Chapter 06: Little Gods in Training – The Deification of Humans

The Ancient Lie Repackaged

Before we examine Dake’s specific teaching, we must understand that the promise of divinity is Satan’s oldest lie. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent tempted Eve with these words: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5)¹.

Think about that for a moment. The very first temptation, the lie that brought sin and death into the world, was the promise that humans could become gods. This wasn’t just about disobedience or eating forbidden fruit—it was about humanity trying to ascend to divinity, to erase the line between Creator and creature.

Throughout history, this same lie has appeared in different forms. The Greek and Roman emperors declared themselves gods. Hindu philosophy teaches that the soul (Atman) is identical with the divine (Brahman). New Age spirituality proclaims that we are all divine beings having a human experience. And now, through Dake’s influence, this ancient deception has infiltrated Christian churches.

What Dake Actually Taught

Let’s break down what Dake is claiming here, because it’s important to understand exactly what he taught:

1. Humans are “miniature gods” – Not just made in God’s image, but actually gods in a smaller form
2. We share God’s “nature and attributes” – Not just some characteristics, but the very essence of divinity
3. We are in the “God class” – Just as dogs are in the canine class and cats are in the feline class, humans are supposedly in the divine class
4. We are “gods under God” – Lesser deities serving under the supreme deity

This isn’t metaphorical language or poetic expression. Dake literally believed and taught that human beings are divine beings, members of the God race, possessing the same essential nature as God Himself. He expanded on this throughout his writings:

Notice the progression in Dake’s thinking. Not only are we currently “little gods,” but redemption will fully restore us to complete godhood. This isn’t about becoming more Christ-like in character or growing in holiness—it’s about achieving actual divinity.

Dake made his position even more explicit in his writings about human nature, stating unambiguously: “man in reality is simply a miniature of God in attributes and powers.”⁵¹ This statement goes beyond merely being created in God’s image—it claims that humans possess the very attributes and powers of God Himself in miniaturized form.

The Misinterpretation of Scripture

How did Dake arrive at such a shocking conclusion? By misinterpreting several key biblical passages. Let’s examine his primary proof texts and see how he twisted Scripture to support his doctrine.

Genesis 1:26-27 – The Image of God

Dake’s foundational error comes from his interpretation of humanity being made “in the image of God.” The Bible says: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26-27)⁴.

Dake made a critical error here. He confused image with essence. Being made in God’s image doesn’t mean we share His divine nature—it means we reflect certain communicable attributes of God in a creaturely way. Consider this simple analogy: A photograph of the president is made “in the image” of the president, but the photograph isn’t the president. It represents him without being him.

Dake’s interpretation went much further than traditional Christian theology. He taught that the image of God includes literal bodily form, arguing: “God can be like man in bodily form and still be as magnificent as we have always thought Him to be. He can have a spirit-substance body and still be like man in size and shape.”⁵² This teaching led Dake to compile what he called “63 Facts About God,” including claims that God has hands, feet, fingers, eyes, ears, a mouth, and other bodily parts—all meant to be understood literally.⁵³

What does it actually mean to be made in God’s image? Orthodox Christian theology has always understood this to include:

• Rational capacity: We can think, reason, and understand abstract concepts
• Moral nature: We have a conscience and can distinguish right from wrong
• Relational ability: We can have meaningful relationships with God and others
• Creative power: We can create art, music, literature, and technology (though we create from existing materials, while God creates ex nihilo—from nothing)
• Dominion role: We were given authority to rule over creation as God’s representatives

None of these qualities make us divine. A painting may capture the image of a person without the canvas becoming human. A statue may represent a hero without the marble becoming heroic. Similarly, we bear God’s image without becoming gods.

Psalm 82:6 – “Ye Are Gods”

Dake’s second major proof text comes from Psalm 82:6: “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”⁵ This verse, more than any other, has been used to justify the “little gods” doctrine. But what does it actually mean?

Let’s look at the entire passage in context:

This psalm is about unjust judges in Israel who were failing in their God-given responsibility to administer justice. The term “gods” (Hebrew: elohim) is used here in a representative sense—these judges represented God’s authority in their judicial role. But notice what immediately follows: “But ye shall die like men.” If these were actual divine beings, why would the psalmist emphasize their mortality?

