No one wants to be deceived, yet, at some point, we have all been deceived. The Father of lies is the great deceiver. He comes to us when we are weak and tempts us. We, like Adam and Eve, listen and we yield. It always starts with something small in our eyes. However, we have forgotten that any sin is unacceptable to God. In God’s eyes, there is no grading scale. All sin separates us from Him.
John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.”
Satan never comes to us with all the information up front. He never tempts us with sins that have horrible consequences in the beginning. That’s how deception works. It is subtle and cunning. Sometimes he uses people who use flattery to get us in their corner. We begin to believe they are great people because they want to do things for us and include us. Always be careful of flattery! We don’t see the dark side of them until they have won our confidence. Then we care so much we overlook the deception. We now are deceived!
Romans 16:18 “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
Pay attention to people’s habits. Are they faithful to all services at church? Do they serve with a sweet spirit? Do they seem to hunger for the word of God? Do they exhibit a grateful attitude? If their disposition is grumbly, insecure, and critical, you can rest assured they have a hidden agenda when they are kind to you. Don’t be sucked in by their deception.
Satan desires to take you to Hell for all eternity. He is very savvy. He has expert knowledge of human behavior. He was created before Adam and Eve, he has seen it all. In Genesis 3:1-7, he twists the words of God to get Eve to think she was missing something, and God was holding back good from her. He cast just enough doubt to get Eve’s attention. He tells her she will live and that she will be like God.
Satan entered the serpent and spoke to Eve. Eve knew the truth, but she listened, and he convinced her that she would not die. In other words, God has lied to you. One doubt led to the deception and downfall of all mankind.
Genesis 3:2-5 “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 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.”
How do we avoid being deceived?
First, know the bible. Study and pray. The best way to not be sucked in by a lie is to know the truth. You don’t need to know all the lies that are out there because they constantly change. You just need to know the truth, then you can identify the lie quickly. The Holy Spirit will alert you when something is not as it should be. When there are questions don’t ignore them. If you have doubts about a friendship walk away.
Second, keep a check on your own heart. Jeremiah teaches us that our hearts deceive us. The heart is the seat of our emotions, and we have a sin nature that we inherited from Adam and Eve. Apart from God, we do not love the truth. We love what feels the best to the flesh. We rationalize the irrational and convince ourselves everything is ok. The commentator Matthew Henry comments “there is wickedness in our hearts which we ourselves are not aware of and do not suspect to be there.” Stop and examine your own heart and think about why you feel the way you feel.
Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Third, come to grips with the fact that evil spirits do exist and that they seek to influence you in all your decisions. There will be “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” and as Timothy states, as time advances there will be more deception. Many churches of today teach a “little” truth with a “little” lie. For instance, some teach that God is love, and he is, but they don’t teach that He is holy, and no sin can enter Heaven. They teach part of the truth, and that is the first step in deception. If this is your church, run! If you stay in that atmosphere you will be deceived.
I Timothy 4:1 “ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”
Fourth, find someone that you know studies, prays, and is committed to serving through a local church. Find someone who has a passion for souls because that is the heart of God. He doesn’t want anyone to perish. Allow that person to hold you accountable for your actions.
The most horrible part about deception is that when you are deceived, you don’t know you are deceived, otherwise you wouldn’t be deceived! Pray and ask God to reveal to you any areas of your life where you may be deceived.
If you are not a Christian, you are already deceived but just don’t know it. In this situation pray and ask God to forgive you of your sins. Place your trust in Him and seek to follow him. He will send His Holy Spirit to dwell within you and help to guide you. It was not an accident that you read this. It is your choice to be or not to be deceived!
