“that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,” – Ephesians 4:14
We are living in very perilous times. When our LORD Jesus Christ died upon the cross and rose again in victory, satan’s defeat was certain, and his fate was decided. He stands condemned (John 12:31), awaiting the day when he will be cast into the lake of fire. Because he knows that his time is short, his wrath is great (Revelation 12:12). From the moment our LORD Jesus ascended into heaven until this very day, the enemy has been working fiercely, seeking to deceive and to draw as many souls as he can away from the truth that is in Christ to be with him in the lake of fire.
This is one reason why there are so many Christian denominations today. Scripture tells us that satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and through deception he seeks to mislead many. We should not be ignorant of his devices. To be clear, I am not saying that every denomination teaches false doctrine. Not all divisions are the result of heresy. However, the reality of divisions, disagreements, and false teachings was already prophesied and spoken of in Scripture
Before Paul went up to Jerusalem, where he would later be arrested and imprisoned, he called for the elders of the church in Ephesus and gave them a earnest warning, saying,
“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. (Acts 20:29-31)
By reading Paul’s warning, we gain an understanding of what we are about to learn in this verse, where he becomes more specific about the very causes that would later contribute to the downfall of the Ephesian church.
When Paul says that “we should no longer be children” , the Greek word he uses is nēpios, which means an infant, a little child, or someone who is childish, untaught, and unskilled. In every generation, even in our own time, when a grown adult behaves immaturely, we say, “You are no longer a little child.” This was a common way of speaking, and Paul uses this picture to speak to the Christians in Ephesus. He is calling believers to grow up spiritually. He is not speaking to unbelievers here but to the church. The epistles were written to those who already believe and receive Jesus Christ. These letters are given to correct us, to teach us, and to bring us into maturity. Growth requires correction. Paul is essentially saying, “You have been with Christ.” You have heard the truth. You have received teaching. Why then remain unskilled in the Word of God? Why remain spiritually illiterate when you have been given the Scriptures? The call of this passage is not condemnation but exhortation. It is a loving rebuke.
Then Paul continues, saying, “tossed to and fro.” The Greek word used here is klydōnizomai, which means to be tossed by the waves. It paints the picture of a ship driven back and forth by the sea, unstable in direction and without firm control. It speaks of instability in character and purpose, being carried about from time to time by every blast of the ocean winds. This is the same imagery James uses when he writes,
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:6-8
This is very important for us to be watchful about. Both the Apostle Paul and the Apostle James were writing to warns the church. They themselves had encountered Christians who were easily swayed, unstable, and vulnerable to deception. Their warnings were not written without reason. They saw with their own eyes how easily believers could be influenced. And if we are honest, we must admit that we too can be swayed if we are not firmly grounded in God’s Word. The Ephesian church itself stands as an example. When we look at their history, we can better understand the weight of Paul’s warning and the seriousness of our instability. The Ephesian church was not lagging in outward activity. In fact, it was rich in works and labor. How do we know this? Because the LORD Jesus Himself testified concerning them. He said,
““I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.” Revelation 2:2-3
Yet the LORD Jesus rebuked the church because they had left their first love (Revelation 2:4). A Christian being active in church does not necessarily mean he/she deeply loves the LORD Jesus; he/she may serve faithfully, labor diligently, and remain busy in ministry, yet his/her heart can slowly drift away from true devotion to our LORD Jesus Christ. This teaches us something very serious. When our heart begins to cool and intimacy with the LORD Jesus fades, danger follows. That is often how false doctrine finds its way into the church. When the person behind the ministry is no longer firmly rooted in a genuine love for the LORD Jesus, the foundation begins to shift. Ministry can slowly become rooted in personal effort, ambition, tradition, or even pride. The focus moves away from the LORD Jesus Christ and subtly turns toward self.