In Dake’s notes, he acknowledged that the Hebrew term Elohim could refer to “judges who represent God and act in His stead among men.”⁵⁴ However, instead of recognizing this as purely representational language, Dake used it to support his view that humans are ontologically in the “God class.”

The psalm is actually a condemnation, not an affirmation. God is rebuking these judges for their corruption and reminding them that despite their high position as His representatives, they are merely mortal men who will face judgment for their failures.

Jesus referenced this passage in John 10:34-36 when the Jews accused Him of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God: “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?”⁶

Jesus wasn’t affirming that humans are divine beings. He was making an argument from the lesser to the greater: If corrupt human judges could be called “gods” in a representative sense because they held God’s word, how much more appropriate was it for Him—the eternal Word made flesh—to call Himself the Son of God?

John 10:34 – Jesus’s Reference

Dake and his followers often point to Jesus’s quotation of Psalm 82 as proof that Jesus taught the divinity of believers. But this interpretation ignores the context and purpose of Jesus’s statement. Let’s examine it carefully.

The Jewish leaders were about to stone Jesus for blasphemy because He claimed to be one with the Father (John 10:30). Jesus responded with a rabbinic style argument known as qal wahomer (light and heavy)—if something is true in a lesser case, how much more in a greater case.

His argument went like this: “If your own Scriptures call human judges ‘gods’ when they merely received God’s word, why are you upset that I—whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world—call myself the Son of God?” He wasn’t elevating humans to divinity; He was defending His own unique divine status.

The Biblical Refutation

Scripture consistently and emphatically denies that humans are or can become gods. The testimony of the Bible on this point is overwhelming and unambiguous.

There Is Only One God

The fundamental truth of Scripture is monotheism—there is only one God. This truth appears repeatedly throughout the Bible:

If God Himself declares that He knows of no other gods, how can humans be gods? Either God is mistaken (which is impossible), or the “little gods” doctrine is false. There’s no middle ground here.

Humans Are Explicitly Not Gods

Scripture explicitly denies that humans are divine:

These verses establish an absolute distinction between God and humanity. God is explicitly “not man,” and this distinction is fundamental to His identity. If humans could become gods, this distinction would be meaningless.

The Creator-Creature Distinction

The Bible maintains an absolute distinction between the Creator and His creation. This distinction is foundational to biblical theology:

Paul explains in Romans 1:25 that the essence of idolatry is when people “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.”¹⁴ The “little gods” doctrine commits the ultimate idolatry by elevating the creature to the level of the Creator.

The Dangerous Progression of Error

Dake’s “God class” teaching didn’t remain static. Like yeast in dough, it spread and expanded through the teachings of those he influenced. Let’s trace how this error evolved from Dake to its current form in Word of Faith theology.

From Dake to Kenneth Hagin

Kenneth Hagin, often called the “father of the Word of Faith movement,” was deeply influenced by Dake’s Bible. Hagin took Dake’s “God class” concept and developed it further. He wrote:

Notice the progression. Dake said we’re “in the God class.” Hagin says we’re “as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was.” This is pure blasphemy. The incarnation of Christ was a unique, unrepeatable event in which the eternal Son of God took on human nature. To claim that every believer is equally an incarnation destroys the uniqueness of Christ and elevates humans to His level.

Kenneth Copeland’s Amplification

Kenneth Copeland, one of Hagin’s most prominent disciples and a devoted user of the Dake Bible, took the teaching even further:

This is the logical conclusion of Dake’s teaching. If humans are in the “God class,” why shouldn’t we use God’s covenant name for ourselves? Of course, this is exactly the blasphemy that got Jesus nearly stoned—except Jesus actually was God incarnate, while Copeland is merely a created being.

Creflo Dollar’s Reproductive Theology

Creflo Dollar, another prosperity preacher influenced by this theological stream, presented perhaps the most shocking formulation:

This represents a complete misunderstanding of both creation and reproduction. God didn’t “reproduce” when He created humans—He created. Creation and procreation are fundamentally different. God spoke humans into existence; He didn’t birth us from His own being. We are made by God, not generated from God’s essence.

