Today’s church culture is filled with confusion, suspicion and deception that the urgency of writing this blog is a mandate. The church needs a wake up call. Most at the helm are truly asleep or deceived themselves. It is part of my mandate to wake people up to the deception at large.
There is so much to cover about the enemy’s tactics to deceive that it simply cannot be covered in just one blog. It will take a series of blogs comprised of Bible study and prayer as current events unfold and lead the enemy’s tactics exposed.
Jesus said that in the last days Matthew 24:24: For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [NKJV]
Jesus also made a similar statement in Matthew 24:5: For many will come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ,” and will deceive many. [NKJV]
So let’s unpack those two statements. Both statements seem to be the same but are not. They are similar, but not the same statement. Jesus is expounding here in these two statements. He is actually making 3 statements here:
- Many false teachers and prophets will arise;
- Many false teachers and prophets will arise in the name of Christ;
- They show great signs and wonders because people are led by ‘signs’ rather than the voice of God;
- They deceive many.
The correct method of Bible interpretation is to back up your claim with at least two or three other Bible verses. The Bible always has at least two or three verses for supporting any truth it is conveying to humanity. If a claim is made, it must have this requirement. If it does not have this requirement, then it is false doctrine. That’s spiritual law.
In fact, even in man’s law (at least here in the United States) one cannot make a claim in the court of law without finding at least two or three laws found either in case law or state or federal statutes (whichever jurisdiction the case lies) to win the case. The same is true in proper Bible interpretation.
In 1st Timothy 4:1, the Apostle Paul writes to his understudy Timothy: Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
The Bible tells us in Matthew 24:4: And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. [v. 5] “For many will come in My name saying ‘I am the Christ, and will deceive many.” Further, in Matthew 24:24: “For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” New Spirit-Filled Life Bible.
Staying with it – that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news- the Message of the kingdom – will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come.”
In 1st Timothy 4:1, The Message Bible reads: “The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars. These liars have lied so well and for so long that they’ve lost their capacity for truth. They will tell you not to get married. They’ll tell you not to eat this or that food – perfectly good food God created to be eaten heartily and with thanksgiving by Christians!”
Friends, these statements are in the Bible as a warning to all of us that deception will be out there and to avoid it. Does that mean to be suspicious of every leader in the church – absolutely not! It does, however, mean to have your red flags in place so that when you encounter false teachers, avoid them and don’t’ support them. Those red flags can only be acquired by prayer and Bible study. Not just reading the Word but studying it for yourself. That’s the only way the seed of the Word takes root and grows. First, you till the land by preparing your heart to receive the Word, then you receive it, water it, giving it sun and fertilizer of allowing life’s tests, trials and tribulations to produce that fruit and you live by that fruit and help others in need of it. For further details on false teachers and false doctrines and how to identify them, read my blog “How to Discern False Teachers and False Doctrines.”
So, now getting to the basis of this blog, how do we avoid deception? The Bible teaches us how to do so, but many neglect the teaching in this area. It is this neglect that has the church in disarray. We avoid deception by doing the following:
- GUARD YOUR HEART! I have seen some ignorant and foolish people get deceived based on the fact that they failed to guard their hearts. Some people take it to a whole new level by being carnally led by their emotions and intellect and not seeking the Holy Spirit’s direction in this area. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman and He leads gently. He will not force Himself upon us.
They do this because they have not guarded their hearts from lust of the flesh, pride of life, etc. as mentioned in 1st John 2:16: For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world, and the world is passing away, and the lust of it: but he who does the will of God abides forever.
We must keep in mind that we are a tripartite creation: body, soul and spirit. My best analogy is that we are like a body (our physical shell) flying around like a plane (our mind/soul) needing a control tower (our spirit) to guide us. If we only listen to our soul without checking our spirit to hear God’s voice, then we lose out in our direction and we will crash – it’s just a matter of time. We must keep our hearts/spirits clean from carnal motives. This is why we must love the Lord with all our hearts – not 1/4, not 1/2, and not 3/4 – but all of our hearts.
Lust is never from God. Lust is a man-made and conjured up by the soul. Once it conceives, it imbeds itself in the heart and must be plucked out leaving no trace behind. It’s deadly to spiritual growth and our walk with God. Many dismiss it or even deny harboring it. When confronted by the Holy Spirit’s conviction, they ignore it and call it the devil. If you want to know more about how God feels about lust read the book of James.
With the leadership in the church, God is willing that no man should perish and He continues in dealing with that leader. The leader, thinking that because God is still there dealing with him, that all is well in his walk with God. But the deadly turn comes when God has to hand these leaders over to the devil to teach them a lesson. Some make it through, while others don’t. Those that make it through allow God to protect them by depending on God rather than surround themselves with people who don’t walk their talk out. Those that make it through learn the true price of humility.
In closing, I ask the question: Does your walk with God allow the Holy Spirit’s conviction and the hand of God’s chastisement? This is imperative to walking in God’s light. It’s a requirement; not an option. One should never assume they are honest with themselves because the Bible is clear that our own nature deceives us. Allow God’s conviction to show us where we have lust and pride. Pray this prayer:
Father in Heaven – praise your Holy Name on High. I lift up my requests to your throne in the name above all names, the Lord Jesus Christ. Your Word is truth and I accept it with my whole heart. Show me Father every area in my life that I have harbored lust and pride and pluck it out of me completely. Let me never walk the same again with you. Protect me from deception and never let me walk on my own strength. Keep me willing and obedient to Your voice. I believe you that have heard me Father and I receive the truth and conviction of your precious Holy Spirit to show me and teach me the difference between in true humility and false humility. And Father, I ask you to give me the courage to walk in transparency with my brothers and sisters so they can learn how to do the same. I thank you Father that you heard my prayer and believe that I have received them all in the most precious name, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Join me next time – How to Avoid Deception, Part 2: [https://vyzyn.org/how-to-avoid-deception-part-2/].
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