False teachers will face divine judgment (2:1-3). Peter further highlights the justice of God’s wrath upon them by describing their corrupt conduct. He points out three aspects: insolence, immorality, and greed.

Insolence (10-12): False teachers exhibit insolence. They presume to have the right to revile fallen angels. They insolently speak of the spiritual realm which they neither understand nor have any power over. We are to resist the forces of evil by standing firm, but these men brazenly curse and “bind” them.[1]

Immorality (13-14): Those who reject the law of God (2:1; 3:2) live lawlessly. The lifestyle of these false teachers bears this out. They exercise no control over their appetites (1:5-6) and even entice others to join in their dissipation. But God will deal with them. The immoral will be cut off from God’s kingdom.[2]

Greed (15-16): These men are like Balaam. They not only lead others to immorality, but they are also driven by greed. They seek out sordid gain and are expert fraudsters. They pay no heed to the warnings of our Lord: Greed is a deadly snare with eternal consequences (Luke 12:15; 1 Tim. 6:10).

Wickedness does not go unnoticed by the holy God. He will judge all who steer others away from the pathway of life (Matt. 7:14). Peter warns us, lest we be led astray and participate in the evil deeds of darkness (Eph. 5:7, 11, 15-16).

[1] Angels in Scripture are mighty beings (2 Kings 19:35; Heb. 2:7) over whom man has no authority. Only Jesus possessed such powers and those to whom He explicitly gave this power (Luke 9:1; 10:17). Our calling in spiritual warfare is to maintain Christian character and to stand firm (Eph. 6:11-18).

[2] This is the end of all who refuse to repent from their immorality (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5-6; Col. 3:5-6; Rev. 21:8). Only if they repent, will they find mercy and salvation from the Lord (1 Cor. 6:11; Gal. 5:24).