[He gifts the leaders in the church] so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ~Ephesians 4:14
Someone once told me that the devil will do everything in his power to keep a person from salvation, and once they are saved, do everything in his power to prevent that person from growing up in Christ. The Great Commission (Matthew 28) says that our primary assignment here on earth is to make disciples. A disciple is someone who is growing in Christ.
It’s the enemy’s job to prevent that from happening.
Salvation is permanent (Ephesians 1:13-14). We are sealed in Him.
God wants us to grow up. But the reality here on earth is that we do have an enemy. Unfortunately that enemy isn’t always Satan.
Is it possible that other people, sometimes even ourselves, might prevent us from growing in Christ?
Every wind of doctrine.
Human cunning.
Craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Is it possible that the enemy whispered into someone’s ear, “Did God really say?” and the result was a well-thought out system of beliefs that runs completely without the True God? But maybe that’s all the devil had to do: whisper in one person’s ear, and let the God-given gift of creativity run amok without God’s Word as its guide. That’s “human cunning.”
That’s how false doctrine is created. That’s how bad ideas and confusing half-truths are created.
Good intentions, without God, prevent us from growing up in Christ.
So how do we fix that?
By studying His Word, praying for insight and wisdom, and surrounding ourselves with other believers who are on the same journey.