Thank you for your question Darren.
I too have struggled in this question in search for an answer that is imbued with wisdom. The way out of the struggle, do they know or do they not know, is this. God knows!
We need to return to the focus provided through the teachings of the Myth of Free Will which is a not so obvious way through this struggle to come to decide if followers and teachers of deception do so knowingly. For me, whether they know or not is not the issue.
God knows that He has given the Church, to date 2000 years, and who knows how much longer, in which to yield the fruit of the Spirit of Christ. What has happened? The Church kingdom has fragmented into over 3000 different denominations all professing to be the correct one and each one with a deeper deception and bondage formulating false teachings than the next.
God knew this would happen and He also knew how long He would allocate for this to happen. There is a Day of The Lord!
We know that 2000 years ago, Jesus did say that as they had done to John the Baptist, so they would do to Him. How did John die? They cut off his head. This fits neatly into what Ray teaches about the occupancy of Satan in Christiandom. Who is the head of Christianity? ...... We know the answer to this through the study of the LOF right?
Satan has his throne in Christianity and Satan is the head of the false teachings and death that has reigned throughout the Church history. Satan not Christ is the head of the Christian Church. For me, the body of the Christian Church resembles the lacerated and abused beaten bruised and whipped and crucified body of Jesus.
The myth of free will and the Plan of God shows us that God knew this would happen to the Church and that wolves would come in and apostatise the truth! God was not surprised. Just like God knew that Eve would eat of the tree of good and evil. God knew He would send His Son and we know that in the time of God, the 2000 year apostasy of the Church will be corrected and Satan will be entering into the LOF.
Whether they know or do not know and if they lead or follow, it is all part of the dark age of deception and apostasy that God knew would happen and which He will correct when He returns.
Peace to you brother
Arcturus