2 Corinthians 11:14–15

God is light, and Satan is His opposite; his power is the power of darkness, but his craft is the mimicry of light. To corrupt and destroy truth is his unceasing aim, and to do it he takes the form of the very thing he attacks. When Paul calls these false apostles "ministers of Satan," he describes them by the destructive nature of their influence in the church.

The Greek word is more often translated "minister" and "servant" than "deacon." It twice refers to Christ, Romans 15:8; Galatians 2:17. It is used of Paul and others, Colossians 1:7, 23, 25, and of magistrates, Romans 13:4. It is even used of Satan's agents, 2 Corinthians 11:15.

The God of holiness is holy in His ways; and His instruments must match this in character. The truth itself is holy; and those who make it known must do so in a way that shows in their own lives and ways. Satan is the great opposer of truth. He shows his full knowledge of this when, as Paul says, he is transformed for his purpose into an angel of light. "Therefore," he goes on, "it is no small thing if his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness." Even he sees that the ways must morally suit the end.

High, showy claims to personal holiness usually come from a certain kind of person. They offer to guide others in the way of peace, but they have no true knowledge of the grace of God themselves. They preach themselves and not the cross of Christ. So they deny God's righteousness while trying to set up their own.

Complete wickedness can be dressed in religious clothing. It is nothing to wonder at, since Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light, and his servants as ministers of righteousness. Notice, these are high, pretentious claims — superior light, and assumed righteousness. But they leave out the cross of Christ, and so the pure grace of God. The whole thing becomes a hollow and deadly sham.

They appear as ministers of Christ, but they do not preach Christ. The world wants entertainment, so these men take up the art of entertaining. Even starving souls are caught for a time. They are like Nero. When Rome was starving, he sent to Egypt for shiploads of sand for the arena instead of grain for the hungry people.

Satan, when he comes in as an angel of light, does not send out open evil-doers to recommend his teaching. On the other hand, an evil life may dishonour a preacher of real truth. But a true and needy soul tests the fruit of what is spoken for itself. Such a soul will surely find that the truth has its own witness to the heart and conscience, such as nothing but the truth can have.

They were false apostles, because they had never been sent by the Lord as the true apostles were. They were workers right enough, but deceitful ones, since they transformed themselves into what they were not. In this they shared the character of the one they served, and their end will match their deceitful works.

Copying their master, these false men covered up their evil with a show of good works, as if ministers of righteousness. These ministers of Satan stood against the true minister of Christ. In that we see the beginning of a vast system of corruption.