Joyce Meyer and Popular Acceptance

Joyce Meyer, one of the most popular Christian speakers in the world, has also taught this doctrine, though she later attempted to soften her position:

While Meyer later claimed she no longer teaches this, the damage was done. Millions heard and believed that they were “little gods.” The teaching had moved from Dake’s study Bible to mainstream Christian television.

Why This Matters: The Theological Implications

Some might ask, “What’s the big deal? So what if people think they’re little gods? Doesn’t it just boost their self-esteem?” This attitude gravely underestimates the danger of this doctrine. The “little gods” teaching strikes at the very heart of the Christian faith.

It Destroys True Worship

Worship is the proper response of the creature to the Creator. It involves recognizing God’s infinite superiority and our complete dependence on Him. But if we’re gods ourselves, why should we worship? Gods don’t worship other gods—they demand worship for themselves.

Isaiah saw the Lord “high and lifted up” and cried, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5).²⁰ This is the proper response to encountering the true God—overwhelming awareness of our creatureliness and sinfulness. But those who believe they’re “little gods” approach God as near-equals rather than as creatures before their Creator.

It Undermines the Gospel

The gospel is the good news that God became man to save humanity. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).²¹ But if humans are already divine, why did God need to become man? If we’re already in the “God class,” what do we need salvation from?

The incarnation is meaningful precisely because it represents the infinite condescension of God—the Creator taking on the nature of the creature. As Philippians 2:6-8 explains, Christ “being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”²²

If humans are already gods, the incarnation becomes meaningless. It would simply be one god taking on the form of another god. The shocking scandal of the incarnation—that the infinite God became finite man—is lost entirely.

It Eliminates the Need for Redemption

If humans are divine beings, what’s our fundamental problem? In biblical theology, our problem is sin—rebellion against our Creator that has separated us from Him. We need forgiveness, cleansing, and reconciliation with God.

But in the “little gods” theology, our problem isn’t sin but ignorance. We simply don’t realize our divine nature and haven’t learned to use our divine powers. The solution isn’t the cross but education. We don’t need a Savior; we need a teacher to help us discover our divinity.

This is precisely the distinction between Christianity and every other religion. Christianity says humans are sinful creatures who need divine rescue. Other religions say humans have divinity within that needs to be awakened or realized. The “little gods” doctrine transforms Christianity into just another self-help religion.

Dake’s teaching on redemption reveals this dangerous trajectory. He wrote about how “only by obedience to God could he be restored to his original dominion”⁵⁵ and that “the redeemed ones of the human race from the time of Adam to the 2nd advent of Christ, will be the future kings and priests under God and Christ to reign over the dominion originally given to Adam.”⁵⁶ Notice how redemption is framed primarily as restoration to dominion and divine rulership rather than as rescue from sin and reconciliation with God.

It Promotes Pride, Not Humility

Scripture consistently calls us to humility. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).²³ “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).²⁴ Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).²⁵

But how can “little gods” be humble? The very essence of the teaching promotes pride. It tells people they have divine nature, divine power, and divine authority. Instead of falling on our faces before God, we’re told to stand tall as gods ourselves.

Remember what caused Satan’s fall? “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!… For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God… I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:12-14).²⁶ The desire to be like God, to ascend to divinity, was the original sin that corrupted a third of the angels. Now the same temptation is being preached from Christian pulpits.

The Connection to Word of Faith Errors

The “little gods” doctrine isn’t an isolated error—it’s the foundation for an entire theological system. Once you accept that humans are divine beings, other false teachings logically follow.

The Force of Faith

If humans are gods, then we must have divine abilities. In Word of Faith theology, this divine ability is “the force of faith.” Faith becomes not trust in God but a power that gods (humans) use to create reality.

Kenneth Copeland teaches: “Faith is a power force. It is a tangible force. It is a conductive force.”²⁷ This transforms faith from reliance on God to manipulation of spiritual laws. Gods don’t trust—they command. They don’t ask—they decree.

The Bible presents faith very differently. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”²⁸ Biblical faith is trust in God’s character and promises, not a force we wield to get what we want.

