What are they? What are their motives and purposes? How do we discern the differences, when they seem so similar?

There are real dangers in the world today, particularly with Artificial Intelligence (AI). It can make fake things look real. But it goes deeper than software programs. Satan is a real spirit being who can work signs and wonders in our physical world, in the sky or even in our bodies, like healings.

We need some basic Scriptural knowledge to tell the differences between Satan’s signs and wonders and God’s.

In this post I use the NIV. If you want other translations, go to biblegateway.com. All bold font has been added.

Let’s begin.

God’s Signs and Wonders

We don’t need to come up with numerous examples in this section. Consider the ten plagues against Egypt (Exodus 7:14-11:10). Their purpose was to execute judgment on the Egyptian gods: […] “for the Lord had brought judgment on their gods” (Num. 33:4). In addition, another purpose was to liberate people from bondage to a false Pharaoh system and its gods.

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah called down fire from heaven to help the Israelites discern God’s law from false teachings and practices of 450 prophets of Baal, a false god who was actually an evil spirit. This fiery sign from the sky is also a one-off. Jesus said not to call down fire from heaven in judgment and wrath to destroy the unrighteous (Luke 9:51-56).

Since these signs and wonders were one-offs, anyone who says he’s a Christian and also claims to work these skyward signs and wonders that Moses and Elijah did is getting in trouble and is danger of being deceived and deceiving others.

Now let’s shift over to the New Testament, to find out what signs and wonders are, according to Jesus and the apostolic community..

In these verses, the Pharisees and teachers of the law tempt Jesus to put on a display of signs and wonders, probably like Moses or Elijah performed. If Jesus refuses to perform such signs on demand, then they will stay with Moses and his law and not follow Jesus.

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

³⁹ He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Matt. 12:38-39; see 16:1-4)

The context is not a genuine need, like a healing or a deliverance from a demon. They demanded an empty, “show-offy” display to wow the crowd. He was secure enough in his knowledge of God that he called them and his generation wicked and adulterous. “Adulterous” may mean they were mixing the traditions of men with the word of God, or they were committing sexual sins, literal adultery, or both.

In contrast, if you really need healing, seek God and his church for help. But don’t look for signs in the sky or nature miracles with no benefit of helping people in down-to-earth ways.

Jesus replied that the only sign that the religious leaders and the people would get is his resurrection, the sign of Jonah (also see John 2:18-19). Signs and wonders in the New Testament boiled down to healings and deliverances. Signs in the sky, like falling gold dust or feathers inside or outside a church, go too far off from Scripture, even if it is filmed, especially if it is filmed.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus worked eight significant signs. (1) Turning water into wine (2:1-11), which will be related to his teaching the vine and branches metaphor (John 15:1-17); (2) Healing an official’s son (4:43-54); (3) Healing a disabled man at a pool (5:1-15); (4) Feeding the 5000 (6:1-14); (5) Walking on water (6:16-21) (6) Healing a man born blind (9:1-12); (7) Raising Lazarus from the dead (11:1-44); (8) His own resurrection from from the dead (20:1-31).

Jesus performed many additional signs in the Fourth Gospel that were unrecorded. What was the purpose of the recorded ones?

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

The signs led to faith in the Messiah, the Son of God, and when we believe in him, we will have new life in his name.

In the book of Acts, signs and wonders accredit Jesus as God’s servant:

²² “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. (Acts 2:22)

So it looks like signs and wonders point to Jesus, not to any one man (or woman) who may perform them, like Peter or the other apostles.

Back to the Gospels. Miracles reveal and advance the kingdom of God. In this verse the context is the miracle of deliverance:

²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (Matt. 12:28)

In this next verse the crowd sat up and took notice of the message of the gospel and Jesus (see the final section for more teaching on Acts 2:42-47):

⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. (Acts 2:43)

This was the crowd’s reaction. If the crowds are awed, then the true disciple can’t stop their reaction. But he must not be caught up in it. The main purpose of miracles, in contrast, is to preach Jesus and lift him up. Then signs and wonders follow, just as Peter said in Acts 2, in a powerfully true sermon.

In Acts 8:6-8, during Philip’s campaign in Samaria, signs and wonders helped people get free from diseases and paralysis and demons. These people-based miracles that actually helped them produced great joy, for the message lifted up Jesus, and he liberated them. “But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). It was about preaching the good news of the kingdom in Jesus’s name and then salvation in his name, not in the name of a prophet or Philip.

So God’s signs and wonders accomplish at least these things: (1) Lift up Jesus; (2) Make people sit up and take notice of the gospel and Jesus himself; (3) Lead people to put their faith in the Messiah, the Son of God; (4) Then their faith in him will give them eternal life; (5) Provide practical benefits of healing and deliverance–helping people, in other words–but in his name alone; (6) Advancement the kingdom of God so people will join it in the name of Jesus. (7) Accredit the good news of the gospel in Jesus’s name.

Most importantly, it looks like Jesus is the centerpiece of signs and wonders. Remember, however, that every book or letters in the NT, except the tiny epistle to Philemon, says to watch out for false teachings and false prophets and false teachers. Correct doctrine is another criterion for evaluating signs and wonders.

