I knew a person who could quote scripture back and forth, but he was a proud atheist. And I knew a brother who, ever since I knew him, always had a problem quoting scripture verbatim and, even worse, remembering chapter and verse unless he wrote it down. I remember he would always "the Scripture says," when he couldn't remember the address of a particular scripture. But this brother loved the Lord with all his heart. You may say: What is your point, Ray? Only this, I am not impressed with your biblical academic level or your ability to remember; more importantly, neither is God. Satan knows the Scriptures; he used it successfully on Eve but was unsuccessful when using it on Jesus.
"Even things that are good in themselves (such as the Bible) can be twisted to serve bad purposes." ~The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare.
Satan was not just a fallen angel but the first false teacher/prophet. Jesus told the religious leaders of his time, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Just as harshly and disrespectfully as he spoke to the religious leaders back then, if he were walking the earth today, he would speak to the religious leaders now in the same manner. Jude tells believers of the Way that they must be revolutionists of the faith against apostasy, against false teachers, preachers, and pastors. Jude uses the word "earnestly" to contend for the faith. That word earnestly means seriously, intensely, radically, and extremist-like contending for the faith. Jude is not talking about salvation; he's referring fighting intensely, radically, seriously to preserve the doctrine, the teachings of Jesus as told by those who walked with him until his death, and resurrection and ascension. As we read through the Gospels, we see that Jesus was a radical revolutionist. And Paul admonishes a young pastor named Timothy to this same radical revolutionist contending for the faith in 1 Timothy 6:3-16; particularly verse 12 where Paul tells Timothy "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." And then in that same chapter, verses 20 and 21, Paul tells young Timothy to guard the faith. In other words, leaders should be on the lookout, on guard duty, like a sniffer guard dog able to sniff out explosive apostasy and narcotic-like effects one receives from false teachings, teaching that put believers in a state of stupor and sleep, becoming addictive to the temporary high it gives the soul but doesn't heal the soul. So that the soul, like an addict, comes back looking for a high rather than seeking healing.
And now I say as Paul in praises to God: To him who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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