausible way that it appeals to the natural man: it is set forth in such a subtle and attractive manner, that it commends itself to the intelligence of its hearers. By virtue of the fact that it appropriates to itself religious terminology, sometimes appeals to the Bible for its support (whenever this suits its purpose), holds up before men lofty ideals, and is proclaimed by those who have graduated from our theological institutions, countless multitudes are decoyed and deceived by it.

The success of an illegitimate coiner depends largely upon how closely the counterfeit resembles the genuine article. Heresy is not so much the total denial of the truth—as a perversion of it. That is why half a lie is is always more dangerous than a complete repudiation. Hence when the Father of Lies enters the pulpit—it is not his custom to flatly deny the fundamental truths of Christianity, rather does he tacitly acknowledge them, and then proceed to give an erroneous interpretation and a false application.

For example: he would not be so foolish as to boldly announce his disbelief in a personal God; he takes His existence for granted and then gives a false description of His character.  Satan would not be so foolish as to ignore the central figure of human history—the Lord Jesus Christ; on the contrary, his gospel acknowledges Him.. His life is eulogized—but His vicarious death is ignored, the all-important atoning work of the cross is never mentioned.. It is a bloodless gospel, and presents a crossless Christ..

In 2 Corinthians 4:3 we have a scripture which sheds much light upon our present theme.  There we are told:

“If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

He blinds the minds of unbelievers through hiding the light of the Gospel of Christ, and he does this by substituting his own gospel.

Appropriately he designated:

“The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray” (Rev 12:9)

Again we quote Proverbs 14:12—

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

It as been said with considerable truth, that the way to Hell is paved with good intentions. There will be many in the Lake of Fire who lived with good intentions, honest resolutions and exalted ideals—those who were just in their dealings, fair in their transactions and charitable in all their ways; men who prided themselves in their integrity—but who sought to justify themselves before God by their own righteousness; men who were moral and merciful—but who never saw themselves as guilty, lost, hell-deserving sinners needing a Savior.

Such is the way which “seems right.”

Such is the way that commends itself to the carnal mind and recommends itself to multitudes of deluded ones today.

The Devil’s Delusion is that we can be saved by our own works, and justified by our own deeds; whereas, God tells us in His Word—

“By grace are you saved through faith…not of works lest any man should boast.”

And again,

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done—but according to His mercy He saved us.”

In the seventh chapter of Matthew, there are two Scriptures which give us approximate results of Christ’s Gospel and Satan’s counterfeit.

First, in verses 13-14,

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Second; in verses 22-23,

“Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

Yes, my reader, it is possible to work in the name of Christ, and even to preach in his name, and though the world knows us, and the Church knows us—yet to be unknown to the Lord!

How necessary is it then—to find out where we really are; to examine ourselves and see whether we are in the faith; to measure ourselves by the Word of God and see if we are being deceived by our subtle Enemy; to find out whether we are building our house upon the sand—or whether it is erected on the Rock, who is Jesus Christ.

May the Holy Spirit search our hearts, break our wills, slay our enmity against God, work in us a deep and true repentance, and direct our gaze to the Lamb of God—which takes away the sin of the world.

You may read the entire article here: Another Gospel