See this link for many additional examples of signs and wonders:

What Are Signs and Wonders and Miracles?

What Does ‘Greater Things’ Mean in John 14:12?

Satan’s Signs and Wonders

In all the next passages, the bold font has been added.

Let’s begin in the OT.

Pharoah’s sorcerers and diviners were able to duplicate some of God’s signs and wonders he worked through Moses (e.g. the rods turning into snakes, though Aaron’s rods consumed the satanic-produced snakes, blood in the water, and frogs in Exod. 7:8-8:15), though eventually their satanic signs and wonders could not keep up with god’s signs and wonders and stopped.

In Deuteronomy, certain people could work a sign and wonder:

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, ² and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” ³ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer.  The  Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.  (Deut. 13:1-4)

The context is the Sinai covenant and satanic infiltration of ancient Israel. Read the book of 1 and 2 Kings, and how evil many kings were, particularly King Manasseh of Judah, as follows:

³ He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. ⁴ He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” ⁵ In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger. (1 Kings 21:3-5)

The passage goes on to describe more of his awful satanic practices. In the above quoted passage he even sacrificed his own son in the fire and consulted all sorts of people in contact with evil spirits. He set up altars in the temple, no less. This is the king, the leader of Judah. Wow.

This is why these prophets and diviners had to be put to death. God judged Manasseh severely too. This passage elucidates the one in Deuteronomy 13. Signs and wonders performed by false prophets or anyone had to be checked out doctrinally because they led people to follow other gods. As far as I know, prophets today on social media do not entice people to go after other gods, but they must be judged doctrinally and on whether their prophecies come true and on other criteria (see below in the section on discernment).

Now let’s turn to the NT. Satan empowers human agents who work signs and wonders before people.

During difficult times, like the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, false messiahs and false prophets can work signs and wonders, as Jesus forewarns about, here:

²³ At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. ²⁵ See, I have told you ahead of time. (Matt. 24:23-25)

In tough times people will be so desperate that they need anyone or anything to believe in. They will be vulnerable to false messiahs and prophets and their “great signs and wonders” (emphasis added). Their purpose is to deceive people, which means to wander away from Jesus, the true Messiah and true Prophet, the Son of God, and even God in the flesh. The “elect” means followers of Jesus. Will some of them be deceived?

Deceived how? From what good condition? They may be deceived from sound doctrine and knowledge of God through his Son and believe false doctrines and wander from Scriptural knowledge of God into a mixture of religions. Remember that Jesus called his generation “adulterous,” because they mixed the word of God with the traditions of men or they were committing sexual sins, or both.

Even in times that are not difficult but easy, very charismatic teachers and preachers can work signs and wonders:

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt. 7:21-23)

The last word “evildoers” can be more literally translated as “practioners” or “doers” of “lawlessness.” These fake charismatics don’t listen to moral or biblical law. They can prophesy and expel demons and perform miracles, but they do not do the will of the Son’s Father–God himself. They break basic Scripture and sound morals. They have no relationship with Jesus. They are like flowers in a vase. The water goes bad and the flowers will gradually wilt and die.

For signs that your church and its leaders are getting off track, go to this link and read the list of signs:

Matthew 7:21-23: “I Never Knew You, Depart from Me!”

I discussed Acts 8 in the previous section. In that chapter, Philip and later John and Peter worked signs and wonders in the name of Jesus, as Philip proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom. However, a sorcerer named Simon, who had also been working his own version of signs and wonders, wanted to buy the gift of imparting the Spirit, to add to his repertoire of wonders, his bag of tricks. But Peter rebuked him. Evidently Simon would have charged money.

Be careful about how and why offerings are taken. No one should have to buy a miracle or a prophecy. And be careful about false magic which seems so powerful but is actually deceptive.

Next, Satan will work signs and wonders through a deceitful man, as seen here. Note what the goal is.

⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, ¹⁰ and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thess. 2:8-10)

The lie is any false doctrine. We can test false doctrine by knowing true ones, from Scripture, properly interpreted.

And here is a passage about the second beast, which may be a system of deceitful people:

¹² It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³ And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴ Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (Rev. 13:12-14)

Satan can call down fire from heaven, even though Jesus said not to do this (Luke 9:51-56).

And this next verse is about many demonic spirits that can work signs. The signs may be performed directly by a demon, like a healing in a body in the name of another religion, like Hinduism or Shintoism or Buddhism. One must be very careful about accepting healing signs as valid within defective religions:

¹⁴ They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. (Rev. 16:14)

Deceitful signs and wonders lead to rebellion against Jesus and God Almighty. Fighting against God in a great battle is a bad idea.

Finally, this verse says the beast and the false prophet (which may be an entire religious system, if they are symbolic) worked signs. Again, note what the goal is:

²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. (Rev. 19:20)

So, adding up all those verses, it looks like satanic signs and wonders accomplish these diabolical things: (1) Deceive people; (2) Get people to wander off from Jesus; (3) Get people to go away from simple faith in him and his Lordship and Sonship; (4) Get people to rebel against God; (5) Join the kingdom of darkness; (6) Lose their souls to the devil; (7) Eventually to end up in hell with the devil and his angels.