Positive Confession

If we’re gods with creative power in our words (as God created by speaking), then our words must have creative power too. This leads to the doctrine of “positive confession”—the belief that we can speak things into existence.

Dake wrote about the creative power of words, and his followers developed this into a full system. Charles Capps, heavily influenced by this stream of teaching, wrote: “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light… You are reborn in the image of God… You have the same creative power dwelling in you.”²⁹

But humans don’t have creative power in our words. When God speaks, His words create because He is omnipotent. When we speak, our words communicate but don’t create. We can build with our hands using existing materials, but we cannot speak new reality into existence.

Prosperity as a Divine Right

If believers are gods, then poverty becomes unthinkable. Gods don’t struggle financially. Gods own everything. This logic leads directly to the prosperity gospel—the teaching that financial wealth is the divine right of every believer.

Dake taught that “it is God’s will for all saints to prosper and be in health.”³⁰ When combined with the “little gods” doctrine, this becomes an absolute entitlement. Gods don’t ask for provision—they claim their divine inheritance.

But Jesus said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).³¹ If the true Son of God experienced poverty, how can “little gods” claim immunity from financial struggle?

Divine Health as an Entitlement

The same logic applies to physical health. If we’re divine beings, sickness should be impossible. Gods don’t get cancer. Gods don’t need glasses. Gods don’t age and die.

This teaching has led to countless tragedies as believers refuse medical treatment, believing their divine nature makes them immune to disease. Parents have watched children die, believing their “god-status” meant they could command healing. Diabetics have thrown away insulin, cancer patients have rejected chemotherapy, and the result has been unnecessary death and suffering.

Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” that God chose not to remove (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).³² Timothy had stomach problems and frequent illnesses (1 Timothy 5:23).³³ Trophimus was left sick at Miletum (2 Timothy 4:20).³⁴ If the apostles experienced sickness despite their faith, how can modern “little gods” claim perfect health?

Biblical Response: Who We Really Are in Christ

Having seen the error of the “little gods” doctrine, we must understand what the Bible actually teaches about our identity in Christ. We are not gods, but we are something wonderful—we are children of God, new creatures in Christ, with a glorious destiny that doesn’t require divinity.

Children, Not Gods

The Bible clearly teaches that believers become children of God through faith in Christ. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).³⁵

Being God’s child is fundamentally different from being a god. Children share certain characteristics with their parents but remain distinct beings. My children bear my image in some ways—they may have my eyes or my temperament—but they are not me and will never become me.

Notice that John marvels at the love that makes us God’s children. If being divine was our natural state, this wouldn’t be marvelous—it would be expected. We will be “like him” when Christ appears, but being like someone isn’t the same as being that person.

New Creatures, Not Divine Beings

Paul writes, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).³⁷ We are new creatures, not new gods. We are transformed creations, not promoted to deity.

The Greek word for “new” here is kainos, meaning new in quality or character, not new in essence. We remain human beings, but we are regenerated, given new spiritual life, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. This is miraculous and wonderful without requiring deification.

Partakers of Divine Nature, Not Possessors of Divine Essence

Peter writes that through God’s promises we “might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4).³⁸ Some use this verse to support the “little gods” doctrine, but they misunderstand what Peter means.

The Greek word for “partakers” is koinonos, meaning to share or participate in something. We participate in God’s moral nature—His holiness, love, and righteousness—through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We don’t possess God’s essential nature—His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence.

Think of it like iron in a fire. When iron is placed in fire, it takes on some characteristics of fire—it glows and gives off heat. But the iron doesn’t become fire. It remains iron while participating in some qualities of fire. Similarly, we participate in God’s moral qualities while remaining creatures.

Conformed to Christ’s Image, Not Divine Essence

Romans 8:29 tells us that believers are “predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son.”³⁹ We are being shaped to reflect Christ’s character—His love, holiness, humility, and obedience. This is about moral and spiritual transformation, not ontological elevation to divinity.

The goal isn’t to become gods but to become truly human as God intended. Jesus, the perfect human, shows us what humanity should be. As we are conformed to His image, we don’t become divine—we become fully human for the first time.

Practical Dangers in Daily Life

The “little gods” doctrine isn’t just a theological error to debate in seminaries—it has real, practical, and often devastating consequences in the daily lives of believers who embrace it.

