We need to pay attention to how we can become deceived. This can happen when we:
Listen to people we respect without challenging their advice with the word of God.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:1-2
If we think we’re spiritual than Pride will deceive us.
“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Galatians 6:3
“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12
There is a ‘knowing’ that is not of the intellect but of the Spirit. God will guide you by your spirit. Your Spirit must remain sensitive.
-Maybe you don’t think you’re so spiritual, but you must be careful you aren’t deceived by someone who thinks they are! If something does not sit well in your spirit, than take heed! When you’re drawn to someone, it should be because you sense the spirit of Jesus. Pay attention to half-truths!
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31
-When we don’t take time for God’s word, we can get deceived. We must know it in our hearts so when a half-truth is spoken, we can discern. When we don’t know God’s word, we have no truth to measure a lie by.
Deception through Drugs and the Occult
-If you’ve been in either, you have opened the door to deception. If you’ve been involved with both, you’ve doubled your deception. You must repent and close that door or you will continue to walk in deception and confusion when it comes to spiritual matters.
How to close the door for these:
- Repent from the heart. Recognize this is an abomination to the Lord.
- Totally commit to a church activated in living out the word.
- Submit to Godly Leadership.
- Make yourself available to teaching the word as much as possible.
- Be on guard for Pride.
- Have every message you receive be confirmed by the Word of God.
We can be deceived if we think we are superior or inferior. Feeling ‘less’ than will stop us from knowing who we really are in Christ. We must choose to believe in God’s word more than our feelings.
Deception comes through gossip.
-We cannot complain as this is prophesying a curse! Look at what God felt about the Israelites complaining in the desert. They were not allowed to enter the promised land! The curse which comes from grumbling is Strife and Division.
“And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” 1 Corinthians 10:10
Best Solution for Grumbling:
Come to God with the problem. If it’s a legitimate problem, God alone can help. If we need more information, God can reveal that. God will bring unity.
Complacency and Denial can bring Deception:
-We need to be open to God. When He reveals our rebellious heart, we give God the right to decide how we live, not our rebellious. If you feel like you have to ‘hide’ anything, you are probably in self-deception. We ourselves cannot decide what’s okay with God. It’s our responsibility to search the scriptures and to receive sound counsel from the Holy Spirit in prayer or from trusted brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord, Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin.” Isaiah 30:1
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Deception is not obvious. That’s how we fall for it.
Justification
-This is when we justify not doing the right thing or even following God’s direction. We talk ourselves out of the will of God to serve ourselves. Sometimes we try to take the guilt off ourselves and blame someone else or our circumstances. It’s time to forgive and move on. We simply need to decide “No more!”
Kibosh anything which keeps us in unforgiveness.
-I would rehearse all the wrongs done to me and remind myself of why I’m offended and hurt, which Kept me Offended and Hurt. It also kept me out of Forgiveness!
Researching Deception
-We need to be careful not to fill our minds with thoughts and ideologies that are not from God. For example, you don’t need to know all the details of what doing a certain drug will feel like, what you should do is research the devastating effects of it. We should research answers to problems, which are in the word of God. Adam and Eve did not need to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. All they needed was the tree of life. The tree of Life is the Truth and in it are all the answers we need.
“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:21
“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” 1 Corinthians 1:25-26
If we don’t practice the Word of God, we are in deception.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; or he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25
-We need to humble ourselves to avoid deception.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Prayer against Self-Deception:
“Heavenly Father,
I’m tired of lying to myself and hiding from you.
I’ve been drawn to the shadows because it made me feel better about my sinful condition.
Forgive me for allowing anyone and everything to influence my decisions.
I have no idea who I really am or what I’m capable of for I’ve limited myself by not listening to you!
Today, I repent for making myself god; for leaning into arrogance, ignorance and entitlement.
I reject the Spirit of Pride which has opened the door to a twisted and rebellious mind.
I will not partner with self-destruction, stubbornness or bad habits which hamper my ability to hear your voice.
Lord, light every corner of my heart! Reveal every loophole and excuse which has darkened my path.
Let the gravity of my sin weigh upon me!
I gladly receive your conviction for this is a gift from my loving Father who has good plans for me.
Thank you for washing me clean and directing my steps. I choose to trust you because I know I can’t trust myself.
In Jesus’ name, I give you every part of my heart and declare, everything changes today. Amen.”
*A special thank you to Peggy Joyce Ruth Ministries for her insightful teaching which this article was taken from.
