What does it mean that Satan masquerades as an angel of light?

Verse 13. "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers," etc. His ironical concessions are now superseded by direct and unsparing denunciation. These lofty and too plausible pretenders are no true shepherds, but wolves rather in sheep's clothing. The strength of his language is proportioned to the gravity of the evil which he is opposing. Unreal claims are in their nature lies; and no lie is of the truth, but all have their common parent in the devil. By personal description, the men whom he thus denounces might be included among the "unruly and vain talkers," of whom he elsewhere speaks (Titus 1:10); men ignorant of the force of what they wished to teach, and convicting themselves of folly in proportion to their zeal. But in all opposition to the truth, there is an agency at work below the surface, which it belongs to the office of the Spirit of truth to discover and unmask. That Spirit glorifies Jesus. If other doctrines than those of the gospel are broached, they are, in all their vanity, the fruit of Satanic energy; men's minds and wills being alike led captive by the spirit of error, when not in sincere subjection to the Lord. Hence the bold distinctness of Paul's words.

Verses 14, 15. "And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed (or "transforms himself") into an angel of light," etc. It is possible that some historic reference may be here intended, but if so, it cannot now be determined More probably the apostle is here stating generally the habit and practice of the deceiver. 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 effect it he assumes the form of that which he assails. When Paul calls these false apostles "ministers of Satan," he characterizes them according to the eversive nature of their influence in the church (conf. Gal. 1:8). Their work was deceit; their wisdom, to do evil, to destroy, if it were possible, the work of God, by corrupting and seducing His elect. We should note here also the declared affinity of light and righteousness. It is as ministers of righteousness that Satan's ministers transform themselves. This is one of the commonest forms of teaching from beneath. High and ostentatious pretensions to personal holiness are usually alleged by those who, while claiming to guide others in the way of peace, are themselves destitute of a true knowledge of the grace of God. Preaching themselves and not the cross of Christ, they deny God's righteousness while seeking to maintain their own. But there are balances in God's sanctuary for the final estimation of what men have wrought professedly for Him; and the deceiver's end will be according to his work.

(Vv. 13-15). Such were false apostles deceitful workers; not as Paul, "an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God," but self-appointed apostles, "transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." In reality they were the ministers of Satan, who knows how to deceive with a fair appearance by transforming himself into an angel of light. Copying their master, these false men covered up their evil with a show of good works, as if ministers of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works. In the opposition of these ministers of Satan to the true minister of Christ, we see the inception of that vast system of corruption of which in its end God declares that "in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth" (Rev. 18:24).

The apostle Paul informs us of another way in which Satan carries out his work. In speaking of false apostles, deceitful workers, who transform themselves into the apostles of Christ, he writes, "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor.11:13-14). Satan often works in this character, through his workers; as an angel of light, pretending to have the light of God, quoting the Scriptures, but corrupting the Word of God and deceitfully handling it (2 Cor.2:17; 4:2), with the pur pose of deceiving and perverting the truth of God.

Men are not aware of the depths of deceit practised by Satan; his plan is not to bring forward at once a broad intelligible falsehood, which carries the lie on the very face of it. Not so, brethren; he puts it forward under the guise of truth, in the form of truth, and in some sense mixed up with the truth. It was in this way he deceived Adam; he wanted him to eat the fruit which God had forbidden him; and how does he proceed? He says indeed, "Ye shall not surely die!" Now there was a palpable untruth; but he adds, "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil": and this we know in part was the real truth, for immediately we hear God saying, "The man is become as one of us to know good and evil." Here we see the lie presented partly in the form of truth: but the truth which was most necessary for man to know, this he kept away entirely, namely, the consequences which would result from the man's taking his advice: this he did not, this he does not, make known to him. He does not tell him it will end in death. This is the way Satan presents his destructive baits, not by simply telling falsehood, but so mixing it up with the truth as to destroy the very soul of man, thus from a liar becoming a murderer. Thus has he brought in the power of evil, the extent of which power is death: "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

People little realize how pre-eminently false doctrine is the work of Satan. Christ is the "Truth;" the Spirit of Christ, "the Spirit of truth;" Satan is the "liar from the beginning." By a lie of his, man was first seduced and fell. By the truth he is brought back to God, and sanctified. Satan's effort is therefore by counteracting lies to destroy the power of the truth, and his most successful method is not so much direct denial, as perversion of the truth. Knowing man's heart but too well by long experience, he knows how to combine truth and error so skillfully, that the truth shall give only the more speciousness to the error, while the error in the guise of truth shall appeal to the lusts and passion, and enlist them upon its side.