Medical Tragedies

Perhaps nowhere is the danger more evident than in healthcare decisions. When people believe they have divine nature and divine authority over sickness, they often refuse medical treatment with tragic results.

The Bible never condemns medical treatment. Luke, the beloved physician, traveled with Paul (Colossians 4:14).⁴⁰ Paul prescribed wine for Timothy’s stomach problems (1 Timothy 5:23). Jesus acknowledged that sick people need physicians (Matthew 9:12).⁴¹ Using medicine isn’t a lack of faith—it’s using the wisdom and resources God has provided.

Financial Destruction

When people believe they have divine power to create wealth through their words, they often make disastrous financial decisions. They quit stable jobs, believing they can “speak” success into existence. They give beyond their means to “seed” their divine harvest. They max out credit cards, confident their god-nature will produce supernatural provision.

The result is bankruptcy, foreclosure, and destroyed credit. Families lose homes, children can’t afford college, and retirement savings vanish—all because people believed they were gods who could command prosperity.

The Bible teaches hard work, wise planning, and good stewardship, not divine manipulation of finances. “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat” (Proverbs 13:4).⁴² “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost?” (Luke 14:28).⁴³

Relationship Disasters

The “little gods” doctrine destroys relationships by promoting pride and self-centeredness. When someone believes they’re a god, how do they treat their spouse? Their children? Their fellow believers?

Gods don’t apologize. Gods don’t submit. Gods don’t serve. The humility, sacrifice, and mutual submission required for healthy relationships become impossible when people view themselves as divine beings.

Marriage particularly suffers. Ephesians 5 calls husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church, giving themselves for them. Wives are called to respect and submit to their husbands. But “little gods” don’t sacrifice or submit—they command and expect obedience.

Spiritual Shipwreck

Most tragically, the “little gods” doctrine leads to spiritual disaster. When the promises fail—when sickness isn’t healed, when prosperity doesn’t come, when circumstances don’t obey their commands—people face a crisis of faith.

They conclude either: (1) I’m not really a god, which means the Bible isn’t true and Christianity is false, or (2) I am a god but lack sufficient faith/power, which leads to endless striving and spiritual exhaustion. Either way, the result is often complete abandonment of faith.

The Internet is full of “ex-Christians” who left the faith after the “little gods” promises failed. They were told they had divine power, divine authority, and divine rights. When reality proved otherwise, they concluded Christianity itself was false, not recognizing they had believed a counterfeit gospel.

The Eastern Orthodox Connection: A Necessary Distinction

Some defenders of the “little gods” doctrine point to the Eastern Orthodox concept of theosis (deification) as historical support for their teaching. This comparison requires careful examination because while the Orthodox use the term “deification,” they mean something fundamentally different from what Dake and Word of Faith teachers proclaim.

What Theosis Actually Means

The Eastern Orthodox doctrine of theosis is based on the patristic maxim: “God became man that man might become god.” This sounds similar to Word of Faith teaching, but the meaning is radically different.

In Orthodox theology, theosis means:

• Participation in God’s energies, not His essence: The Orthodox make a crucial distinction between God’s essence (what He is) and His energies (His grace and operations). Humans can participate in God’s energies while remaining forever distinct from His essence.
• Moral transformation, not ontological change: Theosis is about becoming like God in character—holy, loving, righteous—not becoming God in being.
• By grace, not by nature: Whatever divine qualities humans receive are gifts of grace, not inherent rights or natural abilities.
• Maintaining creature-Creator distinction: Even in the fullness of theosis, humans remain creatures. The gulf between created and uncreated remains infinite.

St. Athanasius, who coined the famous phrase about God becoming man, explicitly maintained the Creator-creature distinction. He wrote: “We are not made gods from the beginning, but first men, then gods—yet not in nature, but by participation in God.”⁴⁴

The Critical Differences

The differences between Orthodox theosis and the “little gods” doctrine are fundamental:

Orthodox Theosis	Dake/”Little Gods” Doctrine
Participation in divine grace	Possession of divine nature
Moral/spiritual transformation	Ontological elevation
By grace alone	By right of creation/redemption
Maintains Creator-creature distinction	Erases Creator-creature distinction
Emphasizes humility and dependence	Promotes pride and independence
Process of sanctification	Position of deification

The Orthodox would be horrified by Word of Faith claims that believers are gods with creative power, divine authority, and the right to command reality. Even with their strong language about deification, the Orthodox maintain absolute divine transcendence and human creatureliness.

