Not Everyone With a Bible Is Sent by God: 10 Red Flags Every Christian Should Know

A Guide to Recognizing Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

Please don’t blindly trust everyone with a Bible in their hands. Not everything we call a church is actually the true church. The enemy is crafty and knows that simply mentioning the Bible can cause people to let their guard down. Satan knows the Bible too.

This is why, during the temptation in the wilderness, Satan even quoted what was written. He used Scripture out of season in an attempt to deceive Jesus and tempt Him to jump from the pinnacle (Matthew 4). Just because someone quotes Scripture does not mean they are using it correctly or with the right intentions.

Some people are wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7), or hireling shepherds (John 10) who will eventually feed the sheep to wolves. This is why Jesus warns us to be aware of them and to know the signs.

These are some major red flags to look for...

🚩 These are 10 MAJOR red flags 🚩

1. If they add to or take away from the Bible.

You do not need the Book of Mormon, the Book of Enoch, or the Book of Mary.

You need the 66 books of the Bible — God has already given us what we need. There is more than enough in them for a lifetime.

Some people also pervert the words of the Bible by changing them or explaining them away to fit their preferred narrative. That’s why it’s important to know what the Word says for yourself.

2. If they see you as merchandise or a number instead of a soul.

If it is truly from God, you should never have to pay for access to Him. Jesus never charged people to hear Him or told them to put money down in exchange for prophecies. Where in the Bible did Jesus ever have a registration fee or a cover charge just to hear Him? It never happened.

So if you have to pay top dollar just to hear Him, chances are it’s not actually Him who is speaking.

3. If they are living in sin themselves, they cannot lead you out of it.

Sin also blinds people, especially when they are in leadership. Jesus said it this way: you must first remove the beam from your own eye before you can remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Sin is a huge beam, and you cannot accurately lead others while you are living in it.

A true leader must also be led by the Spirit of God in order to lead His sheep to Him. So if you see this in a leader. RUN!

4. If they mix truth with lies.

They may preach a lot of truth, but one small lie mixed in will eventually poison you. The enemy rarely comes with obvious deception — he mixes truth with error.

Satan is the master of this. Many people are waiting for deception to appear in an obvious way, but we have to remember that he is still the serpent. He moves in subtle and slick ways.

5. If they are not calling you out of sin.

A godly leader will never tell you sin is okay. They care about your soul. They will lovingly compel you toward repentance. The devil says you’re fine — just stay the same — but the Holy Spirit, and those who are led by Him, always call you to transformation and sanctification.

6. If you attend year after year and are not growing spiritually.

If you’ve been somewhere for years and are still in the same spiritual place, that is a red flag. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of change and transformation. Sitting under His leading produces a renewed mind and shapes you into the image of Christ.

7. If they never mention the Holy Spirit or teach you how to be led by Him.

If the Holy Spirit is ignored, chances are they don’t truly operate in Him — which is why He isn’t taught.

The Holy Spirit makes all the difference. There is nothing like walking into a Holy Spirit–less church—you can feel the dryness in the walls. No one has any power, and almost anything and everything happens there. But on the flip side, when the Holy Spirit is in the building, you feel His presence as soon as you walk through the door. You may even experience deliverance during praise and worship. You never leave the way you came. Strongholds are broken, and you witness miracles, signs, and wonders. The difference is truly night and day.

8. If the message constantly glorifies the flesh.

If the teachings focus on making your haters jealous, money, cars, clothes, or worldly success instead of spiritual-minded living and detachment from the world — be cautious.

There is supposed to be a difference between a motivational speaker and a preacher. The biggest difference is purpose. The purpose of a motivational speaker is to entertain and motivate people to keep pursuing their money dreams and their ideal rich lives. They will often tell you how to gain wealth. But the purpose of a preacher is to bring you into the knowledge of Christ Jesus through the Bible. The preacher's job is to compel people to Christ and his ways.

9. If you cannot reach your leader.

If you must go through five or six people just to speak with them, something is wrong. If it takes months to finally see them, something is wrong. A shepherd should be accessible to their people. How can a shepherd care for people they don’t know? The disciples always had access to Jesus, and Jesus worked closely in their lives. The call on every leader is to make disciples, and you cannot make true disciples at a distance.

10. If worship takes up 90% of the service and the Word gets 10%.

Praise and worship are powerful, but believers must also be taught the Word of God. If people grow restless when teaching begins because they’ve heard the same shallow message repeatedly, that’s a sign of spiritual undernourishment. When you think about your church, there should be more than just a nice praise and worship service — how is the teaching changing your mind and helping disciple you into the mind of Christ?

Lastly..

Test everything by Scripture. Ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. Pray and ask God to lead you and guide you to His shepherd, and He will.

There are good churches out there that truly care about your soul. In fact, the real Church does exist — because many of these “church buildings” don’t actually house the true Church.

Some churches are run and viewed as a business rather than a ministry, asking, “How much money can we make this year?” Meanwhile, real churches have a different goal: How can we bring as many souls to Christ as possible, and help them grow in a way that secures their place in Heaven?

There is so much counterfeit out there that it can be hard to see the difference. That’s why discernment is so important. I hope this post is helpful.