Volume 5 Issue 3 July 1999
by Jeff S. Smith
Jesus and his apostles looked to illustrate their teaching by using examples that
everyone could understand. They thought of the field, the sky, the sea and the jungle to
amplify such themes as false teaching, Satan and the judgment to come.
Satan, the Roaring Lion
In the book of Genesis, Satan is portrayed as the serpent who beguiles Eve, but the
apostle Peter compared his voracious appetite for destruction to another beast. “Be sober,
be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom
he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are
experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (I Peter 5:8-9).
A lion in the wild is not an animal to be taken lightly and the Holy Spirit’s warning about
the devil is meant to remind us that flirting with sin is akin to inserting your head in the
lion’s mouth. Unwise.
The lion’s walk, however, is rather stealthy, which enables him to surprise his prey.
Likewise, the devil is a deceiver whose temptations seem harmless until his jaws snap shut.
“For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light” (I Cor. 11:14).
Satan, the Forked-Tongued Serpent
“But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds
may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (I Cor. 11:3). This warning reminds
us that the devil is the father of lies who introduced sin and temptation to the world by
deceiving Eve into thinking that experimenting with sin on its fringes would not ultimately
hurt anyone.
Because of this classic strategy of our adversary, we are forced to reckon with such
things as the “deceitfulness of riches” which choke the life giving influence of the word
(Matt. 13:22) and the “deceitfulness of sin” which hardens men’s hearts (Heb. 3:13).
The devil speaks with the forked tongue of the serpent when he whispers in our ears
such things as “One time won’t hurt” or “You will never know what it’s like until you try”
or “Everyone is doing it” or “Who will ever know”.
False Teachers, the Brood of Vipers
Satan’s ministers are no less deadly, for they are likened both by John and Jesus to a
brood of vipers, venomous snakes who strike suddenly and fatally. “But when [John the
immerser] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to
them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear
fruits worthy of repentance” (Matt. 3:7-8).
Why was John so much opposed to these two sects? Jesus said that they were evil (Matt.
23:34) in that they persecuted the prophets of God and shed righteous blood (Matt. 23:31-
36).
It indeed seems that those immersed in error tend to behave like a brood of vipers.
Should anyone dare to challenge a false teacher, he and his defenders quickly strike at that
man’s reputation and attempt to silence him forever. He is just trying to make a name for
himself, they say. Why is he attacking a venerated old soldier of the cross?
False Teachers, Grievous Wolves
Hopefully, teachers of truth who attempt to rebuke those in error can take the
persecution and rejection. More likely, the false teacher’s worst effects will be felt by those
taken in by their error and deceived. To this sad state, Jesus likens the false teacher to
grievous wolves. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:15-16).
Perhaps such false teachers are the ones who publicly proclaim their dedication to
themes of love, peace and unity, while in secret their methods lead to destruction. They
reserve their ugliest criticism for those who dare to disagree with them, but always in
private, behind the scenes, so as to maintain their public persona (Gal. 5:15).
Jesus and His Disciples, Hen and Chicks
When Jesus considered the awful state of religion in Judah, he lamented and displayed
his frustration. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those
who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather you children together, as a hen gathers
her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing” (Matt. 23:37)!
These are the words of the Messiah who came into the world to save sinners (I Tim.
1:15), representing the Father who desires all men to come to a knowledge of the truth (I
Tim. 2:4) and repent that none should perish (II Peter 3:9).
The Saved and The Sinful, Sheep and Goats
In a final session of instruction before Judas’s betrayal, Jesus taught his disciples about
the judgment, when “All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them
one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:32).
These designations will not be based upon what nation you happened to die in, but what
spiritual state you lived in. Men of faith will be set upon the Lord’s right side with their
fellow sheep, apart from those who did not know God or did not obey the gospel (II Thess.
1:8). “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life” (Matt. 25:46).
For this reason, Christ portrays himself as the good shepherd who gives his life for the
sheep and gathers them into one flock (John 10:11-16, Eph. 4:4). Peter calls him the chief
shepherd, while encouraging fellow elders to feed and protect the flock among which they
serve (I Peter 5:1-4).
Conclusion
The menagerie of the New Testament gives us a very descriptive way to think of our
world and all its spiritual implications. Beware the devil for he both prowls about like a
hungry lion and slithers stealthily and deceptively like a serpent. Beware also of false
teachers who strike like a brood of vipers or hunger to destroy like grievous wolves. Allow
Jesus instead to spread his wings about you and be certain that he numbers you among his
sheep and not the goats.
