But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
seducing spirits and doctrines of devils: Actually the two terms Paul uses here are very close in their meanings. The first, "seducing spirits," emphasizes the nature of the spirits. They are deceitful. They cause men to wander away from the truth. The second, "doctrines of devils," emphasizes their instruction. Their teachings are inspired by Satan and his evil cohorts. While some writers, notably Lenski, believe that these deceitful spirits are in fact the false teachers themselves, it seems more likely that the terms "seducing spirits" and "demons" are essentially synonymous, especially since their human agents are mentioned in verse 2 as the hypocritical lie-speakers. In John 8:44, Jesus declares that Satan "is a liar and the father of it," and John warns in 1 John 4:1-6 that we are not to believe "every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." John goes on to supply three tests by which these spirits may be tried (1 John 4:2-12).