As any shepherd will tell you, a wolf is a grave danger to his livelihood. A single wolf can eradicate an entire flock of sheep in a brief period of time.
Wolves are difficult to eliminate because of their innate elusiveness, their keen senses, their incredible endurance, and their great skill in incapacitating and killing a flock’s watch dogs.
Like wolves, a false teacher is a spiritual terrorist. His smooth words and flattering speech (Romans 16:18) make him innately elusive and charming. His radar for gullible people, laden with sin and guilt (2 Timothy 3:6) is finely tuned. His ravening appetite for praise, fame, and recognition is never satiated (Matthew 23:15).
The apostle Paul warned the Ephesian eldership of these dangerous spiritual predators with the following words: “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” (Acts 20:29-30).
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15).
