What is the “spirit of error”?

For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12)

How do you know if you have been deceived by a deluding influence?

The word deluding is the Greek word “planē” (Greek #4106) which means: a wandering – deceitful, deception, deluding, error.

Peter speaks about it in 2 Peter 2:18,

For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error,

Sensuality means licentiousness, or a lack of restraint, especially in sexual conduct, or wanton disregard for rules.

An example of error is Balaam in Jude 11, when it says,

“and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam”

Peter says,

“having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;” (2 Peter 2:15b)

And 2 Peter 3:17 says,

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,

To be principled (Greek #113) is to be lawless. And being principled (Greek #4747/4748) means to walk by principles – to walk by a rule, walk orderly.

An example of a due penalty of error is found in Romans 1:26-27 when it says,

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And an example of not being in error is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:2-3 when it says,

but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition. For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit;

Therefore,

Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.

(1 Corinthians 6:13)

References

2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

2 Peter 2:18

Jude 11

2 Peter 2:15b

2 Peter 3:17

Romans 1:26-27

1 Thessalonians 2:2-3

1 Corinthians 6:13

Jude 4 – For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:4-6 – The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.