Responding to Common Objections

Those who teach the “little gods” doctrine often raise certain objections when confronted with biblical correction. Let’s address the most common arguments.

Objection 1: “But Jesus quoted Psalm 82!”

Response: Yes, Jesus quoted Psalm 82, but not to affirm human divinity. He used a rabbinic argument from lesser to greater. If human judges could be called “gods” in a figurative sense because they held God’s word, how much more could He—the eternal Word made flesh—call Himself the Son of God? Jesus was defending His unique divinity, not distributing divinity to all believers.

Objection 2: “We’re made in God’s image!”

Response: Being made in God’s image doesn’t mean being God or becoming God. An image represents without being identical to the original. A photograph of the president isn’t the president. A statue of a hero isn’t the hero. We reflect certain aspects of God’s character while remaining creatures fundamentally distinct from the Creator.

Objection 3: “We’re partakers of divine nature!”

Response: 2 Peter 1:4 says we “partake” (koinonos) of divine nature—we share or participate in God’s moral qualities through the Holy Spirit. We don’t possess God’s essential attributes. We participate in God’s holiness, not His omnipotence. We share His love, not His omniscience. The distinction between participation and possession is crucial.

Objection 4: “We have the same spirit that raised Jesus!”

Response: Romans 8:11 says the Spirit of God dwells in believers, but the Holy Spirit’s indwelling doesn’t make us divine. The Spirit remains distinct from us. He is God living in us, not us becoming God. The temple contains the divine presence without the building becoming divine.

Objection 5: “We’re joint-heirs with Christ!”

Response: Being joint-heirs (Romans 8:17) means we share in Christ’s inheritance, not His deity. Children inherit their parents’ possessions, not their parents’ identity. We will share in Christ’s glory, His kingdom, and His eternal life, but we won’t share His divine essence.

The Path Forward: Recovering Biblical Humility

Having exposed the error of the “little gods” doctrine and its dangers, we must chart a path forward for those who have been deceived by this teaching.

Recognize the Deception

The first step is acknowledging the deception. This can be painful, especially for those who have built their faith on these false promises. It requires admitting that trusted teachers have led them astray, that cherished beliefs are false, and that promised powers don’t exist.

But this recognition is liberating. Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).⁴⁵ Freedom comes from embracing reality, not from believing comfortable lies.

Repent of Pride

The “little gods” doctrine feeds pride, and pride must be repented of. This means acknowledging:

• We are creatures, not creators
• We are servants, not sovereigns
• We are dependent, not independent
• We are sinners saved by grace, not gods exercising rights

“God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). The path back to spiritual health begins with humility.

Rediscover the True Gospel

Many who embrace the “little gods” doctrine have never understood the true gospel. They need to discover:

This gospel humbles us by showing our complete dependence on God’s grace while exalting us by demonstrating God’s incredible love for us.

Rebuild on Biblical Foundation

Those recovering from “little gods” theology need to rebuild their faith on solid biblical foundation. This requires:

1. Systematic Bible Study: Read whole books of the Bible in context, not just isolated verses. Study what Scripture actually teaches about God’s nature, human nature, salvation, and the Christian life.

2. Sound Teaching: Find churches and teachers that faithfully exposit Scripture rather than imposing their systems on it. Look for humility, biblical fidelity, and historical orthodoxy.

3. Christian Community: Connect with mature believers who can provide support, accountability, and biblical correction. Isolation makes us vulnerable to deception.

4. Prayer and Dependence: Cultivate genuine prayer that acknowledges dependence on God rather than commanding Him. Learn to pray “Thy will be done” rather than “My will be done.”

5. Service and Humility: Engage in humble service to others. Nothing corrects delusions of divinity faster than washing dishes, changing diapers, or cleaning bathrooms for others.

