InspiredWalk.com 2023. Thats deception. The gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the witness to Jesus Christ Himself, written in the New Testament by men who had seen the risen Lord. You dont ever have to be the victim of deception when you guard your heart diligently every day of your life. April 30, 2023 Church Service | April 30, 2023 Church Service 2. Study these four ways to guard against deception and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. Cultivating a love of the truth 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 gives us this warning Those who have been turned off by legalism or by guilt-producing, fire and brimstone sermons, have said, We would like a church that is upbeat and positive. Fill us with the power of your Holy Spirit. This Scripture informs us that peoples minds are blind, through deception, until they repent and receive Christ into their hearts and become born of the Spirit. They had heard His teaching and seen His miracles. The Bible has your answer, choose a topic below. Indeed God is to be our strength and help. Time after time, he responded with humility, acknowledging mistakes and attempting to set things right. In 1 John 2:24-27, the apostle continues the theme of avoiding spiritual deception. Where is any careful, verse-by-verse exposition of Scripture? In the natural, anything thats precious, people usually make sure that its secured right? The Bible forewarns us that there are wolves in sheep clothing and tares among the wheat. Its called bewitchment. In the long run, it opened the way for a lot of healthy adjustments and maturing in wisdom in prophetic development in Kansas City and elsewhere. WebThe trouble with being deceived is that if you are deceived you dont know it otherwise it would not be deception. Therefore, we must know the Word of God and use the shield of faith to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one (Ephesians 6:16). If God Is Real, Why Doesnt He Reveal Himself? Submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee. He is speaking out against the seeker churches, which dodge the issues of sin and judgment so as not to offend seekers. He recently edited Fools Gold [Crossway Books], which deals with the theme of discernment. (2 Corinthians 5:17). To be forewarned is to be forearmed. That old saying captures a scriptural truth. We want to feel good about ourselves when we leave. 5 Things Every Christian Needs to Give Up, How to Explain the Gospel and Share Your Faith, Self-control The Fruit of the Holy Spirit, Lust of the Eyes (The Devil Tempts Jesus Part 3). The man who taught the course on 1 John that I took in seminary is one of the leading proponents of this error. Your email address will not be published. Lesson 9: Avoiding Spiritual Deception (Colossians 2:1-5) 1. Some argue that verse 27 militates against using commentaries. If you believe that your deceitfulness is justified or excusable for any reason, you are wrong. Why Are People So Evil? In addition, the world has taught vain philosophies, such as lies like humans descended from monkeys or apes. 4:4). We must be able to discern when there is a mixture of truth and lies. While most people are generally honest, even those who subscribe to The nature of deception is a work of fear that begins with questioning. If you are paying attention to the text, you may be thinking, I dont see any mention of the Word or the gospel in these verses. When you compare everything to the Word of God, you will guard against deception. What Does The Bible Say About Narcissism? Why (biblically) is this a serious mistake. Jake 11:13-15-, Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Never grow tired of the gospel! A Prayer to Break the Spirit of Deception. Lets look at Rev. Last year I heard John MacArthur say that when he began in the ministry, he never dreamed that he would have to spend a major portion of his time and energy defending the gospel among those in the evangelical camp. 1:20). 2023 National Day of Prayer: 10 Prayer Points with Scriptures, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. (, All things are possible to him who believes. (, The victory that overcomes the world is my faith! (. But it is to say that on the essential truths of the Bible, any Christian who can read and who makes the effort to compare Scripture with Scripture in reliance on the Holy Spirit, can grasp the meaning. I declareas we press into this fast and the voice of the flesh and soul are brought under submission to our spirit and in partnership with the Holy Spirit the power of deception is being broken off all of our lives. The Devils Satanic Deception Against the World. He also ministers often in the area of deliverance from evil spirits, seeing people set free from bondage, torment, and oppression. Is The Selling of Anointing Oil & Holy Water Biblical? Bible Study & Life Lessons / Relationship with God. Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow. There are many ways to guard against spiritual deception. Itching ears are those that only want to be told what they want to hear. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. He will make every attempt to present you with lies in order to cause doubt in your mind. WebSpirit-filled Christians exhibit self-control and only use their words to build up others (see Ephesians 4:29-30 ). (Matthew 9:9 NASB), A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. WebYou have the power to overcome the adversary. And so a major theme throughout the entire New Testament, including Johns epistles, is that Gods people need to develop discernment so that they can avoid spiritual deception. Be prepared to: Recognize the symptoms of the spirit of Python and learn to break free from its squeezing stronghold. We need to be able to recognize when the enemy is trying at work in subtle ways. The moment we turn our attention to the side, our steps weave and waver. If we are to find victory over Satan and his deceptions, then we must go to the cross. I choose to revoke my alliance with any form of darkness and to step into proper alignment with Your ways. We must abide in Christ, who is the Truth and be led by the Holy Spirit who is called the Spirit of