
Three Authorities
We see three choices: demonic influence, the human mind, and divine revelation. The human mind makes up stuff and calls the made-up stuff true. That’s the ungodly-thinking fallacy. And since we’ve seen the human mind can only make up stuff, and demons lie, those aren’t rational choices. On the other hand, God gives us revelation of truth, and we can trust this revelation.
Adam and Eve brought the human race into slavery to Satan by simply choosing to yield to Satan’s influence rather than God’s. And even now, demonic principalities and powers try to influence our minds. You choose between these three authorities as they offer the same three choices. You choose which one you’ll listen to. Will you choose demonic influence, the fallen human mind, or divine revelation?
It’s never necessary for anyone who’s following Christ to commit a fallacy, yet we Christians often do commit fallacies. Granted, we must admit we sometimes use the term “following Christ” when we aren’t following Him since we sometimes use the term as a mere figure of speech. In those cases, we follow Christ in theory instead of in practice. So we’re born again, but our attention wanders.
For example, we believe propaganda, something we learned in school, or what we heard on the news. We believe what we heard through a friend, a movie, a book, or a magazine. If we believe it, we become convinced of an ungodly lie. We sometimes follow theological principles instead of listening to Jesus. At these times, we interpret the Bible based on theological worldviews rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to us through the pages of Scripture. In all the examples just given, we aren’t listening to the Holy Spirit’s instruction and direction, and we aren’t thinking, speaking, and acting in submission to the Holy Spirit. Still, if we’ll submit in humble reverence to hear God’s direction when He commands us moment by moment, we have a way forward as God shows us through the following Scriptures.
Teach me both knowledge and appropriate discretion because I believe in your commands. Before I was humbled, I wandered away, but now I observe your words [literally, “I give heed to your utterance”]. ~ Psalm 119:66 International Standard Version
The fear [deep respect] of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. ~ Proverbs 1:7 International Standard Version


