Ministry to Those Deceived

Many reading this may have family members, friends, or fellow church members caught in the “little gods” deception. How can we minister to them effectively?

Approach with Love and Patience

Remember that those teaching or believing the “little gods” doctrine are often sincere Christians who have been deceived. They’re not enemies but victims of false teaching. Paul instructs us: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).⁴⁶

Attacking or mocking will only drive them deeper into error. Approach with genuine love, recognizing that “but for the grace of God, there go I.”

Focus on Scripture, Not Personalities

Rather than attacking Kenneth Copeland or Joyce Meyer, focus on what Scripture actually teaches. Many caught in this error have deep loyalty to their teachers. Attacking the teacher creates defensiveness. But focusing on Scripture allows God’s Word to do its work.

Ask questions like:

• “Can you show me where the Bible explicitly says believers are gods?”
• “How do you reconcile the ‘little gods’ teaching with Isaiah 43:10?”
• “If we’re gods, why did Paul have a thorn in the flesh?”
• “If we have creative power in our words, why didn’t Paul just speak Timothy’s healing?”

Share Personal Testimony

If you’ve been delivered from this deception, share your testimony. Tell how the false promises failed, how you discovered the truth, and how much better the true gospel is than the counterfeit.

Personal testimony is powerful because it’s hard to argue with someone’s experience. You’re not attacking anyone’s teacher or challenging anyone’s intelligence—you’re simply sharing what God has done in your life.

Pray Earnestly

Ultimately, only the Holy Spirit can open blind eyes and deliver from deception. Pray earnestly for those caught in error. Pray that God would:

• Open their eyes to see the truth
• Give them courage to abandon false teaching
• Provide sound teachers and biblical community
• Heal the damage done by false doctrine
• Use their deliverance to help others

The Greater Reality: Children Not Gods

As we conclude this examination of the “little gods” heresy, it’s crucial to understand that rejecting this false teaching doesn’t diminish our identity in Christ—it actually enhances it. Being children of God is far better than being “little gods.”

The Wonder of Adoption

Consider the marvel of adoption into God’s family. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (1 John 3:1). John is amazed, astonished, overwhelmed by this reality. Why? Because we who were enemies have become children. We who were rebels have become family.

If we were naturally divine, adoption wouldn’t be amazing—it would be expected. The wonder of the gospel is that God takes creatures who have rebelled against Him and makes them His beloved children. This is grace beyond comprehension.

The Security of Sonship

As God’s children, we have security that “little gods” could never have. Paul writes, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17).⁴⁷

Children are secure in their father’s love even when they fail. Gods who fail cease to be gods, but children who fail remain children. Our relationship with God isn’t based on our divine performance but on His fatherly love.

The Freedom of Dependence

The “little gods” doctrine burdens people with impossible responsibilities. If you’re a god, you must handle everything yourself. If you have creative power, every failure is your fault. If you can command reality, every problem reflects your inadequacy.

But children are free to depend on their Father. We can cast “all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7).⁴⁸ We don’t have to speak reality into existence—we can ask our Father who speaks and it is done. We don’t have to command our circumstances—we can trust the One who commands the wind and waves.

The Joy of Worship

When we recognize God’s infinite superiority to us, worship becomes natural and joyful. We don’t worship as equals honoring a peer but as creatures overwhelmed by the Creator’s majesty.

The living creatures around God’s throne cry “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8).⁴⁹ The twenty-four elders fall down and worship, saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Revelation 4:11).⁵⁰

This is the worship of creatures before their Creator, and it’s beautiful. “Little gods” can’t experience this joy because they see themselves as divine peers rather than grateful creatures.

Chapter Summary

Conclusion: Choose This Day

We stand at the same crossroads that has confronted humanity since Eden. Will we grasp for divinity, believing the serpent’s lie that we can “be as gods”? Or will we embrace our creaturehood, finding our true glory in being children of the Most High God?

The “little gods” doctrine promises everything but delivers nothing. It promises power but brings weakness. It promises control but produces chaos. It promises divinity but delivers despair. It is, in every sense, a doctrine of demons designed to destroy faith, kill believers, and blaspheme God.

