If you want to counterfeit something, would you want to counterfeit something that is most valuable or something that is worthless? You would want to take advantage of what is most valuable. This is no different than what satan does. Do you think he goes around masquerading as a sinner of the king of sin? No! You don’t masquerade what you are, but what do we see him masquerading as? 2 Corinthians 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
So we see what is most valuable to satan. Masquerade as an angel of light to deceive the people away from God. Also, his ministers masquerading as ministers of righteousness to take God’s people away from walking in the path of righteousness for His Name sake. Do you want to see how they do this? Acts 16:16 Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” 18 And this she did for many days. So we see that by her doing this, she was telling the truth. People then would believe in what she is saying and when lies begin, people would not tell the truth from a lie. Paul picked up on this and responded to the spirit. Acts 16:18 But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
Nowadays, it’s most important to have the gift of the discerning of spirits. We see that a little lie mixed in with truth can lead people on the wrong path. A great measuring stick we can use to see what people are saying is the truth or not, is in John’s gospel. John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Let me give you a modern day example. 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Now the lie is the twisting of the first part of the verse. It reads “if you say you have no sin.” It doesn’t say that you are a sinner. This is how the lie gets you to believe that your a sinner which is stealing your inheritance in Christ. If this teaching isn’t life and it more abundantly then we know where it comes from. The verse is actually referring to the verse before. If you have no need for the blood of Jesus, the redemption that Jesus provides. Then you deceive yourself and the truth is not in you. This point gets even more to the point in the verse after as well. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now do you see the lie! Now do you see the masquerade!