How to Recognize a “Knock-Off”

Evil is not Always the Opposite of Good

Via The Joshua Commission

In spiritual warfare, the devil rarely kicks down the door. He slips in quietly, offering a counterfeit of what’s holy. A perversion of love into love (but with conditions or worse yet based in lust). A twisted form of kindness (kindness but selfish judgment). A version of patience (despair, passivity). It almost feels like the real thing. It feels like “you” speaking to “you”. The voice is logical, persuasive and familiar.

That’s the danger.

The enemy doesn’t show up as a monster, he shows up as a coping strategy, a clever justification, or a moral gray zone you’ve convinced yourself is fine. 

That’s how evil travels. Not opposite to good, but next to it. 

Like a knock-off, it mimics the shape and color of real things, until you're wearing something that doesn’t fit and doesn’t last. Then, you justify it and the cycle continues. 

Don’t fight this with willpower alone.  

First, fight it with discernment: become a person who can review and recognize the patterns you justify.

Ask yourself:

- What do I constantly explain away?

- Who do I always find a reason to dislike?

- What sin have I baptized in excuses?

- What “virtue” in me feels right but leads to ruin?

The answer to how you were led astray is often hidden in the justifications you’ve rehearsed.