But the true gospel offers what our hearts really need. Not elevation to divinity but reconciliation with Divinity. Not independence from God but blessed dependence on God. Not the exhausting burden of being gods but the restful joy of being God’s beloved children.

If you’ve believed the “little gods” lie, today can be your day of deliverance. Acknowledge the deception. Repent of the pride. Embrace the truth. You are not a god, and that’s good news. You are something far better—a human being created in God’s image, loved by God with everlasting love, redeemed by Christ’s precious blood, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and destined for eternal glory as God’s child.

Stop trying to be what you were never meant to be. Start becoming what God created you to be. Exchange the impossible burden of divinity for the easy yoke of Christ. Trade the exhausting pretense of being a god for the restful reality of being God’s child.

The choice is yours. Will you continue believing Dake’s lie that you’re a “little god,” or will you embrace the biblical truth that you’re a beloved child of the one true God? Choose wisely—eternity hangs in the balance.

Sources and Citations

1. Genesis 3:5 (King James Version)
2. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963. Note on Genesis 1:26.
3. Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on Psalm 82:6.
4. Genesis 1:26-27 (KJV)
5. Psalm 82:6 (KJV)
6. John 10:34-36 (KJV)
7. Isaiah 43:10-11 (KJV)
8. Deuteronomy 6:4 (KJV)
9. Isaiah 44:6 (KJV)
10. Isaiah 44:8 (KJV)
11. Numbers 23:19 (KJV)
12. Hosea 11:9 (KJV)
13. Jeremiah 17:5 (KJV)
14. Romans 1:25 (KJV)
15. Hagin, Kenneth E. Zoe: The God-Kind of Life. Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1989, 35-36.
16. Copeland, Kenneth. The Force of Love. Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1987. Tape 02-0028.
17. Copeland, Kenneth. “Believers Voice of Victory” broadcast, July 9, 1987.
18. Dollar, Creflo. “Made After His Kind.” Sermon, World Changers Church International, College Park, GA, September 15, 2002.
19. Meyer, Joyce. “Authority and Opposition.” Audio tape, Joyce Meyer Ministries.
20. Isaiah 6:5 (KJV)
21. John 3:16 (KJV)
22. Philippians 2:6-8 (KJV)
23. James 4:6 (KJV)
24. James 4:10 (KJV)
25. Matthew 5:3 (KJV)
26. Isaiah 14:12-14 (KJV)
27. Copeland, Kenneth. The Laws of Prosperity. Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1974, 18-19.
28. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
29. Capps, Charles. The Tongue: A Creative Force. Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 1976, 117-118.
30. Dake, Dake Annotated Reference Bible, note on 3 John 2.
31. Matthew 8:20 (KJV)
32. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (KJV)
33. 1 Timothy 5:23 (KJV)
34. 2 Timothy 4:20 (KJV)
35. John 1:12 (KJV)
36. 1 John 3:1-2 (KJV)
37. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
38. 2 Peter 1:4 (KJV)
39. Romans 8:29 (KJV)
40. Colossians 4:14 (KJV)
41. Matthew 9:12 (KJV)
42. Proverbs 13:4 (KJV)
43. Luke 14:28 (KJV)
44. Athanasius. On the Incarnation. Translated by John Behr. Yonkers, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2011, 54.
45. John 8:32 (KJV)
46. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 (KJV)
47. Romans 8:16-17 (KJV)
48. 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
49. Revelation 4:8 (KJV)
50. Revelation 4:11 (KJV)
51. Dake, Finis Jennings. “Dake Bible Old Test.” In Dake Bible Misc Passages From Images Folder, 548. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales.
52. Dake, Finis Jennings. “Bodily Form of God.” In Dakes Bible Bodily Form. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales.
53. Dake, Finis Jennings. “63 Facts About God.” In Dake Bible Old Test, 548. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales.
54. Dake, Finis Jennings. Dake Annotated Reference Bible. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, 1963. Note on Psalm 8:5, discussing the Hebrew term Elohim.
55. Dake, Finis Jennings. “Pre-Adamite Dispensations.” In Dakes Bible PreAdamite. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales.
56. Dake, Finis Jennings. “Earth’s Second Sinful Career.” In Dakes Bible PreAdamite. Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales.

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