By Elizabeth Prata
This week I’m taking a look at false teachers, whom the Bible calls wolves. I look at their characteristics, traits, and methods according to the Bible.
Matthew 7:15 says, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
We’ve all heard this verse probably many times. We can understand it on the surface. It’s a simple axiom.
Why did the Spirit choose Wolves as the primary symbol that represents false teachers in His inspired word? Why not, say, vultures? Lions? I mean, lions are mentioned. Satan is compared to a lion prowling about seeking someone to devour…
Nope. The Spirit chose wolves. False teachers are compared to a wolf preying on sheep. So let’s look at characteristics of wolves to get a better understanding of the types of false teachers we are up against.
1.Wolves are highly intelligent. They are able to change tactics depending on conditions that develop on the hunt, are devoted to their pack, and skilled at communication. They can smell their prey almost 2 miles away. They can hear their prey up to 6 miles away. Miles. Some say they are the most intelligent predator, as much as 10 times more intelligent than the smartest dogs.
2.Predator. When we hear the word wolf, we think of an animal that hunts and preys. Wolves are master predators. Wolves move and hunt mostly at night.
And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. (John 3:19).
They chase, seize, and pull their prey to the ground, preferring even large prey like elk, bison, or musk oxen. Wolves target the very young, the old, and the ill or infirm.
“Contrary to ambush predators that rely on the element of surprise and a short and intense burst of energy to secure their prey, wolves are endurance or coursing predators.” Living with Wolves
Just because a ‘Bible’ teacher’s ministry has lasted a long time, doesn’t mean they are necessarily legitimate. Wolves are in it for the long haul.
“Wolves are opportunists. They test their prey, sensing any weakness or vulnerability through visual cues and even through hearing and scent.” Living with Wolves
When satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus rebutted every temptation with scripture. Satan eventually went away, waiting “for an opportune time.” Luke 4:13. Wolves are patient opportunists.
Wolves look for the best opportunity to catch prey, even changing on the fly if a better circumstance presents itself. For example, if a wolf has targeted a smaller caribou, and a big bull suddenly veers into their way and stumbles, as a unit the pack will switch away from the smaller caribou go after the bigger payoff of the bull.
Another example is in summer, they will drive the herd toward a rocky riverbed, knowing the hoofed mammal’s hooves aren’t stable on small rocks, but in winter, they will drive the herd toward snowdrifts, knowing their hooves punch through the snowdrifts and they will flounder. If the hunt isn’t being successful, as one, the pack will abandon it rather than uselessly expend energy, and wait for an opportune time.
3. Sheep. Sheep are meek, do no harm, are productive, not so smart, and easy prey for the wolf. Wolves like to prey on ungulates, i.e. hooved mammals. As we have seen, the wolf is ravenous, a persistent hunter, opportunistic, and skilled at killing. All those characteristics are put to a use that destroys. Wolves destroy. So the wolf has to hide his natural characteristics and put on “sheep’s clothing” in order to appear as something he is not. He needs to present as kind, meek, productive, harmless. All his opposites. Don’t judge a teacher’s ministry by how ‘nice’ he or she seems.
Matthew Henry says, “We have need to be very cautious, because their pretences are very fair and plausible, and such as will deceive us, if we be not upon our guard. Figuratively, they pretend to be sheep, and outwardly appear so innocent, harmless, meek, useful, and all that is good, as to be excelled by none; they feign themselves to be just men, and for the sake of their clothing are admitted among the sheep, which gives them an opportunity of doing them a mischief before they are aware. They and their errors are gilded with the pretences of sanctity and devotion. Satan turns himself into an angel of light, 2 Co. 11:13, 14. The enemy has horns like a lamb (Rev. 13:11); faces of men, Rev. 9:7, 8. Seducers in language and carriage are soft as wool, Rom. 16:18; Isa. 30:10.” Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible
You’ve heard “birds of a feather flock together”? Remember, wolves move in packs. They identify each other, communicate with each other, and they congregate as a ‘family’. We sheep are their prey, but there is a way to arm ourselves against them. We use the same tactic Jesus did. Scripture. Know it, cling to it, believe it, and even wolves trying to scale the gates of hell will not overcome it.
Wolf Week Intro. We DO know the heart
Wolf Week # 1: My two “starter false teachers”
Further Resources
Beware of false teachers
They are called false brothers (2 Corinthians 11:26); false apostles (2 Corinthians 11:13); false teachers (2 Peter 2:1); false speakers, that is, liars (1 Timothy 4:2); and false Christs (Matthew 24:24). The apostle John tells us, therefore, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
How to watch for wolves: Three signs of a false teacher
When a wolf looks at sheep, what does he see? Food. His motivation for getting close to sheep is not to care for their needs or protect them from danger; it’s to feed on them. But in order to get close to sheep, a wolf employs deceptive tactics to keep the sheep from discerning his dangerous presence before he can achieve his aims.
What does it mean that false prophets are wolves in sheep’s clothing?
Jesus alerts us to “watch out for false prophets” in Matthew 7:15. He compares these false prophets to wolves in sheep’s clothing. Jesus also tells us how to identify these false prophets: we will recognize them by their fruit (Matthew 7:20).
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