through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron;
"It comes as a shock to some people that Satan uses professed Christians in the church to accomplish his work. But Satan once used Peter to try to lead Jesus on a wrong path (Matthew 16:21-23), and he used Ananias and Sapphira to try to deceive the church at Jerusalem (Acts 5). Paul warned that false teachers would arise from within the church (Acts 20:30)." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:224. Cf. Dillow, p. 338-39.] 