To counterfeit means to imitate or copy something closely, especially with intent to deceive. Satan is a master at religious counterfeiting. The Bible warns of Satan’s counterfeit. “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:14). Consider what Satan has counterfeited.
Satan has a counterfeit Bible. The Book of Mormon, the New World Translation of the Scriptures, and every other occult and cultist bible has its ultimate origin in the mind of Satan.
Satan has a counterfeit doctrine. Specific doctrines of demons include celibacy and forbidding eating certain meats. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:1-5).
Satan has a counterfeit trinity.
The Unholy Father: Satan: “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” (Rev. 12:3).
The Unholy Son: The Beast out of the Sea: The Political Ruler: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy” (Rev. 13:1).
The Unholy Spirit: The False Prophet: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (Rev. 13:11).
Satan has a counterfeit church.
The church is the called-out people of God. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9).
The synagogue of Satan is the called together people of their father, the Devil. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).
Satan has a counterfeit seat or throne from which he rules. “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth” (Rev. 2:13).
Satan has a counterfeit temple. “And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Cor. 6:15).
Satan has a counterfeit doctrine referred to as “the depths of Satan”. “But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden” (Rev. 2:24). Forced celibacy and abstaining from certain foods are among the doctrine of the Devil. “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:1-3).
Satan has a counterfeit religion or system of beliefs. It is recognized by casting doubt on the Word of God followed by a denial of the simplicity of God’s word and / or by misusing it.
In the Garden of Eden Satan cast doubt on God’s word before denying it. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:1-4).
In the wilderness, while tempting Christ, Satan twisted Scripture to make it mean something it was never intended to mean. “And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matt. 4:6-7).
Satan has a counterfeit morality. For those with a bent towards lasciviousness it is called hedonism, Epicureanism or in modern terms, the Playboy philosophy. For those with an inclination to religious asceticism it is called legalism or being Pharisaic. All forms of morality not rooted in faith with the glory of God as its objective is sin. “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23).
Satan has a counterfeit objective, which is to be glorified as God. Isaiah 14:14 explains. Said Lucifer, “I will be like the most High.”
Satan has a counterfeit sealing in imitation of the sealing of the saints.
The Counterfeit Sealing.
“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4).
The Authentic Sealing.
“Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads” (Rev. 7:3).
“And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads” (Rev. 9:4).
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads” (Rev. 14:1).
The Christian should not be surprised to find many Biblical concepts and stories embedded in the belief systems of other world religions, for Satan takes the truth to copy it before using it to deceive others. Nor should they embrace the other world religions simply because there is an element of truth in them. There is only one true truth and that is Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).