How to Stay Safe and Have Discernment

Three important ways to do this, as follows.

1. Test everything.

We are to test human spirits to see if they are false. Many false prophets have gone out into the world. Many. Don’t be naive and believe anyone who says marvelous things and appear righteous. Test their doctrine.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,  which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. (1 John 4:1-3)

In the above verses, in John’s days, the false doctrine was denying that Jesus came in the flesh. In our day false prophets may or may not say this. but they may also deny other things, like Christ’s Lordship or his full deity. Truth found in the word of God is the deciding factor. Cling to it. Cling to sound doctrine based on the word of God.

Speaking of Scripture, our discernment is supposed to be Bible-trained. You must read the Bible for yourself, but most importantly you must read it in a wholesome community of believers. Private interpretations are potentially dangerous. (See the third point, below.)

These verses tell us the difference between true and false doctrine:

² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Tim. 4:2-4)

Sound doctrine is not exciting, so people will not put up with it, but follow their own desires. Their ears itch, so certain undisciplined teachers will scratch them with pleasing doctrines. No, stick with “boring,” sound doctrine.

These verses also help us spot bad leaders:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (1 Tim. 4:1-2)

Men whose consciences have been seared by a hot iron means that they have no conscience and can engage in all sorts of lawlessness. They become doers or practioners of lawlessness, and Jesus said no to this (Matt. 7:21-22). They break moral law, like honesty and monogamy. Their consciences are not Bible-trained or Bible-based. Now, for them, anything goes. Morality is now what they feel, according to their own desires.

2.. Inspect their fruit.

Jesus told us what to do, here:

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7:15-20)

We are called to watch out. This is the opposite of being gullible. Inspecting fruit is, yes, testing their character, but often the wolves wear really beautiful disguises, which look like sheep’s clothing. False teachers and prophets can appear very pious and can even give away a million dollars, if they are rich. They can even spout a few correct doctrines here and there, which they have heard over the years, “Yes I believe Jesus is the Son of God!” Then they may add something odd: “But we too are all gods!” That’s just one example.

Eventually their doctrine will be shown to be off base. They will say something that diminishes God and his Son, for example. They may unhitch the Old Testament from the New. They may endorse same-sex marriage and even perform them. Or they may say that they too are the I Am, just like God.

Further, their bad character will gradually manifest, usually in the sexual area, particularly, but not exclusively, if the fakes are men. They will have one or multiple affairs and not repent in public because they are afraid to lose their lucrative platform. When they get caught, they will try hard to maintain their money-making position on television and their large church.

I have observed that charismatic leaders (in the sociological sense of “charismatic”) will eventually pursue sexual desires and collect a harem of sorts, or pursue women serially, one or two after another one or two.

Or they may be corrupt in their finances and become hyper-rich at the expense of average church-going Christians because the wolves twist Scripture and make false promises to their listeners. “Give to my ministry, and God will bless you with more money to give more money to my ministry! Buy a blessing!” Wrong. Then the mega-ministers take the donated money and fulfill their selfish desires and buy luxury items, like a gigantic house (or two or three), a jet (or more than one), expensive cars, or shoes that cost a thousand dollars, and other such things.

Apostle Paul Traveled on Cargo Ships

So watch out for bad character, bad doctrines, and bad ministry practices–all three things.

How do you test those three things, specifically? The next point answers the question.

3. Stay in fellowship with sound Christian believers and leaders that have the following ministry practices.

Here are verses that clarify what a healthy church is:

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

Based on this long passage, watch for these ten things in your local fellowship: (1) Devotion to apostolic teaching in the Gospels, Acts and the epistles and even the Revelation, when it is taught properly and in balance. (2) Regular fellowship; (3) Communal meals that end in communion (if the communal meals are feasible, but always take communion of bread and grape juice); (4) Regular community prayer; (5) No greed;

Does Book of Acts Teach Modern Communism or Socialism?

Apostle Paul Traveled on Cargo Ships

(6) Large gatherings (7) House churches that share meals that end with communion (regular communion, in other words, but maybe regular potlucks are too much even in a house gathering); (8) Sincerity and glad hearts. (Many false teachers may smile and appear sincere but inside they are mean and manipulative with their words.) (9) Praising God together; (10) Outreach to the lost for salvation in Jesus alone.

A church that does all those things should keep us safe as we live in community together under Jesus’s Lordship and submission to his word, the Scriptures.

RELATED

What Are Signs and Wonders and Miracles?

Sixteen Characteristics of a Healthy Church (an extension of those ten items)

Four-part series on how one should not practice lawlessness, particularly for church leaders. The articles are about the signs that indicate leaders are practicing lawlessness:

Warning to Evolving, Progressive Churches: Danger Signs

Warning to Evolving, Progressive Churches: Authority of Scripture

Warning to Evolving, Progressive Churches: Marriage and Sex

Warning to Evolving, Progressive Churches: Judgment Is Coming