When we are brought into difficult situations, we must not simply aim for the problem to be solved; instead, our goal should be to rise higher, to become more holy, more pleasing before God, and to enter more deeply into His Most Holy Place, and this must be the focus of our struggle. Do not let yourself be drowned in empty entertainments—shows, social media, or worldly busyness—that distract the mind and make us easy targets for the power of darkness. We must break out of this cycle until we become people who are difficult for the enemy to target.
If our flesh has died and our desires are focused only on God’s will, then the devil cannot touch us. Of course, this is not an easy achievement, but the saints must reach this stage, and this is not something that can be fully explained in words—it must be personally experienced. For example, someone who once used money for personal pleasure will now think: “What should I do with this trust given to me?” The more God entrusts to us, the more sensitive we must be to His will for all of it.
Today, we live in an era rapidly moving toward the end times—a time highly vulnerable to the Christian faith, and this is not just theory; it is a real fact. If we carefully observe current world events, we will see the depth of moral decay and the decline of Christian values. In Matthew 24:9-12, it is written:
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”
God’s Word also declares: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life (Greek: eusebos)—a life of holiness and devotion—will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). This means that suffering and pressure are inseparable parts of the life of the righteous. And amid such pressures, false prophets arise. The situation becomes chaotic because it is hard to tell who is true and who is false.
False prophets do not always appear with obvious attributes. Take note: anyone who teaches without reflecting the character of Christ can be a false prophet. And the congregation they teach will also not be formed to wear the character of Christ. They will not be directed toward perfection like the Father, or toward being conformed to Christ.
Therefore, we must have a real closeness and attachment to the Lord—living in an intimate relationship, able to hear His voice, and possessing the sensitivity to discern spirits. A teacher who does not display the character of Christ, and thus does not lead the congregation toward perfection like the Father or likeness to Christ, can be categorized as a false prophet.
In John 1:12, it is written: “But to all who did receive Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” Many assume that receiving and believing in Jesus automatically makes someone a child of God, and this is why almost all Christians claim to be God’s children. Yet, to be a child of God means to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to put on the Word of God in daily life.
Unfortunately, the devil has cleverly shifted the meaning of knowing God into mere intellectual understanding. As a result, the role of the Holy Spirit is replaced by theologians through books, seminars, and sermons, but this is not to say these things are wrong. Theologians have their place to work and teach. But beyond that, the Word of God must be lived out and actualized under the leading of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can extract the truth of the Word for each individual, according to their needs and the right timing. Without the Holy Spirit, the Word will remain only a theory—powerless.