The next two verses give further instruction on the subject. "Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith, but they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was." vv. 8, 9. Jannes and Jambres were the magicians of Egypt who withstood Moses and Aaron in the presence of Pharaoh. When Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, as the Lord had commanded, and it became a serpent, the magicians "also did in like manner with their enchantments" (Ex. 7:10-11). They thus resisted the truth by imitating the action of the Lord's servants; and it is in this way the truth will be, and is being, opposed in the perilous times. It is precisely in this character of opposition that the danger lies for unwary souls. Thus at the present moment all the false systems of men claim that they present all the characteristic truths of Christianity, or that these truths are only expounded in accordance with modern ideas. Satan is too subtle to commence by denying the truth of God; and hence he seeks first of all to insinuate that which seems like the truth, but which, under the expansion of which it is capable, finally ripens into anti-Christian error. This is why the name of Christ is attached, for example, to many soul-destroying systems, and why men, who really ignore every fundamental truth of Christianity, claim to be Christians.

It may be interesting now to trace for a little the opposition of the Egyptian magicians to the wonder-working power of Moses and Aaron in the presence of Pharaoh. The chief of these are mentioned by name in the New Testament. We read, "As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth." (2 Tim. 3:8.) This reference is highly important as showing that a principle of Satan's acting is embodied in the conduct of the magicians. What, then, it may be asked, was its especial character? It was, in one word, IMITATION. Thus when Aaron cast down his rod, and it became a serpent, "they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents." (Exodus 7:11-12.) So also when the waters of Egypt were smitten with the rod of God, and they became blood, the magicians "did so with their enchantments." (Ex. 7:22.) It was the same in the case of the frogs. (Ex. 8:7.) Their action was thus an imitation of the action of Moses and Aaron. In Timothy also the men who are said to resist the truth, as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, are described as "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." (2 Tim. 3:5.) This is one of Satan's most dangerous subtleties. If he can succeed in open opposition to the truth, he will not conceal himself; but if this door of antagonism is closed, he will transform himself into an angel of light. It was so in Paul's days; and it is especially the case at the present moment. Professing Christians would scarcely be led away by the open exhibition of Satanic power; but how many are seduced by it because outwardly it is an imitation of the divine. Take one of the grossest examples of this. If Roman Catholicism, with all its vile profanations of the truth, were not dressed up in the outward garb of Christianity, could it by any possibility deceive souls? But claiming to be able to dispense every blessing, which has been secured by the death of Christ, it seduces the souls of men by thousands, and brings them under the complete dominion of its falsehoods and corruptions. It is therefore, as a system, one of Satan's most successful instrumentalities. But there are greater dangers. There is not a single operation of the Spirit of God, nor a single form of His working, that Satan does not imitate. His counterfeits are around us on every hand, within and without. But thanks be to God, He has provided us with sufficient safeguards, and with the means of the detection of every phase of his ensnaring arts. "These things," says John, "have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him." (1 John 2:26-27.) The Spirit and the word of God are sufficient to preserve us from the most dangerous simulations of the truth that Satan may present to our souls.

Now Paul deliberately, solemnly characterizes these men as "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." It is the Spirit of God who so inspires Paul to write. It does not seem that all the assembly was influenced by these men, but some among them were; and the saints required this faithful warning. Utter wickedness can be clothed in a pious garb; and it is nothing to be marvelled at, for 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 leaving out the cross of Christ, and therefore the pure grace of God: all therefore becomes a hollow and deadly sham.

This leads the Apostle to speak with great plainness about the opposers. They were false apostles, for they never had been sent of 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 partook of the character of him whom they served, and according to their deceitful works will be their end.

It is very important that we should remember that Satan so commonly transforms himself into an angel of light, and his servants into servants of righteousness. That being so, we must expect sin and error to frequently present themselves in a pleasing and delightful guise. Again and again we find the advocates of error to be quite nice men. It is unsafe to receive the message because the man who brings it appears so good, so charming, so eloquent, so like an angel of light. The only safe test is, Does he bring the doctrine of Christ, the true Gospel? If he does, receive it by all means, even if he is a bit uncouth, a poor speaker, or of ugly appearance. "Prince Charming" is all too often a servant of Satan in plain clothes.

Take a warning also as to false teachers and their doctrines. Do not be surprised that they exist, Satan has his servants as well as God, and he works by way of imitation. The Apostle Paul, speaking of some of his agents, said, "Such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor. 11:13-14). It is more than likely, therefore that before long you will meet with men or women who will bring you strange doctrines, advanced with much plausibility and covered with a thin veneer of truth.