THE "SPIRIT" vs. "spirits."Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (1 Timothy 4:1)
I remember as a child watching the Flip Wilson show. He was a comedian and one of his favorite lines was, "the devil made me do it." We would all laugh, however few of us would take the notion of there being a devil seriously. Having been a minister of the Gospel for many years now, I realize that the devil is an evil spirit and he and/or his demons truly can cause us to do things that we should not do.
In the passage above, the Apostle Paul is warning Timothy that he must remain steadfast in the latter times because some ministers and Believers will listen to seducing spirits and will act accordingly. Paul knew that he did not have long to live but he trusted Timothy to teach sound doctrine and be vigilant against false teaching.
As we enter 2015, the Word of God is still applicable today. The "SPIRIT THAT SPEAKS IS THE HOLY SPIRIT."
The Holy Spirit tells us to beware of evil spirits that want to lead us astray. We are to refuse to listen to these seducing spirits. It is better to listen to "THE HOLY SPIRIT" than the "seducing spirits" every time.
The next time the devil tries to make you do something that you should not do, just turn away and act as though you don't hear him. Your year will be better if you do.
