It’s easy to think we’d never be deceived by false teaching. After all, if someone were to walk into your church, preaching a gospel of blatant lies, you’d recognize it immediately, wouldn’t you? But Revelation 13:11-18 reminds us that deception doesn’t come with a warning label. The second beast appears “like a lamb,” mimicking Christ, but speaks “like a dragon,” drawing people into worship through persuasive signs and wonders. This passage is a sobering reminder: the greatest threats to the truth often come clothed in what seems good, even holy.

The real danger lies in the subtlety. False gospels don’t announce themselves as counterfeit—they twist just enough truth to sound convincing. The key to not being deceived isn’t to become an expert in every possible lie but to know the true gospel so intimately that anything else feels wrong. Think of a bank teller trained to spot counterfeit bills; their training focuses not on studying every forgery but on handling the real thing so often that fakes are obvious.

We live in a time of competing voices, where charismatic leaders and influencers are armed with convincing words, emotional appeals, and even miracles that appear godly. Without a firm foundation in Scripture, even the most well-meaning believer can be led astray. This is why Paul urges Timothy to “rightly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and why the Bereans were commended for examining the Scriptures daily to test what they heard (Acts 17:11).

Confidence in the gospel comes from familiarity with Christ. If we know Him—His character, His words, His mission—then no false teacher, no matter how powerful or convincing, can move us. And the more time we spend in prayer, in His Word, and in His presence, the more unshakable our foundation becomes.

The world will continue to present us with spiritual counterfeits. The question isn’t if we’ll encounter them but whether we’ll recognize them. Let’s be a people so confident in the truth of Jesus that no imitation, no matter how appealing, can shake our faith.