Truth. That being said, you must understand that the Devil uses people. God will not tolerate lies and deceitfulness. What these believers had heard from the beginning was the teaching of the apostles, especially their teaching on the core issue of the gospel. (Matthew 7:13-14), What is the Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes & the Pride of Life? We have outlined a five-step process to help you change and heal in this area of your life. (1 Timothy 2:5). In Johns mind was Jesus promise (John 14:26), that the Holy Spirit would teach the disciples all things. Is it Biblical? Our Southwest CBA sponsored a mens conference with one of their speakers that was, shall we say, wildly popular. Scriptures: Psalm 51:6; Isaiah 61:1; John 12:36, 14:6; 1 John 1:5; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:13; 2 Corinthians 11:13-14; Hebrews 13:9. Refuse to budge from its truth, and you will stand firm now and in the days to come. In God in the Wasteland (p. 30) he writes. Knowing how easy it is to be swept away into deception, Paul strongly warned us to take heed in 1 Timothy 4:16. Can I Be Saved By Keeping The 10 Commandments? But even if our gospel is veiled,it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose mindsthe god of this agehas blinded, who do not believe, lestthe light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,who is the image of God, should shine on them. One of his primary tactics is deception. 6 Reasons Why Every Christian is a Minister, What Does it Mean to be a Berean? Former Pastor: If there is a God, does he even make a difference? 7:23), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness., Or, take the error of the seeker churches. Be alert, keep yourself prepared, and dig your heels deep into Gods Word. He is an international bestselling author, a certified Life Language Coach, an adviser to leaders and ministries and a recording artist. And dont let the input of the world outweigh the input of Gods Word in your life. Finally, to guard against deception, youve got to live by faith. He fulfilled all of its prophecies and its law (Matt. He wrote: That was revealed to him by an angel, so it must be reliable!, The Bible cant cover everything; thats why God sends extra-special revelation like this., Get outta my way! As you probably know, he has written several books to defend the gospel against those who deny that saving faith inherently requires submission to Christs lordship. Theyve been assured that because they received Christ, they are going to heaven. When they let the paralytic down through the roof on a stretcher in front of Jesus, He said to the man, Son, your sins are forgiven (Mark 2:5). If Satan can cause confusion about the gospel, everything else is affected. The later times referred to in the passage have been underway for centuries; but the warning still holds true for us today. Last modified July 17, 2022. Eldredge cites a supposed revelation that he had where God told him he was like some macho movie heroes. One of the greatest weapons Satan uses is deception. Paul was exasperated with the people of the church in Galatia because they so often fell for this trick of the devil. I thank You that You desire that I have truth in my inward parts and that I walk in the freedom that comes only from walking in the light of Your truth. All Rights Reserved. I curse every attempt of the devil to get me to buy a lie. Therefore, you must know the Word of God for yourself in order to identify what is true and what is false. Thats the definition of deceptionbeing swept away into believing as truth what you didnt believe previously. If Satan can cause you to doubt Gods Word, his next move is to present you with temptation. If you dont have a church home, then ask God to lead you to a Bible-based church where you can become water baptized, become a disciple, and strengthened in the company of spiritual leaders and other believers in Christ. I bind deception and lies right now in the Name of Jesus. In my last article, I named the primary weapon of Satan: deception. (Luke 9:23). Take the error that believing in Christ for salvation does not include repenting of sin or submitting to Jesus as Lord. He does it so subtly as to make it almost seem true. (John 1:4). 12:9). He shows us how to develop the discernment that we need to persevere in the faith: To avoid spiritual deception, develop discernment by abiding in the Word and in the Spirit. This gift helps to expose the work of evil spirits, and gives us insight into the spiritual realm. To Craig he speaks through rock and roll. So, these are the three areas that Satan will present you with ungodly temptation. Gods word to me comes in many waysthrough sunsets and friends and films and music and wilderness and books. (Matthew 4:19-20, 22 NKJV), As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collectors booth; and He said to him, Follow Me! And he got up and followed Him. The Lord says to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. As believers, we have our own measuring stickanother foundation on which to base our perceptions. That measuring stick is Gods Word. When Jesus wilderness experience becomes ours, when the divine has united with the human, then we can overcome the devil. The things that are happening in the spiritual realm and Bible prophecy. You can guard yourself against deception! Watch Gloria Copeland and Billye Brim teach you why your mind is the greatest battlefield. To take heed means to beware, perceive and consider carefully. So dont be deceived into thinking that anything less than victory is Gods will for you. Deception is running so rampant that some of the church leaders are deceived. Father, today I take a stand against any deception trying to take root in my life. Thats making a really poor choice. An insinuation turns into a motivation to retaliate. The only deception in this is the idea that there will be no consequence to what youre doing. Are Christians Supposed To Have Problems? Comment: Self-deceit is an inherent part of man's emotional, mental and spiritual makeup. The ear gates- Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). The false teachers were claiming to have direct revelations from the