This is what happened to the Christians in Ephesus. They were once grounded and well taught under Apostle Paul and were established in sound doctrine. Yet when believers are no longer anchored deeply in the LORD Jesus Christ, instability begins to grow. That is why Paul commanded Timothy, whom he left to shepherd the church in Ephesus:
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith.” 1 Timothy 1:3-4
It is a sobering thought when we consider the church in Ephesus. Paul labored there. Timothy shepherded there. They worked faithfully so that the gospel would take root and be grounded in that region. At one time, that area had a strong Christian witness. Yet today, the region of modern Turkey is mostly Muslim. This does not mean the purposes of God failed, but it does remind us how serious it is when we let ourselves drift from God to ourselves.
They were warned about false doctrine. Paul clearly told them that wolves would come. But the deeper issue was not only what might enter from outside. It was what was happening inside their hearts. Jesus did not first rebuke them for heresy. He rebuked them because they had left their first love. The real danger begins within. When devotion cools, when zeal fades, and when love for our LORD Jesus Christ is no longer central, instability follows. If our hearts are truly burning for God, we will not be easily swayed, because the LORD Jesus Himself is our stability. As the psalmist cried, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2). And again, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). When He is our Rock and Shepherd, we are secure. But when believers remove their eyes from God and begin to focus on themselves, their strength weakens. They begin to be tossed to and fro. The problem is not always outward pressure. Often it is inward distraction.
Paul himself gives us the right example that his stability was not in ministry success but in knowing Jesus. He said,
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” Philippians 3:8, 10
The apostle Paul’s success in ministry was not founded on his knowledge but on his great love for his Savior and his LORD Jesus Christ. Consider this carefully: the Ephesian church did not fall overnight. Their hearts drift first. Their love grows cold first. Their devotion weakens quietly before doctrine is affected openly. Did not our Lord Jesus say, “Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew 24:12)? And Paul warns by the Holy Spirit saying,
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,” I Timothy 4:1-2
This warning remains for us today. When the LORD Jesus Christ is no longer the center of our hearts, everything else begins to shift. Doctrine may still be discussed. Ministry may still continue. Activity may even increase. Outwardly, everything may appear strong. But once our love for the LORD Jesus Christ is no longer burning within us, we begin to be easily swayed.
Now that we have addressed the issue within the heart, we can speak about the danger from outside. Paul says that we must not be “carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.” When Paul speaks of “every wind of doctrine,” he is warning about false teachings. A wind changes direction suddenly. It is unstable and shifting. In the same way, false doctrine moves people away from the steady truth of God’s Word. Paul warned the church in Galatia about this very thing, saying, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Galatians 1:6). They were turning quickly, easily influenced. Anything that contradicts to the Word of God is false doctrine. When people worship the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25) that is a sin, when God’s design for marriage is redefined though Scripture speaks of one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27) that is going against His Word. When human life is treated as disposable, even though God forms every child in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16),
These are not minor differences in opinion. These are direct departures from biblical truth. When culture normalizes what God calls sin, and when the church softens what Scripture speaks clearly, we are no longer dealing with harmless ideas. We are dealing with false doctrines that pull hearts away from the absolute truth of God.
Paul then says, “by the trickery of men.” We must understand this clearly: just as God uses people to proclaim His truth, satan also uses people to spread deception. Scripture says that satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). That means deception does not always look evil. It often appears good, reasonable, and even spiritual. Look at the garden. He deceived Eve by twisting God’s words (Genesis 3:1 to 5). He did not begin with open rebellion. He began with a question. He introduced doubt. He slightly altered what God had said. Subtle persuasion came before open disobedience. That is how deception works. It rarely announces itself boldly at first. It whispers. It questions. It reframes truth. Even today, we see how persuasion works in the world. Marketing, media, and public voices know how to influence emotions and shape thinking. Words are carefully chosen. Messages are crafted to appeal, to soften resistance, to make error seem reasonable. In the same way, false teachers use persuasive speech to sway your hearts.