Spirit, but their teaching contradicted the Word. Need help? Which Denomination is the one True Church? They will reject the truth and chase after myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Demons allure people from a position of stability into a place of instability in an attempt to capture them in their web of lies. (I Peter 5:8) 2. Repeatedly he has raised up false teachers within the church in attempts to deceive Gods people. Spirit of Unworthiness. But the rest is an exaggeration and the beginning of an accusation. Listen, nothing is more valuable than a human soul. Why Did God Kill Innocent People in the Old Testament? Your email address will not be published. Live By Faith. To overcome deception, we must cultivate a love for the truth. There are those who want to believe it is acceptable to the Lord when they choose to vote for candidates whose views oppose the Word of God. Read More What is the Trinity? The apostle Paul was a devout Jew, fastidiously keeping all of the rituals and rules of the Jewish faith. They knew that the entire Old Testament pointed to Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44, 45). Copyright 2023, The Bottom Line Ministries. The fact that eternal life is Gods promise means that it is not something that we have to work for or deserve. That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). A deception can only be committed if it is blatant. WebLying is a common form of deceptionstating something known to be untrue with the intent to deceive. Step 2: Revise Your False Satan is a spirit being who exist in the spiritual realm. The crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When you allow the Lord to bring areas of deception to your mind, and you repent and turn back to truthnothing will ever hold you back. Let the Holy Spirit be at home in every area of your life, and you be at home in every area of His Word. The Difference between Biblical Christianity & Cultural Christianity, 5 Biblical Ways to Communicate with Others. I did not attend, but I read the book and Im baffled at what the attraction is for men who are seeking to know the Lord. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. What is the Purpose of the 10 Commandments? Take time to play. The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. Show me these areas, and bring them to my mind. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25). The problems of this world is the result of sin. A biblical example of how a person can be under satanic influence, is how Satan used Judas Iscariot to betray Christ (Luke 22:2-4). Jesus also called Him the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), which is behind Johns words here, that He is true and is not a lie. This means that the truth of the gospel is not a subjective matter of personal interpretation. Dont wait until something comes up to try and figure out if it is truth or deception. Why is Disney Grooming Children into LGBTQ Ideology? You need to grab your Bible, get on your knees and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see the truth of His Word for yourself. I admit my total dependency upon you. Why? Causing deceit means pressuring someone to accept as true or valid, something that is not true. The Lord understood the condition of their fallen nature. Today, Satan uses it to corrupt the minds of our youth at an early age. 19:1; Rom. Since the days of the early church, Satan has actively opposed the truth of Gods Word, especially with regard to the gospel. We want modern music. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. I was impressed with the way Mike Bickle, the senior leader of the fellowship, handled the accusations. Web1 John 4:1. You cant attain a knowledge of the gospel through philosophy or logic. Rather, it is objectively, absolutely true in every culture and every age. That is deception. John also wanted to warn them to continue in vigilance. Although Ive been preaching it now for 29 years, I still find that there are depths in the gospel that I need to plumb. So, Satan targets those who are ignorant of Gods Word. Ask God to open your eyes so that you will abide in the Son and in the Father! (Colossians 2:8). His only hope to take out believers is to get them to believe a lie. (Luke 6:31), Stop telling lies. Yet it has a glowing endorsement from Chuck Swindoll in the foreword! Apart from spiritual blindness and the pride that wants to take credit for salvation, there is no way to explain why anyone turns to false religions to save them. Now theyre saying humans were created from aliens from other planets. There will always be challenges in this world. But he is not empowered by the Holy Spirit; he is empowered by the demonic. The book is only mildly Christian, at best. Do Christians Worship 3 Gods? If the gospel is, Believe in Jesus Christ, then why cant we accept Roman Catholics, who believe in Jesus, as saved? Your Holy Spirit Handbook to Surviving Last Days Deception. Please forgive me. Otherwise, sin left unchecked is also how a person can become spiritually blind (1 Timothy 4:2). See why more than 377,000 Christians have joined with usand how you can, too! Any day of the year, we're here for you! The Bible also tells us that Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. Do not move in fear but in peace knowing that our God is with you all the way, Amen! It has a chapter by Phil Johnson defending the gospel against a relatively new error that is called, the new perspective on Paul.. If we try to follow anything or anybody but God, we can get off the narrow track altogether and it takes a lot of effort to get back where we belong. Put aside distractions and get immersed in God's Word. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Isaiah 8:20. Amen and Amen! First, its essential to understand what deception is not. What is your view of God with respect to honesty and dishonesty? I had sent in a prayer request for him regarding, Call us at 1-817-852-6000 or click here to send a prayer request online. We have the apostles teaching in the New Testament. (2 Cor. By staying aware of its presence and being honest with ourselves, we can defeat the spirit of deception and remain on the path of truth.