Paul continues, “in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.” The Greek word panourgia carries the idea of calculated cleverness, a methodical strategy designed to mislead. Deception is often organized and intentional. Sometimes when listening to debates between Christian truth and worldly ideology, what is being said can sound convincing. It may even seem logical at first. That is how deception works. It plays with words. It reframes definitions. It appeals to emotion. And if we are not grounded deeply in Scripture and anchored in the LORD Jesus Christ, we can begin to waver.
This is why I love the encounter between Nicodemus and the LORD Jesus. Nicodemus was a teacher of Israel. He had been trained, instructed, and shaped by religious tradition. Yet he still came to Jesus personally. He wanted to know for himself whether what he had been taught would truly lead him into the kingdom of God. And Jesus told him plainly, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). Nicodemus did not rely only on his knowledge. He came to the LORD Jesus Christ directly to verify the truth. In the same way, when Philip told Nathanael about Jesus, he did not argue endlessly. He simply said, “Come and see” (John 1:46). There is something powerful about coming to the LORD Jesus personally and seeking Him for yourself. This is what we all must do. We must abide in the presence of the LORD Jesus Christ. We must read our Bibles daily. Not occasionally. Not only when convenient. Daily!
I will speak practically and honestly. I myself struggled with consistency, especially in my early days as a new convert. There were days I felt exhausted. There were days I did not feel like reading. But I pushed myself to read, even if it was just one chapter. I disciplined my flesh to build the habit. Because I learned something: when you stop for several days, it becomes harder to return. The flesh quickly grows comfortable with spiritual neglect. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). And remember how the LORD Jesus overcame the deception of satan through strong familiarity with God’s Word. When He was tempted in the wilderness. He responded every temptation with the Word of God. If we are not deeply familiar with Scripture, we will not recognize when it is being twisted. If we only know verses casually, we can be persuaded by half truth. But when we are rooted in the whole counsel of God, deception becomes easier to detect. The only way not to be carried about by every wind of doctrine is to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God.
If you truly do not want to be swayed by false doctrine, then understand this:
The most important thing in being a disciple of the LORD Jesus Christ is that you must be born again (born from above)-the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within you. There must be a real and tangible transformation of your life. As our LORD Jesus said,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”” – John 3:5-8
When you receive the LORD Jesus, you become a new creation, you gain citizenship from the heaven and royal status. You do not joining a denomination or adopting a religious identity. This is not about culture, tradition, or affiliation. It is a divine work of the Spirit of God within our life. The Holy Spirit, who moved upon the face of the dark and formless earth in the beginning (Genesis 1:2), is the same Spirit who now gives life to a soul once dead in sin. The Spirit who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in believers, and He shall also give life to our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11). He is the Spirit of truth, who guides us into all truth. So when you truly have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, and you walk with Him daily and live in submission to Him, you will not be easily swayed by the lies of Satan. For He is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit does not lead us into confusion. He does not contradict the Word He inspired to wrote. He guides, corrects, convicts, and anchors us in what is absolute truth of the Word of God. When deception comes, He gives us discernment. When error sounds persuasive, He gives us understanding. The Spirit of God equips us to understand the things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:14).
So the question you must ask yourself is this, Have I received the Holy Spirit when I believed? For Scripture says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). This is not about whether we grew up in church. It is not about what denomination our family belongs to. It is not about how long we have been Christian.
The real question is this: Does the Spirit of God dwell in you?
If you have never truly surrendered to Christ, do not harden your heart. Come to Him now. Confess Him openly. Believe from your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again (Romans 10:9).
Call upon the Father sincerely: Our heavenly Father, I confess with my mouth that I believe in Jesus Christ, Your Son. I believe He died on the cross for my sins and rose again to give me newness life. Forgive me. Cleanse me and I ask that Your Holy Spirit dwell within me, give life to my mortal body, and seal me for the day of redemption. Let Your Spirit bear witness with my spirit that I am Your child.
Brother and sister, do not be guided merely by denominational identity, traditions, or indocrinated teachings. These cannot save you and cannot anchor you. The true disciple of the LORD Jesus Christ is Spirit led, for “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Not self led. Not culture led. Not tradition led. But Spirit led!!!
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